Bar Height

Building a raised breakfast bar off your kitchen peninsula or on one end of your kitchen island creates extra height and dimension in your kitchen. It creates a place where people can eat and gather in a room which is usually the hub of a house. If your bar is the typical 40 to 42 inches tall (4 to 6 inches taller than your kitchen counters), your bar stools should be about 30 inches tall.

Counter Height

If your island or peninsula is the typical 36 inches high that is the same as most kitchen counters, then you'll need shorter bar stools. Kitchen counters are usually about 7 inches taller than the typical 29-inch-tall dining table, so you'll need something taller than kitchen chairs. Counter height stools are usually about 24 to 26 inches tall.

Raised Table

For a more informal kitchen, or just an alternative to a standard height kitchen table, raised kitchen tables are available. Akin to pub tables, raised kitchen tables may be counter height or bar height. The seat of the stools you choose should be 12 to 15 inches below the top of the table top, but never more than the 30 inches high of a typical bar stool.