How to Plan Your Kitchen Island Seating to Suit Your Family
Think carefully about the best bar stool style and configuration for how you’re likely to use your island dining spot
tidgboutique
5 December 2021
Toronto Interior Design Group is a trusted one-stop-shop residential interior design concierge boutique-style firm crafting timeless interiors.
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I once heard a story about a homeowner who had a major design regret. During a previous renovation, she elected to put all four bar stools on the same side of her kitchen island, a frequent spot for family meals. This left her with a beautiful look, but turned out to be an unfortunate mistake from a functional perspective.
That’s because she now has to choose between having everyone in her family face in one direction like strangers in a diner and having to pull around a stool to sit on the wrong side of the island, with her knees bumping up against cabinets, for the sake of family bonding.
Don’t let a good visual get in the way of functionality. Before you renovate or give your island an update, consider these options for how to choose the best dining arrangement to save your household – and your knees – a lot of bumps down the road.
That’s because she now has to choose between having everyone in her family face in one direction like strangers in a diner and having to pull around a stool to sit on the wrong side of the island, with her knees bumping up against cabinets, for the sake of family bonding.
Don’t let a good visual get in the way of functionality. Before you renovate or give your island an update, consider these options for how to choose the best dining arrangement to save your household – and your knees – a lot of bumps down the road.
One-side seating
An island with seating on just one side is a common arrangement for a reason, and it can work well for some situations. However, if you’re looking to use the island as a frequent spot for family meals, it’s usually not ideal.
Placing all seats on one side means everyone who’s seated will be facing forwards in a line, which doesn’t facilitate conversation.
An island with seating on just one side is a common arrangement for a reason, and it can work well for some situations. However, if you’re looking to use the island as a frequent spot for family meals, it’s usually not ideal.
Placing all seats on one side means everyone who’s seated will be facing forwards in a line, which doesn’t facilitate conversation.
This arrangement works fine when just one or a few guests will be perched, chatting with the chef, or for a small household where most meals involve just one or two people.
If the island isn’t expected to be used for larger groups than that, it makes sense not to dedicate any more space to seating.
If the island isn’t expected to be used for larger groups than that, it makes sense not to dedicate any more space to seating.
If you don’t have room or a need for seats on more than one side, go the simple one-side route – just keep in mind that some factors will affect how comfortably guests can sit.
If your island has sides or legs that the seats sit between, as shown here, they might cut into the legroom.
Ready to renovate? Find a kitchen designer in your area.
If your island has sides or legs that the seats sit between, as shown here, they might cut into the legroom.
Ready to renovate? Find a kitchen designer in your area.
Choosing an island without sides will give a bit more space for legs and knees, and more flexibility to move the stools to the side a little, so diners can face each other more easily.
Two-side seating: Adjacent sides
Adding seats to even just one adjacent side can go a long way to making your island a much more inviting spot to dine. By extending the island overhang to two sides instead of just one, you allow guests to sit facing each other.
Adding seats to even just one adjacent side can go a long way to making your island a much more inviting spot to dine. By extending the island overhang to two sides instead of just one, you allow guests to sit facing each other.
You can keep seats on both sides at all times, or save space by keeping seats on just one side most of the time and pulling a seat over to the available shorter side when needed.
This can be a great compromise where the floorplan doesn’t leave a lot of room for seating. By extending the overhang a few inches on the short side, you allow it to be used as a dining spot in a pinch, without losing too much storage or circulation space.
If you use a rounded corner like this one, you can effectively get three directions of seats from just two sides of the island, for a dining experience that’s even closer to sitting at a table.
Two-side seating: Opposite sides
If your kitchen is long and skinny, it may make more sense to have a long, thin island, with seating on two opposite sides. This means guests can face each other, although if the island is quite narrow, you may not have much room to fit place settings as well as serving dishes.
If your kitchen is long and skinny, it may make more sense to have a long, thin island, with seating on two opposite sides. This means guests can face each other, although if the island is quite narrow, you may not have much room to fit place settings as well as serving dishes.
If you don’t mind the more eclectic look, mixing bar stools that have backs with backless designs will give you the best of both worlds, with comfier seats for everyday use and more compact seats to pull out for bigger get-togethers.
Three-side seating
Generally, fitting seats on three sides of the island requires a large kitchen. However, there are multiple configurations that can work for different layouts.
