I like the angled: it's a nicer transition into the kitchen space IMO. The end part with the angel could be open shelves or have a glass door, and used to store small serving bowls, pitchers, vases, etc. Things that are pretty and don't take up too much space. Gives you more upper cabinet space too, which seems like it would make up for the few lost inches below.

I prefer the angle, but I'm not crazy about either layout. I think your space would benefit from a narrow (24" wide x 48" long) island. Also, I would go frameless and put drawers under the baking center.

Thanks---and yep, we have indeed tried an island just that size in the center. Unfortunately it causes as many problems as it solves, because we really can't move the refrigerator anywhere else and DH doesn't want plumbing/electrical in the island. We may end up having a work table in that space, but are trying to design the kitchen to work without it as well.

We still haven't decided on the frameless v. framed issue---frustratingly the sink wall works much better size-wise with framed but the fridge wall is better with frameless, since we need every extra inch there!---but it will definitely be all lower drawers except for possibly a corner cabinet if we go the blind corner route, and one door on the right side of the baking center for cookie sheets to go upright. So many decisions!

I've had an angled cabinet like that in two different kitchens and I found it useful and roomier than I expected. I keep potatoes, onions, and dog snacks in there, among other things.

While you have more upper cabinet storage with the angle, you have less base cabinet storage. In my experience, base cabinet storage is much more useful and is to be coveted!

However, it's up to you.

Buehl, if you take another look at her drawing you'll see that she is shrinking the base cabinets if she uses squared bases. She'll have MORE room with the angled base than without it, in this case.

Thanks---yes, I should clarify that. We don't have the space to do the full 48" counter at a standard depth, so the angle is an attempt to pick up a little extra counter space even if it isn't quite "real" counter space, since our layout is woefully under-countered. We don't really lose any "real" base cab space (here it goes from 36" to 39" in the two versions, but those could just as easily be the same; just figured we'd try to rein the fridge in a bit if we could).

The biggest reason to do it would be more work space, though the longer uppers are a bonus. That's where I'm stuck, though---never having had an angled counter, I can't tell if it will just be annoying and costly to boot, or if it might be useful and money well spent.

Hope that makes sense!

I like the angle because when I look at the other picture I feel myself banging my left hip on the corner as I come in from the DR and I bruise easily. That's about pointiness not available space.

Maybe you should mix framed and frameless? If you get the same style doors I wonder how many people will notice? Or get different door styles and paint one side navy blue and the other white.

I just would advise against the 16" wall cabinets over the angled area. One 36" by 14" deep one(if you can increase depth on your wall cabinets) will work better with a wider opening and less room lost to cabinet sides and frames.

It's cheaper that way too!

If you really want something there, consider adding a 12" cabinet or using a 18" cabinet with a 30" cabinet.

Thanks! Yes, we do plan to mix framed and frameless. I absolutely want framed w/inset doors for the uppers to match the house aesthetic (Arts & Crafts)---originally we'd planned to combine that with frameless lowers, but now the numbers are looking like it may be a mix throughout. However, one of my inspiration kitchens has exactly that so I think it will work. The main challenge is that we'd planned to do Ikea for anything frameless and custom for framed since uppers and lowers would be distinct styles and not need to match, but now it's looking more and more like we should just do custom across the board with all the mixing and matching. So much for our creative cost-savings. :)

@bmorepanic, one thing I'd thought of doing with the uppers on that stretch was a 36" upper to mirror the 36" rectangle below, and then a bookshelf upper for the balance of the space (since cookbook storage is missing from the kitchen right now). Uppers will be at least 13" deep (need that much to clear our plates!) and possibly 13.5" or 14" depending on who makes them.

I think I liked it better when we were doing Ikea and I didn't need to worry about measurements on all of these!! :)

I like the angled cabinet also, it trandsends into the kitchen nicely, it'll still make for good countertop & storage- more than the other plan, even if it does cut off diagonally. You'd be surprised what you can fit in there. Is that going to be your baking center ? You could fit flour, sugar,...
I'd also suggets the biggest cabinetsyou can, instaead of breaking them up. a 36" cabinet will look just like 2- 18", you'll just have more & better storage.
Good Luck

I think I am in the minority but I don't think the angled cabinets are usable countertop space for prep work.

I would go for the second one.

Here is another idea too.

36 inch cabinet baking center plus a 3 inch angled filler next to it to extend the useable countertop without cutting into the aisle as much.

12 inch cabinet to the right of the stove plus a 3 inch angled filler next to it to extend the countertop without cutting into the aisle as much.

I just realized how similar your space is to mine. Ours will be 13x18 after demolition. The difference for us is that in addition to the dining room and outside door, we have two doors on what is your baking counter wall.

But we (unlike many folks) use our dining room and don't want to make it obsolete by creating an eat-in kitchen. So we've laid out a giant U with an island, with the perimeter cabinets running from the dining room door, all along the long wall (your sink wall) and around to the outside door. Then we're putting an 8 ft island in the middle. We won't have any cabinets on our "baking cabinet" wall (too many doors), so that side of the room will be like one long hallway. It has bad feng shui, but it will make a very nice two cook kitchen, which is what we want.

None of that may be useful to you, if you really value an eat-in kitchen, but I thought I'd throw it out there. On the question you actually asked, I much prefer the angled cabinet. It seems to me you'd feel less like you walked into a kitchen and ran into a wall of cabinets and more like you were being gracefully directed into the main part of the room.

Yes, we have exactly the same problem with our dining room---we use it daily and don't want it to be absorbed by the kitchen. Originally we'd thought about moving the door into the kitchen over to make counters on that wall flow better, but ultimately decided the furthest we'd be willing to go was about 12 inches. Since that turned out to cost about the same as moving it three feet, it seemed like a ridiculous waste of money. :)

It doesn't come through in this plan, but the eat-in part of our kitchen is actually an old breakfast room (walls moved in a 1930s remodel, and we're taking them down altogether). So the windows are only two feet off the ground rather than at the same height as the sink windows, which is one (of many) reasons why we didn't wrap around that corner. We will have a breakfast table there that can double as added work space, though.