The Overlooked Spot That Could Totally Transform Your Small Kitchen Seating

If you're like many people, a practically lilliputian-sized kitchen, with only a tiny bit of counter and cupboard space and an even tinier bit of seating, is the reality that you live in. As it turns out, a common piece of architecture known as the kitchen peninsula allows you to make the most of a small kitchen, particularly if you're short on seating. In most circumstances, a kitchen peninsula provides more space for cupboards and drawers as well as extra countertop workspace. Savvier peninsula designs also include an additional cooktop range or a mini fridge cabinet in the lower cupboard area. These latter options demonstrate just how much flexibility you have when it comes to this architectural feature.

When it comes to finding extra space for seating, a kitchen peninsula often becomes a breakfast bar that's outfitted with two to four stools. If you have a peninsula that has a large lip on one side, you may have enough space to accommodate bar stools. If you go this route, you'll want to ensure that you have enough room to clear your knees when you sit at the bar stools.

The drawback is that seating can be limited. It's also not a very comfortable arrangement if you're having people over. Conversation can be stifled if you're sitting next to one another rather than across from one another as you would be if you were sitting at a table. Accommodating large groups of people for dinner is out of the question, too, with this seating solution.

Bar stools pressed up against the peninsula solve the seating problem in a pinch, but there may be a better option still: a bench. In a small kitchen with a  peninsula whose countertop lip doesn't hang over the back of the peninsula very much, a bench can be pushed up against the back of the kitchen peninsula so that people can sit facing outward. And this bench can serve double duty as both a seating option and storage. Moreover, this is a seating solution that's easy to add without having to resort to a complicated reno.

To take advantage of this option, you'll need to decide if you want to go with a simple two-person bench pushed up against the peninsula, like this faux leather ottoman storage bench from AKMAKM, or, if you have enough space on the other side of the peninsula, an L-shaped bench, like this one from TAMUNE. If you decide on a two-person bench, it will be positioned right up next to the back of the peninsula. A rectangular table could be positioned on the other side of the bench. You'd then add chairs to the other side of the table. This is a good option for a small kitchen that still has some space on the other side of the peninsula. 

If you go with an L-shaped bench, the corner of the "L" can fit into the corner of the kitchen where the wall meets the peninsula. A square or round table can be placed near the crook of the bench, and if additional seating is required, you can then add one or two chairs in the spaces at the table that sit opposite the bench.