More photos/elevations/plans of Stacey's kitchen reno..pic heavy

15 years ago

Thanks to rhome410 and laxsupermom, we have a pretty exciting plan of moving the kitchen in our tiny 1956 ranch into the center of the house and creating an open floor plan. We're noodling out the details now, so here are some more images. Advice and ideas appreciated!!! (Exact cabinet placement is not decided yet, still working on the overall plan.)

Existing:

Working plan as of now:

Photos of existing wall to be removed, from the current LR/DR area (will be kitchen) and from the enclosed sunroom, which will eventially be raised up so it's just one step down from the kitchen, renovated, and an upstairs bedroom & bath added overhead.

basic idea of the new second-floor addition planned. Shows the scale of the house, though... these spaces are SMALL!

Elevation of the new DR area looking out the side door past the new mudroom area

Fridge/range wall:

two possibilies for the sink wall elevation, showing different heights for the unit to the right of the step down, which is now NOT bookshelves, but additional cabinets, painted white to match trim and other built-in bookcases in LR. (Rest of kitchen is cherry)

As you can see we haven't figured out whether there's any return to the wall at the end run of the upper cabinets on the range wall. I think probably not because it creates a very odd detail on the backsplash.

View from new LR (sunporch)

Thoughts???

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Comments (8)

writersblock (9b/10a)
15 years ago
The main thing that strikes me is that it looks like you are skimping on working/passing/moving space for that huge triangular island. Why not make it a rectangle (or I guess really a rhomboid) and leave some more walking space in the kitchen? It looks like it would be hard to serve over such a large space, so I'd just lose the part that points into the kitchen, if it were me, in favor of a flat back, unless there's some structural reason not to.

Very nice looking house, though, in the photos.
rhome410
15 years ago
Cute house!

In the last drawing, can the shelves on the left be taller so that the cabinets on the fireplace side can be counter height? Maybe the counter could go also across the bookshelves so that from the fireplace side you have a deep counter? Or maybe that would be a hazard for things falling into the living room...

Your plans look good. I think those cabinets by the fireplace will add some necessary kitchen storage and be lifesavers.

