7 Amazing Ideas for Kitchen Island With Seating

kitchen island with seatingAre you ready to redo your kitchen? Of course, you are! Even minor kitchen renovations can yield up to 83% ROI when you sell your house. In other words, the value of your home increases by $183 for every $100 you spend. And, in the meantime, you can enjoy the comforts of a new kitchen!

If you’re considering adding a kitchen island with seating, you aren’t alone. One look at celebrity kitchens and you can see that this way to add comfort and functionality is here to stay.

7 Amazing Ideas for a Kitchen Island with Seating

Check out these ideas for kitchen islands with seating to help spark your next kitchen remodeling project.

1. Seating On More Than One Side

If you enjoy entertaining or have a large family, a kitchen island with seating on two or three sides might be for you.

Instead of sitting in a line, people can sit at a right angle or across from each other. This doesn’t only make the conversation flow better. It makes it easier to pass food and refill wine glasses!

2. Integrated Table

A recent trend uses the side of the island where you’d commonly put stools to create the back of a table-height bench. You’d then use the bench for seating on one side of a table. The result is a distinct booth-like seating area that is cozy yet integrated with the island.

This design can be used in any size kitchen. But it’s ideal for kitchens with enough space for an island or table but not both.

If you’re fortunate enough to have an L-shaped kitchen island, you can use two sides for bench backrests for booth-like seating.

3. More than a Breakfast Bar

Instead of creating a breakfast bar, why not add deep and versatility to the seating part of your kitchen island?

A “breakfast bar” is a surface deep enough for a cup of coffee and plate of fruit and toast but not a complete place setting and serving dishes.

The deeper you make your kitchen island with seating, the more room and comfort you provide to family and guests.

4. Seating Above Counter Level

If don’t have the room for a deep island, create a well-defined place for people to sit by adding a bar-height surface. An advantage of this design idea is that you can overlap the bar-height and counter-height surfaces by 6-12 inches.

That gives guests more room to eat and drink without using more floor space. And on the food prep side of the counter, you get bonus open storage space under the overhang!

5. Seating Below Counter Level

Another way to create a distinct seating area is to have a surface that is below counter level. This works well with wide islands. For example, By lowering one end of the island, you create table-height seating.

This is a popular design for young families. Everyone can stay connected and help each other when homework, play, and meal prep happen at the same time.

6. Two Zones

Most kitchen islands have seating that puts people across from the food prep area. If you’d rather not have all eyes on your slicing and dicing techniques, create a kitchen island with two zones.

With this design idea, 1/4 of the wall space facing the island is free of appliances and food prep surfaces. At the end away from where food is prepared, there is seating on two adjacent sides. This creates the visual effect of two zones on the island.

7. Storage

If you have room for a deep kitchen island with seating, consider adding cabinets on the side with seats.

Besides giving you more storage, it can make that side of the island more visually interesting when viewed from other parts of the room. The trick is to keep the cabinetry simple and use hardware that won’t snag pant legs.

Wrapping Up

For more great ideas for remodeling your home, check our online gallery or visit us in the San Diego area. We’re here to help you envision your best home!