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23 Kitchen Bar and Eat-In Counter Design Ideas

Pure Salt Interiors

If you’re looking to expand your seating set-up or give yourself a more obvious place to entertain, a kitchen bar can be a great way to do it. And since no bar is complete without a couple of chic bar stools, a kitchen bar gives you the opportunity to bring a pop of color, texture, or visual flair into your space, too.

Of course, there are many different ways to bring a kitchen bar into your space. You could add a kitchen island, reimagine some of the countertops you already have, or spring for a full-blown renovation. But remember, as long as you have a couple places to sit—and room to eat or drink—you should have everything you need to make a kitchen bar happen.

Take a look at some of the prettiest kitchen bars we've ever seen and consider some design ideas you could bring into your own space. You’ll be glad you put in the work the next time you’re chowing down at your eat-in kitchen—or hosting a wine night at your new bar.

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LeClair Decor

Kitchen bars provide an opportunity to have fun with your décor. They’re typically made up of three pieces—your bar, your bar stools, and the lighting above your bar—so you have several different elements to play with.

You can paint your bar a bold color and choose bar stools that complement it. Or, you can use lighting fixtures to introduce a pop of color to your space. Options are abound, so feel free to take a risk or two.

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Erin Williamson Design

Kitchen bars tend to be pretty short, and the first thing anyone will see when looking at your kitchen is the sink and the backsplash behind it. To set the tone for the rest of your space, invest in a backsplash and sink combination that feels right for both your kitchen and your bar.

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Design: Mindy Gayer, Photo: Vanessa Lentine

Many kitchens come without built-in bars—meaning if you want the extra seating, you’ll have to create your own. Thankfully, there are tons of sleek kitchen islands to invest in that serve this purpose exactly.

Snag one that suits your space and paint it to match your cabinets, or leave it as is and take advantage of the aesthetic contrast it offers.

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Proem Studio

If your kitchen is lined with exposed shelves, remember that every item you place on those shelves will effectively double as décor. Use this built-in storage to set the mood in your space.

If you want your kitchen bar to really feel like a bar, line your shelves with martini glasses, pretty bottles of booze, or whatever else you want your bar to serve. Your stocked bar not only will look gorgeous, but is at the ready for your next cocktail party.

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Tyler Karu Design

Most rectangular bars are lined with stools that span one side of the bar. This helps free up space in the kitchen and makes the room feel a little more defined. But, there’s no reason you have to put your stools there.

Depending on how your kitchen is laid out, it could make just as much sense to place three stools at the end of your bar facing each other. Find the best layout for your space and go with it.

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Blue Copper Design

Kitchen bars are a great place to have a little fun. One popular move is to paint your bar a vibrant color, but you could take a slightly less expected approach and line it with bold tile instead. You could match the tile to your backsplash or pick a complementary set. Either way, you’re in for a statement-maker. 

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Julian Porcino

If you’re decorating an open-concept space, you may want to create some visual separation between your bar and your dining room. One great way to do this is to match your bar to the rest of your kitchen and let your dining room look a little different.

You can use pillars and other structures to establish your bar area without actually closing off your space. Take a good, long look at the space you’re working with, and let it inspire your design choices.

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House Nine Interiors

It’s common practice to paint your bar to match your kitchen cabinets. But, if you wanted to shake things up a little, you could paint them slightly different shades of the same color. Paint your bar navy and your kitchen cabinets light blue, or opt for a different monochromatic palette.

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Reena Sotropa

No bar is complete without a handful of bar stools—and there’s no reason you can’t have fun with them. Bar stools can be a great way to add a pop of color or texture to a space, and the right set can help you bring your entire space together.

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Ashley Montgomery Design 

Some bars come with built-in overhangs—the countertop extends beyond the bar, giving you a natural place to store a few seats. This can be a space-efficient solution if you’ve opted for backless stools, and it can also make eating at your bar much more comfortable. It’ll also cut down on spills—and that's always a bonus.

