Kids do. Their feet don't rest on the floor at table height seating like adults. Full grown people can be more comfortable with feet on the floor. Kid don't notice.

The answer to your question depends entirely on the layout of your kitchen, where your dining space(s) is, how your home flows, and personal preference.

We use our island seating all the time, and we love it. Others don't. It isn't as simple as kids like it adults don't (my dad is in his 70s and lives in an apartment that ONLY has island seating for dining and he likes it just fine). Our kitchen also doesn't have another seating option. If you have a table in your kitchen you may not miss the island seating.

If you have a good location for an eat-in table, or a great room concept with nearby dining table,I would skip the island seating. (Full disclosure, I did skip the island seating). I'd much rather have storage on the back side, or a lighter narrower island. And I would always rather sit at a table.

Resale--who knows what the fad will be in 10 or more years? But if that's a big concern, build an island out of 24" cabinets on the work side, 12" cabinets on the "seating" side. When you're ready to sell, pull out the 12" cabinets and put an attractive skin on the back of the island.

Thanks all for the wondeful feedback! Mcarroll16, I was thinking the same thing! I am planning a large nearby open concept dining area with a large table that has views. One of the problems with adding seating to the kitchen island is that it faces a back wall with cabinets. I should also mention that I do not have kids.

We replaced an island with seating for two in favor of an island with storage on both sides. We downsized and needed the storage more than any possible seating. A kitchen table is five feet away so it was an easy choice for us. Good luck!

I'm a kitchen sitter. I would want some kind of seating in my kitchen, a kitchen table or island. That is where I like to wake up in the morning and to give my feet a rest while I'm cooking while keeping my eye on the food . It's a place where i don't have to worry about sprinkles on the floor from my kids decorating cookies. It is my get away spot to read, etc. while my hubby is blasting the TV in the livingroom. Personally I wouldn't buy a home without a place to sit in the kitchen. My son's home has no seating in the kitchen and they don't complain of it though.

Oh, if it's facing a wall with cabinets, then you need a good amount of space for seating. You need 36" behind the island just for someone to sidle by seated people. To be able to open cabinets behind seated people, you need at least 60". It sounds like you have a good setup that makes island seating unnecessary. And depending on spacing between the other cabinets, possibly unfeasible.

We have a dining room table connected to our kitchen. We use it when we have more than myself and husband for a meal. Otherwise we (H and I) sit at our island every day for every meal. When grandkiddos are over, they use the island for games, coloring, and snacking. The island seats 4, 2 stools on each side. We have cabinets in the island also.

I never even got stools for mine so I dunno if we'd use it.

It really depends....ours has seating for 2 and I use it every day.

We use our island stools daily. Never use the dining room or kitchen table.

Resale value should NOT be a concern, you haven't even built the house yet! As for functionality, it's totally a matter of personal preference and the way your house is used. We have stools at our island which we never use ourselves, but family and friends always use. And I'm not sure an island with an overhang is any less "modern" than one without.

Like type and run, our dining room table was right next to our kitchen but we chose to eat every meal at the kitchen seating. So much so, that when we renovated we got rid of a formal dining room altogether. Now we have a 13’ island with lots of room for seating and it’s the best decision for our family. Even for entertaining people can sit comfortably at the island while I prepare food and everyone is part of what is going on. I would consider the habits of your family and what will be of more use to you. I’m sure a lot of people on here would tell me I will regret not having a dining table because island seating isn’t comfortable but in 2 years it has never been an issue (including hosting large gatherings like thanksgiving). As Rapparchitecture said, resale value should not even be part of the conversation. This should benefit you, not someone else who may or may not live there in the distant future.

Thanks all, I really appreciate your input. RappArchitecture, certainly there are many different styles of modern kitchen islands. Im referencing the typical geometric Scavollini / Boffi / Leicht kitchen island. The aesthetic is minimalist with flush surfaces. I find that it pairs well with built in appliances in a kitchen.

We eat at the kitchen table. Never understood the attraction of eating at an island -- feels like eating at a diner lunch counter IMO.

This is my kitchen pretty contemporary but we use the stools all the time I even use one when I am cooking a big meal for a quick cup of coffee . But IMO you design a kitchen for how you use the space not how somebody in a picture tells you what yo need You will notice I have back to back sinks sine hubby does the prep and I do the cooking the range is out of sight on the left .I use the TV for the news, recipes etc.

I always want an eat-in kitchen but much prefer table/chairs to an island. Tables are homey and welcoming.

I got rid of the table in my last home and only used the peninsula seating. In my current home I have a table and don't have counter seating. I do miss my counter seating especially when doing marathon canning or baking where I could really use a break for my back.

My sister managed to have the best of both worlds. She did an island with no overhang and it would have been 8 cabinets (4 on each side) , but she put 3 on each side and a small stool that fits under the counter where the other 2 would have been. Her and her husband often eat breakfast while surfing the computer at the kitchen island or will use it when having a quick lunch. It allows for sitting while doing prep when needed and is also great for the grandkids when they want to help in the kitchen and can't reach the counter without a stool.