I think this link might be better for the layout.

Thank you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen

Here is the layout. If you click on the link that says HTML code in Photobucket, it will copy so you can paste it right into GW.

Sorry about the double post of the layout. Pal beat me to it. : )

Some questions before suggestions can be made. Are you able or willing to move doorways or change out a slider to a single french door or move the doorway to the deck down? Is the laundry also the pantry? Is there other access to the laundry through a hallway?

Confused, it would be extremely helpful to see that entire floor level. For instance, you would be willing to include or move to (?) the dining room? How would that impact and work with everything else?

Rooms in a home function interactively, even separated by big, solid walls. A kitchen remodel should have goals of not only improving the kitchen but potentially all the spaces around it and the way they work for you. Assuming they're not already perfect, in which case you have to be concerned with not inadvertently taking away. Something as simple as shifting a doorway a foot to one side, though, can make a fantastic difference aesthetically and functionally to an entire floor.

I have to second what Rosie said about something as simple as shifting a doorway making a fantastic difference. I shifted and reduced a large entry way into my dining/kitchen area and was able increase my kitchen by 2 feet. That allowed me to have wall ovens, a cooktop and an island. All the layout gurus on this forum are so generous with their time and talent and really come up with great possibilities.

Thank you for your quick replies and also letting me know how to import the pictures.

I am willing to change door sizes and openings to make this work; however, I will not be able to change the size of the slider because it is a brick home and would require more work and matching the brick. Also, the laundry room also has a very large pantry.

The following will give you more of an idea of the rest of the layout. Hopefully it works.

http://i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u503/Confused1967/Layout.jpg

Thanks again!

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hopefully that sketch will help and I can draw the rest later. Basically, the foyer is on the other side of the living room and when you walk into the house, you look left to the living room and dining room and straight ahead into the family room. The bedrooms are on the other side of the house. The living room is about 12' x 14' and the family room is 14'5" x 22'4".

Finally, I sketched the whole house. It's not the greatest but I think it's enough to give you an idea of the layout.

Currently, I have an 12' x 16'4' galley kitchen with an eat-in area. In the kitchen area, the stove and refrigerator are on one side and the sink and dishwasher are on the other. As you can imagine, there is very little counter space. Basically, I am trying to increase counter space as I do cook every night and have maybe 12' on each side of the stove which is very frustrating. We do use the eat-in area to dine and I would like to keep that option.

I am also meeting with local kitchen designer's and hoping that everyone combined can come up with a great, new idea.

Thank you very much for your help!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

could you extend the deck patio to the right....put french doors to the left of fireplace in family room...yes there is expense but that zone of family room can probably handle the exterior access traffic flow....then remove the patio door in the kitchen and you can do a variety of things with your kitchen space.

That is a good idea with the french doors in the family room but it would definitely be some work with the house being all brick. I will play with that and see if it would help the layout. Thanks!!

This is just an idea. It uses a corner sink - its ok with one cook, not so ok with more. This plans on moving the dining room doorway and making it a little smaller. It could go another 6 inches or so smaller yet. It's also hoping there is enough head space to partially embed the ref over the stairs.

You could move the family room door - but off hand, I don't know if that would help any. The other big-buck potential is removing/moving the slider - which produces a roomier eating area but not a lot more kitchen.

The only other potential I can see would be something like removing the slider, putting a smaller window in its place, doing an outside door elsewhere (where you have the pantry or the last window in the family room). Perhaps move the family room door and do an "L" in the opposite corner.

Hope other ideas surface.

Thank you for your input which does change things up a bit. My only concern is whether or not 6' will be enough for the kitchen table. Even with a small 36" wide table that would only leave 36" or 18" one each side around the sides of the table by the slider and island. I thought I read that you should have at least 30" around the table for seating.

This is a hard kitchen space for layout. It might be that I have to learn to live with it or move. lol

With Bmorepanic's layout, I was able to piggy back with tweaking that.

What if you were to close off the entry from dining room to kitchen except for a 3-4' doorway at the very end of the room (staircase end). I would then bring the frig to along the DW run. BTW we have a corner sink and we have a small spacer and a 9" cabinet between sink and DW which allows plenty of space for loading the DW). The frig was too far away IMO for everyday use.

I would then actually open up completely the kitchen to the family room. This would "enlarge" both rooms. It would also give more natural light to the kitchen. You didn't say anything about wanting to feel less isolated when in the kitchen, but there is definitely a huge trend to join the two rooms.

You would then have a few options for an eating area.

You could create a huge island with seating. You could place it either vertically or horizontally in the room, depending on what else you want to do with the space by the slider. I'm not big on prep sink, but with the large island, it might be nice to have on on the end closer to the family room. If you don't want to go the prep sink route (I'm not), you could easily accommodate your main sink and DW in the new large island.
You could create a smaller island with a round dinette corner in the area to what is to the right of the slider (wall would then be mostly open)
Purchase a large table that can be centered lengthwise in the kitchen.

If I can think of some of these ideas, it's going to be fun seeing what the others can do with this kitchen.

Thank you, Aloha. I have always thought I would like to open things up between the kitchen and family room but wasn't sure how to do it especially with the stairs behind the one wall.

Oops, I got confused between the OP's scale and Bmorepanic's.

My favorite idea works best anyway now that I've got the scale figured out. I would definitely move the sink to the island to allow the frig coming more into the central part of the kitchen. I would eliminate a dinette table but would have the sitting at the island. There are advantages and disadvantages to laying the island vertically or horizontally. Either would work.

Thinking inside the box for your kitchen, I couldn't see much, but opening up the family room wall, IMO makes for a GREAT kitchen.

Well, I've worked with a few people and here are three options. One would open up the kitchen to the family room, one would keep it basically the same but move some things around with a moveable 21" wide island, and the last would open up the wall between the kitchen and dining room and have a wall of 12" deep cabinets. There is no doubt the last option would be the most expensive, but that is fine if it is the best option. I'm just not sure how I feel about two tables on each end with no wall separation. I need to add that we do eat at the table by the slider every night.

If you have any other ideas or suggestions, I would love to get your input.

Thank you!!!!

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}