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Reena Sotropa

If your bar leads into a dining room or living room, consider the entirety of your space. You’ll likely want your rooms to feel different but still cohesive. Maintaining consistent colors and visual motifs can be a great way to do that.

Choose bar stools and dining room chairs that look similar but not too matchy-matchy, and consider echoing your palette throughout your entire space.

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Maite Granda

Many kitchen bars are rectangular—but that doesn’t mean yours has to be. Take a look at the space you’re working with, and choose the layout that would suit it best. Maybe your kitchen would look great with a diagonal bar. If so, embrace it, and design the rest of your space with that choice in mind.

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Cathie Hong

Odds are, the first things someone will see when looking at your kitchen are your backsplash and your bar. So it makes sense to invest effort in both of them—and to make sure they look great together. Choose colors that match, complement, or contrast, and make sure the tonal couple you’ve chosen is one you love looking at.

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Julian Porcino

Exposed structural columns can be a buzzkill. But, they can also be a great way to orient your space. Instead of trying to hide them or distract from them, consider whether you can use them to your advantage.

Maybe the column can run along the end of your bar, creating a suggested boundary in your space—one that makes your kitchen look even better.

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Pure Salt Interiors

If you’re decorating a small space, it pays to get creative and look for spots that can multitask. Could your wraparound kitchen counter be transformed into a small bar? If so, you can give yourself a cozy dining nook—without sacrificing much space at all.

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Katie Martinez

Pendant lights and kitchen bars tend to pair really well together. In addition to serving the practical purpose of helping you see your food, pendant lights can be a great way to dress up your space. They add a touch of contrast or cohesion, which will help your space feel more harmonious.

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Katie Hodges

If your kitchen is totally shelf-less, it may make sense to bring in a few shelves of your own. You can adorn these shelves with items that set the mood for your bar—and for your kitchen at large.

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LeClair Decor

If you don’t have space for a full-blown bar, that doesn’t mean you have to go totally bar-less. A two-seat bar can be incredibly useful—especially if there are only two people living in your space. Look for countertop corners that offer enough room to eat comfortably, and consider tucking a couple bar stools under there.

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White Sands

Many people decorate their kitchen bars and cabinets using complementary colors. But, playing with texture can be just as gratifying. Cover your kitchen counters in one material and line your bar in another. This method works particularly well if your kitchen cabinets wrap around your bar, making it clear that both are part of the same space.

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Pure Salt Interiors

Statement-making accents can establish the mood of your space, and you should spring for one that sets the tone you’re trying to cultivate. If you want your bar to feel like a hangout space, consider mounting a TV on your wall—seriously.

This move won’t be right for everyone—and it probably only works in a kitchenette or wet bar—but if it suits your space, take the risk.

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Tyler Karu Design

Creating contrast with your kitchen cabinets and your bar can be a lot of fun. But ultimately, you still want your space to feel cohesive. Look for ways to bring the two together by stocking up on kitchen items that match your bar stools and displaying those on your kitchen shelves.

A great way to do this is also to echo the color of your kitchen backsplash in the pendant lights above your bar. There are several different ways to accomplish cohesion—just make sure to keep it in mind as you finish decorating your space.

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Design: Michelle Boudreau, Photo: Lance Gerber

If you want your bar to feel next-level luxurious, look for ways to make it feel like a ritzy restaurant. Invest in pendant lights that look like the kind of thing you’d find in a hotel, or line your shelves with matching glass bottles.

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Design: Mindy Gayer, Photo: Lindsay Stetson Thompson

Your bar may be your statement-maker, but everything around it is important, too. Don’t quit working the moment you find a bar you love. Look for bar stools that complement your space and search for lighting fixtures that bring your whole kitchen together.

These elements will play a key role in how you’ll experience your space both literally and aesthetically, and so they’re worth the extra effort.

