How do you see using the prep sink? It's not convenient for prep, and doesn't seem to have a lot of counter space around it, so I wanted to know what you have in mind.

I'm a little concerned about the fridge making the main sink feel crowded. Are the windows existing and must stay as is? The prep sink spot would be good for the fridge, maybe, if it wasn't for the window there.

I don't know about that table in the main walkway to/from the family room. That's going to be cramped. And considering the size of the messes we make, I wouldn't want to tote laundry through the business side of my kitchen.

I would switch the prep & main sink and take the sink out of the corner.

Bmorepanic is right, is there another way into the Laundry Room? I've been trying to work around that entrance, but with the windows on those 2 walls (especially the 52" one!) and the large range/hood focal point it's really difficult.

Where is the entrance into the house? Do you have a garage or other primary entrance or does everyone use the front door? I assume the front door is down the hall.

I'll have a couple of plans soon...I've been working on them. That's assuming, of course, that you're open to options for different layouts. Even if you think you aren't, I recommend looking at different ones anyway...one of us might come up with one you like as well with a better work flow and traffic patterns.

BTW...is your table really round or is it just the table that was in the KD's program?

Thank you for the responses.

rhome
The prep sink is not really for preping food. The entrance that everyone uses is through the laundry room. It is not really a room at all. The door from the carport opens into that area and then the door to the patio exits out that area. You turn from the laundry area into the kitchen right beside the area marked prep sink.

My husband is a big flower grower. The large window looks out on the patio that is filled with flowers. I had in mind my husband using the prep sink for his water buckets and flowers. Now I find my sink filled with his flowers and I thought that prep sink area would let him come straight in from the patio and do his flower work in that area instead of the main sink area. I thought I could tell company that is our beverage area!

The windows and doors must stay where they are. I bought a counter depth refrig so that it would not stick out beyond the counters. Currently, my refrigerator is in that same spot. I laughed when you mentioned feeling crowded at the sink! I can now stand in front of my sink and unload the dishwasher, put up the dishes, and cook at the stove without taking a step! Only 1 step to the refrig. I think I might be lost when this remodel is done. :)

bmorepanic
The table can be shifted around some or the cabinets could end a little shorter. It is a round oak table. It is just two of us now and we do not eat at the table very often.

buehl
The front door is down the hall but very seldom used. If I can describe the way people enter the house, you come in the carport door, turn immediately left into the kitchen or go straight out the door to the patio. The washer and dryer are immediately to the right after entering from the carport door--very small area.

I am open to other options. My CM mentioned putting the main sink in front of the big window, but I thought that everyone would be walking by whenever I was at the sink and that everyone would see dirty dishes that were in the sink. I have a lot of those, but maybe with dishdrawers not as much. We don't bother with the dishwasher nearly as much now that there are just us two.

The sink is currently on the wall where the range is showing. Instead of a corner sink, you have a turn and it is there. I just did not know what to do with that corner. My problem now is that I have 2 blind corners which are just dead space areas.

Thanks, Jan

Your sink for DH interests me. I'm an avid garderner also, so I was thinking your DH might want a sink in a bench style cabinet outside your window area. It wouldn't be hard to plumb out both hot & cold that way. Helps with clean up and carrying pots around. He could also hook up a faucet that could easily attach to a hose.
Just my 2cents : )

Darn! There goes one layout! Time to get out the big eraser! ;-)

How would you feel about your main sink in the island instead? Since the Laundry Room entrance is the busiest entrance, the big window probably isn't a good location for the main sink.

Hmm...back to the drawing board!

Thanks again for your thoughts.

saskatchewan_girl
An outside sink might be good for him, but would the water pipes freeze out there?

buehl
As small as the island will be, I did not think there would be room for a sink.

Thanks, Jan

You haven't seen my island yet!

As you see I'm from Saskatchewan and we have them, you just have to shut off the valve coming from the house if (if for you, WHEN for me LOL) the temp drops below freezing. If you have the cabinet surrounding it that helps as insulation if you forget. Just a thought, it's a popular item for gardeners around here : ) But no one in Sask gardens during winter months.

OK...here goes. First the layout....

A few things...I moved the table over to the wall b/c if there are just the 2 of you, you won't need it pulled out all the way. This gives you a lot more passage clearance on a day-to-day basis.

Island...Your kitchen isn't quite wide enough to have an island with cabinets and seating on the long side. If my calculations are correct, your kitchen is only 13' 8". You need another 11" to have a 15" overhang + 42" aisles on all sides (25.5" counter + 42" aisle + 40.5" island + 42" aisle + 25.5" counter--remember that while your cabinets are only 24", you have approx another 1.5" of counter overhang...hence the 25.5" for the counters).

As it is, the clearance is tight on the non-working side...only 38"...b/c I wanted to give you some extra room behind the sink in the island. However, w/the exception of the MW, the working side of the kitchen is on the other side of the island. I'm not really happy w/the MW over there, but I didn't want to crowd the range and hood. You could, of course, get a MW drawer. Then that tall cabinet could be another pantry.

