I am trying to install a counter height kitchen island with 4 seats. We won't have a separate kitchen table after we install the island, but it will provide us with some needed extra kitchen storage. As long as we provide decent seating for our family of 4, we'll be happy

I have come up with two configurations (A and B) and I want to make sure I have thought of everything, including design principles, seat spacing, etc...so I decided to post a detailed thread here. I have removed a small kitchen table and put my 40x62" dining room table in the space just to get a feel for the size and the traffic flow around it, since that table is slightly larger than the largest island I'd consider.

Option A: 38""x 60" has 3 stools on one side and 1 stool on the end. The 1" granite top is sitting on either a 45" or 48" wide (2' deep) base cabinets. support brackets (no legs) will be used to support a 11-12" overhang on the seating sides and a 2-3" overhang on the bottom, and 1" in on the kitchen facing side (with the cabinet drawers/doors). The base cabinet size will determine the precise overhang.


Option B: 38"x54" has 2 stools on one side and 1 stool on each end. It has a 11-12" overhang on the three seating sides and a 30" base cabinet centered and supporting the 1" granite top. This is more "square" and has the advantage of providing more seating space (i.e. 54" for 2 seats as opposed to 60" for 3 seats). Not sure if this is important, but it is also more symetrical and "balanced-looking" with the seats on 3 sides and the base cabinet centered. The other plus is that 2 people can actually face each other while eating and can see the TV in the family room at 90 degrees.

My concern is that even though its length (54") creates more space around the counter when the stools are tucked in and not in use... when you put a person in a stool at each end, the "footprint" extends by another 14"-16" on each end disrupting flow from kitchen to family room. The other advantage to Option A is more cabinet space and more support for the granite top.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kal72,

Love your schematics!

I vote for Option B for the symmetry and because it looks far more conducive to conversation than the Option A seating arrangement. I also like that it is another couple inches away from the fridge as 3' is usually the minimum aisle/walking room needed for comfort.

Don't worry about the base cabinet in "B" providing less support for the granite top. The brackets you mentioned (or, as I call them, "corbels") can help ensure the counter is properly supported. You might also double-check with your installer to see if the base cabinet needs built with any additional reinforcement, but I would doubt it.

Thanks Jewel. I am still "torn" between the two, but that helps. Although the conversation at my kitchen table is not that interesting ...I agree with your point about symmetry and conversation-friendliness.

The main drawback of the overall "size" of the dining area when 4 of us are sitting down might not be a big deal since for 22-23 hours of the day, all four stools will be tucked in. I should be concerned that people can get in and out of their chairs, without bumping into walls or counters, but I should be less concerned about keeeping that 3' pathway...i.e if the table is fully in use, and the walkway is 2' for that 30 minute stretch...its probably not a big deal.

I would love to hear another voite for one or the other.

In the 62" with 3 stools each person gets 21" of space. In the 54" with 2 stools each person gets 27" of space. Everything I have read says there should be a minimum of 24" per person (and up to about 36").

The smaller space may work while the kids are small but not so much as they grow.

Actually, I like A better but it is just not functional. Therefore, I vote B