Long gone are the days when a bath counter in a Russian’s kitchen was just a tribute to fashion. Nowadays, an abusive counter in the interior is a multifunctional piece of home interior that allows in a small kitchen to become an alternative to a bulky dining table, and in a spacious kitchen-studio it is effective to zone the space, highlighting the kitchen segment in the living room without cluttering the room. The kitchen bar is no longer associated with a relaxed atmosphere, cocktails and parties. This is a laconic and effective way of organizing space for short meals, and in some cases, the only way to design a dining area within the kitchen. This is both an additional surface for carrying out working kitchen processes and an interesting design detail. The bar counter can either organically fit into the existing image of the room, or become its accent, the highlight of the interior.
In which kitchen is it appropriate to install a bar counter?
All the variations in the preparation of the kitchen interior cannot be enumerated, but we can highlight the main points that indicate the advisability of equipping the kitchen with a bar counter (or its simplified counterparts). So, it makes sense to install a kitchen counter if:
- your small kitchen space should include a dining area. And there is simply no place to set up a table, there is also no possibility of organizing a dining room in a separate room;
- the kitchen is a room combined with the living room and the bar counter will become not only a place for eating, but an element of space zoning;
- you have space (separate or within a spacious kitchen) for setting up a dining table, but you need a surface for organizing short meals (breakfast, coffee breaks, afternoon tea). The presence of a bar counter eliminates the need to set a large table in those moments when there is not enough time for this;
- you like the modern and interesting appearance of the bar, there are no elderly people among your household members, or young children who would find it difficult to sit on abusive chairs or stools.
If you decide to choose a kitchen design with a bar counter, then you have a lot of possibilities for design, both the design itself and the additions to it. The bar counter can be either part of a ready-made furniture solution for the kitchen, or it can be the result of custom-made work. Of course, designers recommend making a bar counter according to your size and in accordance with the main outline of the kitchen design – this way the design will become a harmonious part of the design of the kitchen. But even among the ready-made solutions, you can find the best option that meets your requirements for performance quality, dimensions and price category.
Bar counter – execution options
If you still think that the abusive counter is a rectangular tabletop raised 100-115 cm above the floor level, then you are only partly right. There are a lot of variations in the execution of racks, both in terms of the choice of shape, material of the countertop, and in terms of placement relative to the rest of the kitchen furniture, in height and depth. The bar counter can be part of an island or a peninsula, it can be a free-standing module, or it can be made in the form of a conventional console with support legs or be built into a kitchen set. Execution options are limited only by the designer’s imagination, the amount of free space in the kitchen and the financial capabilities of the owners.
Bar counters are single or multi-level. Its countertop can be a continuation of the surface of an island or a peninsula, or it can be an independent plane, which is located one level above, or be integrated into the facade of a furniture module. The design options depend on your preferences, the height of the owners and the design of the kitchen furniture, with which the rack acts in the ensemble. It is important not only to choose the right dimensions of the structure, but also to take into account the ergonomics, because being at the bar countertop should be not only convenient and comfortable, but also safe for health. In particular, these factors are important for those who organize the design of the bar counter as a dining surface..
The length of the bar counter top is 45-60 cm per person. Of course, in the conditions of tremendous space savings, this unspoken rule can be neglected, but a distance of less than 45 cm for each household (even a slender one) ceases to be comfortable and ergonomic.
A round bar counter is suitable for kitchens with a small margin of space. The advantage of this shape is not only the originality of the appearance, but also the possibility, if necessary, to add an additional seat without much loss in comfort.
Rack – part of an island or peninsula
One of the most common options for the execution of a bar counter is the continuation of the countertop or the integration of an independent surface of a kitchen island or peninsula. The island is most often used in medium to large kitchen spaces, the peninsula is also suitable for kitchens with a modest area..
In addition to its obvious function (organizing a place for meals, quick snacks or taking drinks), the bar counter within the kitchen-studio can serve as an element of zoning. It can conditionally separate the kitchen segment from the dining room or the kitchen from the living room. In both cases, there is no need to resort to other zoning methods – furniture plays the main role.
Bar counter as part of the kitchen set
For a small kitchen space, in which the installation of a full-fledged island or peninsula as a base for organizing a bar counter is not possible, there is a way to organize a simple and concise version of the surface for meals. By extending the countertop of a kitchen set in a linear or parallel layout of the furniture ensemble, you can get a small, but quite comfortable dining area.
Rack or console as an independent piece of furniture
Another way to organize a small surface for meals is to embed a console between two vertical planes. These walls can be artificially created niche boundaries or originally a feature of the kitchen geometry. In any case, for small rooms, this method of preserving the dining segment within the kitchen may be the only possible and optimal.
