I prefer one level counters. They require you to keep your kitchen tidy and, most importantly, they provide a wider counter for eating and placing food out for buffets and informal meals. The presence of your sink make it a bit problematic to do this, but I still prefer one level counters. The bottom line is...what do YOU prefer? Good luck with your remodel.

I love the lower counter but I'm a not so tidy person all the time so I kept my counter high. If you are a clean and tidy person I would go with the lower.

I just did a remodel with the option to keep the raised bar or go to one level.

I opted to keep the raised bar to visually demarcate the kitchen and hide what might be lurking there :-). I also liked the idea of having a backsplash to contain water.

I live in a condo so I am familiar with the remodels of multiple units with my layout. Some people have opted to retain the higher level and some have gone with the trendier one level. The one level obviously is more modern looking and "open" but BOY does it expose every bit of the kitchen and what is going on. Since my living/dining area is contiguous to the kitchen I am glad that it is slightly hidden with a higher bar.

I also think it looks good when staged with nothing at all on the counter but unless one never or rarely uses the kitchen, I would suspect that it does become more of an eyesore.

I prefer one level because then you have a bigger flat surface to use.

And for all those who say they think those of us who like one level must not use the kitchen, that’s kind of rude. I definitely use mine, and simply make an effort to keep the mess to a minimum when I have guests. My mother does the same, and she also has and prefers a single flat surface.

I prefer one level, BUT in your case, I’d go two-level. Otherwise I’d be sitting in your living space and have your sink and compost bin almost at my shoulder, which is odd. Sometimes, the little barrier is needed. (But, as others have said, it’s about personal preference and how you use your kitchen.)

I like one level and unless all your guests are very short the mess is never hidden behind a 6” rise in the counter. You gain real work space and a nice spot for friends to sit.BTW when doing the new counter use steel supports and eliminate those corbels.

It depends on the space.

In that situation, the 2 tier, because I would not want to be able to look at the sink while relaxing in living room.

In my configuration, the whole kitchen would be visible by people sitting in both the living and dining areas. It appears that this would also be the case with the configuration of the OP.

No one can see the mess unless they are standing directly over the kitchen which is about the same as standing in a kitchen so I'm not concerned with people knowing a mess exists - only that it shouldn't be spotlighted from all living areas the way it would be if there were no raised bar area helping to disguise it.

While I try to clean up as I go, there is clutter and mess especially when I entertain people because there is that much more stuff that I generally have used and my energy is generally not on cleaning but on serving guests and finishing dinner.

Also - and again it's based on a configuration - but if I wanted to set out buffet style stuff I would probably do it on the raised section of the counter because otherwise the finished plates would be part of the prep area mess. At least if they are elevated, they are separate from that.

It really comes down to how you live and how your space is configured. In a relatively small space where the living room seating and dining area is close to the kitchen sink, I think some form of demarcation is nice so that it doesn't feel as if one is literally eating in the kitchen.

One flat level.

One level is becoming increasingly popular. You can see in our recent designs, the sinks are in the island but they are one level. It allows for a larger area to work, your guests can gather, and you can also see other areas of your house. However, it really depends on the situation.