Make Your Kitchen The Heart Of Your Home With A Raised Bar Island
Kitchen islands are popular additions for their extra prep space and storage. But a kitchen island with a raised bar top takes the functionality even further. By incorporating bar-height seating, your island can become a casual gathering place for family and friends. The right design, dimensions, and details make the island the ideal spot in your open concept for entertaining or quick meals. Let's look at how a beautiful raised bar island can upgrade your kitchen into the welcoming hub and focal point of your home.
Islands with built-in bar seating blend form and function seamlessly. The room gains extra dining capacity along with extra style. Sitting around the bar promotes interaction and conversation in an intimate setting. And the island's orientation makes it easy for the host to face guests while preparing food or drinks. Add some pendant lighting over the bar for ambiance, and the space takes on an inviting, upscale aesthetic. Hosts can comfortably chat with seated guests while cooking at the island countertop or serving appetizers across the bar top. For casual gatherings, parties, and holidays, a kitchen island bar area adds versatility and liveliness.
Creates a Casual Gathering Place
One of the best benefits of an island with bar-height seating is that it designates an area for people to casually gather. The slightly taller chair height encourages interaction and conversation. Kids can hang out while parents prep meals, and it provides a place for the whole family to enjoy quick breakfasts. For parties or holidays, guests can comfortably sit together at the extended island bar. The positioning around the bar promotes mingling. Add some fun, stylish barstools to maximize comfort and complement your kitchen's look.
In open floor plans, a kitchen island with a bar naturally becomes the heart of the home. It provides an intimate area within the large open space for people to come together. The island bar gives you expanded seating and dining capacity without requiring a separate table. For homeowners who regularly entertain or simply want a kitchen layout tailored towards interaction, incorporating bar-height seating is a smart choice.
Adds Seating and Dining Space
Families gathering for breakfast or dinner will appreciate the extra seats offered by barstools around an island. The extended countertop enables more people to pull up a seat without crowding. Bar-height dining also works perfectly for quick solo meals when you don't need a place setting and want to stay close to the action. The island seating gives you additional dining space while still allowing passage through the kitchen area. It's an efficient way to add seats and surface area.
In today's open concept house plans where the kitchen flows right into the living room, an island bar makes a natural dining spot. Instead of dedicating existing kitchen countertop square footage to a dining table, incorporate barstool seating around the island perimeter. This adds seating while keeping the rest of the floor plan open and versatile. The island dining has a sleeker, more modern aesthetic than a bulky table too. For small kitchens, apartment dwellers, or party hosts, the extra seats add worthwhile flexibility.
Enhances Ability to Entertain
A raised bar top effectively creates a dedicated spot for serving appetizers, mixing drinks, and displaying food at parties. The countertop provides plenty of space for spreading out dishes, glassware, and beverages. And the bar area lets the host remain in the kitchen action while interacting with guests. Built-in outlets make powering blenders and party gear straightforward. The drink rail becomes a convenient home base, so the host can quickly plate hors d'oeuvres or refresh beverages.
Strategically placed pendant lighting above the bar establishes an inviting atmosphere perfect for entertaining. Opt for pendant fixtures with dimmers to set just the right mood and spotlight the bar space. When designing your kitchen island bar, factor in the appropriate amount of overhang space for seating clearance. Allow 10-15 inches beyond the base cabinetry. The overhang enables comfortable leg room for guests to sit around the island bar. Maximize functionality by including storage like wine racks and shelves underneath the bar countertop.
Design Considerations for Raised Bar Islands
A successful island bar requires careful planning of the layout, clearance, seating specifics, and aesthetic details. Start by looking at the available kitchen floor space and mapping where you want barstool seating. Measure islands in existing kitchens to gauge what dimensions make the most sense. Here are some key design considerations as you plan a kitchen island with raised bar top:
Dimensions and Layout
Consider the size of your kitchen and existing layout when deciding on island dimensions. Allow at least 36-42 inches from the island to other counters or appliances for traffic flow. A good rule of thumb is to allow 3-4 feet clearance on all sides. Rectangular islands work well for maximizing seating. For 4-6 seats, plan on at least a 4-foot wide island as the base. An island depth of 30-36 inches provides ample surface for dining and entertaining.
