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barbarav_gw

Seating at the island

Barbarav
9 years ago

I've been looking at too many photos of kitchens! Originally, I had two seats on the long side of the pretend/makeshift island across from the cooktop and centered. For the past few days friends have been over and I noticed that when we sat at the island, they or I would grab a stool and sit on the short end and he other on the long end. So now I'm thinking of having an overhang at the short end of the island but that means I lose a bit of drawer space next to the cooktop. I've never had an island before, but I suspect that we're going to use this a lot, even if it's just DH and I. What do you think? Thanks.

Comments (16)

  • tracie.erin
    9 years ago

    Absolutely! It is a lot more comfortable to speak at a right angle than turn your head and speak to a person sitting right next to you. I have two seats on the long side of my island and one on the short side, and if there's only two people, they *always* choose to sit one on each side. Heck, those people usually angle towards each other even more because directly facing each other is even more comfortable, so if I had room to have seating on opposite ends of the island I would even do that!

    Note: NKBA guidelines state a minimum of 15" of counter overhang depth is needed for knees (no cabinets underneath), and 24" (but that's tight - 30" is more comfortable for adults) of counter width for each person. When planning the overhang, make sure those sitting at a corner aren't sharing knee space - ie, each person's 15" deep x 24 to 30" wide space can't overlap, or they will bump knees, or not even fit!

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    This is really much more complicated than one may think:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Seating

  • debrak2008
    9 years ago

    Really trebruchet, as if people didn't already have enough trouble with island seating. : )

    Watching how people react to islands is interesting. I found it was and still is a magnet for everyone even when we didn't have stools.

  • angela12345
    9 years ago

    Hi Barbarav, I know you already saw my answer on the other thread. So funny that I mentioned doing this and you had just made this new thread asking the same thing. I am pasting my answer here, in case others find & read this thread in a search.

    " Another idea is to have approx 7-8" overhang on the end of a peninsula or an island. We did that, so we can pull one or two of the stools around to the end for seating when we are sitting at the bar. Makes for better conversation than all 'lined up' at the counter. And, gives more room for the stools along the counter. When not in use, the stools stay all lined up at the counter as they would normally be (not one at the end).

    I even wish I had done a slightly deeper overhang on the front side of the peninsula. My overhang is 1.25-1.5". I wish I had done 2" overhang in that spot so it was just a little more comfortable when we pull a stool around to that side. It wouldn't be somewhere I would want to sit at to eat (the 7-8" side is do-able for that though), but it would be good for when we are all hanging out there - we would have a few stools on the bar side of the peninsula, one on the end, and me on the front side of the peninsula with the drawer faces. "

    By the way, my peninsula is approx 72" long and I have 4 stools along the long side, which gives each person only 18" wide space. OK for little kids, not so good for adults. When I pull one stool around to the end, that leaves the remaining 3 stools 24" each. This is a good amount. Especially for the people on the outside because they only have a person on one side of them. The one in the middle or the one next to a wall has the least room.

    We find the 7-8" overhang is fine for eating at. Not ideal of 12-15", but certainly fine. My mom has about 5-6" and we make do, but it is not as comfortable as my 7-8".

  • Dany
    9 years ago

    I bought a spec house and requested the builder do an overhang on one end side. You would have thought we had asked for the moon! They agreed in the end and we are very happy with it. Now I have 3 stools on the long side plus one extra stool on one end side. DH and I sit there facing each other for our dinners.

  • brightm
    9 years ago

    I have about a 18" overhang on the end of my island (meaning cabinets are 61"x30" and the counter is about 79"x30" (not including the 1.5" overhang part of the counter all the way around).

    I really wanted a seat facing north (out of the kitchen, through the DR/LR and the big windows/view). Most people pictured a seat on the other side facing south (out the kitchen window to the front yard.)

    I compromised and put it at the end. I started out with one (existing) stool. I usually end up sitting facing north. I've tried to see what I think sitting, facing the length of the island. When we had people over last weekend I brought in a second stool and we sat all different ways at the end.

    It's great for one person sitting any which way or two people perching. When people were over we stood and sat around the island with appetizers and drinks doing last minute dinner prep stuff. It was awesome.

    I may move the second stool out when we don't have company, but it's nice to have the flexibility of that weird, in between size. I'm very happy with it.

  • Barbarav
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Cal_quail, do you have an appliance or sink in your island, or is it for seating/storage only? Thanks.

  • tracie.erin
    9 years ago

    angela12345, a 7-8" overhang may seem fine for you, but I and my husband have had many a backache from sitting at a friend's 7-8" overhang. These are at parties where all the other seats were taken, otherwise we would NEVER have sat there. The 15" minimum recommendation is there for a reason. Actually, we have 18" on the short side and it's even nicer.

    Also, a word to the wise for the OP: many granite fabricators like to do only 8" overhangs because that is the maximum they can do without adding additional support for the overhang. If they try to talk you into one, don't fall for it: they are just being lazy and/or cheap.

