How do you like your peninsula or island bi-level counter height
nehome
10 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (7)
LE
10 years ago3boysandadog
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Raised counter on island do you like?
Comments (12)Count me among the others who urge you to make the decision based on what you really want in your space. I have both. In my home I have a granite island that has nothing breaking it up - no prep sink, cooktop, etc. In addition to using it for prep, it seats 4 and we eat 80% of our meals on it. It suits the kitchen and I love it. In our lakehouse I have a long island with a raised countertop (also soapstone). In that house, where we entertain a lot of overnight guests, I would not want the island to be a single level. When people come down for breakfast, for instance, they can sit at the island with their coffee or juice and chat with me while I prepare breakfast. The spaces are clearly defined, and I don't feel like they're right in my space while I'm cracking eggs and rolling out scones, etc. A tip I got here was to make sure the raised counter had ample enough width to comfortably fit a placemat & dish setting. Having the counter raised enhances the view from the 3-bay window and many casual meals are enjoyed sitting at the island watching the sun rise over the mountains. I would never want to change it out for a single counter-height island. I could offer many examples of why one style works better than the other in each of the houses, but they are subjective and have a lot to do with the flow of each place. That's why my best recommendation is to go with your gut - what you want, and how you'll use it....See MoreWhere to place cans over a bi-level counter?
Comments (1)We decided to align the two cans right over the place where the two levels meet. We'll let you know how it turns out....See MorePony wall w/ counter vs. single-level counter
Comments (17)Here are some pictures of my bi-level island. Please forgive the mess on lower part - just got 2 new drawers added and trying to organize stuff, I have things out waiting to buy trays. The top doesn't collect stuff now that DD has a drawer for her art supplies. Though I do need a better place for tomatoes and bananas (empty hanger for now). And wish I could think of a better spot for coffeemaker. Breakfast bar (though I eat dinner there with kids when DH is away - as soon as I finish 4th stool maybe we'll all eat there) From FR (had to shut door to mudroom b/c the bench there collects our things - ignore junk on counter by fridge - more organizing to do, put her art stuff in our old "junk" drawer) Lower level (blue tape marking studs so we can nail in trim under plugmold - I'm finishing side pieces now)...See MoreIsland countertop all one level vs. bi-level with bar seating
Comments (16)Thanks for all the great feedback! I hadn't thought about using the island as a serving buffet for parties, but I can see how that would be very useful. Also, the point about the comfort of the counter height stools vs. higher ones. My husband is tall, but I'm 5'5" and our son is only 14 months old. So probably lower seating would be more comfortable for us (and the grandparents). Right now we're not entertaining much, since we are busy chasing after the toddler, but pre-baby we entertained a lot and I'm hoping to again, once he gets a little older. I'm trying to plan for that. And I assume that down the road, he'll be doing homework in the kitchen and having friends over after school, etc. We do have a huge table in the diningroom, but that space doubles as our home office, so it's always covered with clutter (2 laptops, mail, paperwork, printing supplies, etc.). It would be nice to have an open expanse of space in the kitchen for actual kitchen projects, but I guess I'm afraid that we'll just fill that space up with clutter, too. ;) For those with the single-level island, how do you light your workspace? We were thinking of installing task lighting under the overhang from the bar to light the counter. Now we'll have to rely solely on pendant lighting, I guess. Is that sufficient? Also, do you have power outlets on the island? If we don't have a vertical surface behind the counter, it seems to limit us in terms of where we can plug in appliances....See Moremelissaki5
10 years agoleela4
10 years agoterri1234
10 years agoLE
10 years ago
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