I'd keep the island the same height- bench height is taller than a table...I think around 90cm

elzermank Thanks for your help :) Unfortunately we cant change the plumbing which runs through that pass through area (half wall) - so the door pretty much has to stay there .... otherwise we'd love that idea - the more storage the better I say! :) It's definitely a cramped room - funny for how much use it gets ..... Yes the dining room comes off the kitchen - it has the exact same window in it as well so does get some light through - the surrounding gardens do block a bit however. The floor is Stone I quite like it but Hubby wants it to be wooden to flow with the rest of the house - at this stage just the bedrooms will be carpet, the bathroom tiled and everything else Bamboo Floorboards. Thanks so much though :)

yes that's how we've structured our benches at work..I've got the lower one as I'm only 5'2 and hubby and everyone else has got the higher ones

I'm trying to work out kitchen heights. I am 185cm (6'1") and partner 170cm (5'7") - she will be using the kitchen more than me. I am looking at doing a standard ikea kitchen if possible. Working bench height is 920mm. We will be installing a gas cooktop so I imagine distance of 700mm benchtop-underside of wall cupboards (to allow for the hob/clearance of 650mm). That would make a slimline rangehood and cupboards above sink being 1620mm from ground level. The ceiling is 2700. I plan 1000mm height wall cupboards, so the highest the gap can be between benchtop and underside of wall cupboards is 780mm [920 bench; 780 gap; 1000 cabinet; ceiling]. Do you anticipate I would bump my head on either rangehood or cupboards at the sink given I am 185cm but only 162cm above cupboards/range hood? Should we go higher? Below is the look we are going for, uniform height across the whole kitchen (i.e. don't want 'cutouts'/raised cupboards above gas hob or sink). The wall cabinet depth appears to be 39cm for Ikea (up to and including the door), we probably won't have handles. I could go to a different provider if shallower depth are needed.