No less than FIVE feet, counter top to table. Six is better: )

When back to back an close such as this? Please..use a backless stool at the counter. Avoid a lot of heaviness, and visual clutter.

This is a build, a reno? Show the plan......what lese don't you know, and would you want to know now......or when its too late to fix.

Does this happen? Oh yes........quite a lot!

Agree 6’ especially if that space will be a walkway to exterior slider or doorway? Can you post a layout of whole space?

You all are so helpful! Here is the basic floor plan (I think the measurements may be inches off - not as specific as a blueprint).

Then I realized I probably won't be able to put a rug under the table either?

I don’t see a table will fit in the family room? You need 3’ just for a walkway to doors to backyard behind floating furniture for family room. Or are you asking about the nook? If so, the only stools you could use are small seats no backs to still fit a table in that breakfast nook. Might work if you did a banquette in corner of nook with round table to seat a total of 4. But window height from floor has to be about 20” from floor to window sill.

Yes, no rug in this nook area.

Here’s rough scale sketch of your nook. This shows banquette with a couple table shapes. Round,square or rectangle. Rectangle probably works best. Especially since you need walk space through this room. (Allow 3’ for walkways). 3 stools could work but watch sizing. So you have some options. A 42” round table with 4 chairs can work but stools need to be smaller scale. Will that be countertop height or table height counter?

Maybe the questions that should be asked are:

Have you built this?

Have you bought it?

It's still "in the works" and you are building it?

What I see:

A deep house, two natural light exposure only, that will be void of natural light .

An interior kitchen, undersized, with the look of a kitchen from yr. 2000! ( yes, read dated layout ) .....where natural light will again...be dimmed by that distant covered patio.

Natural light is not deeply penetrating , especially covered and a single exposure - I will pray it is not northern exposure.

All possible light from front- dining / study is blocked, view to outside at great room is closed and limited by mud, pointless "walk in" pantry/ and stair.

No dedicated powder room.....a share with a guest private quarters.

Too much crammed into too little footprint.

I APOLOGIZE....really I do.

BUT.... if not committed? I don't do it.

There's much more but......sorry......I think you can do so much better.

Jan raises good question. I had a house very similar to this layout and it was built in the 90s. The kitchen was very hard to live with. And these countertop stool areas have gone away. What is your status on this house?

We purchased the house!

Well? Buy a round table, you don't NEED a rug, and get backless stools.

What can we say : )? five to six feet.

We can read the dimensions.....to say what size anything