    Here is a link that might be useful: NKBA Kitchen Design Rules, Illustrated

  • angela12345
    9 years ago

    So right about granite needing support for the overhang !!

    The 7-8" overhang is just for an 'overflow' area on the end of my peninsula to pull the stool around to the end and use for a short time eating then getting up, and we find it is perfectly fine for that. I do have back issues, and have never had a problem from sitting there for 10 - 20 minutes to eat. If I was sitting there for a long time (like a party), I cannot imagine it would be an issue either, as you wouldn't be eating there or leaning over the counter or anything like that. You could scoot your stool further away and just sit in the stool, the same as if you were sitting on a stool in the middle of the room. The counter would only be a convenient place to sit your drink.

    On the long side of my peninsula the overhang is the normal 15" overhang. I didn't make that clear in my post above. Although honestly, that is a gracious amount for what is needed. I measured different people's knees one time and everyone was many inches from the back of the peninsula. I could have gotten away with less. Although I am glad I didn't, because 15" also minimizes scuff marks from little feet kicking the back of the peninsula.

    Tracie's link from above: http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/kitchen.design.rules.htm


    Guideline: Kitchen seating should be a minimum of 24" wide for each person and :
    For 30" high tables/counters, min 18" deep clear knee space for each seated diner
    For 36" high counters, min 15" deep clear knee space for each seated diner
    For 42" high counters, min 12" deep clear knee space for each seated diner

    While a 24" wide space for each diner is workable, a 28-30" wide space is better and should be considered when space is available. This also goes back to my comments in the above post about space used for the middle people vs the outside people. For two people next to each other, 24" each is going to feel a lot more comfortable than for six people in a row.

  • bellsmom
    9 years ago

    Lots of good info in this thread. Much of this is new to me.
    I looked back at your original thread, and want to suggest again that you evaluate extending the island to end with the window wall, not the interior wall above it. (You do not need to respond to this in this post. I don't want to get off the subject of island seating here.)Then you can easily afford the highly desirable 15-18" across the end and maybe 30-36" on the top right side for seating. I think you and DH would LOVE it and it could easily accommodate 3 or maybe even 4 if they are willing to snuggle a bit. With comfy seating, a generous area for corner seating is ideal for informal dining for a couple, as you have noticed already and others have mentioned.

  • brightm
    9 years ago

    I was going to say no appliances...but then I realized there will be. :) Still waiting.


    (you can see the Speed Oven Box at the end of the island, that will go into the space)


    Hard to get books back into the bookshelf with the big box in the way.

  • golfergirl29
    9 years ago

    I finally realized everyone hangs out in my kitchen so I might as well plan for them to be there. The linear doesn't work because people like to face each other. I finally settled on 3 seats at the end of the island, and 1 seat on each side. And had to make sure my KD expanded to 30" for elbow room. And I really didn't want the cook top kicking off heat or the sink showing dirty dishes while entertaining but had to make a choice. But I prefer the counter height rather than bar height for seating so I'm going with a large sink at the other end of the island. So many factors to weigh! Look at your priorities and stick with them--I had to work a bit with my KD to get a layout that worked for me, even though it wasn't the usual.

  • Barbarav
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Bellsmom I hear you. BUT, if I make that island as long as the run, it needs to be 132"! I have two issues with that. The first is the cost of the granite. Second, I have seen very few slabs at that length, meaning my choices will be limited OR it would have to be seamed and I do not want a seam at the island. The window run will have one most likely, too. Not much I can do about that.
    Also, I have to say, I was sitting on the end with a 7.5" (plywood) overhang, working on the plans for the island, and it was doable.

  • bellsmom
    9 years ago

    Yep, the cost is higher. But you can work around the seam problem. Yeah, I know I am the devil's advocate here.

    Beaglesdoitbetter, a contributor to GW, had a gorgeous book-matched island in a wonderfully blingy kitchen:

    A less expensive solution might be to choose a countertop with little pattern, such as quartz, or a countertop with a linear pattern that runs sideways instead of diagonally or longways, such as some soapstones or, for that matter, some granites.

    And some use cutting boards in the central area or as end extensions:

    [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Essex Architects & Building Designers George Penniman Architects, LLC

    Anyway, you may not need the length. But don't be put off by the problem of the countertop seam without investigating solutions if you decide you do want the extra length.

    Here is a link that might be useful: bookmatched granites

  • Barbarav
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ohhhh, those book matched onyx pieces make me swoon!

  • bellsmom
    9 years ago

    I love onyx. I have a single tile I use on our dining table just because it is lovely. But don't fall too much in love with this stone. It is too soft for a countertop. A backlit onyx wall or panel can be beyond beautiful.

    A GWer just posted a query in this forum about book matched granite on a long island--"Modern Kitchen with Bookmatched Granite Island"

    Here is a link that might be useful: backlit onyx

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