A practical kitchen island with a dining area can be a veryfunctional and beautiful centerpiece of your kitchen designbecome. This means your kitchen can have one of the most popular features of a modern dining room. Who says eating in the kitchen is bad? Nowadays there are many people who have a high level of free time and space. They abandon the formal dining room and enjoy the kitchen as the hub for cooking and eating. A smart and beautiful kitchen island can also meet all your kitchen and dining room needs. It helps you combine the best of both worlds.
Regardless of whether youcarry out a renovationor looking for a small change, you can use some of these tips to incorporate dining into your kitchen island without compromising your cooking space or style. So if you feel the urge to break away from the usual kitchen, you can check out our inspirations below. Use these tricks to create extra space for prepping and eating.
In technical terms you can do anyKitchen island with integrated dining tableuse. As long as it has seating and an overhang that allows you to position seats comfortably, you can easily accomplish this task. A minimum overhang of 15cm is sufficient for dining, although 20 to 30cm is particularly more generous for legroom. Using seats that look and feel more like chairs also adds atmosphere to the piece of furniture, while making sitting with backrests more comfortable for longer meals.
Also keep in mind that comfortable eating will require a little more flexibility. The fact that your kitchen island dining area can technically fit a certain number of seats doesn't mean that many people can sit there comfortably next to each other. The typical shoulder width of a person is about 60cm, but try to space each seat closer to about 75cm if possible. For example, three 45cm wide stools could fit on a 150cm long kitchen island with attached dining table when pushed together. However, it would be better to use only two seats so that each person has 75 cm for themselves.
Extended kitchen island with dining area
The design shown here features a typical built-in island with storage in the base, but with a deep extended top. This creates a large area with enough space for seating. Also note that the end of the island in the foreground has space on three sides. In this photo you can see that only the two sides are in use, but a chair could easily be pulled over to the other side near the refrigerator. This allows a small group of people to sit across from each other and chat lightly rather than all in a row, which would also be a nice option.
In a long, narrow kitchen space, sometimes the island may only extend in one direction, parallel to the cabinets. In this case, instead of extending the island to allow for stools around the edges, you can extend it far in one direction. This creates an extension of the dining table next to the main work surface. In other words, the top of the kitchen island is very long, but the base with storage space only extends halfway, leaving the other half free for seats. This solution provides plenty of additional prep space for everyday cooking, and if necessary, you can clear the dining area for a proper meal.
You can create a similar effect by pressing a table against an existing kitchen island. The pairing will look best if the table and island are the same width so they meet neatly. The advantage here is that you can now easily use the table for both dining and food preparation. Also consider using a different material for the tabletop so that the contrast looks intentional. Warm wood creates an inviting atmosphere and can be easily combined with a stone slab. In this example, also note how the chair fabric ties to the cabinet color, adding some continuity to the eclectic mix of materials.
This kitchen is a little more unusual, but the result is very cool. A custom taller dining table encloses an L-shaped island, making the two pieces appear architecturally integrated. With a custom piece you ensure it is the exact length, width and shape that will fit in your kitchen. When you add a kitchen island with dining area at a lower level, it makes the surface and counter space a little less convenient. However, this is more comfortable than a dining table and is a compromise that ultimately depends on personal preference.
Round design
The previous concept works well for a long, narrow kitchen, but what about a more square or open space? A semi-circular kitchen island with a dining area in a “bubble,” like in the photo, creates a dining space where guests can face each other and also the chef, so everyone feels included in the conversation. This arrangement takes up less floor space than a separate round table on the side. For this reason, this is a great compromise between such counter space and open space when circulating. To do this, use a diameter of approx. 90 to 120 cm for the semicircle in order to be able to accommodate two to four people.
Vertical extensions
This kitchen places a picnic-style dining area right off the back of an island. This creates a layout that is similar to the previous “bubble island”. This works if you have a lot more space next to the cooking area than in the kitchen itself. The kitchen space thereby “cheats” the rest of the room to make the kitchen look and feel a bit larger.
Here you see the same approach but in a larger kitchen and modern style. This kitchen table is clearly a custom installation using the same material. This envelops the island and creates a luxurious effect. Another advantage of this type of layout is that it creates a small work area that is available to the main chef. For example, one person may work on a simpler dish at the table (such as mixing a salad) while another cooks non-stop in the main kitchen.
Don't have room for a real island? Add a peninsula like the one shown here. This touches the main switch instead of having an open circuit on all sides. Again, this can be a built-in extension at counter or dining height or a separate table. Use stackable chairs that can be stored in a closet when not in use, or use a low-back option that is easy to reach and stays out of the way while cooking.
Add benches
A wooden bench is a very popular piece of furniture in the kitchen these days, where it can work quite well as a kitchen island. If you use a really large bench, you can hide it completely underneath or have it installed as a kitchen island with an extendable table.
As we mentioned earlier, wood is often the best option for a kitchen island with a dining area because it creates a pleasant contrast with other materials. It is suitable for modern as well as traditional and rustic kitchen designs. If you choose dining chairs that match the color of the furniture, you can also tie the two areas together. For example, the dark, black color of the kitchen cabinets in this proposal completes the look with the rustic-looking wooden table.
Another nice option is to cover the island with a slab of the same material or rock. This one cancounter or kitchen worktopcorrespond in space. Again, notice how the seating connects the island back to the cabinet, bringing some of the color from the periphery to the center of the room. The seats don't have to match anything, but it's an easy way to convey a polished feel and a subtle designer vibe.
