Need help with changing my kitchen island bench
We currently have Caesar stone bench tops in our kitchen which look great. We want to extend the island bench because it seems to be the meeting place for friends and families popping in. I really hate sitting and leaning on the island bench because it is too cold and would like to change it to timber rather than try and match the Caesar stone which would be impossible. We have timber floors.
Do you think that would be ok and what colour timber suggestions do you have?
Comments (14)
cloudpants
8 years agoI think it is a great idea. Dont think you have to match the wood colour exactly to your floors, but finding a colour/surface prep of wood that won't easily stain or mark might be worth a thought.
covermeyer thanked cloudpantsRelated Discussions
Need help to change my dark kitchen cabinets....
Comments (10)Just DO it ! You'll need to undercoat to make the paint cover, so once you have done them in white undercoat, you'll wonder why you hesitated.......they'll look brilliant. You could do them one unit at a time, until it looks right but you'll probably find you want to do them all white. Your suggested colour Antique White USA will look awesome and I too would suggest new door handles - it's surprising what just that change can do for a kitchen. The pendant lights would certainly make an inexpensive change to the whole area - I did it recently when I put in a secondhand kitchen and am super-pleased with the end result considering the awful lime green & mustard monstrosity I started with LOL....See MoreKitchen counter / island bench layout - your thoughts please
Comments (15)Hi Lil, I believe your original plan works much better than the revised version. While the notion of ideal working widths is great, the larger problem here is the post. I worked on a project very similar to this last year where a post could either be connect to, or separate from the island. What we found was that by separating the island the space between island and post became very awkward. It's not enough of a space to comfortably walk through or be seated at the island in front of. Instead of your room feeling open and generous in proportion, it is going to start to feel cramped and awkward. We have a kitchen in our showroom (Kitchen Studio Tauranga NZ) with a 6ft gap between bench and back wall and it works wonderfully. It allows someone to work at the sink and a second at the island with ease. Stick with the original plan. It will feel a lot more spacious, without compromising work flows....See MoreHelp! Kitchen island bench looks so wrong!
Comments (21)Not really adding anything new here, but I would consider painting the recess behind the fridge dark, and pendant lights over the island, but not not necessarily dark pendants, something lighter to tie with the rest of the room, brighten it up a bit and define it more as its own space. A large fruit bowl (white?), plant, vase etc on the benchtop will make a huge difference on its own as someone suggested. I would play with that a little first to see what difference it makes before making big changes. Lighter stools could also make a big difference. Put a bit of fabric/clothing etc you have around over the seat pads and see how it would look with new colours to lighten them up too. Your room seems really close to being fabulous....See Moreneed help selecting island bench material.
Comments (3)Your view may be the wow factor- You may be better to put your wow into the splash back as ultimately it is less expensive to change. A total rebuild has many areas for cost over runs so with a large area, I would look at your overall budget and how much you are allocating for bench tops - This will help determine what you can afford and ultimately your choices. Depending on the surface dark benches can be harder to keep looking clean. I suggest you borrow some samples and bring them home - wet them and wipe them etc...See More
Jen
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoYou don't need to match the colour to the floors at all. Some timbers look better next to each other than others though so you should still be careful. We went to a flooring shop and looked at different timbers near each other to decide on our two (rather different coloured) timbers. No photo yet because it isn't fully installed but here is an example:
Open Plan Kitchen · More Info
covermeyer
8 years ago
Tribbletrouble44152k7 Trek
8 years agodenisemander
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoAdding a breakfast bar like this will give your kitchen a whole new dimension, whilst leaving your easily maintained work space.
covermeyer
7 years agojanielouh
7 years agoHow about European walnut. This is what we did with our benches, they are oiled and I love the warmth they bring to our QLD house.
covermeyer thanked janielouh
PROmatthews mcdonald architects
7 years agoWe would recommend using the same timber as the floor if you can. This would make sense and keep your material palette as simple as possible - there are some fantastic timber finishing treatments available that will provide a durable surface that is easy to maintain. There may be a way that you can introduce a separate timber element say 40-60 thick that sits on top of the existing solid top... perhaps a bit like the kitchen in this image by 'Beef Architects'
http://www.contemporist.com/2013/06/21/riverpark-apartment-by-beef-architects/ap_210613_07/
covermeyer thanked matthews mcdonald architects
Brandi Nash Hicks