If you get through this post - thanks!! (Warning, it's long.) And even more thanks to those of you who provide feedback :-)
My husband and I bought a home last summer and are about to start a major renovation. Yeah!, I'm getting the kitchen of my dreams. The Kitchen Forum has been an invaluable resource - many thanks to the folks who contribute such wonderful ideas, photos and feedback.
Here's some background on my family, how we plan to use the space, and the kitchen layout we've been working on for the last several months. Thanks again for posting your opinions and suggestions!
General vision
1) Functional - I can cook, someone can clean up, others can have snacks/eat, while not in one another's way
2) Function usually comes first, but form/looks is very important, especially since one will see a part of the kitchen from the foyer, and the kitchen is open to our eating area and the family room
3) Ability to interact with others while prepping/cooking, with space to cook with family/friends
4) Neat, clean, "transitional" in style, not elaborate or fussy
5) Happy, light and bright, maximize natural light
Who works in the kitchen
1) I am the primary cook, but my husband helps out a lot, including with clean-up. We have two children (a 2 1/2 and 1 year old), and our third is due in July. I'm hopeful that the kids and their friends will be interested in cooking. We also love to cook with extended family and friends.
2) I expect the island seating area to be used for: eating some meals (breakfast, quick lunches, snacks, etc.), homework and other projects for the kids, by me and my husband if one of us is in the kitchen and the other may be on our laptop, and with extended family/friends for drinks/appetizers/serving.
3) We like to entertain - casual/family style - and expect to have family and friends over often. I like when others are helping me in the kitchen, as long as there is space (aisle/island). (Right now, it's tough, we are in a 8' by 9' wall to wall galley kitchen.)
Storage needs
1) Want plenty of dry goods storage
2) Want plenty of storage for dishes, pots/pans, trays, etc.
3) Broom closet area for stick vacuum, slim ladder, etc.
4) Plan to have any upper cabinetry, pantry, etc. go all the way up to the ceiling to maximize storage (I think our ceilings are 8' high, but not more than 9')
Traffic patterns
1) Kitchen will be open to family room, but there will be definition between the two rooms (soffit with trim?)
2) Wall to wall, the kitchen is 15' (east to west) by 19'-3 3/4" (south to north)
3) Glass-paned door from kitchen to covered porch on west side of kitchen
4) Doors (probably double wood doors) from butler's pantry to dining room, also on the west side of the kitchen
5) Entry from kitchen to the butler's pantry on the south side of kitchen
6) Entry from foyer into kitchen, also on south side of kitchen
7) Want a large island, with seating for four
8) Will want spacious (but workable) aisles - currently at 44" all around island
9) Groceries and trash will come in/out through garage/mudroom via foyer
10) Usually only 1 primary cook (me), but want room for others
Structural changes
1) This is an addition at the back of the house, so the space is a blank slate .
2) That said, we've been working on this plan for months and I'm hoping we only need to make some tweaks at this point...
3) It will be difficult to move walls (but possible). We did consider a galley style butler's pantry with half bath, but the space was too tight.
4) Because we have made space for a large farm table (to seat 8-12) in a window bay, it is difficult to put any type of large bank of windows to kitchen side of that bay due to how the exterior elevation would appear. Right now, we have a double set of windows over the clean-up sink.
5) This is likely our "forever house" so we want to get it right!
Materials
1) Shaker style cabinetry - white perimeter cabinets, cherry or walnut island
2) Honed Calacutta marble counters and backsplash; hoping to find a single slab for the island, otherwise will look to bookmatch; possibly looking into using soapstone, too
3) May use tiles (vs. Marble slab) for backsplash
4) Fixtures/fittings TBD
Special cooking needs, and related appliances
1) Like to cook and bake; want reliable, functional appliances; "looks" are also important, but secondary to functionality. Under consideration are:
- 36" Wolf AG range, 4 burners and a griddle - we cook big breakfasts on weekends, I rarely use more than 3 hobs at a time, and I like a stove under the hobs as I cook many dishes requiring both burner and oven time
- Possibly a 15" induction hob, maybe Wolfe or Miele, to be placed at left of range
- Looking into a Modernaire hood
- Single, side-opening Gaggenau convection oven - I love to bake cookies, pies, bread, pizza, etc.
