Kitchen design - flat countertop, or with bar?

[Rhonda in TX]

We are going to be starting a major kitchen renovation in a few weeks. One point of disagreement is about the countertop. We are opening up the kitchen to the den, so we will have a peninsula that will share a partial wall with the den. It actually butts right up to the carpet in the den (want to replace with hardwood eventually, but will probably be a few years). I'm including a picture of the layout. The section I'm talking about shows a cooktop, but we have moved the cooktop across the kitchen, so it will be just countertop. We plan to have the countertop extend over the edge of the cabinets (you can see it roughly drawn in, with stools drawn as well). The wall of the den is the straight section on the left. Once it slants, that's into the kitchen/breakfast room area. The wall section on the left shown without the extended countertop is floor to ceiling wall. It is not open.

 

Here's the question - should the extended section be a raised bar, or flat (countertop height)? I'd appreciate your reasons for your choice as well. I know my and DH's reasons. :)

 

Thanks for your input. :)

Edited September 10, 2012 by Rhonda in TX
clarity

[catz]

We have 2 completely gutted bathrooms right now, so I can't imagine how trying a kitchen remodel would be! And homeschooling with contractors and subs in the house constantly is so fun. ;) Crossing my fingers the whole process goes smoothly for you. You should post updates for us! We hope to do a kitchen remodel someday too, although we might undertake parts of that on our own.

 

I would do the counter height, because then you can use it as additional counter space and you can still get stools the right height to pull up to it. We have a buther block table in our kitchen that is counter height with stools around it. But we can push the stools all the way in and have lots of work space too.

[Mandylubug]

I like the raised bar height of my MILs kitchen island... (she has the sink in the island at counter height and bar height for stools/eating area)

[melbotoast]

I vote counter height. I would prefer having more counter space, and I don't like how it looks when you have the two levels. Also, seems like it would be harder to clean.

[bookfiend]

Maybe I'm not too good at visualizing, but how is this going to work with the sink right in the front of the counter?

 

ETA: OK, got it. I vote raised bar. I would want the higher backsplash and privacy feel to the sink area for the person working in the kitchen.

Edited September 9, 2012 by bookfiend

[kitten18]

I like countertop height. I think people are much more likely to sit there if it is the same height as the counter. It is also easier to work at that spot if the whole counter is the same height.

[kitten18]

Maybe I'm not too good at visualizing, but how is this going to work with the sink right in the front of the counter?

That was a cooktop (which she said they moved), the sink is on the other side of the kitchen.

[Mandylubug]

If you have the sitting area bar height; you don't see things on the counter below in the other room... it works well for my mil because she can have the grandkids sitting at the bar and she can be making cookies, etc. and the division keeps them from getting into whatever she is doing.

[Pretty in Pink]

I vote counter height. Our bar just seems to be a place where junk collects. That doesn't happen on my counters.

[Scarlett]

Maybe I'm not too good at visualizing, but how is this going to work with the sink right in the front of the counter?

 

ETA: OK, got it. I vote raised bar. I would want the higher backsplash and privacy feel to the sink area for the person working in the kitchen.

 

:iagree: I had this in a house I lived in and I loved it.

 

 

Everything was still very open but the raised bar hid some of the mess of the kitchen

[Ellie]

Counter height. Although a higher area might hide stuff, it will also become a collection place for random flotsam and jetsam. Ask me how I know this. :glare:

I'm not concerned about hiding clutter. If anything, it's a good incentive to keep things tidy. :D

[ktgrok]

My parents have a VERY similar set up. The area with the stools is regular counter height, which is plenty high enough. It would look weird to have that part be higher than the part right next to it, in my opinion. Also, keep in mind that higher counter means taller stools means farther for kids to fall. Even at the normal height my son fell off a stool and broke his elbow.

[LisaKinVA]

I would vote for raised bar for the following reasons:

 

1) Safety. With the counter-height where the stove is, makes it easy for a child to reach and grab things they shouldn't. (At my MIL's her stove is right there where people are talking, and the kids don't pay attention to hot surfaces).

 

2) Check your local code. Here, a counter-height wouldn't pass code because of #1.

 

3) Visually, from the den, you won't see the mess (huge pet peeve of mine)

 

4) Initially I was going to say CH, because you don't have an island, and it would give you extra counter space, but because the stove is there, you probably aren't going to be rolling out cookies right next to it...

 

Can you tell I have an issue with CH bars by the stove? (TBH, I have the same problem with CH bars by the sink...but more because of the mess factor) :D

 

Otherwise, I love your plans!

[abbeyej]

Counter height is my preference. The more counter-level space the better, as far as I'm concerned.

[Rhonda in TX]

I guess you missed it in my description, but the stovetop will not be there. We are moving it to the other side of the kitchen. It will be all countertop.

[Trilliums]

Is the extended area to accommodate seating only going to overhang the part of the counter on that lower left hand corner? If it is not going to extend across the entire section of the counter, I'd vote for it to be higher. I think if you have that section jutting out but it is the same height as the rest of the counter it will seem odd.