In this example, the island is fairly square, with a rectangular dining zone taking up half of its deep depth. This gives enough room for just one seat on two of the sides, but that’s enough to allow two to four guests to converse easily.
Generally, fitting seats on three sides of the island requires a large kitchen. However, there are multiple configurations that can work for different layouts.
In this example, the island is fairly square, with a rectangular dining zone taking up half of its deep depth. This gives enough room for just one seat on two of the sides, but that’s enough to allow two to four guests to converse easily.
Another option is to extend a dining area out from the island to create a T shape as seen here. This essentially butts a full table up against the island, for plenty of seating for six or even more.
Compared with having a standalone table away from the island, this takes up less floor area, because you don’t have circulation space between the island and table. Of course, the trade-off is the table only has three useable sides.
In an average-size kitchen, the decision often comes down to whether you want a more casual or more formal experience. For casual dining, this is a great solution that keeps the chef in on the action.
In an average-size kitchen, the decision often comes down to whether you want a more casual or more formal experience. For casual dining, this is a great solution that keeps the chef in on the action.
Selecting the number of seats
Islands are often staged for photos with the maximum number and size of plush seats that can fit on each side. However, in real life, people don’t always take up just a seat’s width of space, with knees and elbows needing some room of their own.
Islands are often staged for photos with the maximum number and size of plush seats that can fit on each side. However, in real life, people don’t always take up just a seat’s width of space, with knees and elbows needing some room of their own.
An island can look just as stylish with some breathing room around the seats, and anyone who dines there will be glad to have enough personal space to feel comfortable.
Plan for each guest to have 60cm to 75cm of worktop width, but be as generous as you realistically can be. If you’re planning out the configuration of your island, try drawing or taping out different scenarios to see which allows for the most seats of this size in your space.
Plan for each guest to have 60cm to 75cm of worktop width, but be as generous as you realistically can be. If you’re planning out the configuration of your island, try drawing or taping out different scenarios to see which allows for the most seats of this size in your space.
Backless stools
Once you add seats to any side of the island that’s in the potential flow of traffic or the chef’s workspace, you may want to consider using backless bar stools for your seating, or a style that can tuck fully under the worktop out of the way.
Once you add seats to any side of the island that’s in the potential flow of traffic or the chef’s workspace, you may want to consider using backless bar stools for your seating, or a style that can tuck fully under the worktop out of the way.
Seating with arms
If you have a narrow island, seats with arms will provide a more comfortable dining experience. At the same time, arms generally take up more space and often won’t tuck under as easily. If you hope to use stools with arms, plan for each guest to have 70cm to 80cm of worktop width instead.
Carefully consider whether you have the space for roomy stools with arms. If you do, consider it an investment in many comfortable meals at your wonderful dining island.
Tell us…
Did you find this advice helpful for planning your own kitchen redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
If you have a narrow island, seats with arms will provide a more comfortable dining experience. At the same time, arms generally take up more space and often won’t tuck under as easily. If you hope to use stools with arms, plan for each guest to have 70cm to 80cm of worktop width instead.
Carefully consider whether you have the space for roomy stools with arms. If you do, consider it an investment in many comfortable meals at your wonderful dining island.
Tell us…
Did you find this advice helpful for planning your own kitchen redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Super article. Wish I had this as a reference when we were renovating a few months ago.
There is another style or two that I came across and we went for a curved island.
It was part inspired by the photo I have attached.
https://www.houzz.ie/photos/stepped-shaker-handpainted-kitchen-foxrock-phvw-vp~105928325
Without children having after school snacks or needing to be doing homework, I'm convinced the perfect number of stools is one. To be used by me if my back is aching, to look through cookbooks or mind a pressure cooker, or for one guest to keep me company. That said, my current and previous two kitchens are and were open to the "breakfast nook" with more comfortable chairs for company-keeping.
The article was very helpful - with gorgeous photos - but the comments above are more interesting! There are designer photos and then there is real life.
Our “island” is an extension of my cooking area. The stools underneath are for guests to sit in when they want to visit with the cook. We have both a breakfast table and a dining room on either side of the kitchen so we don’t eat at the island. Mostly I use it to serve when we have large parties since it is part of the Great Room.
Great article.