Kitchen designer help please!

[TheBelmont]

Open plan kitchen/diner….Do you think 225cm width space is sufficient for a usable dining table and chairs? The gap is between island and top of three steps down into garden room. Everything I read tells me you need a meter clear on both sides of dining table (let’s assume table width is 90cm)…so that would make a space of 290cm required but having measured it out that seems insanely generous…I think 65cms each side looks doable but tight. Clearly I don’t want people tumbling down the stairs! Is this craziness?

Could you use masking tape to mark out where the table would go and see how it feels? We do that for new furniture and it’s really helpful.

If it’s too tight it’ll be a pain getting in and out of chairs/around people to serve so I’d be cautious about leaving enough space - less than 70cm either side isn’t as much as it seems in theory.

yes we did tape it out (not in the location it is going to be as that doesn’t exist yet!) and it looked quite tight…but then I placed our existing table and chairs against the wall with a 65cm gap to see if it would be useable….and I think it does…I can get in and out quite easily. I think the risk is the side with the steps at the back…perhaps I need some kind of railing (but fear that would ruin the open plan design a bit)

Would bench seating on the step side work? Feels like there would be much less chance of a bench toppling over the steps when somebody stands up, compared to a chair.

I thought about bench seating too and fixing the bench…but I don’t love the look…agree it would probably be safer though!

We had pretty much exactly that in our old house, even with a narrow table <70cm wide we found it was always just a bit too small. We spent the last 10 years saying 'if only it was another 2 foot wide it would be so much more comfortable and less annoying'. I would rethink, we tried benches and all sort but fundamentally it was just too narrow.

It's a bit tight. And even if it wasn't, I'd not feel comfortable with my back to the steps without a railing unless there was quite a lot of clear space behind me. Like at the very least a metre. Can you move the island or make it smaller?

We have a similar space in our kitchen. I tried really hard to get a compact 4 seater table in (74cm at the short side). We mocked it up with tape and also ‘practiced’ at our main dining table by putting a coffee table 70cm behind the chair. it felt quite cramped and made the space look quite small. We decided it would just be too narrow to be used regularly and if four of us wanted to eat together we’d probably just use the bigger table for ease and comfort anyway.

Could the bench be part of your island to give more space the other side?

Like this?

so yes I think I’m going to admit defeat with this particular set up. it is too narrow a gap…Not to worry…still early days…lots more planning to do!