Adding a breakfast "bar"

Are you just using the wrong table? Perhaps the perfect table would do the trick? If you create a breakfast bar, you'll want it deep enough to allow for your knees & lap underneath it for comfort, no?; but then, how accessible will those drawers be?

How about a small table with 4 chairs in the living room but near the kitchen which you can use to dine, play games, have coffee & read the Sunday paper? - aka a versatile games table.

If a future buyer doesn't like it, that might not be so good.

What about just buying a "high table".

cb2 has 'em.

something like this...

http://www.amazon.com/Kinzie-Dining-Table-tag-furnishings/dp/B002AQI7TS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1261168470&sr=1-2

I would recommend getting a cabinet guy in to see what kind of custom solution he can come up with. Just adding a free floating pice of stone to existing cabinetry may sound workable but the stone is going to need some fairly hefty support. Will there be a gap between the stone and the existing counter where you will still be able to see everything on the counter? I would build something custom to hide all that. Sorry not sure if I'm reading your description correctly.

I thought about buying a high table - they are either too small or too big. It may be cheaper to have our cabinet guy make a table that will match the cabinets. Our existing table is a small round table and it just looks terrible in that space. If we do a piece of stone to match existing countertop, we would probably add one or two metal supports (would that look terrible?)

I'm leaning towards having the cab guy do a regular height rectangular (but very narrow table, almost console like) that we can push right next to the set of drawers.

Spinny: yes, you would be able to see everything on the counter, if I built something custom to hide that, then the solution becomes a kind of peninsula - would take off existing top of set of drawers and do an L shaped island with an eating ledge. Then I guess the seating would be on the kitchen-side of the peninsula, but that would limit the seating area? Or I could just rip out the set of drawers, make an eating peninsula?

My preference would be to go with whatever will make it look like it was part of the master plan, rather than something that looks like an add on or retrofit. I'm guessing you don't want to lose the drawers, so whatever the wood guy comes up with he could re-use the drawer faces so everything still matches. I'm flying in the dark here. Send me a pic if you want, I'm a wood guy. I've built a couple of houses and custom furniture and cabinets.

Thanks, spinny. I will send you pictures, what's your email address?

streeteasy.spinnaker1 at gmail

Why don't you throw the small table away, thus forcing everyone (including the mom) to eat in the dining room?

Are you worried that you'll become an eat-on-couch-with-TV family? I feel your pain at the thought, but I don't see that happening.

AH: we didn't start off with the table there. But it feels "wrong" to eat bkfast in the dining room. Also, there's a weird dead space there w/o the table.

I am VERY strict about not eating on the couch in front of the telly.

http://www.wharfside.com/skovby/skovbydining6.html

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=885&f=32913

http://www.stacksandstacks.com/space-saver-dining-set-table-and-four-chairs?id=815&sku=119105&AID=10273848&PID=500871

etc.

Still ugly, but minimizes.

Thanks. The whole kitchen looks a little lopsided.

Aha! The kitchen in this listing is what I'm envisioning. We have a long wall & short wall just like this
(except our short wall has the refrigerator/pantry/ovens combo). I am thinking of getting a large stone
counter as shown in picture with a relatively narrow base, so you can push the chairs in.

http://www.halstead.com/photos.aspx?a=off&id=1795408&agent=Louise+Phillips+Forbes%2c+Exec.+VP&agenttel=212+381-3329&agent2=&agenttel2=

Spinny: I sent you email yesterday with pics.

oh,,,when i read the headline I thought this was about idiotic building amenties; some building i was in was showing off the table that will have coffee and something or other on it....like i want my building lobby to look like a frigging starbucks (sorry...im going postal on amenities)

nyc10023 - possibly curve the counter (not a complete semi-circle, just a slight outcurve ) so you can get more chairs around it. Sorry, have seen it, but not describing this well

I know what you mean - but sometimes that can look a little goofy. Since I'm not using a designer for this, I don't know if I trust myself to get the right look with a curved counter. Trying to keep it simple and stupid (KISS).

nyc- sounds like you have worked with your cabinet person for quite a while - he probably has done a lot of this kind of thing and may have some good imput.

Also, a lot depends on how long you want to make the counter - I have friends in chicago who have something like that (but facing in to the kitchen) and fit 4 large chairs at the counter- definitely 5 smaller ones would fit. Plus, makes a great buffet for entertaining.

The other idea is to just enclose the kitchen - extend the short wall, and just keep an 4-ish feet wide opening bet. kitchen and living room. Buy a table and 2 benches for the space in kitchen.

Hi nyc10023,

I do like this look, but, I think it doesn't scream 'breakfast bar" because all of the wood matches:
http://www.halstead.com/photos.aspx?a=off&id=1795408&agent=Louise+Phillips+Forbes%2c+Exec.+VP&agenttel=212+381-3329&agent2=&agenttel2

How about looking in magazines or googling images of kitchens?

Hope you & family are all well.

Dwell: I'll tell you more gory details at the next meetup (suffice it to say that I am some kind
of weird birthing exception to the rule). Baby is fine which is what counts.

So you think that it works because the support for the counter matches the rest of the wood? Ditto
the counter? I have walnut cabs and Carrera marble counters, so my color scheme isn't too far off
from the pic.

Would love to see you!!

Yes, IMO, the reason it looks so good is because the wood unifies it & the breakfast bar's top is the same material as the counter tops. So, I'd try to do that; IMO, matching these elements makes it look more like furniture & less like "breakfast bar".

Do you have a good architect or designer who could design something for you?