When Tall Tables Trump Traditional Kitchen Islands
Island benches are nice, but a tall table can be twice as practical in a social kitchen designed for chitchat and chow
Not every kitchen can accommodate a solid island with storage and room to sit. And even if it can, such a big piece of cabinetry can dominate. Enter the tall table. Its height means you get the extra bench space an island bench delivers, but having legs rather than a solid face makes for a light and airy kitchen. If space is tight or you don’t really need the extra storage space a traditional island can deliver, take heed – a tall table with high stools or chairs could be the best option. As these inviting kitchens reveal, tall tables can suit just about any style, layout or size, and they add a friendly, more sociable vibe.
Modern addition
If your style is more contemporary than country, choose your tall table accordingly. As any keen cook will tell you, a marble benchtop is the perfect surface for rolling out pastry and is a snap to clean up.
If your style is more contemporary than country, choose your tall table accordingly. As any keen cook will tell you, a marble benchtop is the perfect surface for rolling out pastry and is a snap to clean up.
Eclectic excellence
While some people opt to have a more formal dining area away from the kitchen, others have succumbed to always eating where they feel most comfortable – in the heart of the home. The interior of this Mebourne house was revamped with plenty of colour and character, and the kitchen is as inviting as can be with the help of the tall table – the home’s only dining area inside.
Take a tour of this home
While some people opt to have a more formal dining area away from the kitchen, others have succumbed to always eating where they feel most comfortable – in the heart of the home. The interior of this Mebourne house was revamped with plenty of colour and character, and the kitchen is as inviting as can be with the help of the tall table – the home’s only dining area inside.
Take a tour of this home
Minimalist marvel
A tall table in keeping with the desire for clean lines is yours if you want it. Go for stainless steel and make the most of its reflective qualities with a line of lights hanging overhead.
A tall table in keeping with the desire for clean lines is yours if you want it. Go for stainless steel and make the most of its reflective qualities with a line of lights hanging overhead.
Beachy keen
A tall table can be all it takes to turn a sleek white kitchen from bland to beachy. Just add a whitewashed timber table and shabby chic chairs.
A tall table can be all it takes to turn a sleek white kitchen from bland to beachy. Just add a whitewashed timber table and shabby chic chairs.
A beach house needn’t always be dominated by white, of course. This holiday house on MacMasters Beach in NSW is all about timber and jolts of colour, and the tall table and stools fit right in with the home’s relaxed feel.
Browse more coastal-style kitchens
Browse more coastal-style kitchens
Best of both worlds
If you like the idea of a tall table, but a kitchen island also has appeal, you can have your cake and eat it too. A table that juts out from a standard island bench at the same height maximises storage space but still gives family and friends an informal place to eat and chat that’s connected to the kitchen.
If you like the idea of a tall table, but a kitchen island also has appeal, you can have your cake and eat it too. A table that juts out from a standard island bench at the same height maximises storage space but still gives family and friends an informal place to eat and chat that’s connected to the kitchen.
An island that seamlessly transitions into a tall table is another option that solves the downside of many a kitchen island – having to sit all in a row.
Sociable kitchen islands designed to bring people together
Sociable kitchen islands designed to bring people together
Small but perfectly formed
A tall table can be the answer when a kitchen is too small for an island, but you need a spot for friends to perch while you cook, or a casual breakfast nook. An industrial-style table and comfortable chairs with lofty proportions achieve just these goals, without taking up much space. If you can position your tall table by a window and define the zone with a hanging pendant, do so – lighting can make a dull seating area come to life.
A tall table can be the answer when a kitchen is too small for an island, but you need a spot for friends to perch while you cook, or a casual breakfast nook. An industrial-style table and comfortable chairs with lofty proportions achieve just these goals, without taking up much space. If you can position your tall table by a window and define the zone with a hanging pendant, do so – lighting can make a dull seating area come to life.
When you can squeeze in a table like this, the rest of your kitchen can be modestly sized. A tall table can provide all the bench space a kitchen needs. Table legs rather than the blocky cabinetry of a typical kitchen island make the room feel far more spacious.
Let’s face it. Islands are most valuable because they provide us with a spot to sit for a quick bite to eat, and as a place for friends to congregate with a glass of wine while the cook tinkers with the main event. If that’s the case for you and how you like to live, even a tiny tall table is worthwhile.
Better with wheels
This vintage workhorse has eavesdropped on a conversation or two in its time, and is the centre of attention in this kitchen. Go as long as your kitchen can cope with when choosing a tall table, so there’s always room to have something lovely on display at one end.
If you already have a table you like in your kitchen, consider screwing castors to the bottom of the table legs to take it up to bench height and then add stools – a tall table is far more useful than one of ordinary height. And the more rustic your table, the more homey your kitchen will feel.
TELL US
Do you have a tall table or does a standard island better suit your needs? Share the pros and cons of your table choice the Comments.
MORE
Browse more kitchen island ideas
This vintage workhorse has eavesdropped on a conversation or two in its time, and is the centre of attention in this kitchen. Go as long as your kitchen can cope with when choosing a tall table, so there’s always room to have something lovely on display at one end.
If you already have a table you like in your kitchen, consider screwing castors to the bottom of the table legs to take it up to bench height and then add stools – a tall table is far more useful than one of ordinary height. And the more rustic your table, the more homey your kitchen will feel.
TELL US
Do you have a tall table or does a standard island better suit your needs? Share the pros and cons of your table choice the Comments.
MORE
Browse more kitchen island ideas
Old farmhouse tables make a kitchen feel instantly warm and welcoming but if it’s also tall, the table will give you metres of extra bench space for easy-on-your-back food prep, along with a central spot for homework and your morning coffee. Whether you choose a table that’s the real deal (rustic and worn), or one that’s been designed to look centuries old with newer materials is up to you.