Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Need some help with a breakfast bar

Doing some remodeling and we are looking to put a breakfast bar onto a half wall that separates the kitchen from the living area. We have pergo wood floors in the kitchen and our hardwood floors which we just found are getting refinished now throughout the house.

Here is a pic of the area when we first moved in. i dont have a more recent one for some reason.

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3661/img11968210767.jpg

Like I said we have wood pergo in the near area and oak wood floors on the far side. The weird beams have been removed and two pendant lights are going down from the ceiling.

So, not sure what type of material to use for the breakfast bar. Originally we were thinking butcher block, but we're thinking that would be to much wood. What are some other options that we can do here? The half wall id 60" long. Help

Hi Mikereno1

Can you post a more crecent picture so we can imagine the whole room?
What type of counter do you have in the kitchen? cabinets?
60" is not enough lenght for two chairs..... :rolleyes:

Possible to take some better pics ? Possible show each view, from the kitchen looking into the dining, and visa-versa ?

My fav has always been a thick wood top (but not butcher block thick.. maybe more like 6"), narrowed in for the support wall, foot bar down low (chrome or wood), and with some kind of hanging thing above to break up the rooms (in addition to the wall of course). Cant do the kitchen pots and pans between kitchen/dining, but something else.. maybe some glasswork, or a fancy light system ? not sure there..

I'll take some better pictures tomorrow, but right now our hardwood is getting refinished so the kitchen is full of furniture, but you will get the idea. I am hoping it will be just long enough for 2 seats, not really sure what else to do with the space.

Hi Mikereno1,

We'll see the pictures, but keep in mind two things
1 - You need at least 34"to 36" center to center per person
2 - looking carefully at the picture, I see a corridor, therefore, the counter and the chairs will be creating an interference in the corridor

Perhars a breaksfast bar will be more a problem that a solution....:D

Good catch pmgca, I didnt notice that little black wedge in the pic last time.. how wide is that space from the fixed wall to fixed wall ?

Hi DaveC72,

If you are coming from the corridor and turning to the right, chairs and counter will be an interference, independent of the width--> in any situation, if you need to contour a piece of furniture, then it is an interference

Okay, got some pics today now that the floors are finished. I dont think I explained it very well, but we want to add the breakfast bar on the left side of the wall from this picture

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3743/img12869626054.jpg

That is the kitchen dining room side, the new finished floor is the living room/hall. We dont plan to have it overhang into the hallway at all.



It would be on the left side from this picture

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/9198/img12979656764.jpg



Here is shot from the hallway showing the wall into the kitchen area which currently hold stuff from our bedroom

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/6047/img12889641960.jpg



This one shows the dining area some, the light will be where the table is normally

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1780/img12899649170.jpg



Here is an older shot showing the kitchen counters
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/5821/cimg0146.th.jpg (http://img26.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cimg0146.jpg)


I know 60" will be a bit of a squeeze for two chairs, but as long as we keep them pretty skinny it should be ok.

How far is it from the end of that 1/2 wall, to the corner of that wall before it turns out to the window wall ?

Im thinking of a triangular tabletop.

How far is it from the end of that 1/2 wall, to the corner of that wall before it turns out to the window wall ?

Im thinking of a triangular tabletop.

Its about 4ft, but if the counter goes to far into the kitchen it might crowd the dining room when we get the table back in its normal spot (under the light)

Hi Mikereno1,

I think that a triangular table will create a dead corner...

This is what I'd do
Once the 60" are a little tight for two chairs, I'd suggest a bench, creating a breakfast booth. I think that is important a round end for the table

Something like this.....

http://www.punchhelpers.com/DIY/breakfastbooth2.jpg

Hope this helps

Thats not bad, hadnt thought about setting it up that way. I think we are still looking for it to face the other way, into the main room. I think that way it wont be as crowded with the dining table, just an informal bar with stools to sit at

how about making a plywood base and then using formica or something similar over it?

UPDATE!!

We decided to add a formica bartop to the halfwall. It turned out exactly the way we wanted. Overall the length of it is 62", which so far has been fine for two sitting.

Here are a couple pictures of the final results. What do you think?

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7414/img16330053624.jpg

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/5002/img16350068379.jpg

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7180/img16320045961.jpg

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/1350/img16340060863.jpg


Now we took down the blinds on the big window in the 3rd picture when wallpapering, and decided we liked the increased light to much to put them back up. So the question is what can we put there to give some privacy but keep the light? I was thinking some sort of frost filming maybe. Any ideas on what would work there?

Very nice!!

Frost glass film will restrict the light... what about vertical blinds?