In most cases, a kitchen island is designed to serve more than a single purpose. In addition to adding a countertop work surface, most homeowners want to include a seating feature in their island design. The simplest solution is to make the countertop surface larger than the base of the cabinet and allow the protruding area to be used for seating.
Since the 36-inch counter height is taller than the standard 28-30-inch table height, standard chairs won’t work. Counter seating requires chairs or stools with a seat height of approximately 24 inches. Fortunately, due to the popularity of this seating configuration, a wide variety of stools are readily available. These types of seats require a little more legroom than bar seats, but less than table seats. I generally recommend a 15-18″ overhang to provide adequate legroom.
Since a single surface serves as both a work area and a dining area, this is often the cheapest layout to build. If you tend to prefer simple, elegant lines and aren’t concerned about visually shielding your work area from view, then counter-height seating is a good option. An often overlooked detail is making sure to provide adequate support for the cantilevered countertop. This can be accomplished with brackets attached to the base of the cabinet or by extending accent walls below the countertop at either end.
A kitchen island can add a visually striking focal point to any kitchen remodeling project. Just be sure to follow a few basic guidelines to ensure the final product works as good as it looks.