Currently designing the kitchen at the new house and need to decide whether I want the island to be all one level or have an elevated portion.

Here's the specs -

Open floor plan so the kitchen / dining room / family room are all together without any walls of separation. The island will provide the space delineation between the kitchen and family room and also provide an informal eating location. It will be approximately 11' long and contain the kitchen sink. Do I want the "eating portion" of the island to be elevated or all one level?

My thoughts -

The elevated portion will partially obscure the sink from the family room which may hide dishes if we are entertaining after a dinner party.

If it's all one level it would make it easier to set out dishes for more informal get togethers (we have a ton).

Which do you prefer ARF? Help a brother design his kitchen.


ALSO - tile or wood in the kitchen? Rest of the house will be wood

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I like the raised idea for the reasons you mentioned.  I have tile in my kitchen but it would really depend on the style/ layout of the house for me.

Kitchen side should be the standard counter top height, living room side should be bar height.

I really liked this in a few places I have seen. YMMV

I would prefer tile in my kitchen. Having a contrasting transition could be pleasing if done right

This. If you're entertaining, put the food out on the higher-level side. We used to do this at a family member's house multiple times a year. Another benefit is that the "wall" formed by the higher countertop makes a good backsplash for the sink, preventing water from splashing all over the food that's set out.



 

I have an open floor plan for my living/ kitchen space and my island is all counter height. I use my island to do all my eating/ cooking at it is also where I clean my guns do projects and spread out when I have paperwork to do. I live alone and don’t entertain but when I cook I try and clean up right away or put it all in the skin/ dishwasher because from the front door you can see my mess. From what I have seen in all the new construction in my area big islands are in, eating spaces on them are in and an open flow to the living room is in. I am not a big fan of the bar height overhand in a kitchen because it closes of that part of the room and you loose the streamline look.

I attached 2 pictures, one of just the kitchen one of the kitchen and living room. Any questions, please feel free to ask I built it all myself. Sorry for the mess.

I would only have a two level counter top if cook top was installed in Island

Seeing you will have sink in island single level is the best way to go

"Informal get-togethers" means people are going to congregate in the kitchen. Go 2-level.  
Make the raised portion at approximately elbow height (which is probably bar-height) as a leaning rail.

An insanely wealthy, very cool, and brilliant friend of my father's has the ideal kitchen: 2 of every kind of appliance, because he and his wife both like to cook, with widely separated work spaces so they don't get in each other's way, a big center island, and the leaning rail. As he put it: "Everyone ends up in the kitchen anyway, might as well make it convenient."

Two levels works great for entertaining.  Here are pics of our island right after the granite was installed.  Island is 10' long.

 You could also consider travertine for the floor.  It came out to be a little over $3.50/ft installed by me, and it is blows away any tile we were looking at.  Easy to maintain and very durable.