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july_gw

Do I have enough room for a counter overhang?

july
12 years ago

I just found out that I cannot have a single level peninsula. It must have a minimum 42" high section. So I went back to play around with the layout a bit,and try to add a bar height overhang with stool seating. But I just don't know if there is enough room.

We have 130" from counter top edge (including a 12" overhang) to the dining room wall. Between the counter top edge and the wall are stools for the overhang and a dining room table. There are no walkways to anything, just need to be able to maneuver around dining room table.

Is there a standard measurement to allow when an overhang with stools backs up to a dining room table? I was hoping that 48" might be enough there....If I had a 44" wide table (no special reason for that dimension), that would leave me with 38" between the table and wall. Pretty tight. Now, with a 36" table... and the magic of 8 more inches...???

So what do you think? Should I even entertain the idea?


Another option is to forget about the overhang and have room for a sideboard/buffet (approx 15" deep) on the other side of the dining room. This would give me about 40" all the way around the table.

Something like this:

Comments (10)

  • pence
    12 years ago

    i think it depends on your lifestyle and how or if you like to entertain. for me, since i do a lot of cooking, I would want a place for my guests to hang out with a cocktail at the raised bar while I get things ready in the kitchen. And i would move the chairs when i wanted to use it as a buffet.

    I also believe that 24" deep cabinets are plenty and would want to use that 6 extra inches in the dining area or island

    You didnt explain why you cnat have a one level island, just curious

  • dseng
    12 years ago

    Here's the NKBA guideline for traffic clearance at seating. How you choose to interpret or implement with two seating areas adjacent to each other probably requires your vision of how the spaces will be used. If used for simultaneous seating I'd think the space might be a bit tight.

    "Traffic Clearance at Seating: In a seating area where no traffic passes behind a seated diner, allow 32 inches of clearance from the counter/table edge to any wall or other obstruction behind the seating area. If traffic passes behind the seated diner, allow at least 36 inches to edge past or at least 44 inches to walk past."

  • july
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you for your responses. To answer your question about why I cannot have a single level counter top (my preference), well, that is due to some plumbing issues that are under our Home Owners Associations control.

    Pense - Unfortunately, I cannot utilize the 6" on the island or dining area due to the plumbing location. Not a lot of flexibility there. I agree with your statement about lifestyle. You are right about that.

    Babs - I'm sorry I missed that discussion. I searched for exactly that kind of conversation, but came up empty. Great information to know. I think it will be too tight as well, if they were used at the same time. Honestly, I see the counter area as more of a transitional area... cocktails, appetizers... then move over to the table for dinner. As to the software, it is a very old version of Chief Architect.

    Dseng - Thank you for the by the book numbers. I moved some tables around here and found those numbers to be very close to what we discovered. I believe your have defined it nicely... most likely too tight for simultaneous seating...simultaneous being the key.

  • GreenDesigns
    12 years ago

    If you did banquette seating for the corner, the table could shift that way and give you enough clearance for both seating areas. The raised area itself will act as a buffet when entertaining rather than having a secondary cabinet buffet. Also, if you have small saddle stools that can tuck completely underneath the bar area, it can act as buffet and seating both.

  • laxsupermom
    12 years ago

    What is that piece of furniture in the dining room? If it's a low sideboard like in the picture, can you move it behind the chairs in the adjacent room like a sofa table(ideally switching the chairs for the sofa) making it accessible to the dining room but out of the main space. Slide the table further towards the wall, then you might have room for an overhang and stools.

    With the room drawn as is, I'd prefer no overhang & stools. It would be too tight.

  • leela4
    12 years ago

    We have almost exactly the situation that you are describing, although we have less room from our bar overhang to the dining room wall (113 inches total). It works for us for several reasons: there are only two of us, we have only two stools at the bar (I guess that's actually irrelevant), we don't ever eat at the bar, and the opposite wall in our dining room is mostly windows, which helps give the illusion of more space. It works for us quite well because we don't use the space simultaneously unless we have company, and then those at the bar are only hanging out while I cook or putter around in the kitchen. I really like the set up and it hasn't bothered me at all (we've been in the space over a year now), but we do have the flexibility of moving our table (42.5 inches wide) closer to the window when we are by ourselves. (right now I have it about 32 inches from the window wall). HTH

  • july
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Greendesigns - Thanks for bringing up the banquette idea. I had not thought of that. I have never had one, so I will need to do a bit a research on the idea.

    Laxsupermom - The first set of images has the overhang without the buffet/sideboard piece. I moved the dining set over towards the empty wall. It is hard to see in the images. The second set has no overhang, but added the buffet/sideboard. I never thought about using a sofa back table as the buffet. That's a great idea.

    This is what I am gathering so far:

    - 12" overhang with stools and a 44" table is too tight for simultaneous use.

    - 12" overhang with tuck under stools, and minimal simultaneous use, may work, depends on lifestyle. Narrower table may help here.

    Thank you all for your input!

  • july
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Leela - We must have been posting at the same time. Thank you for posting your valuable "living with this situation" experience! It is very helpful.

  • Mercymygft
    12 years ago

    I personally think you have room for the overhang/stools and the table. Unless you have all 4 stools and all 6 dining chairs occupied at the same time, I think you're fine. I mean how often is that going to happen? And if you do have a crowd over, you adjust for the situation, i.e., move the table around.

    If you want the overhang... go for it.