Anonymous wrote:I hate stool seating

A standard 36" high overhang requires a stool also. Dining room chairs are made to fit under a standard dining table height of 30".

Our new home has a bar-height counter in the peninsula separating the kitchen from the dining room and I love it! It doesn't take away from the open feel at all, and it is nice having a little separation between the dining room and kitchen because even if the kitchen were totally clean, I still don't like feeling like I am eating in the kitchen. This probably only works if you have a really large space, however. I agree with the PPs that a bar-height counter might chop up a space, and you probably don't want that unless you have a very expansive space.

We knocked down a wall and put in a counter height island. The bar height just seemed like it would block the open feeling we had just created.

Anonymous wrote:Counter height doesn't give you more prep space unless you have the arm span of an NBA player. That assumes you have normal width base cabinets on the kitchen side.

Many go with the counter now in apts/condos on the pass through side because they are easier and cheaper to build.

We have an island with a overhang for stool seating plus the sink run opens to the FR. I just went through building both.

Yes, this is funny and true. I like bar height islands.

We have a counter height table/island in our kitchen, that I use as prep space and that we eat at. Any higher would be too high for the kids and too high for a useful prep space. I understand you want to be able to hide mess, but personally I'd recommend doing dishes and just getting a counter height island.

Anonymous wrote:They are not dated. My home is 5 years old and this looks almost identical to what we have.

http://d31eqxppr3nlos.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/iStock_000007006625_Small.jpg

Don't listen to these forum experts. They don't know shit.

Hate that. We were also worried while eating dinner that kids would push their plates over the bar height and break them (it happens at my parents house).

I hate it. It also takes more granite/quartz because you have to put it on the wall below the bar height.

It makes the space look much smaller, harder to cook large meals and spread out while cooking and is just a choppy look.