Countertop Overhang Supports

Almost every kitchen we work in these days has an area where stools can be pulled up to the counter. It’s important to ensure those countertop overhangs are properly supported. There are several ways to do this. Let’s explore:

-Flat steel supports- approx. ½” thick, these steel supports are screwed in to the top of the cabinet and extend out underneath the countertop to support the weight of the overhang. It’s advised that instead of just applying them to the top of the cabinet, that you notch the cabinet so they sit flush with the top of the cabinet and give you the cleanest overall end result.

-Decorative corbels-there are a myriad of styles and sizes decorative corbels come in that can be a decorative element to tie into the rest of your space. Keep in mind the size and placement of these as they are sometimes called “knee knockers.”

-Decorative legs-a leg or post can be put at the outside corners of the overhang to support the weight similar to a table. Again, these can add a decorative element to tie in to the rest of your space. One draw back I hear from clients is that these sometimes make getting in and out of a stool difficult and they often get beat up with people’s feet or stools hitting them.

-Extended end panels-A popular way to support a countertop on today’s islands is to extend the end panels out to create more of an enclosed nook for the stools to tuck in to. This provides privacy for the side of the stools and sometimes gives a more grounded feel to the island.