Critique my lighting layout for open floor plan kitchen
16 years ago
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- 16 years ago
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Eat-in kitchen layout in a small apartment - critique my plans?
Comments (24)Good morning. You're busy thinking. There's been lots of discussion of sink placement on this forum--centered, under window, etc. The largest consensuses again and again, often with pix to prove the point, are that 1. In almost all cases sinks don't look at all odd they're not centered, function ruling in this case with no offense to aesthetics. It's often not even noticed. 2. The prize work area in front of window, or whatever, should be allotted to the area where most time is spent. For most of us these days, that's definitely where we do our prep. I personally feel every kitchen needs one good place to "cook" in--big enough, efficient enough, inviting enough to be a great place to work; of course, it could use a window. THIS idea can give offense to tradition. Peculiarly, for some the notion that the sink belongs in front of the window is almost as strong these days as it was when cooks could spend literally hours washing buckets of veggies in from the patch, stringing green beans, and cutting insects out of fruit for canning. :)! Regarding your layouts, personally, I still like your initial one a lot overall. It provides that good work space, not extravagant but adequate and efficient, out of traffic ways, etc., AND provides a great dining area for you and those 10-12 guests to walk around and...party. The second one gains a bit more work space but sacrifices the genuine spaciousness and flexibility of the first to get it, and results in blind corner storage to boot. I'm also imagining needing someone busy chatting away having to step back a bit each time you want to open the dishwasher. No extra chair on the end for sure. You'll know if your cooking style needs more space, though....See MoreCritique my Layout Kitchen/Hearth Room
Comments (19)I am in the same shoes you are right now. I'm trying to plan a wonderful kitchen for a new home that functions for my homestead way of life. I cook from scratch, and will be freezing, dehydrating, and canning again. I like to stock up on bulk staples. I'd like to raise chickens and maybe a calf, and I garden too. I have pets. Basically, a very independant minded person. So the challange is how to come up with a compact work space with enough storage. One solution many women in Florida do is to put a summer kitchen in off their porches, and this is where they can, and keep all those supplies, as well as their extra fridge and freezer. It's not in the house and the mess and steam involved stays out there instead of heating the whole kitchen and house up. It's made with less expensive and easy to clean materials, and yet it's a hop and skip away. If it's not attatched to the house it's taxed as an outbuilding instead of square footage. (It can be "detatched" by as little as an inch). It frees up some of the needed kitchen space, and takes some load off of utility room needs. I'm seriously considering doing that. I'm having wood floors in my house but my canning kitchen can have easy to clean vinyl that I don't have to worry about trashing. I am also trying to place at least one, and hopefully two walk in pantries in convenient locations. My goal is to have one near my stove for pots and pans, (I use mostly cast iron and have quite a collection of it), and one near the prep area for all my kitchen staples. This is not the "norm", so there isn't much information out there on how to do this. Everyone wants to sell mounds and mounds of cabinets, which only serves to spread things out too far and costs too much. Walk in pantries fit an enormous amount of storage in a compact space. They can always have a pretty glass front french door with a curtain to dress up the kitchen. I'm determined to figure this one out. I'ts not easy figuring out how to achieve a kitchen that is sufficient in size and storage, while at the same time efficient. My house will be an open floor plan, so I also do not want my back to everyone while I cook, and I need lots of natural light to be happy. It sounds like your kitchen is the heart of your home, as well. I do know that a kitchen with appliances spread out too far, and not enough dish storage convenient to both the table and the dishwasher is awful! My last kitchen, designed by a kitchen designer, was gorgeous. But...the stove was too far from my sink on an opposite wall, and the path between them was also the path into the kitchen. I always worried while carrying a pot full of boiling pasta to be drained to the sink. I spent a lot of time walking and carrying between my sink and counter and the stove and counter. I spent a lot of time trekking dishes back and forth to the table. I never want that again. Ever. It was not a user friendly kitchen, and we started eating out a lot. There are some valid concerns being brought up here, and much of it is most likely based on some of the awful stuff