How to Build a Breakfast Bar in a Window Opening

Measure the width of the window opening to determine the type of counter top you’ll install. Plan on mounting a counter that’s between 18 and 24 inches wide, so there’s enough space for plates and accoutrements typically set out for an informal breakfast. Calculate between 24 and 30 inches of “elbow room” per person.

Use your bar or counter stool dimensions to determine the height of your window breakfast bar so you don’t have to purchase new seating. Mark the wall beside the window according to the height of your counter or bar stools: counter stools measure between 23 and 28 inches tall and bar stools measure 29 to 32 inches from the floor. Add five or six inches so that you can slide your legs underneath as you sit at the counter.

Make or refinish a counter top. Cut down an existing counter top to size using a table saw fitted with a general-purpose blade; ask folks at your local lumber yard to tackle the cutting job for you if you’re making the counter using a pricey type of wood.

Sand the counter piece using a popular woodworking technique: start with 60-grit sandpaper and then work through 80, 100 and higher grit sheets to give the breakfast bar the look of an expensively finished piece of work.

Stain or paint the counter, allowing it to dry between applications. Apply several coats of polyurethane sealant to all of the breakfast bar's surfaces so that it stays pristine in the wake of future coffee spills and the occasional pancake syrup drizzle.

Choose from the following two breakfast bar wall-mount options: Fasten three to four heavy-duty bottom-mount brackets to the wall using anchors and bolts so there’s plenty of support for the counter, or install two side-mount brackets into the window’s framework using anchors and bolts so the counter top literally slides into the recess and against the window pane.

Adjust the breakfast bar counter atop the brackets using a level to verify its stability and position in front of the window. Select fresh window treatments that complement your kitchen décor and incorporate the new eating area into the room. Hang one or two ceiling-mount light fixtures above the bar to illuminate those early-morning meals.