Breakfast counters are the latest trends in modern living spaces. They perfectly complement today’s open kitchen floor plans to eat and socialize in small gatherings. If you want to have an inviting kitchen for a quick bite or work on more space pay attention to creating an inviting breakfast counter. It can also help you in your busy morning with kids’ breakfast or helping with homework. When you are not using a formal dining area, you can, of course, eat most of the meal using the breakfast counter space.
Most of the modular kitchen comes equipped with a breakfast counter space. They are extensions of the kitchen counter into the dining room or living area. The breakfast counters have high bar stools for seating, which are practical for everyday eating. Breakfast bar counters also give you extra storage and keep more things away. You can also make your kitchen look clutter-free and provide extra work surface area for preparing large meals and serving buffet-style party food.
Table of content
- Design a custom storage
- Pay attention to the patterns
- Define the height
- Investigate the material
- Coordinate with colors
- Balance with lightning
Design a custom storage
If you have a small kitchen space where you do not have enough space to install an island, you can go with the custom design. A custom design breakfast counter slab can give you a compact kitchen solution. Consider the foldable worktop that drops down from the walls to access the hidden storage shelves. You can store the condiments, cereal boxes, or even cutlery. A linear kitchen can feature a floating ledge parallel to the counter slab. If you have no base cabinets under the slab, you can tuck the comfortable high chairs. It will make the foot traffic easy when you are not using the slab.
Pay attention to the patterns
When shopping for a breakfast counter slab, pay special attention to the pattern and design. If you have already installed a busy layout in your kitchen, search for a complementary worktop. For instance, you can incorporate a solid color with minimal pattern. Most of the natural stones, such as white marble countertops and granite, feature loads of movements, whereas the engineered stones are now mimicking these natural stones. Try to make a nice combination by matching these materials with a toned surface or solid surface for a perfect balance.
Define the height
Usually, the breakfast counters come in two types. One with the same height as the kitchen countertop acts as an extension of the counter area. And the second one is the bar height comes to the top, which is 6 or 9 inches higher than the average worktop. You can also make your breakfast counter slab into a single counter or double-layer counter. The dual-layer counter hides any clutter on the countertop and partially covers the kitchen space. Furthermore, it also acts as and partial partition wall.
Investigate the material
There are various ranges of materials used for the breakfast countertops. White marble countertops are the obvious and most popular choice for the material. One of the widely used materials is quartz. It is an artificial material with a beautiful design and is one of the most durable products. You can also consider Caesar stone which is also similar to quartz. Nano tile is also an attractive material in white color and gives you a clean and smooth finish. One can also consider the more natural material such as granite. Even wood finish worktops provide an elegant look.
Coordinate with colors
If you are an art person, you probably love the accent colors. You can come up with accent colors with your favorite piece of art. Follow the design strategy to match the tone and pattern of the countertop. You can create a great combination of furniture, plumbing fixtures, and cabinet hardware. Consider the traditional kitchen that features the dark island complementing the inky lower cabinets, creating cohesive aesthetics. You can also create a new ambiance by using wood, stones, metals, and painted finishes.
Balance with lightning
Every kitchen needs an ample amount of light. Depending on the need of the breakfast counter, you can opt from the different light products. If the counter is used more as the reading or working space may be doing a hobby or working, then spotlights are more suitable to such areas. These lights act as the task light without glaring your eyes. If you are looking for more chilled spaces or a dark atmosphere, pendant lights are more suitable as they are usually downlighted and not too bright. They provide an excellent ambiance to your space. There is a general thumb rule to remember when installing the pendant lights: use 2 or 3 lights evenly distributed along the counter.
Final thought
Whether you have a small kitchen or a wider space, there is no end to the uses of a versatile breakfast counter slab. You can embrace the concept of open living and make the breakfast counter a fixture of any modern home. Incorporate the right material by paying attention to the material and light fixtures to get a high-end result.