others have delt with, and want to help you avoid all that. There's a great deal of walking while carrying things to and from your dining table, in this plan. That may not bother you, but give it some very careful thought, and reherse the differing scenarios out to be sure that's what you want. I know you come home tired. Very tired. One of my friends is a vet and also runs a no-kill shelter that she started. Twenty feet is a long way in a kitchen. Perhaps what will work for you is to still have the open large space you crave, but with alcoves and centers for each activity that are subtley defined, but still open to one another. If you frequently have baby animals in your kitchen, perhaps have a nook for that in your plan that can also double for another use. I'm with you on the island seating. My husband and I would never eat at an island. I always felt if people are putting seating around their islands, it means they actually want to eat in their kitchen, and why not just put the kitchen table back in there, where they "used" to be. (I'm ducking). I never had an island, but am thinking I'd like one. I always cut cookies out, fill muffin tins, and make homemade pasta at my kitchen table. I'm almost afraid to put an island in, and then find I end up back over at my table anyway. The other thing is, I'm sure my husband will just have one more spot to put all his guy stuff. Still debating. Maybe I'll buy one of those nice Boos maple farm syle islands. Then I can move it if I want. Keep at it. It looks like you have a lovely space to work with. Unfortunately, I haven't found this a fun process. We have acreage, and I have a clean slate. My brains are scrambled from trying to design. Too many options! Please post your ideas as you progress. Sandy...See MoreX-Post - Please Critique My Lighting Plan!
Comments (9)I just checked my lighting plan done by a lighting designer. For the fireplace, she advised two low voltage can lights (not sure the size -- I will have to double check) but likely 3 or 4 inch size). She positioned them 30 inches from the back of the fireplace stone wall. She wants them to have an elbow arm on them. We will also have a pair of sconces above the mantel (the sconces will flank a painting). All other can lights I believe (not including kitchen) are to be gimbel style line voltage (probably with LED bulbs in reg can housing). The can lights are to be set about 24 inches away from the walls with the intention of directing the light off a wall and providing indirect light bounced off a wall (it will also light any art on that wall). No downward directed can lights will be used in main rooms (except kitchen). The kitchen can lights are a bit different. They were recommended to be set 10 inches in from the edge of the counter (we don't have many uppers though). We have replaced many can light in the original plan with fixtures or sconces. Carol...See MorePlease critique this open-plan kitchen (Florida)
Comments (42)I guess it depends on what you consider the better view and the prime location? I have a window with a great view above my prep area which I only look out when I need to pause for a quick break from chopping or to figure out my next step. I don't like to talk much or gaze at views much while prepping after I almost lost the tip of a finer once while doing that. My brain can't handle visiting while prepping because then I either leave out ingredients or just plain keep forgetting where I'm at. It takes 2-3 times as long for me to prep if I'm visiting or window-gazing. I'd rather focus on the prep and get it done. Family knows to limit interactions with me while prepping beyond quick statements. That's simply not a good time for me to chat. If we're entertaining, I choose menus that don't require last minute prep/cooking just to avoid having to prep and visit at the same time. And, like cpartist, I prefer to wash, slide food to prep, then slide food to cook. I don't like carrying prepped food across the floor either Someday, my clean-up sink will be on my peninsula facing my dining table. This was the best place for me to be able to keep my DW open while cooking. Since I tend to plop things in when done with it while prepping and cooking, most dirty items will already be in the DW before sitting down to a meal. After eating, I'll be able to stand at the dining table and just pick up plates, turn and place them next to the clean-up sink without walking anywhere. Quick and easy. Then dishes will immediately be scraped and put in the DW. If the DW is full, it will be a quick scrape before setting them in my 32" wide, 9" deep sink. I figure this will hide them pretty well from any visitors until the DW is free. And I can scrape and load while visiting without losing a finger or trying to remember what needs to be done next. Clean-up is pretty much an auto-pilot activity. Prep is not. At least not for me. So I totally get what cpartist is saying and tend to agree with her. I also recognize that this is an YMMV thing....See MoreRelated Professionals
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