Jenna: Ah, kicking the back of the bar, yet another problem. We have lots of kick marks that my DH and I are guilty of. Can't totally blame the young'uns Good idea about the foot rail. Val and Grandma: Our stools are a beautiful cherry which complicates things. Just about any color would be obvious...... The clear bumpers might be the best choice. I was thinking that running a removable strand of foam with a tape backing along the back edge of the dark counter (just for when all of the kids/grandkids total of 14 people!) are here. Take it off when they leave, would not be obvious from the kitchen side. They all live long distances from us and we only see them in our home twice a year. I don't want to be constantly reminding the kids not to do this and that or be careful of this and that. Some are more careful than others but kids are kids!

Thanks for the replies! So counter height is the way to go then? Hmm, the reason I was thinking bar height was because we're a fairly tall family and thought that higher would be better, but I haven't lived in a house with a bar height island before. As for lowering the opening, we just finished ripping out the oak trim and pillars that the original owners had in it this winter, so I really don't want to start with that job again. I guess I really should have paid more attention to the height of the opening then, but just kept the original diamensions, so Hollysprings you're right that it would have been nicer to have a larger work space. Maybe putting a granite sill on each opening and dropping the counter 4"-5" would be my best option. So if I did that, would it be better to go with the same granite and do a thin backsplash to unite the sills with the counter, or I still have some of the tile left from the kitchen backsplash that could go on there? Which way would be better? Boxer, thanks for your comments on the backsplash. I love it too, but had no idea how much work it was to put up that kind of tile. What I thought should have been a one day job turned into three. It was such a relief when I had the job done and looking great! :) Thanks for the ideas. Laurie

Our bar sink is a SS undermount in waterlox'd cherry wood counter. Our faucet mounts directly in the wood, no deck plate. We're careful to wipe around it if it gets really wet, but otherwise no special treatment. It does not get heavy use, though: mostly once a day since it's really mostly a coffee prep area. My mom had a similar setup for a main sink. It was on a varnished (not waterlox'd) wood counter. I do not think they wiped up. After a few years the finish around the faucet started peeling. I don't know if the difference was lack of wiping or the varnish versus waterlox finish.

The renter's perspective is different than a homeowner's perspective. It comes down to making a business decision, your budget, etc. As a frequent renter of beach houses, I appreciate cleanliness and I wouldn't care at all if the bar was lowered, there was a 2-bowl sink, nor if the appliances were stainless. I also wouldn't care about the stools, unless the seat covers were dirty. Sort of "campy," "beach-themed" furniture can be kind of fun in a beach rental because it's not the type of decor a person would choose for their primary home, but is sort of a fun change for a vacation. If I were looking at the house online, I'd be a little put off by carpet though, even if it looks clean in the listing, because I would assume it would be dirty by the time I checked in, from other renters. If everthing else was good though (location, number of bedrooms, price), I would probably still rent a house with carpet. But if there was another house next door with no carpet, I would rent that one. As a homeowner, I'm the complete opposite. I prefer that the bar is lowered to counter-height, a 1-bowl large sink, stainless appliances, consistent hardwood floors downstairs and carpet in the upstairs bedrooms. I also don't like furniture in my permanent home to fit a theme like "beach" or "mountain" or "lake," etc. So, two completely opposite feelings depending on if I'm a renter or it's my own home. Since you are going to use the house in the off season you sort of fit into both camps. It's a rental, but you are going to use it a lot. In your case I'd probably treat it more like your permanent house and make changes that you like rather than only doing changes to get rentals. If you incorporate a little bit of whimsical beach-themed decor, that might be a fun change of pace for you as well as renters when you visit the house, because it'll be different from your permanent home.