 

We have an island with a raised section and I agree with some of the previous posts about stuff accumulating there. But, I thInk the different heights help delineate between the two different areas much better.

 

GL with whatever you decide!

[FeFe]

I think I would keep it counter height because I don't like the high bar stools - just not comfortable sitting in them but I'm pretty short. :)

 

Secondly, I agree with the others who said that clutter would collect there. Counter height at my house would likely stay clean because that's such a nice usable space.

 

I've also seen a back splash built up in a space like that with a ledge on top then the bar is counter height, there's just that separation there. I don't like that because it feels weird facing a "wall."

 

Good luck with your remodel. Looks great on paper!

[Rhonda in TX]

Is the extended area to accommodate seating only going to overhang the part of the counter on that lower left hand corner? If it is not going to extend across the entire section of the counter, I'd vote for it to be higher. I think if you have that section jutting out but it is the same height as the rest of the counter it will seem odd.

 

We have an island with a raised section and I agree with some of the previous posts about stuff accumulating there. But, I thInk the different heights help delineate between the two different areas much better.

 

GL with whatever you decide!

 

The extended section is where the peninsula area. The other yellow section is a floor to ceiling wall, not open. I don't think I was clear about that.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I vote counter height. Our bar just seems to be a place where junk collects. That doesn't happen on my counters.

 

:iagree:

 

A dear friend of mine has a very similar layout and the raised bar is so cluttered with decorative jars, tv, mail, knick knacks that you can't even see her working in the kitchen.

[SebastianCat]

We have a very similar setup with a peninsula that is counter height and I LOVE it.

 

Very easy for people to plop down on counter-height stools becuase they don't have to climb up into them.

 

I can dry hand-washable dishes on as much space as I need, or I can spread art projects across the WIDE counter.

 

It does get cleaned up more than it would if it were raised. A backsplash tends to collect "stuff" just as much as a raised area in our house.

 

Much easier to wipe down the entire counter, becuase I can wipe crumbs straight into the sink in the corner of the peninsula.

 

Visually it looks bigger because it's not chopped up.

[QueenCat]

Raised bar.... just a personal preference for when people are visiting while I'm working in the kitchen, or talking to dh while he works in the kitchen.

[StephanieZ]

I had a kitchen with a similar set-up, and the huge island (in your case peninsula) had the sink in it, and was at counter height.

 

I loooooved it.

 

I like the idea of the higher height blocking views of the kitchen, but I don't think it works. I think it encourages you to collect junk on either the lower counter (backing into the little wall made by the higher counter height) or on the top height (as others have mentioned). When I had that big huge island, I NEVER left any clutter on it. It was also AWESOME for big projects of cookies, gingerbread, art, etc.

 

I miss that huge island!

[merry gardens]

I vote flat. I especially encourage flat if you plan to use a fabulous countertop. :) We re-did our island recently and we played around with the idea of varying the surface height. The woman who helped us discourage it and I'm so glad we listened to her. We have a big, beautiful, impressive slab that wouldn't be nearly as interesting if it was cut apart for countertop levels.

[Scarlett]

I voted raised bar, but I definitely see where the big area for big projects would be great. However, just wanted to point out that when I had the raised bar junk never collected on the lower or upper counters.

[Oakblossoms]

In a previous home, we took down a half wall in our kitchen. We used the Ikea wood countertops. My husband talked me into extending it out at counter height. It was awesome. We put inexpensive bar stools on the living room side. Then I could work on one side and the kids could work and eat on that side. It made it like an extra table and people always sat there first when the came in our home. I loved it. I would totally do it again. It was nice for my side of the family who are all short and often cannot fit at high bar stools and bar height counters. But, equally friendly for my husband's family who are all quite tall.

[wapiti]

Now here is a subject on which I really do have very strong feelings.

 

I vote counter height :001_smile:

 

(FWIW, this also means that when you shop for stools, look for stools at counter height rather than barstools)

[Ali in OR]

We changed ours from the builder's standard with a raised bar to all counter height and I love it. The big space is great when making cookies or bread or whatever. Our reasons for doing this were a little different--we have a kid in a wheelchair, and a raised counter with bar stools would have just made it hard to get around with the wheelchair. Also the raised part would only have been a foot deep--didn't seem big enough to be very functional.

[Firestar Academy]

counter height. kids work on one side, me on the other. i love it. it is easier as the kids get older to STAND and work the hand mixer or other appliances when it's counter-level.

 

robin

[Rhonda in TX]

Thanks for all the great input and opinions. :)

[SailorMom]

Counter height :)

I've had and seen both - counter height gets used more for us.

[Splash]

I did counter top height and love it. Had bar height in old house and didn't like as much. I love having a big space to work with for projects, baking etc. kids do schoolwork ther while I cook and I can see well. For us counter height is great.