raising those Sams style folding tables to counter height
Marcy
11 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (7)
Adella Bedella
11 years agoMarcy
11 years agoRelated Discussions
feedback on counter height tables?
Comments (14)I found this post while I was searching the internet for counter-height folding chairs! I do love my counter-height table- it's very comfortable to sit at, and also to stand at if I am sorting my mail, or if I have my laptop on it with a recipe I've looked up. I am short, too, but most chairs have a bar to rest your feet on. However, I am thinking of selling it because of the extra seating issue. I sacrificed my dining room for a pool table, so now this is my only table. It will seat 8 easily with the leaf popped up, but for daily use, I only want the smaller table with 4 chairs around it. But when we have company, I would love to be able to seat 8 without having to store 4 extra counter-height chairs somewhere! Has anyone seen folding counter-height chairs ANYWHERE?...See Morebreakfast bar--counter (36') or bar (42') height?
Comments (23)we are just finishing a 2-level peninsula similar to your plan. will post pictures soon. we were well aware that this is "off trend" but figured that by the time the kitchen is finished, it will be almost back "on trend" again! you just have to go with what you need to function best. hiding all the s*#% (stuff) from the dining area was big for us. we also really enjoy sitting at a counter. my husband makes pasta a lot and likes the idea of having 2 levels-- one to work on, and one to dry the pasta on. we put outlets all along the 6in. support, as you had mentioned above. we also put one outlet facing toward the bar side (also in the support) which i think will be handy. i also had an idea (after the fact) to build in a little soap/sponge holder into the 6inch support right by the sink. it would have been nice. ah, well. next kitchen. as mentioned and shown above, we also used hidden brackets for support. they are routed into the side so the face piece went over them and then the under-counter part of the bracket does not show at all. we didn't have room for the corner bar section that you show in the last picture. i like the look-- it does seem to update the bar look-- but don't know how it would work for your situation. have fun! kawh...See MoreHeated Counter Tops..?
Comments (39)Off topic perhaps but I thought I'd add...same concept applies to passive solar installations. There needs to be thermal mass--often rock, concrete, or water barrels. They inhale warmth during sunny part of day and exhale warmth later. The swing from hot to cool is very dramatic. We have a "solar porch" along one wall of our house. The floor is poured gypcrete (concrete product used in hotels, apartments, etc for dense floor) with dark-colored tile above that. During sunny winter days we open curtains and let sun heat be absorbed by the floor. The floor is a heat sink. It warms up. By mid-afternoon it might be downright barefootworthy in February. Before sundown we need to close the curtains. Late afternoon and into the evening, this floor slowly cools, releasing the heat into the porch and adjacent space which is at that time cooler than the floor. Once the air temp is cool enough, the thermostat kicks in the primary heating system. This might be well into the evening, depending on the weather outside. All night long, the temp of the porch floor continues to descend to the temp of the room air--say 62 degrees--and in morning the porch floor is definitely not barefootworthy. I don't like being in that room during winter if the floor has not been warmed by the passive solar gain. On cloudy winter days I go elsewhere and the curtains are left closed. The cold floor fights me for first dibs at the warmth being sent into it through the heat registers and the floor wins. Or I get a blanket for my lap and my warm socks and a rug for my feet. We have a wood stove in the same general part of the house. If that gets to be too hot for comfort, we open doors to the porch so the mass in porch floor grabs that heat and the adjacent room cools down. We have ductwork throughout the house so we can run the furnace fan to spread out the heat. We also have two ceiling fans which help spread out the porch heat. It's never ideal, but we've had the passive solar porch since we built it with incentives from fed gov't under Carter and it's made the house less expensive to heat and the porch allowed us to have wonderful views from windows that would not have been permitted by code without the thermal curtain. ___ I'd be happier if the heating of a rock countertop were also doing something more useful: warming the room as well, cooking a crockpot-like meal, or the like. Otherwise it's another stupid American waste of hydrocarbons....See MoreVarying counter heights for purpose and height of users?
