Ask Joshua - Are bar height kitchen counters still in style?

Hi Joshua,

My husband and I have noticed from a bunch of social media posts and design sites that they don’t show kitchen islands with bar height counters any more, it’s all counters that are the same height. We want to remodel our kitchen and were wondering if that’s not popular any longer. Our current kitchen has separate bar counter and stools and want to know if we should keep it or get rid of it.

Thank you,

Julie - Walnut Creek, California

California Casual Style Kitchen designed by Joshua Jones, JJones Design Co.

Hi Julie,

Thank you for writing in and posing a great kitchen design question! Yes, you’re correct that bar height kitchen counters are no longer in style. I’ve designed 30-plus kitchen e-design projects and nearly all of them don’t include it. Everyone wants same-level and seamless countertops to give a clean and uninterrupted look. The higher level counter with bar stools was popular in the 80s to early 2010s since people loved the concept of having a separate counter area for casual dining, doing homework, or staging snacks for standing while other people are cooking in the same room. Now people want that larger workspace while also making the space feel larger. Kitchen design is always changing and evolving. The bar counter could come back into style as it did have a particular function and that may be desirable again. If you plan on possibly selling your home any time soon I wouldn’t recommend keeping it, but if this is your forever home, do what works for you!

Warmly,

Joshua

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