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Design Dilemma with small kitchen

5 years ago

Small kitchen with island on raised floor. How can I redo island to be more functional as a table? The flooring is raised and I do not want anyone to fall onto the bottom flooring.

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ilikefriday

5 years ago

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Comments (14)

PRO
Reina Beyda
5 years ago
If this were my home I would probably raise the rest of the flooring in the house which would create endless options as to what can be done with the space as well a much less choppy lay out. If that's not a possibility and the only focus is the island I would create a two level island with the lower level over hanging the step down so that your stools would be on the darker floor and the entire step would be eliminated since it would be under the overhang. I hope that makes sense. Below is an image to help clarify the idea. Good luck.
suezbell
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Nice room -- except for the raised floor; you're right to be concerned.

Consider putting a bookcase (preferably one at least 3' tall and with glass doors facing the living room) along the longer side -- access the raised eating area only from the narrow side -- and add bar stools on the raised floor.

You can still put chairs in front of the bookcase.

Edit to add: I'd build that bookcase as a pony wall set on the lower floor and extending all the way from the corner of the raised floor to the wall (blocking access from around that side of the island from the living room. You could still put your own "cook's bar stool" in that "reserved" space.
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Your kitchen looks about like mine as except we had the dreaded overhanging cabinets. The open floor space between the cabinets was about 6 feet. The peninsula was 8 foot long with about 52 inches of walk space between the wall. Our fridge was at the end of the wall opposite the peninsula. Sink was in the same place, no DW in original kitchen (It was facing the dining area where your cabinet is at the wall). Our peninsula had useless 12 inch cabinets with a 12 inch overhang for seating. The total counter was 26 inches wide. I hated always having to walk around the peninsula even when not emptying the DW on the wrong side of things. We took out the peninsula & added a 2 by 4 foot island with a 3 by 4 foot top. We have two seats and there is lots of room width wise and an 11 inch overhang. Our previous bar had a 12 inch overhang at counter height which is said to be a no-no on this board. We used it for 28 years and never had a problem. We now have a 37 inch walk thru between the DW & new island & a 42 inch walk through towards the wall. They both work fine for us. Our island runs the same way the peninsula did before. It sound like you are running it the other way, which we considered. We added 10 inches in width with the new island, most of which went into the 6 foot open space in the kitchen. We still have 52 inches between the fridge & the island, which is plenty. Our space between the counter stools & the dining chairs is what it was before, 40 (?) inches. All works well compared to my previous set up. I'm not sure where you fridge is, opposite the sink? Just wanted to say 2 traffic patterns work here much better than I hoped. If the way you are thinking doesn't work, have you considered running the island the same way as the peninsula was? Hope something here helps.
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Kathryn P
5 years ago
If possible I'd enlarge the island in such a way that seating would be on the stepped down portion.
Joe
5 years ago
I think I'd rather lower the raised part of the floor in front of the sink and have stools there. Is there a proper overhang for stools otherwise, the counter will have to be addressed as well? At that point, you're almost remodeling the whole kitchen. I wouldn't want to infringe on the living area any further by extending the island and having stools that far into the room.

Did you see this house when there was furniture? It's almost deliberate that there are SO Many electrical outlets on that raised area that I wonder what they used it for.
suezbell
5 years ago
The before/after pics of ilikefriday suggesting enlarging the island are a good idea, especially if you can use that otherwise wasted space by having a deep/long drawer/cabinet built to roll under there to store kitchen countertop appliances when not in use in order to free up much needed countertop space in a small kitchen. Have the same people that work on enlarging your island do the rolling cabinet so it matches/fits the space.
Joe
5 years ago
OP, what are the dimensions of the carpeted area?
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ilikefriday
5 years ago
Another idea.
PRO
OPPEIN Group
5 years ago

refer to this one

more: www.oppeinhome.com
0
felizlady
5 years ago
That is such an odd arrangement that it makes me think this room is in a basement. Is it possible there is plumbing under the raised area?
You could disassemble the island and run the cabinets along the edge of the raised area, forming a larger kitchen space. That would also reduce the possibility of someone falling off the edge: there is no use for that small space between the island and the drop-off.
Otherwise, I would look into having the lower floor raised to the same level as the upper floor.
Sometimes I just ask myself "What were they thinking?". This is one of those times.
notursoccermom
Original Author
5 years ago
I was thinking the same thing about the odd arrangement! Unfortunately this is a small space for kitchen and living room and I’m trying not to do a whole renovation project due to budget limitations.
Joe
5 years ago
If there's nothing under there, Ilikefriday visualized a good and cost effective way to eliminate the raised part. If the ceiling height is only 8', I wouldn't raise the entire floor.
Gill
5 years ago
I like Friday's first idea since you wanted to make the counter work better as a table. With the counter extended and bar stools on the lower part of the floor, on two sides if necessary, you'd have seating for 3, and if you put counter height seats on the side near the wall where the floor is elevated you'd have a functional table for 4-5. (If that's too many stools for traffic flow, you could have to counter heights ones near the wall be backless and tuck in underneath, if you removed the shelves there.)
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suezbell
5 years ago
If you can match or, if needed, redo the flooring in the room with the lower floor, removing the raised area is a good idea.
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