If you check the link below, it links to the Finished Kitchens Blog's Special Features, Island_Multilevel. There you will find islands w/2 or more levels...counter height plus table height or bar height.

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB Special Featurew: Island_Multilevel

Here's our combo; we had family members who couldn't do stools for long periods, so we ended up with just space for 2 stools (for the two of us for breakfast or a quick lunch or newspaper read) and the table for serious Sunday morning newspaper time or family dinners (we can actually get six chairs around it but it's tight). It has worked out just the way we and our architect envisioned it -- we eat dinner there every night and it's much more comfortable (for us) than eating at a counter height surface. We did go with wood for the table, partly for contrast with the granite and partly because I just thought for everyday eating and doing jigsaw puzzles and reading the Sunday paper, I wanted a warmer (figuratively AND literally) surface. I love the setup! (And the table is just bolted to the island, so subsequent owners could always remove it and even -- if they wanted -- replace just the island top with something that would give them an overhang all the way around, resulting in nothing BUT counter height seating. We wanted the table but we recognized that not everyone would necessarily want that setup...)

{{!gwi}}

Thanks for your responses!

Buehl, thanks for the link, I'll have a good look through all those wonderful kitchens.

Cheril27, exactly what I was thinking of doing. I sure could get a lot of baking spread out over the table. What do you think about the surface? Granite or wood? I am leaning towards the wood to make it more table-like.

Ctlady, your kitchen is fabulous. Your table is great and just the kind of set up I had in mind. Mine maybe more rectangular though. I also found this photo with the table attached to the island. It looks great, too.

Thanks, everyone.

I have something similar to ctlady except ours is more of a peninsula and we love it. Now that its just dh and I we never use the regular table. I use it alot when I work in the kitchen.

CTlady's setup is very much like what we're planning for our new house. I'm glad to see it in wood because that's what I've been considering . . . looks great! I saved the pic to show my GC and DH! Thanks for posting it.

I have seen quite a few islands with multi-level in designer mags. Most recently I saw one in Ikea catalog, exactly how you described; and it looked great!

My 2c: There is no such thing as "too much granite" :-) you will only need to pick the right shade for it. But I am a gran-fan!! However, what are you planning to do with the lower portion? Will it be used only for dining or for prep as well?

Granite tabletop will be cold and typically people like to rest their elbows on the table; and it would feel cold esp in winter. Wood will be warm and comfortable. However, a polished wood surface cannot be used easily for baking and general prep. That time, stone wins.

Best luck with your decision making. The picture you posted of the sample kitchen is fantastic.

Depending on how the tiers are oriented you can use an upper level to obscure dishes, et al as well as place outlets and switches.

Although the cheapest solution is to use one level with piston stools such as the LEM piston stool.

Here's ours. When we did it (almost seven years ago!) I couldn't find any pictures of this kind of setup. Since then, I've seen it a lot more. VERY useful as a prep area for kneading bread dough, rolling pastry--anything that needs a little leverage.

ctlady
Yours is beautiful. Perfect. Exactly what I have been looking for. It is the only solution for us in our 10x18,3 doorways, 3 big windows, space challenged kitchen. We,too, are not comfortable w/ counter ht. table. We do exact same kitchen tbl activities as you do. Our kitchen is in the front of the house.
Wd you pls be kind enough to share the name of table fabricator, obviously custom, with me. ct is prob connecticut, but I hope it is cutie!---because I'm Chicagoland. Pedestal-perfect tia Bev

Hi Bev,

Sorry to say that "ct" is indeed Connecticut, and the table was made by a local cabinetmaker. However, before we decided to use him, we priced our options online and found a couple of places that could do a "round table with the end cut off" for us -- DeVos in Texas and Grothouse Lumber in Pennsylvania were both excellent options. (And both were REALLY nice and extremely helpful!) We ended up with African mahogany because that was the only wood that our local guy could use and stay within the pricing of the online suppliers, but they offered many other options and both were willing to make an odd-shaped tabletop if we provided either a template or exact measurements.

We went with the local guy in part because he was able to match the bids we had and -- more importantly -- because he could make the pedestal as well. There are other options (metal pedestals) you could buy online, but I liked having it custom made of the same wood as the table. So all in all, it was easier to use the local guy -- he came and installed it, he saw the space and the island before he made it, etc. I suspect any good cabinetmaker could make a custom table for you. This one ran about $2,000. (Our guy REALLY wanted to use a crotch-cut walnut table, hunting-lodge style: rustic, "unusual" etc. I had to gently just KEEP saying "umm, no... round, please" I'm sure the "rustic" walnut would have been stunning, but we were looking for a different look...) We LOVE the round, it encourages conversation, is very flexible in numbers of chairs, etc. We, too, have lots of windows and a big 12-foot slider in this kitchen/family room -- we didn't want to commit floor space to a full table and chairs. This has been a perfect compromise.

Here is another picture of the underside of the table, and the way it's mounted to the island, in case that's helpful if you talk to cabinetmakers:

{{!gwi}}

CTLady---Thank you, thank you, thank you.
So much for taking the time to make a photo, post the photo, write a detailed description of options, and how you arrived at your final table. You treated me as a 'best friend'. Thanks Bev. I will copy the attachment features. thnks thx

Thanks, ctlady. I am saving your photos, also, to show my GC.

Homey Bird, I think we are going with the wood. You are right; it is going to be used mostly for dining, snacks, laptop, homework, etc. Wood will be the right choice and by some chance it doesn't work out or the wood gets tired looking we can always do something else in a few years.

Thanks!