21 Gorgeous Open Concept Kitchens That'll Make You Want to Tear Down Some Walls

25 Elegant Kitchen Bar Designs & Ideas

Whether you want to add more seating to your dining space or create an area to entertain your guests, a kitchen bar can be the perfect solution. And just like any addition to your home, a bar allows you to add your personal touch and style with texture, color, and decorative details. Explore some of our favorite kitchen bar ideas and discover which ones fit your unique style and space.

Striking Contrast Between the Bar Faucet and Backsplash

Featured Product: Quincy™ Bar Faucet

Brighten up your kitchen bar countertop with a vibrant backsplash that sets the tone for your entire design. Whether monochrome, black and white, or a pattern with pops of color, the right backsplash can add warmth and charm to any kitchen.

This black and white mosaic tile provides a stark backdrop to the stunning faucet, finished in an artisan-inspired golden hue. In timeless Unlacquered Brass, the Quincy bar faucet serves as a striking statement piece.

KALLISTA kitchen bar faucets are designed for peak performance and durability and are offered in a fine array of striking finishes.

Statement-Making Kitchen Bar Light Fixtures

Credit: @degiuliodesign
Featured Product: Juxtapose™ Bar Faucet

Kitchen bar designs are more than just the countertop space. Make a bold statement with stunning light fixtures to match your style preferences. From sleek modern lights to intricate chandeliers, there are a variety of options to choose from in order to create the perfect ambiance. 

Circular lights hang from the ceiling in this high-end bar, illuminating the Nero Marquina marble counter and light-color wood cabinetry in warm elegance. The Juxtapose by Mick De Giulio bar faucet serves as the perfect finishing touch, with a sleek powder-coated black finish.

Modern Black and White Kitchen Bar Idea

Credit: @degiuliodesign
Featured Product: Juxtapose™ Collection

For a modern kitchen bar design, consider black and white for a two-tone approach. This simple style provides a clean look to any kitchen space regardless of size. White countertops and black cabinets on this kitchen island bar make for a visual contrast that creates a sharp, state-of-the-art look.

Featured Product: Juxtapose™ Semi-Professional Faucet

This modern black and white kitchen design is well-appointed with the KALLISTA Juxtapose Collection. Designer Mick De Giulio blends sophistication and utility with stylish faucet designs, combined with the latest in spray technology for performance and reliability.

Backyard Kitchen Bar Idea for Outdoor Entertainment

Featured Product: Bacifore® Bar Sink

Your kitchen bar design doesn’t have to be limited to the interior of the home. Create a fun outdoor space for entertaining and relaxing by adding a backyard bar to your patio. Functional and stylish, a backyard bar allows for extra seating and prep space. You can even add a sink to keep everything clean as you enjoy meals and parties outside.

This outdoor bar features a reflective faucet, shimmering sink, and black marble countertop. With white patio chairs placed nearby an outdoor pool, the bar completes this backyard space with a purposeful design.

Custom Kitchen Bar Counter Idea With Nero Marquina Marble

Credit: @degiuliodesign
Featured Product: Juxtapose™ Bar Faucet

For an added sense of luxury, consider using marble for your kitchen bar countertop. Marble is a classic design choice that is easy to match with almost any kitchen bar décor. This bar uses black marble with lightning-like white streaks, equipped with a durable stainless steel bar sink and matte black designer faucet by Mick De Giulio.

Embrace Modern Minimalism for Your Kitchen Bar Design

Featured Product: Bacifore® Bar Sink

Clean lines, neutral colors, and a flawless partnership of form and function are core tenets of minimalist design. The kitchen is the ideal place for a modern look, and the simple style allows you to showcase personal tastes as you decorate the kitchen bar counter.

This bar features a black and white marble countertop supported by a beveled base. Open shelves are lined with martini glasses for a distinguished display. A polished stainless steel bar sink finishes the design with reflective and durable elegance.

