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kitchen two tier breakfast bar

3 years ago

Remodeling the kitchen. Currently, there is an island and a large two tier breakfast bar in our open concept room. Can I keep the two tiered breakfast bar? The cabinets will be white and the countertops will be a lighter stone with stainless steel appliances.

Featured Answer

megs1030

3 years ago

Of course you can keep it! Many will say it's a dated design, but it's your house, your kitchen... do what YOU like.

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Comments (7)

Debbie Conlon
Original Author
3 years ago
The question is... does keeping a two tiered breakfast bar go against my goal of updating the kitchen.
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Pros/cons of counter height vs 2 tier bar height island?
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Comments (4)
I have 2 tiered at our lake house and counter height at home. I love each of them in their respective spaces, and I think a lot depends on your layout & how you plan to use the island. Our home island seats four - not all lined up, but 2 stools on each of a short & long end. It is a single top slab -no prep sink/cooktop - and is essentially our everyday eating spot. It's open to a sunroom/seating area so I can chat with anyone sitting there without them being on top of me while I work. At the lake house the bar height helps denote the space between the kitchen & LR in the open floor plan. We entertain casually there and the higher tier works well as a place to put out appetizers and drinks while still allowing the counter height level to continue to be used for food prep. One thing to consider is whether small children will be sitting at the island regularly. Bar height stools can be hard to climb onto and rather high up for toddlers & pre schoolers. My Dad who is in his mid 80's finds my counter height seating easier to manage than bar height. Just some thoughts to consider.
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we are just finishing a 2-level peninsula similar to your plan. will post pictures soon. we were well aware that this is "off trend" but figured that by the time the kitchen is finished, it will be almost back "on trend" again! you just have to go with what you need to function best. hiding all the s*#% (stuff) from the dining area was big for us. we also really enjoy sitting at a counter. my husband makes pasta a lot and likes the idea of having 2 levels-- one to work on, and one to dry the pasta on. we put outlets all along the 6in. support, as you had mentioned above. we also put one outlet facing toward the bar side (also in the support) which i think will be handy. i also had an idea (after the fact) to build in a little soap/sponge holder into the 6inch support right by the sink. it would have been nice. ah, well. next kitchen. as mentioned and shown above, we also used hidden brackets for support. they are routed into the side so the face piece went over them and then the under-counter part of the bracket does not show at all. we didn't have room for the corner bar section that you show in the last picture. i like the look-- it does seem to update the bar look-- but don't know how it would work for your situation. have fun! kawh
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removing 2nd tier from kitchen countertop.
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Comments (4)
Cant give much advice without pictures. If underneath the breakfast bar isn't paneled then you should be able to remove the counters and chop off the elevated bar portion. Whether you can cut it flat enough to hold a new counter is another thing but i guess if you just get it close you can attach some flat wood to the inside of the area you cut away to level it out. I've cut a cabinet down by just taking a circular saw around the perimeter and then putting the bottom of the cabinet and bottom of the frame back in place. Haven't really looked into the structure of an elevated bar though.
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Comments (38)
Your kitchen is beautiful! Cpartist has a good point. My mom lives with us and really wanted a two tier bar for our kitchen remodel. What changed her mind was going and looking/trying bar stools. Counter depth stools are easy for her, bar height was harder for her to get on and off and would have made the area unusable for her in a few years.
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rmsaustin
3 years ago
It depends on how you are changing the kitchen - are you reconfiguring the space at all? Just replacing cabinets? or Just painting and replacing countertop? What is the room through the doorway to the right? Any thought to getting rid of both islands (because the two tier breakfast bar is actually an island, yes?) and replacing with one larger island? Any way to move the cooktop off the island and put it somewhere where you can have proper ventilation? If you post your plans along with floor plan of the room and adjoining room (with measurements), those who are all about kitchens, will give you some great feedback.
Debbie Conlon
Original Author
3 years ago
I am not looking to change the footprint of the space. My floors are staying as is.
Debbie Conlon
Original Author
3 years ago
The room to the right is a butlers pantry and it will be redesigned to be a beverage/wine center. The footprint of that room will remain as well.
megs1030
3 years ago
If you're looking to update your kitchen, then I'd vote "yes" to remove the two-tiered island assuming you are replacing cabinets while keeping the same footprint. If you are refinishing cabinets, then I guess you have to talk to a contractor to see if that's possible.
sarahtom
3 years ago
@Debbie Conlon what did you decide? I am considering the same thing.

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