Is a kitchen island even a kitchen island if you don’t have seating to tuck under the worktop? We investigate…

Island seating has long evolved from a row of three-to-four bar stools under a cantilevered worktop. You can have two tucked at the side, a few wrapped around an L-shaped breakfast bar, a half-table half-island hybrid, or an integrated banquette. Many, many options. However, here’s one you may not have dared to ponder – how about kitchen islands without seating?

As radical as this may seem, I’m seeing a lot more islands that are ditching the stools and going commando – as it were. And dare I say the unspeakable? I don’t think islands need copious bar stools cluttering up the place. I’m very much enjoying the naked look.

And I’m not alone. Curious to see if others felt like me, I asked kitchen designers and industry insiders whether they were ‘for’ island seating, or were up for binning the bar stool. While, out of the 50 who answered, 52% were still very much pro, 24% were ‘anti bar stools’, and another 24% said to keep them, as long as they weren’t in a mediocre line. Let’s delve a little deeper, shall we…

Does my kitchen island need seating?

“A kitchen island can serve all sorts of purposes; it doesn’t necessarily have to include seating,” says Al Bruce, founder of Olive & Barr. “Making space for stools often means having to sacrifice on additional storage, so if cupboard space is more important, we’d suggest an island without seating.”

Alan Ramm, creative director at Bakehouse Kitchens, agrees and says, “It’s not always a given that island seating should be squeezed in if it’s not appropriate, needed or even wanted. However, if you’re not going to include seating on yours, remember to think about other dining alternatives. Some people feel sitting around an island is more of an informal way of socialising – a preference for some but not loved by all.”

It has to work for you

The key is to ensure you tailor your kitchen island for you, your lifestyle and the space. For instance, an open-plan kitchen-diner layout lends itself to an island-only design, as you often will have different seating zones for everyone to gather and socialise close by.

So if this is the case, what do you need from the island instead? Is it extra storage, or an extra preparation space? Al suggests being more creative with cupboards, of thinking of ways to maximise the functionality – from bespoke chopping boards, in-built plug sockets or even a place to house the dog bowls.

Dedicated cooking island

Sophie Devonald, designer at Crown Imperial, suggests that a dedicated cooking island is a ‘great choice’ if you are looking to create a no-seating central zone for preparing meals, serving food and ensuring everything is close to hand with accessible storage.

“An island has many functions, but they’re great to locate either the hob or the sink. My preference is always the hob, as cooking is the primary function of a kitchen – one that has a certain amount of theatre to it and can be shared with people. Washing up, less so,” says Matt Payne, designer at Roundhouse.

So many other possibilities

“Other things you can include in a chair-free island would be a wine cooler or second, smaller fridge or freezer. This tends to be the area for not only food preparation but making cocktails and drinks, too – so these things would aid that perfectly,” says Matt.

Shelving is also a fantastic addition to a kitchen island without seating, whether that’s to house cookbooks or have your favourite spices and oils on hand, or even to help add a little décor and personality to the space.

Get the right advice

But of course, whether you’re designing an island with or without seating, you should always take advice from your designer on the ease of installation for necessary utilities, especially if you are looking to create a cooking centrepiece or include integrated appliances.

“Always consider, in an open-plan setting, the positioning of the island. You want to be able to work and socially interact, facing your family or guests, with everything within easy reach, and to enjoy the outdoor views,” says Sophie.

So, there you have it – islands don’t need bar stools to be super-functional and stylish. But don’t take my word for it, all these beautiful designs prove it. So, will you be saying bye-bye to the bar stool?

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