Two Tier Kitchen Island Counter Tops
What is the right height? Your first step is to know Table Top Height vs Standard Kitchen Cabinet Counter Top Height vs Bar Top Height And Elevations Half Way Between Each of the Above!
The Kitchen island can be a lot of things and many things but not everything. Your primary and secondary purposes are questions all our designers ask.
- Do you expect to do a lot of food preparation? If so primarily baking or full meals?
- Do you expect to eat at the counter top on a regular basis or just for a quick breakfast in the morning?
- Do see yourself entertaining quite a lot and if so are you prone to sharing the space or do you want a clear, at least to you, line of demarcation i.e. my prep space everybody else’s space.
- Are there short people in the house i.e. adolescent kids or are you at the point in life where almost everyone in your house is an adult?
Standard Kitchen Island Counter Top Heights
The answers to these questions and what we know about the associated cabinet heights will impact design.
- Bar height is 42”.
- Standard kitchen counter top height is 36”.
- Table top height is 30”.
- Bathroom vanity height was historically 32” (now bath vanities are more often 36″).
- Coffee table height is 18” to 24”.
Alternative heights “Elevated a Bit” from one of these standard cabinet heights are 33” and 39” if your family is unusually tall 45”. You may have noticed, especially if you are a baby boomer, that unlike when we grew up there are simply no more “right” answers.
Standard Seating Heights in Kitchen Design
Associated seating heights measured from the floor to the top of the cushioned seat can be helpful.
- Dining room table or kitchen dinette standard table height chairs are 18″ to 19”.
- Kitchen counter top stools are typically 24” to 26”.
- Bar stools are usually 30”. Extra tall stools are available to 36”.
The recommended difference between the top of the seat and the bottom of the counter top is 10” to 12” depending on your height or girth. We have been a Holland bar stool dealer since we opened our doors in 2010. They are a great source of information on seating heights.
By the way custom kitchen banquette seating is usually 18” finished. Meaning a 4” cushion should top a 16” banquette storage cabinet. Often we use Yi’s upholstery in Rockville MD for our kitchen banquette upholstered tops. Over the years experience with banquette seating has convinced us that the typical cabinet manufacturers standard banquette cabinet height is just to tall at 18″ and should be modified to 16″ if upholstery is involved.
Kitchen Island or Kitchen Peninsula with Attached Table Top Height Counter Top
Unless the island is all cabinet counter top height there is a portion that is either elevated or depressed. Instead of depressed let’s call it a lower elevation. No one wants a depressed kitchen island. A lower than standard counter top elevation is perfect for kids and adults using standard height chairs 18″. For example the outer perimeter of the island has a lower elevation of 30” for regular breakfast, lunch and dinner dining. If regular meals are going to happen regularly then this is a height that should be strongly considered.
Bar Stool Height… Mosey On Up
An elevated height can still accommodate regular meals but is typically a greater consideration when the activities are mixed a bit. Entertaining, breakfast, an occasional dinner, and a more adult focused household might lead you to an elevated counter top height. There are some hidden benefits to elevated counter tops. Hidden mess being one of them. If you like to entertain more than you like to clean than an elevated counter top can hide the dirty dishes and you can get to your glass of wine and the party quicker. This is especially true in today’s open floor plans where those at the family room gathering can easily see the kitchen island counter top. By the time you clean up an all standard height top the party may be over. An elevated kitchen island is often a line of demarcation for the cook or entertaining cook. It demarcates your work space from your guests… watch me cook, talk to me while I cook or prep, BUT stay out of my space.
This post first appeared on Signature Kitchens Additions & Baths, please read the originial post: here