Create a Stylish and Unique Space for Hosting Guests

Credit: @mirandafryeofficial
Featured Product: One™ Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet

If monochromatic minimalism isn’t your thing, why not go all out with your kitchen bar idea? Upscale choices like gold fixtures and stylish detailing can add an extra touch of luxury. Install a curved gooseneck faucet and a marble countertop for easy clean-up and additional room to prepare delicious meals and appetizers for entertaining.

Kitchen Bar Ideas for Compact Spaces

Credit: @nielsenbuilders
Featured Product: One™ Single Control Sink Faucet

Even if your space is limited, your design doesn’t need to be. Small kitchen bar counter ideas require you to think efficiently to utilize the space as storage and seating while maintaining a cohesive design that flows well with your home. Whether your kitchen bar is your only dining area or an expansion of a larger space, there are plenty of ways to put your design stamp on even the smallest kitchen bar counter.

This black marble bar is tucked away into a cove, providing contrast to the white walls and bright pendant light. In this design, a wine refrigerator is placed next to the bar to make maximum use of the space available. If you prefer cocktails over wine, you could make the bar wider and forego the refrigerator.

The single-control faucet is space-saving and functional, with dual application allowing it to be used as a sink faucet or bar faucet.

Overhang Kitchen Bar Design Idea

Credit: @relativelighting
Featured Product: One™ Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet

A simple way to create extra seating and prep space is with an overhang kitchen bar counter. An overhang design creates additional room beneath the bar to allow for seating, and the sleek look can match any kitchen style. Add a few bar stools or chairs of the right height, and you can host several guests at once and keep the conversation flowing.

This kitchen bar features designer bar stools with tan cushions and black legs, complementing the warm and dark contrast of the entire room. The One pull-down faucet in matte black combines exceptional performance with a sleek design that completes the bar in style.

Choose Durable Stainless Steel for Your Kitchen Bar Sink

Featured Product: Bacifore® Bar Sink

Add another level of practicality to your kitchen bar counter with a stainless steel sink. Perfect for extra prep and washing space, luxury kitchen bar sinks offer both style and utility. When paired with solid brass faucets, you can ensure your entire bar sink will remain gorgeous for years to come.

This durable and polished stainless steel sink is paired with a gooseneck bar faucet, with a gorgeous marble countertop and warm backsplash completing the design in luxury.

Keep It Luxe With a Wood-Topped Kitchen Bar

Credit: @cpoppworkshop

For a timeless, exquisite look, a wood-topped bar is easy to match with other surfaces and creates a smooth, stylish area for eating and entertaining. Add a pair of wooden stools for seating and use a contrasting color for cabinetry, such as this cool grey.

Kitchen Bar Idea With Extra Seating and Storage

Credit: @mikeshivelyarchitecture

If you have plenty of room in your kitchen, a large bar counter could be just the thing to add both seating and storage. A modern island with drawers can provide additional space for storing small appliances, pots, and pans. The overhang bar design can be the perfect place to tuck in a few chic stools for welcoming and entertaining guests.

Expand Your Kitchen Bar Design With White Surfaces

Featured Product: One™ Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet

Brighten up your kitchen with a white kitchen bar and cabinets. The light hue can make smaller rooms seem bigger and make large spaces feel sweeping. This white kitchen setup adds a pop of color with golden light fixtures, while clear chairs maintain the stark purity of the overall design approach.

Pair a Round Bar Sink With a Gooseneck Faucet

Featured Product: Monte Carlo Bar Sink

With a graceful arc, this gooseneck faucet complements the fluidity of the round bar sink for a sleek and elegant result. The reflective finish on the faucet coordinates wonderfully with the polished stainless steel sink in a pleasing presentation of shimmering reflection.

Experiment With Colors in Your Kitchen Bar Design

Credit: @chelsea_design_construction
Featured Product: For Town Kitchen Faucet with Sidespray

While neutrals like white, grey, and black are common choices, choosing a brighter color can add a striking look to your kitchen bar. Opt for an accent wall or add pops of color into your kitchen bar décor ideas, such as with stools or chairs. This bright farmhouse kitchen uses contrasting sets of green and grey chairs in separate dining areas.

