I plan to go higher with our island, roughly 48", mainly because I know the huge difference it makes because of my dad's bar next to his stove. It is much more comfortable to work at while prepping and cooking. High bar stool chairs around it are perfect for having dinner.

So Jenn, Orec3, you both use it as a dining table on a regular basis? And it's comfortable liking sitting at a dining table? Are you feet touching the floor when you sit on these stools? Thank you both.

build a normal 36 inch height island, and buy counter height stools with a good foot rest. unless you are much shorter than average, you will find a 33 inch island is back
breaking for any kind of prep.imo.
good luck with your new kitchen. it's always a challenge.

Use a 36” high counter with 24” stools there is no way to split the difference how you are planning . Chairs will be too low , stools will be too high. I love sitting on a stool but not the 30” high ones on a regular basis. So no high counter and 48” is just silly, and is impossible to work at. I am tall and would find that height too high plus the nee for almost custom, stools that need a step stool to get into. The other option is to do a 2 level island with a table height extension but to do that we would need to see the space and have a floor plan.

definitely a counter height island with counter height stools with a back. I got 6 counter stools to fit around my 50 by 60 inch island. I put 2 stools at each end and 2 stools on the long side of the rectangle. So it is like a table with seating on 3 sides . The other side of the island backs up to my perimeter kitchen counter and my refrigerator. This way I can use the island for prep and seating. It works out perfectly. I have 12.5 inches of overhang on the 3 sides

if you are looking for comfortable counter height stools I purchased mine at crate and barrel. Lowe counter stool. They have a backrest and are leather which is easy to wipe clean . they also come in several colors

Hi me me, would you be able of taking pic of your island and stools? I would love to see them, as I am in the process of also building our island/dining table. Thanks