The bar counter, or rather the dining console, can be just a countertop resting on the floor or the cutting surfaces of the kitchen set. If there is not enough free space in the kitchen space, but at the same time there is the possibility of organizing a zone for meals by the window, such a coincidence cannot be missed. Especially if a beautiful landscape opens up outside the window. The tightness in square meters will not be felt so much if you look at the street during a meal, where it is easiest to feel the spaciousness.
Bar countertop material
It should be noted right away that there are no canons for choosing a countertop material for a kitchen counter. The surface can be made of the same material as all the countertops of the kitchen set, or be completely different. Even the style of performance can be different. The piquancy of the furniture ensemble will be brought precisely by the difference in the processing method, color scheme or the choice of raw materials for the manufacture of the countertop of the counter and the kitchen island or peninsula.
The following materials are widely used for the manufacture of countertops for bar counters:
- wood;
- metal (most often stainless steel, less often aluminum);
- glass;
- plastic;
- laminate;
- natural or artificial stone;
- ceramics.
The bar counter can be a great accent. For example, in a kitchen space made in light colors, a dark countertop counter will be a contrast, drawing everyone’s attention. No less effect can be achieved by adding textured features to the difference in color solutions. Light glossy countertops of the furniture set will be an excellent background for a bar counter made of dark wood or stone with a colorful natural pattern.
If you need a harmonious, calm and even laconic design option for the entire kitchen sector, then use the same material for the countertop of the bar counter as for the other cutting surfaces. Ideally, the meal counter simply continues the work surface of the kitchen unit.
In a kitchen space decorated in country style, a solid wood countertop will look more than appropriate. Some rustic design will be able to emphasize the stylistic features without prejudice to the comfort of the area for short meals (and in some cases, the only place for eating).
Laminate countertops come in a wide range of colors. Any drawing can be hidden under the glossy film – from a spectacular imitation of wood or stone to your family portrait. Of course, such an element of the interior is simply doomed to become the focal point around which the entire design concept is built. To preserve harmony, it is better to use such a noticeable print of the countertop in only one place – on the bar counter.
Artificial or natural stone worktop – «classics of the genre». Such surfaces, by their very appearance, add a degree of luxury to the entire kitchen interior. If you choose a stone (or its spectacular imitation) with a protruding natural pattern, then it is better to use one species for the countertops of the kitchen set or for the dining counter surface.
The glass top, raised above the main surface on short stands, is light and weightless. For a modern kitchen style, this finishing touch will be a luxury point at the end of the sentence. Of course, tempered glass of great thickness will cost a lot, but durability, strength and respectable appearance will more than pay off the costs.
Bar stools – the finishing touch
There are many variations in the execution of bar stools or stools. They can be made of metal or wood, plastic or woven from wicker, rattan. Upholstery can be present both on the seats and on the backs of structures. Footrests for a comfortable leg position, armrests, the ability to adjust the height of the seats and the angle of the backrest – there are a lot of options for upgrading this traditional piece of furniture for bars. But in a living space, the choice of a bar stool or stool model depends on the style of interior design, the level of comfort that the owners need and their financial capabilities.
If your kitchen counter is a full-fledged dining table and a lot of time is spent at the meal, bar stools should be as comfortable as possible. Not only a soft seat, but also a backrest (for some, and armrests) is a must. But the comfort of being in the kitchen space is a risky undertaking for those who are constantly dieting and counting calories. On comfortable chairs, you can sit at the counter for longer and eat more than you could fill. As always, «true» somewhere in between – when choosing bar stools or stools, be guided by the habits and lifestyle of the household.
One of the universal options for the execution of bar stools in a modern kitchen is a structure with a metal (often chrome-plated) frame and leather upholstery of the seats (and backs, if the counter is designed for all types of meals). This practical and outwardly attractive ensemble will last a long time and will not cause hassle in cleaning surfaces..
For the traditional style of kitchen design, a set of wooden chairs with a back will be an ideal companion to the bar counter. These models may have soft seats and backs and slightly curved legs. The color scheme for such bar stools can be sustained in the general outline of the kitchen design or become its bright accent.
If the kitchen area with a bar counter is part of a combined room in which the dining room and living room are located, then the best option for composing a harmonious image of the entire space would be to choose bar stools and chairs for the dining group from the same collection. A single color scheme and choice of material will help balance the multifunctional interior without depriving it of its uniqueness, because the design of bar and dining chairs will be different.