A little color in the details can easily be switched out depending on the time of year or changes in your style preferences, allowing your bar design to remain active.

Kitchen Island Bar Idea With Traditional Wood Design

Credit: @bradleystephensdesign
Featured Product: One™ Deck-Mount Bridge Kitchen Faucet

Creating a kitchen bar space can be as simple as adding a kitchen island and a few stools or bar-height chairs. Choose a design that matches your cabinetry and countertops to establish a cohesive look throughout the room.

This kitchen utilizes wood cabinets, stools, and light fixtures to ensure a natural flow in the design. Darker wooden tones are reserved for the bar stools and light fixtures, while lighter wood is used on the cabinetry for a subtle yet delightful contrast.

Install a Range and Hood Above Your Kitchen Island Bar

Product: Radius by Barbara Barry Wedge Field in Custom Colors by ANN SACKS
Designer: Gathered Group Photography: Andrew Sherman

Expand your counter space throughout your kitchen by installing an island with a cooktop or range and hood. By reserving the cooking area to the center of the room, this kitchen and bar design allows for more uninterrupted prep space along the walls.

Use a Kitchen Bar as a Second Dining Table

Product: Nottingham Diamond Tundra Tile by ANN SACKS

If you have an abundance of space, your kitchen bar can serve as an entire second dining table, complete with stylish upholstered chairs and place settings. In especially spacious kitchens, a bar can be installed in addition to a traditional kitchen island, offering ample space for both food prep and entertaining guests.

Make a Bold Statement With a Dark Kitchen Bar Design

Credit: ANN SACKS

Who says that your kitchen and bar must have multiple colors? Consider choosing one eye-catching shade for your kitchen to create an engaging and enveloping theme.

This black bar and kitchen setup exudes luxury appeal, while the white ceiling, pale shelving, and brass hardware provide subtle contrasts.

Multifunctional Kitchen Bar Idea

Credit: @wilsonhowardteam
Featured Product: One™ Deck-Mount Bridge Kitchen Faucet

Even small spaces can make use of a kitchen bar counter, especially when it doubles as a dining table. If the stovetop takes up most of your counter space like this kitchen, an island can be used for prep, entertaining, and extra seating with the addition of a few modern bar stools that can easily slide underneath the bar when not in use.

Modern Farmhouse Kitchen Bar Design

Credit: @krywicki_interiordesign
Featured Product: One™ Deck-Mount Bridge Kitchen Faucet

The farmhouse style is a popular kitchen bar décor idea and can even be updated for more modern preferences. A kitchen bar with a rustic wood base paired with a granite or marble countertop creates a stylish and unique look that elevates the kitchen to a more vibrant place. With metal and wooden stools, this kitchen bar design is at once quaint and chic.

Illuminate Your Kitchen Bar Design With Pendant Fixtures

Credit: @foundbymaja
Featured Product: One™ Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet

Add elegance and style to your kitchen bar with pendant lighting. From bowl-shaped fixtures to rustic lanterns to artisan globe designs, the options are nearly endless. Color-match your pendant lights to your faucets, cabinet handles, or other fixtures, or choose artistic lighting that stands out and makes a statement all on its own.

In this design, multiple lightbulbs are encased in bowl-shaped fixtures to illuminate a white modern kitchen island, complete with clear designer stools.

Establish the Kitchen Island Bar as the Main Event

Credit: @deleofletcherdesign
Featured Product: For Town Kitchen Faucet with Sidespray

This kitchen design lets the island bar be the focal point by centering it in the room with a stunning window as a backdrop. Chic hanging lighting fixtures and stylish bar chairs add an extra level of elegance and make an artistic statement in the room.

Blue Kitchen Bar Design Idea for Your Island

Credit: @ahdandco

A blue shade for the base of the kitchen bar can help it stand out, especially in a light-toned kitchen. In a monochromatic, modern style room, a colored surface can make a bold, elegant statement, allowing you to have a little fun with your design.

