Creating a Breakfast Bar

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

I want to create an island breakfast bar in my kitchen. How do I do that?

ANSWER

The Cabinet Tools can be used to create a variety of different kitchen island and breakfast bar configurations. In this article, we will walk through creating a basic breakfast bar using cabinets. 

The instructions in this article will apply to all versions of the software for modifying cabinets to create a standalone countertop surface.

Home Designer Pro and Home Designer Architectural also have the Custom Countertop  tool, which can be used to quickly create a custom countertop for use as a breakfast bar. This tool allows for more flexibility shaping the countertop.

To create a kitchen island

1. Click on the Base Cabinet  tool and click in a empty area of the plan to place 3 cabinets side by side. 
   
   Notice that the cabinets align and now share one solid outline with dashed lines in between them. However, a single cabinet can be selected by using the Select Objects  tool. 
   
   
   
2. Place 3 more cabinets directly behind the first three cabinets. 
   
   These cabinets will also merge and, by default, the program will place the cabinets back-to-back. If necessary, the cabinets can be rotated using the Rotation Edit Handle .
   
   
   
3. Take a 3D camera view to view the current cabinet configuration and rotate it to ensure that all of the cabinets are placed back-to-back. It should look similar to the image shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Close the 3D view and return to the 2D floor plan view.
   
   
   
5. Using the Select Objects  tool, select the lower left corner cabinet and choose the Open Object  edit button. 
   
   
   
6. On the General panel, use the Type drop down menu to set the cabinet as a Left Radius End. 
   
   
   
   
   
7. Click OK to apply this change and close the Base Cabinet Specification dialog.
   
   
   
8. Repeat Steps 5 - 7 to change the lower right cabinet into a Right Radius End.
   
   
   
9. In plan view, the cabinets should now look like the image below.
   
   
   
   
   Note: You may have to use Tools> Display Options and set the layers "Cabinets, Labels" and "Cabinets, Module Lines" to Display.
   
   

To create a breakfast bar

Now that we have the correct shape for the breakfast bar, we are ready to change the radius end and standard cabinets so that only their countertops are displayed, instead of the cabinet as a whole.

1. Select the Left Radius End cabinet and click Open Object  to display the Base Cabinet Specification dialog.
   
   
   
2. In the Front panel, click on the toekick at the bottom of the cabinet's preview diagram to select it, and then Delete it.
   
   
   
3. Return to the General panel, change the Height under Size/Position to be only 1 1/2". This is the Counter Thickness listed below.
   
   
   Note: You may be prompted with a Question dialogue box stating: "This size will change the size of locked face items. Resize anyway?". The Yes option will allow the face items of the cabinet to be resized.
   
   
4. Change the Floor to Bottom height to be the desired height of the cabinet, subtracting the 1 1/2" for the countertop.
   
   This means the Floor to Bottom will have a value of 34 1/2" to achieve a Floor to Top height of 36".
   
   
   
   
   
5. Click OK to close the Base Cabinet Specification dialog and apply your changes.
   
   Repeat Steps 1 - 4 for the remaining 2 lower cabinets. 
   
   
   
6. Create a Full Camera  view to see the results.
   
   
   
   
   
7. The cabinet can be customized further through the cabinet's depth, handles and hinges, shelf, door and drawer options in the Base Cabinet Specification dialog. The materials that make up the different components of the cabinet can also be customized within the Base Cabinet Specification dialog, under the Materials panel.
   
   You can also add corbels beneath the countertop from the Millwork section of the Library Browser as in the initial image.
   
   

If you would like to build a breakfast bar on a half wall, or partial wall, use the same procedure for editing the cabinet height.