The rest of the main working areas are isolated from the passage way b/w the carport & the rest of the house by the island. The island directs the flow of traffic away from the main part of the kitchen.

There's a Message Center on the FR side. It would be better to have it near the carport entrance, but I didn't know how much dirt, etc your DH drags in w/his pots and buckets! However, it is close to the FR so if the phone, etc. is there it's convenient to both the kitchen and the FR...a good thing, in my opinion.

The island really only allows for one seat on the short end. If you don't mind a little crowding, you could shorten up the shallow cabinets and have a seat around the corner from the current seat. I suppose you could even have potential seats on the other side of the sink if you (1) didn't put in the 9- or 10-inch cabinets, (2) don't mind only a 9- or 10-inch overhang, and (3) don't mind having the sink in your face! BUT...you don't have the aisle space for this on a regular basis...maybe you could get a couple of extra stools and store them somewhere else and only bring them out if needed. There is enough standing room, though! There's also plenty of prep/work space on the island.

Sinks. There are three sinks in this layout:

DH's Garden Sink under the big window. You say you cannot change windows...by any chance is it at counter height? I think it would be great for him if he had the window flush with the counter and windows that opened onto the patio so he could pass things back & forth. Just an idea. [We're replacing a window that's only 22" off the floor and raising it to counter height so we can put a run of cabinets there AND have a sink in the bay window.]

Main/Cleanup sink. It's in a 33" sink base so it can be a respectable size, especially if you get a single bowl. There's also room for a 12" trash pullout on one side and the DW on the other. It's close enough to the range that you can prep on the island or counter and have easy access to both range & sink.

Prep Sink. Actually, I forgot to take this one out after you told us about the sinks. [My original layout had the main sink under the big window w/the prep sink under the small window.] However, you might like to have it anyway. Note that it also has a 12" trash pullout. However, if you remove the prep sink, you will have a very large prep area...3' 6" next to the refrigerator with the 4' 6" on the range wall. OTOH, with the prep sink you still have several prep areas and an additional sink would help if the two of you work in the kitchen together (cooking!)

Corner. No blind corner cabinets! I don't like them either. There is, however, a 36" Lazy Susan. These can be very useful. Many on the forum use theirs as an appliance garage...without taking up valuable counter space that a "real" appliance garage would do.

Beverage Center. You laughingly mentioned you would tell people DH's Garden Sink was the Beverage Center. If you drink tea or coffee, why not make it a reality and put your tea or coffee pot n the corner near the carport entrance? Or, you could put it b/w the sink and the MW cabinet. Something to think about!

Utility Closet(s). There's a 12" deep utility closet turned around so it faces the FR door. You could put your ironing board and iron here. You could also put a utility cabinet in the upper corner (near the Hall doorway) for brooms, mops, sweepers, etc. Or, you could put the pie safe there...do you already have the pie safe?

So, what do you think?

[Remember, this is your kitchen, so take it or leave it...it's up to you!]

saskatchewan_girl

I had not thought about the outside gardening area. I will run that by him today.

buehl
You brought up some different ideas. When I get back from church, I will tape off the island size and see what it feels like. Yes, I already have the pie safe. I also have an antique kitchen cabinet that could be used as the message center. These pieces have to stay as they are antique family pieces.

Yes, I had thought that a prep sink area under the back window could double as a beverage/coffee bar when not used by DH as a flower area.

The one thing that DH had ask for is a pull/fold out ironing board similar to gibby's. I believe that there would be room for something like that in your drawing.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas.

Jan

The 12" Utility cabinet on the end of the "Gardening Sink" run is for the ironing board.

buehl
I measured and marked the island you drew. I really like the idea, but it seems to take up too much of the kitchen.

I talked to DH about the outside sink for gardening and he thought that would be workable and leave out the prep sink. If we leave out the prep sink, do you think the refrig would work on the wall between the large window and the door to the FR. The microwave could either go on a shelf by the refrig or under the counters. The large window will go down to the counter tops.

Removing the prep sink seems to give more options.

Thanks for taking your time to look and help.

Jan

I meant to ask for your opinions on moving the refrigerator over close to the door to the FR. Do you think that will help give more room especially after removing the prep sink?

Thanks,
Jan

Jan, go run around to all your friends' houses who have islands and take your measuring tape with you. I was really concerned about the size of my island until I was standing in a friend's kitchen and mentally calculated that her aisle was far narrower than I had planned. She got out a measuring tape and we figured out it was only 36"--and there was plenty of room! The other two sides with cabinets nearby had 39" and 43" aisles. The 43" seemed just a little too far away for comfort (it required a pivot and a step, rather than just a pivot when taking things from one counter to the other--and I have super long legs!). My narrowest aisle was going to be 45", so I adjusted and made mine a little narrower on two sides, leaving a bit more room for the seating on one side. Since you won't have enough room for seating, that won't be an issue, but I really encourage you to actually "feel" distances in real kitchens before ditching the idea of a larger island. An island can be an incredibly useful part of your kitchen, and within reason, larger is better. Mine will be 40" x 90" and it's the part of the new kitchen I'm most excited about by far.