Match the Backsplash and the Bar

Product: Craze 8"x12" Field in White by ANN SACKS
Design: Kelle Contine Interior Design Photography: Jake Holt

For a cohesive design throughout your kitchen, consider matching the kitchen bar to your backsplash. Matching tile can improve the flow of the space and solidify your artistic vision for your culinary haven.
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FAQs About Kitchen Bar Ideas

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What purpose does a kitchen bar serve?

A kitchen bar can provide expanded cooking and prep space, as well as additional seating and room for entertaining. In open-concept homes, a bar or island can also be used to create separation between the kitchen or dining area and the living room.

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What are the best measurements for bar height seating?

Bar countertops tend to be between 40 and 42 inches tall, so the best measurements for bar height seating are 28 to 30 inches tall. Always make sure to measure your kitchen bar height before purchasing chairs or stools.

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How deep should my kitchen bar be?

While the dimensions of your kitchen bar will depend on the available space, a standard maximum depth is 24 inches to enable you to reach across the countertop. Keep in mind that you may need to add an overhang for seating space.

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What do I need for my kitchen bar?

If you plan to add a kitchen bar, you may want to consult a professional to design and install it. While you can DIY this project, doing so will require careful measurements, multiple tools and materials, and a clear knowledge of how to put the entire bar together properly.

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How do I design a luxury bar at home?

If you already have a kitchen island, you may be able to convert it into a kitchen bar counter. Just by adding a few stools or chairs, you can enjoy extra seating and entertainment space. For more extensive changes and installations, you may wish to enlist the services of a professional designer and contractor.

Kitchen bar – pros and cons

Kitchen bar with its modern form and function sets completely new standards that would have been unthinkable ten years ago.

Once the living room was the living room, the bedroom was the bedroom, and the kitchen was the kitchen. Today, these rooms can be connected in any way, except perhaps by connecting the kitchen and the bedroom. Often, instead of a typical kitchen, only a mini-kitchen is created in the apartment. And the functions of a dining place for meetings with the family, parties and snacks in the morning are performed by a bar, which can be installed in the living room combined with the dining room. But even in a small kitchenette, a bar often replaces many pieces of furniture.

This means that the place that we traditionally call the kitchen is today in most homes connected to the living room or slightly separated from it, for example, by a bar or a kitchen island with a breakfast bar, which are planned to be installed at the border of the zones.

Such solutions are used in apartments with a small area, where, due to the absence of walls, there is more space and the apartment looks optically larger. Admittedly, the problem of odors coming from the kitchen is immediate, but modern hoods and ventilation systems are so good that they can easily remove any kitchen odor.

Some people refuse to accept open kitchens, arguing that guests or even family members shouldn't see the mess that usually accompanies cooking on a bar or island.

The advantages of an open-plan bar prove otherwise:

• First of all, a bar in the kitchen is a solution that will help you learn to take more care of the order and aesthetics of the interior;

• Secondly, you can skillfully hide this mess by creating a bar table that separates the working area of ​​the kitchen from the rest of the living room space. The bar can be slightly higher than the kitchen countertops, which effectively hides what is happening in the kitchen;

• The bar table can perform many other functions. The bar in the kitchen can be used as a dining table. It is enough to add one or more chairs to it, and you can sit and eat comfortably;

• The bar top can also be useful for preparing meals when there is no more space in the kitchen;

• Depending on whether the bar is closed or structurally open, it can be used to store some items that you don't use every day;

Often, a bar counter in the zone of separation of two rooms is arranged near the end of the cut off wall on the border of the two zones. A fragment of the wall performs a functional aspect - an element that serves as a support for the bar counter instead of a bar.

This way you can easily separate the living room from the kitchen and at the same time get additional functional space in the apartment. Thanks to this, the apartment acquires individuality, causing the desire to gather at the bar for family members and the interest of guests.

