How to Add More Seating to Your Kitchen Island
The debate over the usefulness of the kitchen island has been raging all year, but if you're one of many who consider an island a kitchen necessity, you've come to the right place. Offering extra counter space, prep room, storage, and more, a good kitchen island is a natural extension of the surrounding countertops and cabinetry. Kitchen islands with seating are even more functional. Everyone always ends up congregating in the kitchen anyway, so why not offer them a seat?
The best kitchen islands with seating not only make your space more comfortable and versatile, but they also help your kitchen multitask. Odds are, your kitchen island is already a homework station, drop zone, and list-making headquarters, so adding seating simply makes it easier for your family to do all those things. Plus, unless you have an open floor plan, it's easy to feel isolated in the kitchen while people hang out in the living room. Kitchen islands with seating bring the action to you.
The crucial thing is to choose the right size kitchen island with the right number of seats for your needs and your home. Designers recommend allowing 24 inches of counter space per person. To accommodate seating for four people, you'd need an island that's at least 96 inches wide. You should also plan to leave more space between the side of the island with the seating and the surrounding wall. In order to have space to push back stools, around 44 inches of clearance is usually recommended—that's slightly more than the 36- to 44-inch clearance typical for an island or side of an island without seating. You shouldn't just keep making a kitchen island bigger and bigger until everyone can fit, either. A common rule of thumb is that it should take up no more than 10 percent of your kitchen's square footage.
Kitchen islands, like kitchens, come in all shapes, sizes, and design styles, so it can take a lot of research to find a seating solution that works for you. That's where we come in. Ahead, we've found 7 great examples of kitchen islands with seating for every size space, from a tiny studio apartment to a grand vacation home.
Butcher Block Work Table
A work table is simply a kitchen island by another name. This one, in the Montreal kitchen of former House Beautiful editor in chief Sophie Donelson, has drawers for kitchen towels and school lunch bags and a built-in paper towel holder. The butcher block countertop is a nice contrast to all the saturated colors. Its elegant legs and open storage make the entire room feel lighter and airier.
Open Kitchen Island Seating
This extension of the kitchen island adds seating without weighing down the room—the open base keeps things light. We love how it also serves as a footrest. There's nothing worse than sitting on a stool only to have your feet awkwardly dangle with no support.
Double Kitchen Islands With Seating
If your kitchen has room for more than one island, why not opt for double the seating as well? Here, one row of chairs faces the rest of the kitchen while the other faces the living room. That way, you can always be part of the conversation no matter where it's happening.
Kitchen Island With Seating and Cookbook Storage
A kitchen island is the perfect spot to make your grocery list. The one in HGTV star Molly Yeh's kitchen even has shelves to hold cookbooks on either side, making it easy to grab the one you need when you can't remember if the recipe you want to make calls for one can of coconut milk or two. It's a smart storage idea that also puts your collection on display and adds color to your space.
Kitchen Island With Benches
The best way to seat as many people as possible is by incorporating benches into your furniture plan. That's true even for a kitchen island with seating, as proven in this Florida kitchen designed by Lauren Liess that has a counter-height set. Don't forget to add a cushion to make yours extra comfortable.
Kitchen Island With Seating for Two
In a small space, a minimalist kitchen island like the one in this kitchen designed by Weeth Home adds a proportional amount seating and counter space. Backless stools that tuck underneath make it easy to maneuver around when you're not using them—no award bumping or bruised hipbones.
Kitchen Island and Kitchen Table Seating
There's no rule saying you can't have it all when it comes to kitchen seating. You don't have to choose between a kitchen island and a kitchen table—you can have both. Here, designer Lauren Nelson worked room for two barstools into the island in this California home to facilitate cooking and chatting for its empty-nester owners. Bigger family meals can happen at the six-person antique table.
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