How can we create the perfect sociable hub at the heart of your cookspace? The kitchen island is a natural extension of the surrounding countertops and cabinetry, offering extra prep space and storage. If you add seating to the island, it makes it even more functional! The kitchen is the heart of the home, everyone always ends up congregating in the kitchen, so why not have seating options so you can offer a seat at different times of the day?
The crucial point to look at is choosing the right-sized kitchen island with the right number of seats for your needs and your home. We recommend allowing 24 inches of counter space per person, with space between the side of the island with the seating and surrounding wall.
A rule of thumb is that the kitchen island should take up no more than 10% of your kitchen’s square footage.
Like kitchens, kitchen islands come in all shapes, sizes and design styles. We have put together some practical and space-saving kitchen island ideas with seating in this blog. We hope our island styles give you some inspiration for your next kitchen project.
What do you call a kitchen island with seating?
Kitchen islands you can sit at are often called ‘bi-level’ islands. This doesn’t mean that the kitchen island needs to be at two levels, however, that option allows the cooking mess to be hidden.
Should there be seating at a kitchen island?
If the island is large enough to comfortably accommodate multiple people, then seating can be a great way to make the most of the space. If you have a small island, you may want to add alternative design elements and put seating elsewhere.
Add Stylish Banquette Seating
Banquette seating creates an unusual statement feature and beautifully attaches to the island design for a neat solution. It’s an upholstered bench with a backrest traditionally used for dining areas and found in many commercial settings such as restaurants, bars and hotels. They are now being introduced to the kitchen where people can come together to socialise, eat, drink or relax.
Typically a banquette is fixed to the walls and offers a comfortable place to sit. The long seat and backrest encourage people to relax, lean back, sit at a comfortable angle, and spread out. Having a fully upholstered banquette brings comfort to the space, especially if it is full of hard surfaces. You can add scatter cushions for additional comfort and armrests at each end to promote relaxation.
When designing our brand new showroom in a beautiful location, we knew that banquettes were a big focus in modern kitchen design. We as kitchen designers were eager to add this to a beautiful L-shaped island where its long back is permanently fixed to the sides of the island and offers a relaxing seating area for everyone. We gave it the upholstered finish that matched the décor, scattered cushions and a solid oak table with modern black legs.
Underneath storage is the perfect additional element to banquette seating. Due to this type of seating being truly bespoke to fit your space, this space-saving solution can add to your kitchen’s valuable storage, storing many different items and objects as you wish.
Design a Freestanding Feel
Extend your kitchen island with an open base that adds seating without weighing the room down. Having an open base keeps things light and adds a touch of character to the main kitchen space.
Our Lower Stondon island was simply created with an extension of the quartz worktop, creating an overhang and completed with solid wooden legs. This is a great space for 4 guests.
A Raised Breakfast Bar
Having a raised breakfast bar that’s connected to the island maximises working space and if a different material is used it can be distinguished by having a separate function. It can also be used to hide a messy prep area from view in an open-plan room.
Our Hinxworth project is a great example of a raised breakfast bar. It’s such an elegant design where the solid oak top is raised from the quartz surface.
Our client in Preston wanted to elevate their kitchen and turn the island into a focal point. The two different materials chosen mean that the solid oak breakfast bar can be used for serving meals and is suitable for guests to sit at.
Formal/Informal L-Shape Seating
It’s a sociable way of sitting on a large and long island.
Sociable Rounded Seating
We see many rectangular island designs in kitchens as this shape maximises the use of space. However, opting for a curved kitchen island creates a softer, less blocky look in a kitchen and a more relaxed, sociable seating arrangement. Guests can sit comfortably facing each other, enjoying each other’s company without the need to strain, which sometimes can be the case when bar stools are lined up in a row.
Typically, when designing with curves it can be more expensive and complicated but it adds to modern life. Because the kitchen is the heart of the home, homeowners are choosing to invest more in the overall design and creation of this room.
We highlighted the architecture of our Sandy project by adding a solid oak pedestal table to one side of the island.
Our kitchen project below in Hertfordshire has had the edges of the quartz worktops softened on the island. This produces a friendly gathering spot for family and friends and injects a little unexpected into your kitchen design.
A Room with a Kitchen Island and Kitchen Table Seating
Having a large open-plan space enables you to have the best of both worlds. On one side you have a perfect multi-functional kitchen with an island that can seat guests and on the other side of the room a dining table that matches the design aesthetics and provides a spot for dinner parties.
A social dining experience that can accommodate a lot of people comfortably!
At our latest Tewin project, social gatherings can take place at either the island or dining table and the whole space can become one and accommodate larger parties.
Our Letchworth project is just like our kitchen design above, where a large open-plan space is created with seating at the island but also a very large dining table that seats 10! We are obsessed with the seating as well from Vincent Sheppard. The elegant silhouette grants the space with a warm and sweet appearance.
Our Hinxworth project accommodates a social experience on all levels. There is seating in all areas that are close to eachother and everyone can be part of the conversation no matter where it’s happening.
Are you thinking of adding a kitchen island to your new project with seating to accommodate all your guests? Contact us today to speak to one of our designers and let us help you build that dream kitchen as well as a modern kitchen island.
