Glass Countertop and Raised Bar Designs.

Last updated on February 12th, 2026 at 01:07 pm

Many of our clients have a desire to incorporate a raised bar into their kitchen designs.

Part of a growing style trend known as “layering”, where the kitchen designer balances the elements (cabinets, surface materials, color, thickness) to achieve a “perfectly imperfect” symmetry.

Having created and installed many raised high bars, we would like to review some options with you to ensure that the final result is all that you envision.

1)  Do you want the high bar to extend the look of the kitchen into the adjoining room, or divide the room so that the kitchen countertop cannot be seen from outside of the kitchen?

Our first recommendation always is to extend and combine the apparent size of the kitchen and adjoining room, and to accomplish this we recommend creative stainless steel supports that “float” the high bar. This high bar below was secured with only 2 supports, and the glass was siliconed into place.

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2)  Do you wish the raised bar to cantilever/extend beyond the face of the lower countertop?

High bar supports can easily be designed to cantilever the high bar beyond the edge of the lower top. This creates an airy structure that further extends the countertop area, while allowing for ample space for bar height chairs…and your knees. We have often cantilevered a 16” wide raised high bar 8” beyond the lower countertop. Our stylish, strong, and well-secured supports allow for such a design feature.

3)  Do you wish to have the raised high bar supported by a wall?

If so, this will divide the space. If you have a large space, this is fine. We can directly attach the glass high bar with Low Profile Caps to the wall, and may eliminate the need for brackets altogether. This angled bar below was supported by (4) Low Profile Stainless Caps and has an LED strip on the kitchen side.

4)  How durable is the high bar?

Many people are surprised at the strength of our 1.5” thick glass countertops. This is important if your kids tend to use this for a chin-up bar. We have successfully installed many 8-10’ long raised high bars with 2 supports only. Typically these are placed 16”-24” in from each end.

5)  What else to look out for?

We prefer to create an airy, almost “floating” appearance. Our suggestions always include keeping the end(s) of the glass countertop away from the wall…let the glass inhale the ambient lighting. The internal reflections are enhanced and it also prevents a dark spot at the end that touches a wall. Pay attention to where your faucet will be to insure that it is clear of the glass high bar. Notice in the first picture above how it is away from the walls allowing you to see the beautiful texture.

6)  Lighting options.

I have written about this before in a previous blog, and it is important to consider all options to enhance the brilliance of your glass countertop high bar. We use LED’s that are speciically designed to be waterproof, and last a long time (50,000 hours)

https://downingdesigns.com/lighting-options-for-glass-countertops/

Remodeling a kitchen that has a dramatic glass countertop high bar as THE social interaction point is priceless, and will repay your investment in ways that money cannot buy.

Remember, its not the amount of glass, but the support, lighting, and spatial planning that matters the most. We are here to offer a few options that can make a huge difference without crashing your budget.

Please call us at (800) 486-3650 to discuss your ideas further.

Jeff Downing