Evaluate the room available towards the edges of the space that make the most sense for traffic flow. Factor in adequate floor area for safe navigation between the island and other elements like the sink and refrigerator. Getting the dimensions right ensures your brand new gathering spot doesn’t end up obstructing kitchen circulation.
Countertop Overhang
One of the hallmarks of a kitchen island bar is stools tucked under an extended countertop overhang. Make sure to allow enough overhang beyond the base island cabinetry for seats to fit comfortably. 10-15 inches gives enough room for barstools and leg clearance. Support substantial overhangs with corbels or similar reinforcements.
Pay attention to barstool measurements like seat width and height when deciding on overhang depth. Pull up a tape measure to envision what depth enables enough legroom between the island base and foot rail of potential barstools. While a deeper 15-inch overhang looks substantial, even a 10-12 inch overhang can work great with the right sized stools. Get this spacing right, so guests can relax and linger comfortably.
Stool Height and Clearance
Standard bar stool height falls between 24-30 inches to work with a 42-inch counter. Measure the height of existing stools you plan to use, or look at options while designing. Make sure to calculate for proper toe clearance - at least 10-12 inches between the floor and countertop is a must. Go a bit higher if deeper cabinetry limits leg room.
Consider the total counter height in relation to cabinets or appliances behind the seats. You generally want around 18 inches of clearance for knees and thighs from the edge of the bar top. While bar seating dimensions take some finessing, the beauty of an island is the ability to customize spacing perfectly for your stools and room.
Countertop Material Options
The countertop material sets the aesthetic tone of your kitchen island bar. Granite, marble, or quartz surfaces make upscale, eye-catching options in a range of colors and patterns. Butcher block wood countertops bring visual warmth and complement traditional decor. Stainless steel looks sleek and modern but requires diligence to avoid smudges.
Tile, concrete, or reclaimed wood can also make interesting surfaces full of texture. Weigh the durability and maintenance needs of each material against your lifestyle and design taste. Edge the countertop with a backsplash to protect the wall from spills and splashes in the bar area. The counter finish should tie into the overall kitchen color palette and style.
Incorporating Storage
Take full advantage of unused space beneath the bar countertop to integrate storage. Cabinets and drawers maximize hidden storage while keeping the floor around the island open. Use them for anything from wine and bar gear to small appliances and kitchen tools. Open shelving looks great for display but requires diligent dusting.
Consider including extras like hooks for hanging towels and racks for spices or utensils. A custom wine rack makes a great addition to highlight bottles beneath the bar top. Pull-out trays and tilt-out bins efficiently corral bar accessories. Every inch of storage builds functionality into your island oasis.
Lighting Features
Dramatic pendant lights essentially complete the look of a kitchen island bar. Position 2-3 pendants at varied heights over the bar countertop to cast ambient lighting. Opt for adjustable mini-pendants to spotlight prep areas or dining space as needed. Dimmer switches enable controlling the mood. Combine the pendants with soft recessed ceiling lights over the island for overall illumination.
LED lighting built into cabinets or shelves amps up the bar's ambiance. Extend additional task lighting under the bar countertop overhang to spotlight seated guests. The right lighting transforms the island bar from functional to inviting. It becomes a highlight of your kitchen’s design.
A kitchen island with raised bar top allows you to maximize room for prep and storage while adding integrated, casual seating. Equipped with barstools and the perfect finishing touches, the island bar becomes the heart of open concept gathering places. Carefully weigh the available floor space, dimensions, and clearance needs to design an island tailored for mingling and dining. Then deck out your kitchen island bar with gorgeous countertops, pendant lights, and storage extras. Seamlessly blending style and function, your new island bar is sure to be the highlight of house parties, holidays, and hectic school day mornings alike.