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Don’t you think that kitchen island designs with seating are the best thing that ever happened to kitchens? The host cooks, the child has breakfast, the guests interact: everyone is happy!
Needless to say, islands conjure up small kitchens / apartments that can use more and more seating. There are many ideas for island kitchens with seating, and some can even replace a proper dining area.
Choosing the seating for your kitchen island takes time and energy. The first thing to consider is the space available and the overall style of your kitchen.
But before you do anything else, sit down and read these tips to discover the perfect kitchen island designs with seating:
The priority is comfort
Image source: Sealy Design Inc.
A good kitchen island stool should be both: beautiful and comfortable. Many people take this rule for granted and easily sell themselves with trendy solutions that look perfect but have nothing to do with correct sitting.
A single trial period in the store is not enough to make a right decision. and you should do some serious research before making a purchase.
At the end of the day, you don’t want people to have back pain after just a few minutes in your kitchen.
Price is an important criterion, but certainly not the most important. You wouldn’t believe all of these luxury designer chairs that are terribly uncomfortable.
Put aside appearances and remember that the island stools may one day turn into proper seating. The more comfortable they are, the more often you will use them. That’s why you’re buying them, isn’t it?
Backrests – yes or no?
Image source: THINK Architecture Inc.
Backrests are a logical and preferred choice, but the reason people avoid them is because they want to accentuate their beautiful countertops or the overwhelming style of their kitchens. and they are unwilling to let chairs dominate the impression.
The backless seats are fashionable these days too, but the big question is: are they practical?
Somehow they are. They take up less space and can easily be placed under the island when not in use. However, there are security issues too, and most of the time, they are good business looking for looks.
Why not at the end of the day? A back seat with an interesting color can complement the space and make the kitchen even more beautiful than before.
How do you use your kitchen
Image source: Chelsea Construction Corporation
Are you a passionate cook? Do you like great cooking parties? A kitchen can have many uses and you need to consider them all.
Calculate the average number of people visiting the place and choose the appropriate seats. Plus, you don’t run into the living room every time cooking wears you out, so the seating you choose has to be comfortable too. Check out these options:
- Spacious kitchens with large islands provide ample space for all the seating you deem necessary.
- For long but narrow kitchens, it’s best to have seating on only one side of the island.
- Smaller kitchens limit seating options, and the best way is to only have seating in the corners of the island.
The ‘must-know’ guide to chair height
Image source: Annette English
The first thing to consider here is the height of the island, more precisely the countertop. For the average adult to feel comfortable, you need a space of 25 to 30 cm between the stool and the underside of the countertop.
The gap is important for leg comfort, meaning that chairs that are too low force people to keep their arms in an unnatural position to reach for food, while chairs that are too high allow less knee room than necessary.
Again, this is not an absolute measurement, but an approximation that draws your attention to the things that need to be considered.
Feature and accent pieces
Image source: Harvey Jones kitchens
Feature and accent pieces are ideal for simple kitchens or those that have been designed in a minimalist way to look modern and uncluttered.
For example, you can choose stools whose color is reminiscent of colors used in a nearby room or use materials with warm and homely textures (marble, stone, wood, etc.).
The overall feel has to be natural or resemble a well-executed mix of metal and industrial bases with wooden seats to make the stools unique. Wood also goes well with leather or polypropylene bases.
Full area seating
Image source: Laurysen Kitchens Ltd.
Remember: your kitchen island needs more than a chair to rest on after cooking. This is especially true for large islands that serve as dining tables or party areas.
They need to be completely surrounded by stools or even full back-rested / non-backed benches that can accommodate more people.
The more stools you bring around the table, the more uniform the space has to look – ideally, the island and the stools are the same color or are made of a single material.
Focus on practicality
Image source: seattlehometours.com
When choosing the stool for our kitchen island, we all want to make a unique decision that will impress our guests and make cooking more enjoyable. Driven by this mood, we often develop impractical solutions that offer everything, but the essentials: comfort.
Island stools are an important element in any home: they stand exactly where food is prepared and eaten, or where family members read their newspapers or check e-mails with their morning coffee.
Therefore, stools must be large, covered with padded seats and reinforced with sturdy footrests. You can also purchase gas lift or swivel stools to make them suitable for residents of all sizes and ages.
Focus on stability
Image source: Darren James Interiors
When it comes to a chair, stability is your main concern. Needles to mention how children love to swing in their chairs; and adults lose their balance too.
Therefore, choose stools with solid and wide bases, ideally elongated with an equally wide backrest.
What if the kitchen island is the only dining area?
Kitchen islands with seating are no longer optional for those who live in small houses / apartments where there is simply no space for a dining room.
The good thing is that there are fewer cords on the island seats than on classic dining furniture, and you are free to choose what you think would improve the flow of space in your kitchen. So take your favorite decor magazine or surf the Internet and let yourself be inspired!
Choose kid-friendly seating
Image source: Bluebell kitchens
When you have children, the interior design is completely transformed. You’re switching your top aesthetic priorities to ones that are kid-friendly. The seating on the kitchen island is no exception.
The materials must be user-friendly, but also maintainable and susceptible to damage. We recommend you choose chairs made of leather (vinyl), wood, polypropylene or metal.
One important thing to consider is a soft backrest attached to the solid base to keep the children’s body firm and steady.
Go adventurous
Image source: Landmark Services Inc.
Why not mix several types of stools instead of opting for a pre-combined set? Even the most varied of chairs can look amazing together if you’ve managed to bring them together properly.
For example, you can make a number of classic dining room chairs more interesting with a single metal / colored chair in the middle (wooden islands with white chairs are a trendy combination). A timeless solution could also be a black and white contrast.
If possible, use a removable seat
Image source: Reconstruction of Normandy
It happens that kitchen islands look into sidewalks or adjacent areas, which means that even the most modest seating can become a traffic obstruction.
We’re not saying that you should forget about sitting completely, but rather that you should opt for a removable option. You can buy single-legged stools instead of real chairs, or think of multipurpose seating that will look great in other rooms as well.
Whatever you choose, it must have parts that can be replaced when not needed. Think of this as a safety tip too: you don’t want your kids to bump into chairs while walking around in the kitchen!