Comments (35)I think this has been a fruitful discussion. I hope it continues. The more I think about this, the more I believe people should be encouraged by KDs, the kitchen sellers at the big box stores, cabinet makers, etc., to consider counter heights when planning a kitchen. And I think a big shout-out to many of the great contributors here at GW is called for because until I spent hours...well, really weeks of hours...reading through reveals, advice to folks planning their kitchens, and such, I never would have thought of all these types of details being important for a good, functional, pleasant space. GWE’s (GardenWeb Experts) are the bomb!! Last night I made a big salad and started a pot of “clean out the refrigerator” soup. I really liked chopping and that kind of prep on the higher counter. My DH helped a bit a really liked it as well. I also made scratch biscuits. I hand-mixed the dough at four different heights: on the higher counter with the triple breadboards on top (didn’t like), regular counter height (didn’t like), on the breadboard when it was slid into its slot, just below counter-height (liked it much better but still a bit high), and then put the breadboard across two counter-height stools (a bit too low). I think a small stretch of counter somewhere in-between the latter two would be nice for that type of work and other baking, machine-mixing, yada yada type tasks. I’ll continue the experiments. My chiropractor...who I seldom need anymore due to the excellent exercises he’s given me to strengthen my back and keep myself in alignment...does a weekly radio show on our local station. I called in this morning and mentioned this issue and asked him about it. He was very enthusiastic and gave some examples of people he has worked with who have had back issues directly related to long-term repetitive movements where things are not at the right height for them. So, really, for someone who cooks a lot, this isn’t a trivial issue. I really want to learn more about this. Oh, gosh...my friends already think I’m the anti-high-heel and heavy-purse nazi, now I'll be the counter-height nazi, too. But I had a back injury for which I was told I would never fully recover, only have limited mobility, and will always have pain. Well, I proved them wrong on all counts due to proper exercises (mostly from chiropractor) and body movements. I can go hiking with a 30+-pound pack and other activities, like 50-mile bike rides, that they said I'd never be able to do again. And I haven't taken a pain pill since 2008. It's because I've become the healthy-back nazi, LOL. This stuff is important for quality of life issues, imho. Off my soap box. @westsider 40 - Good points about not kneading long. I really don’t bake often where I need to knead. When I do, I move my large breadboard to my table and do it there. So it might be best to just continue doing it that way. @Oaktown - 14” difference! Wow. You would almost need two separate kitchens to work best for the two of you. Yeah, I think you should have a stool under each appliance and in each toekick. Just pull the whole thing out when you’re cooking. DH can push it all in when he’s cooking. @tracie.erin - Interesting on the stove height. I can see why that would be good to have it lower since your arm motion is different when stirring and such at a stove vs. chopping/slicing/dicing in a prep area. I do think my stove is the right height. If we do raise the counters on the wall, we’ll have to make adjustments for a lower stove top. Thanks for the tip. @laughable - Yes, I’m trying to put a lot of thought into this kitchen. And you are one of the people who have really inspired me to put in the extra time and effort to get it right. It will be my last so it better be good! I usually transfer from stock/crock pots in the sink because I’m unbelievably clumsy, lol. The pictures aren’t showing, darn it. I just am getting the Photobucket “This person has moved or deleted” message. It could be my computer. I had to take it back to factory settings last night and am still loading updated drivers and such. I’ll come back later and check it again. I can visualize your explanation of what he did in his own kitchen and why. Still need to get to my library to see if they have any of his books....See MoreAdella Bedella
11 years agograndma_bonnie
11 years agotami_ohio
11 years agoblubird
11 years ago
Related Stories
DECORATING GUIDESEasy Reference: Standard Heights for 10 Household Details
How high are typical counters, tables, shelves, lights and more? Find out at a glance here
Full StoryFURNITUREKnow When to Fold 'Em
When space is tight, look for furniture that cleverly collapses, expands or fills more than one role
Full StoryCEILINGS13 Ways to Create the Illusion of Room Height
Low ceilings? Here are a baker’s dozen of elements you can alter to give the appearance of a taller space
Full StoryKITCHEN OF THE WEEKKitchen of the Week: Storage and Style Galore
White granite counters add modern style, while things like hidden drawers for pan lids create smart storage
Full StoryPRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: 20 Easy-to-Add Kitchen Counter Spaces
Get more kitchen prep and storage space with islands, bar carts and sideboards — or even a folding cart for a tiny kitchen
Full StoryENTERTAININGA Place for Everything: Beautiful Ways to Style Your Table
Polish your silver and pull out your china as we look at how tables were laid out traditionally and how they shine now
Full StoryLAUNDRY ROOMSYou Have Style — Shouldn’t Your Laundry Room?
Make folding clothes your favorite chore of the day with these 10 designer tips
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: Classic Style for a Southern Belle
Marble counters, white finishes and even a pair of chandeliers give this South Carolina kitchen a timeless feel
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNHow to Design a Kitchen Island
Size, seating height, all those appliance and storage options ... here's how to clear up the kitchen island confusion
Full StorySMALL SPACESWatch an Entryway Bar Transform Into a Table for Two
On the heels of his ingenious folding apartment, an architect turns his talent to a versatile feature for a Manhattanite
Full StorySponsored
More Discussions
Lauri12