I occasionally eat on the bar stools

Tania
Exactly, who likes to see cabinetry, benches and preparation mess, while eating ? Most islands facing preparation side kitchens.

Why eat in the kitchen, when you can sit comfortably at the dining table, usually next to the kitchen.

Our bar stools never get sat on. Only get used to put stuff on, usually my wife's handbag.

Everyone sits on them especially when I’m cooking but we don’t eat there. We have a child who visits who always eats breakfast there.

Depending on your set up if dining is mainly formal set up. After a new kitchen install often its nice to sit in it yes and admire it, depends on your family dynamics. Always nice to face people as apposed to sit side by side when you eat, better for conversation.

Bar stools more so used when friends come and hover with a wine chatting with you whilst you cook.

Thanks for sharing my project photo @Sojo Design Ltd

I enjoy cooking, bbut prefer to eat away from the prep area.

It's many years since we've had an eat-in kitchen, but my current renovation incorporates an eating area in the kitchen because, frankly, I'm tired of the extra work to carry things to and from the dining room and the extra cleaning created by always using the dining room even for casual meals for just two of us. We have had bar stools at the kitchen island, and the grandkids use them, but my husband hates them and refuses to eat at bar height or even at a lowered 'ledge'; on the side of the island. So my kitchen reno will include a table on one end of the island, at regular table height and large enough to seat 5 if necessary. There is a large sliding door to the veranda close to where that table will be positioned, so it should be a pleasant place for casual meals and I expect we'll eat most meals there. I'm so confident of that, I'm converting the dining room to more living space and putting our big timber dining table in the alfresco area, which will be semi-enclosed, with open parts security fly-screened. The dining area we use when we have guests will be super-casual, with a BBQ in one corner and swim spa in the other. I just don't see a purpose for formal dining anymore, especially living in a sub-tropical climate.

I really HATE eating at a kitchen island if its got a sink or/and a cooking hob...! I really don't want to be sitting next to either of those when I'm eating, so I'd much rather take a few steps and go to the dining table.

I agree Nadia. Even though we won't be eating at the island, I'm still putting a raised hob behind the sink to obscure it a little from the living area. I know a lot of people dislike raised hobs hiding the sink, but I just hate having all the mess on display.

We eat at our breakfast bar and use the table for projects etc. We do use the table if there are more than 2 of us for meals. It's such a luxury to have the option.

I hate sitting at the kitchen bench .. it’s uncomfortable, I don’t like high bar style tables at restaurants and pubs (when we went to them - Covid) as well, worst invention ever .. give me a table and chair

We decided to put barstools at our island bench after not including them in the original design. We find it more convenient if guests want to chat while we are cooking and for little people who want to be part of the cooking Process.

Our living area is our kitchen/dining/living space anyway. Like 200363 noted, we tend to chat at the island bench with guests while prepping or cooking.

My hubby agrees with you, Wuff. Hates stools at the bench. We prefer a standard-height table very close to the kitchen island. On occasions, we've attached it to one end of the island, which works really well. In the house we are building now, it's close to the end of the island but in a small sunny niche at the end of the kitchen - just a small table and four chairs for casual dining, with a larger suite for entertaining in the alfresco area at the other end of the kitchen. No indoor dining room as such, though there's space that could be converted if a future owner of the home wants one. My cooktop will be in the island overlooking the casual dining table so I can converse with seated guests while cooking.