Kitchens are often located far from the largest room in the apartment, making the layout traditional rather than modernist. It looks like you have to walk back and forth with plates, crockery, glasses, etc. But, if the room was only separated from the kitchen by a section of a wall with a countertop, just a typical modern bar, you could just put dishes on it.

In addition, a small family can only eat at the kitchen bar so as not to create a mess and unnecessary mess in the kitchen. This is a very convenient solution that opens up completely new possibilities for family members, especially those who use the kitchen.

Kitchen bar separating the kitchen from the living room

The kitchen island at the border between the kitchen and the living room resembles a breakfast bar, but it is much wider and is an important piece of kitchen equipment. This can be, for example, a freezer, cupboard, oven or dishwasher. Everything from kitchen equipment, which does not have to stand against the work wall.

An island combined with a bar is another type of kitchen bar. They are united by a wide tabletop where you can eat and cook food. The island is below the kitchen bar and is usually the same height as the work area countertops against the wall.

This type of solution can be used when the kitchen is large. We must remember that there must be room for free movement from the island to the kitchen furniture. In addition, in such a situation, the kitchen and everything that happens in it is completely visible from the living room, and there is nothing to hide here. Therefore, this form of separation of the kitchen from the living room is quite rare. It all depends on the taste and options of the owners of the apartment.

Bar between kitchen and living room

To sum it up, the kitchen bar solution allows for more space and a subtle separation of the kitchen from the living area. It works great in small and medium apartments, where it is very difficult to create the illusion of a larger area.

In larger apartments, it is also possible to use a solution on the kitchen island, which, at the expense of space, will increase the functionality of the room.

bar in a small kitchen. 4 unexpected benefits

02/10/2021

In the pictures for the query "bar counter in the kitchen" most often come across interiors that really resemble a good bar in size. However, most kitchens in Russia are much smaller - and a deceptive and offensive impression is created that the bar counter is for those who have an apartment of 300 square meters. The designers of the "Kitchen Factory" debunk this myth - and offer a look at the experience of the same French, for whom apartments of 30, 20 or even 15 "squares" are the norm. How do bar counters help make French apartments super comfortable?

A word from the kitchen factory design and ergonomics expert:

“We constantly monitor foreign professional design media, analyze the achievements of our colleagues. And we can say with confidence that the French experience in kitchen ergonomics is easy to apply in Russian realities. Unlike American housing, where the kitchens are very large, French apartments are very modest (in the center of old cities, former servants' rooms can be sold as separate housing - only 8-13 square meters!). At the same time, French culture is imbued with a love of living in comfort and enjoying small pleasures. Therefore, if, for example, small Asian apartments may look uncomfortable for a person who grew up in the Russian mentality, kitchens from studios in France inspire by example - after all, even a 30-meter “Khrushchev” is much larger!”

1. Bar counter takes up less space

The standard width of the bar countertop is 50-60 centimeters, when tables are made at least 70-75 centimeters, and most often - 80-85 centimeters in width.

For whom:

2. Bar counter separates functional areas

On the sketch: a French designer's solution for a combined kitchen-living room

For whom:

3. The bar counter creates a relaxing mood

On the sketch: the idea of ​​a French designer is to plan a small kitchen entirely like a real bar, in two lines. So the kitchen ceases to be a strictly utilitarian place

For whom:

4. Bar counter adds storage space

It is inconvenient to make additional storage systems under a standard dining table. Firstly, it is lower - you will literally have to squat down to get something.

Secondly, when a person sits on an ordinary chair, his knees protrude more forward - more legroom is needed. And it is comfortable to sit on a bar stool with almost straight legs and even sideways - leaning on the bar with your elbow.

In the sketch: the bar table turns into a window sill. On the one hand, there are chairs, on the other, storage systems.

For whom:

For those who don't have enough floor cabinets and have nowhere to put a kitchen island. Such a bar is, in fact, a cross between a proper bar and a kitchen island. A smart and ergonomic solution for compact kitchens.

Learn more