Kitchen island with NO seating

[Anonymous]

I strongly prefer an island with no sink. Other than that, do whatever. People will still stand around it at a party and that's fine without seats.

[Anonymous]

I am tired of island stools. My dining
table is adjacent to the island and we always sit there instead of lining up like birds on a wire at the island! I leave the island as a workstation. Just because everyone else likes the look of a line up at the island, I really like to see open space. I keep interesting vases/bowls/objects on top of the island when not working on it. Make it work for how you live. At 58, I’m without kiddos and big cocktail h gatherings; I use my dining table as the gathering place for every occasion.

[Anonymous]

Our island has never been used as a seating area. The table is not that far away and much more comfortable for dining. People might hang around the island and I put food there as a buffet sometimes. It's basically a work space.

[Anonymous]

We have a large island with no seating and a kitchen table in the kitchen. The 42 inches is key, because I can have multiple cooks in the kitchen without it feeling cramped. We host for the big holidays, and frequently 3 family members are cooking different things at the same time. We don't run into each other or get in each other's way

[Anonymous]

Everyone has their own opinion and they're often guided by the overall layout of the kitchen and surrounding spaces, but as a hoverer and primary cook, I've always felt stools get in the way of both hovering and workspace.

Unless you've got a bunch of young kids lined up for breakfast at the stools, I don't think four stools in-line fosters a good adult gathering spot or eating position. One or two can be nice for something like teen homework, though... if desired, can you put a knee space on the island end?

[Anonymous]

We had one at our last house and it didn't have seating and we never felt we missed seating?

[Anonymous]

Do you have an island right now and are considering an island with a countertop overhang? In any case, I would simulate the island + countertop using Amazon boxes and duck tape. Use the kitchen as usual for a few days to see if you can move about prepping meals, etc. You will know pretty quickly if this arrangement will work. Keep in mind some stools can be tucked under the countertop vs an upholstered barstool with a back.

[Anonymous]

Nope. What’s the point of having an island if you have nowhere to sit?? It’s stupidity.

[Anonymous]

My older mom and mother-in-law prefer to sit at the island when helping me prep. They can’t stand for that long.

[Anonymous]

We just did this and it works well bc we have shallow storage on the side where there would be seating. The flow is good, and people still end up standing and chatting if we have people over and someone is cooking. It still gives us a nice serving area, and we have casual seating elsewhere in the room. I wasn’t sure if like it but am pleased

[Anonymous]

Kitchen countertop height is not ergonomic height for tabletop seating.
I have never liked the bar-like hunch over the island setup. It is developers maximizing unit counts by eliminating the dining room and leaving the occupants to hunch over an island who popularized this. The average Joe thinks it is glamorous and modern. Sure it is, WHEN you have other spaces to dine within your enormous estate.
For the most part, it's developers cheesing you out of an actual dining room so they can squeeze in more units per floor.

[Anonymous]

I don't like islands with seating, I don't think people actually use it as much as they say they do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like islands with seating, I don't think people actually use it as much as they say they do.

I have island seats for 5 and we use it much more often than the kitchen table. The kids eat most of their meals there and do homework. When I'm at another house we always stand around the island or sit. Seems to be the norm more often than not.

[Anonymous]

We are having the same conversation in our house, currently in the planning stages of a kitchen re-design. We are going to do a 36 inch wide island with nothing on the wall behind where the seating will go it as it is the main hallway from the front of the house to the back in order to maintain about 48 inches b/w the end of the counter and the wall. What I think I’ve landed on is having the island framed on the sides so that you cannot see the overhang for seating. I figure when it is just our family we will use the island for breakfast and lunch for the kids, use the kitchen table for dinner; and, when we have parties I am going to put the stools elsewhere so that the main walkway isn’t hindered by people sitting but still offers a spot to place a drink. By wrapping the sides it will make it visually appealing and not look empty if there are no stools out. Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

I like kitchens with counter seating- whether island or peninsula. As long as you have at least a peninsula with seating, people can sit and chill/hang out as you prep and wash up.