For the column detail: Any more columns in your house? I would try to match trim style and if you have no other columns, probably keep that to a nicely and simply trimmed post style, rather than round.
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See, I'd just tell my DH that he could enjoy the sunrise while he's doing the laundry rather than while he's making coffee! ;) I kind of like the look of latest rendition, but I'm not loving the function. Leaving the laundry in the MBR would kill it for me. I know you don't mind it, but I can't imagine that it wouldn't be a sticking point for some potential buyer down the road. It would be for me. The issue raised earlier about kids having to come in the parents' room to do their laundry as they got older would be even stickier with the addition of another bedroom--i.e., room for a second kid with laundry needs. Could your stackable W/D fit in that closet area in the mudroom? Also, how will you use this desk? Will it become your home office space? If not, it seems like it would become a clutter magnet, ruining that nice view. I still prefer the rendition above where you reuse your sink and five-panel door. I think it makes the space far more useful in a house where useful space is at a premium.
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funkycamper: Yes, the sink under the windows is a prep sink. Dishes, cutlery, and glassware would be stored near the dining room table and right-hand dishwasher. That would include the 30" wide drawers in the island, 30" wide drawers to the right of the wall ovens, and 30" wide upper cabinets to the right of the wall ovens. (The kitchen elevations currently show cabinets under counter height, but we are converting those to drawers. Still waiting on revised elevations from the builder.) I really wasn't sure where to put the second trash. I originally had it closer to the prep sink like you suggested, but I wasn't sure if it was a problem having it so close to the other trash. I put together a rough estimate of their current kitchen storage vs. the new design, and I'd say a pretty conservative estimate is that there's at least 2/3 more storage in the kitchen cabinetry (ignoring the pantry for now). Most of the storage gains are below counter height which is excellent for aging-in-place. I was surprised when I started really thinking through the pantry vs their current "extra" storage space outside of kitchen cabinetry. At first glance the new pantry is HUGE and you'd think it would fit so much more than the storage they have now. But take a look at the kitchen related storage they are currently using outside of their kitchen cabinetry: - 1 coat closet converted to a pantry (maybe 3 ft wide? but very inefficient use of space because it's so deep and hard to find stuff) - 1 small reach-in pantry closet that is an appropriate depth (maybe 18-24" wide) - 1 rubbermaid style storage "armoire" on the basement stairs landing, used for oversized and infrequently used items - 1 double door reach-in pantry in the living room (converted from a wet bar), used almost entirely for servingware and china - 1 china hutch in the dining room (though it doesn't exclusively house china, there are also collectibles on display in there) - 1 buffet/credenza in the dining room with special occasion flatware, bartending supplies, etc. Suddenly that new walk-in pantry doesn't seem so big anymore, especially with the freezer in there. For sure, there is a lot of stuff they aren't really using now that could be pared down. But there is a lot of special occasion stuff like holiday china and flatware, specialty serving items, etc. that I don't think they'll be willing to part with. Now I'm wondering if it might be worth bringing back the extra cabinets we had on the back of the island for storage of infrequently used stuff like that. Like I said, this really took me by surprise because their kitchen related storage is spread out all over the first floor of their current house. It's hard to picture it being condensed into one dedicated space in the new house. Thank you for suggesting this exercise - it has been eye opening!
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laxsupermom
15 years ago
Here's a link to the evolution of the kitchen plan for anyone interested. I think your plans are shaping up nicely. I agree that if there aren't already columns present in your home, you should go with a really plain clean lined squarish type column.
staceyinmaine
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks guys! So you think the column should maybe look like the one I drew on the mudroom elevation? That is a square post (below). There are no existing columns in the house right now. The exterior is currently "brick" (masonry block) and white vinyl siding with colonial-style lighting and shutters. Our plan is to remove the shutters and vinyl, paint the "brick" to match new natural-light-grey-stained cedar shingles, with varnished wood doors... I guess that's Cottage style. The interior of the house seems like it will be happy with that aesthetic (don't want to force it to be something it's not) so the simple square column seems to fit, no? With just plain trim around the top and where it meets the counter or whatever?

By the fireplace, I want all the storage that counter-height and 24" deep cabinets would provide, but I'm worried that it should be more delicate so as not to seem to much a part of the kitchen itself. Unfounded worry??
rhome410
15 years ago
You might want to go with something a little shallower, like 18", but with the different configuration on the front (all door instead of drawer over door) and in the white instead of the kitchen color, I don't think that extra storage will be too kitcheny. I still think you could span the counter over the wall, and maybe the bookshelves on the other side to get more depth for the counter. I'm not sure you have to go shallower with the cabinet...it's hard to know whether or not it'll look too bulky at 24".
staceyinmaine
Original Author
15 years ago
rhome410- do you see it as having a granite countertop (like the rest of the kitchen)?

I was envisioning that the top would simply be painted wood, like the tops of the built-in bookcases elsewhere.

I should try to make some 3D software work so I can see this better. I guess I feel like a 36" wide expanse of counter there will look just massive in the space (and in fact we already have a lot of counter with the island) but, hey, you guys were right about the whole kitchen-in-the-middle-of -the-house thing, so maybe I just need to try harder to envision it!

Thanks again for all your thoughts... I finally feel like this is coming together. It feel "right" for the first time...
rhome410
15 years ago
The wood top would be better, I think. (still useful but appropriate to the space) I do think a 3 ft counter would be too deep. But I was talking more of if that cabinet was made shallower.
laxsupermom
15 years ago
I like that storage by the fireplace with full height doors like Rhome suggested painted to match existing trim w/ a wood top. It'll look like it's always been there, provide useful storage and provide another place to spread out for parties(dessert & coffee station) Added bonus a wood top can be had for less than the granite.

More photos/elevations/plans of Stacey's kitchen reno..pic heavy

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writersblock (9b/10a)

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More photos/elevations/plans of Stacey's kitchen reno..pic heavy

Comments (8)

writersblock (9b/10a)

rhome410

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