Want 45' breakfast bar height--problem w/finding stools?

17 years ago

Hello,

I am building a breakfast bar onto my kitchen island, which has a sink built into the island. Since the island is visible from most places in the living area of my home, I am incorporating space between the existing counter top and the bottom of the bar counter top for things like a paper towel holder, soap and sponge dishes and those things that seem to always be out like wet sponges. In other words, in lieu of placing the raised portion of the bar on a knee wall, I am building (or, I should say, am having my husband build!) a short wall with a return that will sit on top of the island to support the new breakfast bar. This will leave a "cubby" between the underside of the bar top and the counter top that I will use to store things. I have been using a prototype for a while and I love having the additional space.

My dilemma: Now I would like to increase the space to 8" to accommodate a paper towel holder. This would cause the top surface of the bar to be at 45", which I have found to be within recommended range.

My concern is that I will have to go with an extended-height bar stool, which is more expensive, and may be more difficult to get onto and off of. It seems like I would need to lower the height to under 44" to stay with a standard bar-height stool.

Has anyone had any experience with a bar at this height?

Thanks for any input or ideas!

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Comments (5)

User
17 years ago
My DD has an extra high counter in their condo kitchen. It took them many months to find stools high enough and they were very expensive. She hates it, and I can barely get onto the stool to sit at the counter. It's just not very useful at that height. Just get a countertop paper towel holder.

Good luck.
Buehl
17 years ago
Raised counters not only are more difficult for children and older people to use (and probably anyone particularly short), but they really don't hide anything unless someone is sitting on the floor or maybe a sofa... The "mess" will still be visible to anyone sitting at the counter or standing/walking by the counter in the kitchen or the adjacent room. For hiding the "mess", your best bet is to get a deep sink.

Standard height for a bar height, btw, is 42"

Raised counters also adversely affect an island or peninsula's value as a large workspace for projects (baking, craft, school, work).

If you go ahead with it anyway, I highly recommend the surface be, at a minimum 15" deep (preferably 18" or 24") with an overhang underneath at least 12" deep for adequate knee/leg room.

And don't forget to have enough space b/w the sink and seat so anyone sitting at the counter will not be splashed (water splashes up as often as to the side!)

Here is a link that might be useful: NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards
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widewater
Original Author
17 years ago
buehl and momj47,

Thanks for the input. We built the base platform to make the finished height of the bar 43". Thought it was a good compromise.

I didn't want to have the same dilemma with being restricted to a very few styles of expensive stools. (Especially since I already have counter-height stools that will need to be replaced!

I did make the top a full 30" x 73", so I will have plenty of space for working and serving. Our home is very casual and it seems that even guests hang out in the kitchen and cook together so having the bar higher than the counter height works better for us. This way people are more at eye level with those standing up and cooking.

Our top is butcher block (only 1 1/2" thick) and will have an 18" overhang, so we had to have some heavy-duty 3/8" steel brackets made. I have painted them hammered copper and they look great! I used the extra pieces of butcher block to cover the base platform and am pleased with that, also.

Thanks for the input, it is really appreciated! The Kitchen Planning Guidelines are very useful.
igloochic
17 years ago
A very nice restaurant, actually the only nice restaurant in the neighborhood, (we eat out a lot) has a bar at 43" (we measured, I'll explain). They used to have a able height bar, which was lovely. No climbing up a ladder to sit, and your feet touched the floor when you sat down. When they remodeled they went with the extra high counter. We quit casually dining there (we used to eat here a couple of times a week,now we don't eat there once a month).

DH went to a food and beverage committee lunch there the other day and sat by the chef/owner, a lovely man who makes wonderful food. He asked why people don't visit as much, if the modern decor was an issue, layout, etc. Three people who used to visit more often including us, said "the bar". He said we weren't the only people to complain.

This is a restaurant where you just visit on occasion (more for some than less) but we HATE it since they changed the bar, The food is still world class, but it's freaking uncomfortable. I personally dislike any bars, but over height ones....ya those suck. There's a reason for average heights...because they make the majority of people comfortable. Is there something wrong with that? No, not if you ever want to sell your home ormake a guest comfortable...but perhaps if all you care about is you and how you live in the house, then go for it...but please, remember that high bar stools are brain busters for children...so put in a soft floor?

Can you tell I love bars LOL Really, we do eat at other restaurants and sit at the bar, but we don't enjoy the high bars at all and we make that known with our pocketbook...and would in a house for sale as well.
lascatx
17 years ago
We have a bar height kitchen table and it is 36" to the top of the table. We are all tall and it is very comfortable for us. I don't think that any higher would be good for a number of guests though. In fact , I don't think I would like it taller. That would have my arms up over the top of the glass next to me now. And how high are your ceilings?

Tall is good, but be careful about too tall.