Thinking about increasing the size or work surface area of your kitchen? A breakfast bar can easily achieve this. Simply install some new kitchen doors, units and a new section of worktop. You can even make it blend in with the rest of your kitchen, and on a small budget with limited DIY skills.
If your kitchen has units around the outer walls in a U shape at one end, you may benefit from adding a breakfast bar arrangement. In this case it will come across the room to separate it from either the living area or the eating area. You might think this type of kitchen improvement needs the entire kitchen replacing. But this is not always necessary.
The units for your breakfast bar
Your breakfast bar will require at least one and probably two new kitchen units. These will be set at ninety degrees to your existing units, and are great as extra storage or for appliances. You can also add upper units, hung from the ceiling. However, do remember this will limit the head height when sitting at your breakfast bar.
The units will need to face into the kitchen, so you'll need to add end boards to the back where they will be seen from the other part of the room. These boards can be painted to fit in with your colour scheme.
Your units may need to be cut to reduce the width if you want extra leg room where you will be sitting. This should not affect the front where your kitchen doors will be placed.
The kitchen doors
You might be wondering how you will make sure that your new breakfast bar will fit in with your existing kitchen. All you need to do is purchase replacement kitchen doors for all of your existing units and the new ones. This way they will all match and your breakfast bar won't look like an afterthought.
New replacement kitchen doors are easy to find online. You can update your entire kitchen while adding more surfaces and additional storage space. New kitchen doors are really easy to order and install and you can do it yourself in just a weekend. All you need is a screwdriver, a level and a set of new hinges to make sure they fit snugly. You will also want to pick out new handles for all of the doors.
The worktop
This is where things get a little tricky. If you can source a worktop which matches your existing one you will be able to complete this job at a much lower cost. However, worktops are often sold per length and are not cut to size for you. So it may be more economical to buy new worktop for your entire kitchen.
Of course if your worktop can't be matched, you'll need to invest in a new one. You'll need something that will stand up to the rigours of being used as a table and homework spot. You'll also need to ensure it's wide enough for a stool to be pulled up under it. This will allow you to sit comfortably on the table side of the room.
Fitting a worktop can be a difficult job for a novice. However, if you can source or hire a worktop jig, you should be able to work out how to make the correct cuts to fit the worktop perfectly. Remember, a tradesman will be able to complete this job for you in around one day, so the investment may be worthwhile.
A breakfast bar is a great way to introduce extra workspace and to turn your kitchen into a more family friendly area. Turn it into a workspace for your computer. A homework area for the kids. Or even an eating area for informal dinners. The possibilities are endless, and it couldn't be easier.