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Can we improve our layout?

12 years ago

Hi,

I've been reading a lot and appreciate what I have learned so far. We are planning on a new counter top in the kitchen and possibly cabinets. I was hoping for some input on our layout and what you all would see as improvements.

In our current kitchen, I don't like the corner sink much, as I can't reach to clean behind it or to easily open the windows. The pantry has fixed shelves and I don't find it useful at all. I keep very little food in there and most food is in the laundry room on open shelves. There isn't a good spot for trash - the can sits in the next to the fridge on the way to the dining room.

We have 3 kids and they eat breakfast and lunch at the peninsula. We eat dinners in the dining room. The space in the kitchen is for a table, but we do not have a table, as we found it to be in the way. We do have a desk on the wall by the bathroom.

Here is our current set-up. Thanks for any advice!

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Comments (7)

iamthemom
Original Author
12 years ago
Ack. that is a really small and unreadable picture. I'll work on making something work better and repost the question!
iamthemom
Original Author
12 years ago
Hmm. Now the picture looks big enough, but a bit blurry. I can't seem to improve it, so this is it.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on things that might improve things for us. Thanks!
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Palimpsest: Thank you so much for your help! We don't NEED two trash pull outs, but it would be nice. I really want the one at the prep sink, but that is the wall I'm having trouble fitting everything on. We have to shift everything down towards the door to make it fit, which means my 33" pot drawers will be in that back corner. I see that as a challenge with the opposite counter in the way when I open them. I guess we could just put a small can under the prep sink instead. That way the drawers don't have to move to the corner and I don't need they guys to move the window down that they just framed out.
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No, I have a GE that has an optional trim kit to make it look built in. Here's my kitchen (just unpacked today--first day in it). Mw is on the left across from the end of the peninsula. The trash pull-out (next to farm sink) and one stack of lower cabinets are beneath it. I put trays and plastic wrap in the deep cabinet above. I gave my cabinet maker the specs for the GE microwave and trim kit, so he had support pieces/slots inside the cabinet for the trim kit to fit. I purchased my microwave and trim kit from AJ Madison. Here's the link.
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It seems like a warren of rooms without much connection. That living room will be difficult to furnish being so long and narrow. You say you don't entertain much yet you have a formal dining room. How often will that get used? I'm thinking at "our age", you'd be better off having less spaces that are larger and work better for you both. The question is, do you really need 3 and possibly 4 bedrooms, an office/den, kitchen, dining room, living room and sun room? And would you really want your guests pitter pattering around upstairs nearby your bedroom? Would you be better off with spaces that work double duty instead and work more to how you live? For example, I don't entertain much either but when I do (in my FL home) it will be a casual indoor/outdoor thing. No sit down dinners. So I eliminated the dining room but incorporated the dining room table into the kitchen area. So I have seating at the island for 3 and the dining table in my kitchen/dining room. And that space opens to my outdoor seating/eating area. Have a large living room off the kitchen/dining room that also opens to the outside for entertaining and for watching tv with DH. DH has his study downstairs, with a half bath and our master is downstairs along with our laundry room. And our master also opens to our backyard area. Upstairs is my studio which can double as a guest room with the queen size pull out couch, a full bath and our official guest room with murphy bed. When it's not being used as a guest room, which is most of the time, it will be our gym. Hence the murphy bed. So in total we have 6 rooms in 2870 square feet but every room has a purpose and/or double duty vs your 8 or if you make the attic area a master suite 9 rooms. It's not the number of rooms, but how they're laid out and how we intend to live in them.
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desertsteph
12 years ago
I'm going blind from blurriness...when it was small, was it clear?

is the dw the 1st thing to the 'left' of the sink on the downward turn? if so, doesn't seem like there'd be enough room for loading it.
iamthemom
Original Author
12 years ago
Sorry! I'm working on it.

Yes, that's the dishwasher. It works fine well to load it. I stand at an angle to the sink to rinse dishes and then just stick them in.
iamthemom
Original Author
12 years ago
A small version.
marcolo
12 years ago
I can barely see anything, much less measurements, but:

If you wanted to keep a roughly similar configuration, move the range to the armpit of the peninsula, with just enough room in the corner to put a super susan next to it, and put the sink just a tad to the left of where the range is now. Eliminate the angle corner, maybe. This gets the range out of all traffic lanes, makes the DW easier to deal with instead of trapping you, lets people get to water and glasses out of your way, and gives you a long stretch for prep counter. Put a banquette in the lower right corner so you can use the space for a table without it getting in the way.
tracie.erin
12 years ago
We really need a bigger picture, BUT:

1) Option 1: Keeps your peninsula. Put the Sink on the left counter with Trash cab to the right, put the DW in the peninsula.

2) Option 2: Get rid of Fridge/Pantry wall and peninsula, add island. Put Fridge at top right and move Range to the left. Sink again goes on left wall (not cornered), Trash on right, DW to left. It looks like the kitchen is 12' wide, so here are your clearances left to right:
144" total width
-25.5" sink run (24" cabinets + 1.5" counter overhang)
-40.5" island (24" cabinets + 1.5" counter overhang on left + 15" counter overhang on right for sitters)
=78" left for each aisle.

I would personally split this up to 36" for the left aisle and 42" on the right, as traffic needs room to pass behind island sitters and 42" is already pretty tight.

I would leave 36" or 42" for the top aisle. You might need to clip the top right corner of the island in order to avoid a pinch point between the Fridge and island.

3) Option 3: ????? We need a better picture and more information (are you willing to relocate windows or doors?) to see if expanding the kitchen into the bottom space can get you a better kitchen.

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