Total seating: Eat In Kitchen, seating at island AND Formal Din.?
ejbrymom
14 years ago
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3katz4me
14 years agoRelated Discussions
Islands...all one level or raised area for seating?
Comments (47)lesleyp You probably already have your remodel completed, but in case you don't, have you considered removing the island and instead having a penisula between the kitchen and living room? This would really open up your kitchen, and allow two people to work in the kitchen at the same time. You would also prevent a narrow walkway issue when people are actually using the seating area. As for bi-level or single level. Ignoring the possible clutter issues, unless you plan on having a sink, or cooking surface, a single level will be more functional/practical simply because you will have a much bigger flat surface for all your work. The Bi-level will be more visually appealing, or at least, in 2011 it's considered more visually appealing. In 10 years bulkheads everywhere, and full walls separating all the rooms could come back into style. In which case, we probably shouldn't have start our remodel....See MoreIsland seating with all the stool in the way of the cook?
Comments (14)I think there is some kind of romance to an island that has people desiring one just because it's an island. It is odd to me, because my ideal kitchen for cooking in is a galley, and I had to settle for a small island because my space is pretty square and it was the best way to use it. I think part of the romance is that so many people either have tiny houses where the "formal dining room" barely fits a breakfast nook dinette, not a big table, and so many people have repurposed the dining room from a place with a big table to a den, office, or even bedroom. In those situations, a decent sized island becomes the best workspace in the house for everything from cutting patterns out of fabric (few people have dedicated cutting tables), to making a piñata (keeps glue in the water zone too, not on the antiques). Then there are the houses that have an "eat-in kitchen" where the eating area is too small for the family to use, and the kitchen part is too inconvenient to stay. The best way to improve the space without redesigning the whole house is to make the eating space part of the kitchen, and force some kind of kitchen eating area into the space so as not to "lose a sale-able feature", which every real estate agent will warn against. Yep. I blame dinky houses with bad floorplans, as much as I blame estate houses with room to burn. Those, and the bad design that puts the chairs in the path of the cook. Bad design is bad design. Out in the real world of the non-TKO, there is often very little attention paid to appliances, let alone workflow. People are more interested in the colors and style than how they'll actually cook. Even though I've always cooked, my old, very inconvenient kitchen discouraged me from cooking in my previous kitchen... Just imagine what happens in these inconvenient kitchens that people plan for themselves! Hamburger Helper and Pizza Hut?...See MoreCorridor kitchen seating issue...Counter seating??
Comments (6)I wouldn't stress too much about leaving the lines exact if you're just thinking of it from a history perspective---if you already have a family room there, sounds like there's already been an addition? But generally, that house style/size is pretty common where I live---if you post a drawing of what your current layout looks like, I bet people can weigh in. I've most often seen the seating done with a little corner banquette at the non-dining room end at the end of the counter run, but whether that would work for your house depends a lot on how the family room was added, I suspect. Some have L-shaped counters depending on where the DR door is, and a few take down the DR wall (though I'm not a fan of that approach). I think I've seen a couple of kitchens that size with galley layouts, too (but I can't remember if those had eating areas or not...)...See MoreBooth Seating vs Island Seating for Kids
Comments (24)I grew up in a house with an enclosed kitchen, with an L shaped banquette kitchen table in the corner. There were six at it every night for supper, three on the bench and three on the outside in chairs. There was only one person on the "inside" who couldn't come and go easily: the littlest kid, me. I remember going under the table a few times. As I got older, my older siblings had left home or were away more in the evenings, so I was able to choose a more accessible seat. I think the L shape is way more practical than the U, or even the booth style, which might be ideal for just two people. Just sharing my experience in case it helps you. Where I think these types of built in benches shine is in multi generational entertaining. It's nice to have somewhere besides counter or bar stools for elderly people or children to sit and visit while food is being prepared or eaten. I have many fond memories of family times in the kitchen when I was growing up....See Moregillylily
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