- Warming drawer
- Small microwave
- 36" integrated Subzero fridge column (with two bottom drawers so kids can reach items)
- 27" integrated Subzero freezer column (with two bottom drawers)
- Two Miele La Perla dishwashers
- Wine storage cooler
- Garbage disposals at each sink with air switches - maybe In-Sink-Erator or other brand?
Rationale for our layout
1) We placed the half bath off the foyer to provide more privacy
2) In the butler's pantry - one long counter run with cabinets below; also, with glass-front cabinets above (this is not reflected in the drawing)
- Not sure whether we'll put a sink in here
- Will include a small wine storage cooler
- Used to store oversized platters, china, silver, vases, etc.
3) In the kitchen - on the west wall (run south to north):
- This primarily will be the "cooking zone" and "storage zone"
- Two floor to ceiling pantry closets, either 15" or 18" in depth, approximately 5'-6" long; I think our ceiling height is 8'
- Counter run to right of pantry, approximately 8'-6" - to include counter space, a 15" induction hob (to left of range, and a 36" range (4 burners + griddle), with vent over range area
- Drawers below to hold pots/pans
- Two upper cabinets to hold spices, etc.
- Plan to place my stand mixer on right end of counter, toaster on left end (or, store mixer in cabinet underneath)
- We will have the glass-paned door to the porch swing out into the porch (in drawing it swings into kitchen)
4) In the kitchen - on the south wall (run east to west):
- This will be the "fridge/freezer/snack zone"
- A cupboard (drawers below, with 3-sided glass cabinet above, which starts at counter height), 2'-5 1/2" by 2" deep - this will "end" the kitchen area, and "start" the family room area; a similar cabinet will be opposite; here's an example of the type of cabinetry I'm thinking of: http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/marthas-50-top-kitchen-tips#slide_11
- After foyer entry, a 36" refrigerator column and then a 27" freezer column, followed by the entry into the butler's pantry
- Any room above fridge/freezer will be cabinetry to ceiling
5) In the kitchen - on the north wall (run east to west):
- This primarily will be the "clean up zone", and we will store dishes here, but will have a "baking zone" at end of run
- Cabinetry with glass upper (similar, opposite one on south wall)
- Counter run, approximately 8 1/2 to 9' long, to include a 36" sink with two dishwashers on either side of sink; no upper cabinetry here; double window over sink
- Single wall oven at end corner; tray storage below, other storage above, etc.
6) Island in the kitchen, is 7'-11 3/4" by 6'-5 1/4"
- All one height
- Includes a 36" prep sink across from range, centered in island directly across from range; this will be the "prep zone"
- Drawers in island across from fridge/freezer to house bread drawer, snacks, etc.
- Large storage under overhang (for four stools)
- Drawers across clean-up sink, last one on northwest corner to be trash/recyclables pullout
Questions include:
1) Would you recommend a sink in the butler's pantry? We're thinking it may not be necessary.
2) How deep would you make the pantry closets? - 15" or 18" or something else?
3) Where to put the microwave? In the island across from the fridge/freezer? Above or below the wall oven?
4) Where to put the warming drawer? In the island to the right of the prep sink (when facing the sink)? (Across from the range, right under the counter so it's easy to access.)
5) Does trash placement make sense? Trying to make this accessible from both sink areas.
6) Thoughts about stretching the island longer east-to-west? Maybe by a foot or so?
7) Should we keep both dishwashers in the clean-up zone? Many dishes we use in the prep zone are hand washed.
8) Where to put the message center? Our family room opens into the kitchen, and a small library is off that. We're thinking of placing this area in the family room area, but we could put a cordless phone on the counter run in the clean-up zone. Thoughts?
9) Help with outlet placement? (Will do a GardenWeb search, but help here is appreciated!)
10) Plan to put drawers in all cabinetry under counters/in island, with exception of underneath sinks. Thoughts?
11) Where to place cookbook storage?
12) Where to place towel racks?
13) Where to store slim ladder and stick vacuum? Add a narrow floor to ceiling cabinet to left of wall oven?
Thanks again for your suggestions!
{{gwi:1742672}}
palimpsest
rhome410
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