Hello everyone - If you were to create a new working island in your kitchen, what height would you make your countertop. My step-daughter suggested when we remodel our kitchen to make the island area a little lower than the main countertops (e.g. 33" high versus our standard counters at 36" high) for rolling dough, decorating, etc... Just wondering if others have suggestions / experience with this. Thanks in advance!
I think this all depends on you personally. I would want it a little higher not lower so that you don't have to be bending over the counter as much, but if you are on the shorter side then lower may be better for you. If you go to a design center.....or even home depot they can show you the diffrence in counter hight and you can sorta tell what the diffrence is.
sounds like a good idea, i hadn't thought about it too much. I had thought about making sure my island had a flat marble top for fondant rolling.
I think it depends on your height. If you are 5' 4", you'd want a different counter height than if you are 6' 2". Know what I mean? I remember reading in Martha Stewart's magazine that she had her counters custom-sized to her height (must be nice!). I've always found standard counters to be a bit too high (I'm 5' 6"). I think it's just the way I stand and work. Maybe you could try making some fondant or icing a cake on a couple of different surfaces (like a lower dining table) to see what works for you.
Bec
I think this all depends on you personally. I would want it a little higher not lower so that you don't have to be bending over the counter as much, but if you are on the shorter side then lower may be better for you. If you go to a design center.....or even home depot they can show you the diffrence in counter hight and you can sorta tell what the diffrence is.
Thanks, katro and i_heart_pastry. You're points are right on target. Appreciate your response - I guess I always seem to think there is a right way and a wrong way; but in this case its 'my way.' Thanks again.
I once made a workbench that was exactly the right height for me--I stood with my elbows bent and hands out in front of me and then the workbench top was built just slightly below my hand level--It is wonderful and I always thought that if I could design my own kitchen someday, I'd do the same thing there. I'm tall--5'10" and it is ridiculous to assume that someone who is 5-8 inches shorter than me would be able to use the same counter height comfortably! Even grocery carts are a pain because I have to bend over to push them. I saw a woman rolling her cart around the same store and the handle was about boob-high on her!!!! Weird!! Take it from someone who has to lean over all the time to decorate her cakes--higher is better!!!!
I am 4' 11 1/2". (Don't tell but I lied and put 5' on my drivers license!) lol. My counters are definitely too high to work on most of the time. I normally use my kitchen table. Being short has some advantages though. I don't have to bend as far to pick something up off of the floor! 
I am also 5'10" and I like to decorate at a table that is chest high to me but mix and roll fondant, etc at a table that is about waist high. Decorating any lower and my back hurts! A problem that has developed with children and age I guess.
One warning about customizing counter heights- if you plan on selling the house in the future, it may cause a major problem. Also dishwashers and stoves are designed with the standard height in mind. Both of those problems can be taken care of by using a cook top and installing a raised dishwasher or using the dishwasher drawers. But be aware that altering from the standard can be expensive.
I'm an interior designer and have designed many kitchens and the standard countertop height is 36" and the standard height for dining tables is 30" and the best height for rolling dough is 33" and many work islands are at this height. It's not unusual at all to have different heights in a kitchen. That's what makes a custom kitchen, the same height countertops throughout is boring in my mind. Don't be afraid to experiment! Go to a good kitchen design center (not the big box warehouse) and they should have a demo kitchen with different height countertops. Hope that helps a little. Good luck!
Wow, reading through this I agreed with so many of you and have a few comments to add myself.
I think it depends on your height. If you are 5' 4", you'd want a different counter height than if you are 6' 2". Know what I mean?
Yes and in my house I am 5' and my BF is 6'-5" so when we get the chance to redo a kitchen... well we will have all heights in the kitchen as the ones we have now are too high for me and to low for him.
I'm an interior designer and have designed many kitchens and the standard countertop height is 36" and the standard height for dining tables is 30" and the best height for rolling dough is 33" and many work islands are at this height.
First.. I am so having you design my kitchen then... second, I agree with the multiple heights. I like to use a table (about 30") to roll out my dough and fondant, but I like a higher countertop to decorate on (about boob height for me is good) then once I put a turn table on the counter I am looking pretty much at my cake instead of hunched over it... but neither of these heights work for me when I am cooking meals in the kitchen b/c they are both uncomfortable.
Oh my when I finally get to design a kitchen I might as well start at 30" height and go up to 40"... no one will know what to do in my kitchen!
I'm an interior designer and have designed many kitchens and the standard countertop height is 36" and the standard height for dining tables is 30" and the best height for rolling dough is 33" and many work islands are at this height. It's not unusual at all to have different heights in a kitchen. That's what makes a custom kitchen, the same height countertops throughout is boring in my mind. Don't be afraid to experiment! Go to a good kitchen design center (not the big box warehouse) and they should have a demo kitchen with different height countertops. Hope that helps a little. Good luck!
Thanks for the info, samshortcake. Glad to hear you have the same experience we are thinking about (see original post). We are obviously staying with the standard for the sink, DW, stove, etc... but did decide on the island being 33" - I'm 5'7" so the tests some of the others suggested worked well at 33". We are thinking about making the 'ledge' for the stool seating at the island 40" - I liked this look in the store; what do you think based on the kitchens you have designed?
40" is a great bar height. Most are designed at this height to accomodate bar stools.
Even grocery carts are a pain because I have to bend over to push them. I saw a woman rolling her cart around the same store and the handle was about boob-high on her!!!! Weird!! Take it from someone who has to lean over all the time to decorate her cakes--higher is better!!!!
What I never liked was the stroller I had, I'm 5'10" too and the handles are too low.
I would love to have my counters higher, my husband is 6'3" so having high counters wouldn't be a problem.
Height makes a huge difference in how a kitchen is set up, my MIL always B!@&$ at me about our kitchen. She's 5'3" and claims that no one puts everyday things up high no matter how tall they are because then short people can't reach them. 
She gets annoyed the couple times a year that she's over and can't reach a cup or plate. 
She gets annoyed the couple times a year that she's over and can't reach a cup or plate.
LOL, buy her a stool next time she is over. I have a little one that I bought in the baby department at wal-mart that gives me another 6-7 inches so I can reach the top shelves in our kitchen, it just gets kicked out of the way when I don't need it. I use everyday it to get everyday stuff out of my cupboards!
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