It's not just 80's. Joanna Gaines, Source of All Decor Trends, used it on one of her makeovers.

Fixer Upper Island Seating

@julie B. Thank you. I love that link. That was my original inspo. He thinks its dated and is so against a built in. I think a bench pushed up against an island would look silly

@ShadyWillowFarm We have a 900 sq ft condo. No dining room. No island seats - it is a child friendly rental and higher bar stools are not safe for littles. We would do normal chairs on the other side and most likely 2 at the end.

The seating pictured won't look that good in use with the backs of peoples heads your view from the other side of the island. I'd like to see a picture in use.

@dan1888 That is a good point. The island itself could be tall enough to take care of that. The photo i showed is not my dream table - just the general concept.

I don't think it's dated at all. I often recommend built-in banquettes with storage drawers.

But as a gut-check, you really have to have a big kitchen for this treatment; it's a visually huge way to go to have added mass onto an already large island. And if this is your only dining seating, it's less flexible when you're cooking for a crowd. You won't be able to move the table to accommodate more people. So, without seeing a floor plan, I can't suggest an alternative layout.

@sabrina It is a pretty small space. The only other option would be to keep the kitchen as is and just do new cabinets. Basically we have one room that is maybe about 600 sq ft and then 2 bedrooms. It is a vacation rental so I am not too concerned about gatherings but you make a good point

@sabrina here is the whole space. It is all changing. (pardon the mess - we just moved in)

Seat height for dining tables is usually 18". That leaves 18" to the top of a counter unless you build a high back to your bench or some kind of double height counter. I'm not feeling it as part of an island. Have you posted a scaled drawing of your floorplan?

Yeah, I think it's just too small a space to accommodate that look. I'd think about getting rid of the pony wall at the end of the cabinet run and add a return peninsula instead of an island. Move the fridge to the wall next to the slider door, and fill in the cabinets in the corner. Then get a small rectangular table to replace the round one. Move the junction box for the chandelier if you have to.

Last night on Nate and Jeremiah by Design, the homeowner really wanted an island, but there just wasn't enough room. They ended up with cabinets on two walls and a large rectangular table, which could be used for seating and prep space.

I do not believe you have aisle clearances for a island. What are the dimensions of the space?

@roarah I am not sure. We had the contractor out to measure and with the half wall down there seemed to be plenty of room for a 60" island. Now i am second guessing if there is.

@Lil S. If I could do that, I would. Between the fridge and that free standing cabinet is a window I can do nothing about.

I think for that type of built in island, you need a very large space. (you don't have that space) That's also a lot of seating. you have two kids, so I think it's overkill. ( children do grow. you can get counter height chairs to place at an island overhang. They'll be fine )

instead of doing it off the island, why not off on the side or in a corner somewhere?

otherwise, just get a regular table. This is a great looking set-up without looking too crowded. (little window bench w/storage in the back too)

@Beth H. It is mainly a ski rental. It sleeps 7 so I need a table that fits 7. We do not have room for a bench anywhere else. It is a weird set up. But we 100% need a table we can sit 7.

ok,,then how about a large table? it's hard to get a feel for this space based on your pics. I just think the table built into the island is too large for your narrow space. do an island w/an overhang for 2-3 chairs, and a table that seats 6. It will be fine for a ski rental.

You are not seating 7 in a 900 square foot condo without giving up all the public space to kitchen and dining. Buy a much bigger condo if you want that. 900 sq foot is fine for 2 adults and 2 children and a standard round dining table. Sleeping 7 in a 2 bedroom 1 bath 900 ft is not realistic either. People aren’t cordwood. Don’t get greedy trying for something it’s not. You’ll get bad reviews. Make it the best it can be for what size it is. 7 is not that size.

You'll get much, much better feedback if you take the time to measure and draw up a to-scale floor plan on some graph paper. Right now it's really hard to see what's feasible and what isn't.

Post an actual layout of the whole condo. A table is always better than an island for kids and multiple seats. Is it a 2 bath or 1 bath? I can’t see 7 people sharing one bath!

Are you willing to reconsider your assumption that you shouldn't have island seating b/c of kids? I am always a little wary when people want to design homes to seemingly remove all possible risks to small children. Kids learn! And grow! We had peninsula seating in two homes with a toddler; he never fell off a stool. We also lived in 2 homes with a second story and *stairs* which seems to scare some parents (not you, specifically). At any rate, our kids learned how to go up and down stairs safely. At any rate, your design possibilities might open up more if you were willing to reconsider...

I am a big fan of banquette seating. I initially had a corner booth from a restaurant I recovered and then changed to a banquette from Ballard Designs. They have some that have lower back height (34", I think) to more easily tuck under a window.

I see why you are considering this, using the back of an island to anchor the booth gets around the issue of the patio door that is next to the table today. That said, a drawing of the space that show doorways, windows, and other hard to move items would be helpful. I don't know from the pics if a booth/banquette would help or not. They are super comfy for morning coffee, or anytime you want to slouch comfortably while at a table, though.