I'd put a regular depth frig in that offset space on the wall where the stove is. (That is, unless you already own the CD frig.)

Or frame the wall out to the same plane as the section w/ the window (fit a narrow broom closet in some of the 'lost' space). Would not want my stove fitted in next to the corner...guaranteed to drive you nutz.

Also, I don't think you have nearly enough storage space.

I had exactly the same reactions as ci lantro -- the offset space is not an asset unless you use it as one. Best to use it for a refrigerator.

My other reaction is that I *think* you're trying to divide this room into several spaces: 1) a hallway to the French doors, 2) a galley-shaped kitchen, and 3) a breakfast space...all good. However, it's my opinion that you should NOT try to use the island overhang for the stools. People can eat at the table. I think that the space would work better leaving the "hallway" part much more open rather than trying to squeeze as much as possible in that area that connects the lower right to the French doors. Since you'll have a tight kitchen to the left, the openness on the right will be welcome, for moving around, gathering, and for looks.

I'm not even sure it would meet requirements or code to have your cooktop that close to the column...Depending, I guess, on whether it's combustible or not. But I wouldn't want to try to work there, so tight up against that. It's a good suggestion to tuck a fridge there.

Ci lantro also has a point about storage.

That center column and the doors and windows do make things tough... I hate to criticize and not offer solutions. I hope someone else can see something I'm not today.

Have you tried wrapping an island around the column w/ the column being the center of island?

You could do some funky, fun stuff w/ the column...like signs hanging on a bracket or lighting.

Like Fern said, I'd give up on the bar seating on the island. The space required for that would serve you lots better being all workspace and added storage. You could put base cabs back to back and have a great workspace. And, you could nudge the whole island over to the right & give yourself more sink/ cooktop aisle space.

Then wall cabs wrapping the lazy susan corner and shallow depth (12-18'') floor to ceiling cabs wrapping the corner to the right of the patio doors.

Forgive me for saying this...but this is a tough space and it's why professional KD's exist. The space as designed looks to be a code problem, and frankly, it's akward. The balance in the room is all off (you have tall and heavy on one corner, then one wall with a stove/hood and oven right next to a run that goes no where up...the island is tight, an the cabinets over the table are just sort of floating there with no known reasoning....

Have you considered taking this to even a freebie KD at HD and see what they can work in, then tweek that to be more functional?

Have you tried wrapping an island around the column w/ the column being the center of island?

You could do some funky, fun stuff w/ the column...like signs hanging on a bracket or lighting.

Like Fern said, I'd give up on the bar seating on the island. The space required for that would serve you lots better being all workspace and added storage. You could put base cabs back to back and have a great workspace. And, you could nudge the whole island over to the right & give yourself more sink/ cooktop aisle space.

Then wall cabs wrapping the lazy susan corner and shallow depth (12-18'') floor to ceiling cabs wrapping the corner to the right of the patio doors.

Are you locked in to those particular appliances? If not, you might be able to put a cook top & hood in/over the island across from the sink (ditch the stools). And put an advantium over a wall oven in a built in area where the range currently is placed. Then you would also have room to add some upper cabinets to the left of the ovens and to the left and right of the sink.

Thank you all for you feedback. Yes, this is an akward setup. As I had said, the sunroom was an addition from a previous owner. Hubby is going to double check in the atttic how the truss system lines up in the house but he's 99% sure that column in some minimize form will have to exist.

1. I had consider a frig in the offset space but once we notch back the wall till where we can, the space will be inset 14". We'd have to push back the pantry wall and realign some electrical/pipes to make a frig look built in. Then I was concerned where could I put my stove that would give me enough landing space next to it. Suggestions on that?

2. I had suggested to DH exactly the idea that we could frame out the wall that 14" and have a smooth run. He's so overwhelemned with the scope of this project; he didn't love that idea. I still think it's doable. Good point about the corner annoying me with the stove. The current range is actually in that 5' wall space but over to the left where I have the small base cab.

3. I'm trying to come up with ideas that will work with some of the electrical/plumbing that we have. That's why I tried leaving the range in that general vicinity. Would it work if we built out the wall the 14" to make a straight run?

4. I'm not adverse to wall cabs. I just had so much trouble learning the program that I stopped where I was. The pantry will be large and hold alot of things including large items I don't often use or things like my food processor that I use, wash, and put away.

5. I like the idea of wrapping an island around the column. I tried that in one of the many VERY amatuer drawing I did. I could use some help with that.

6. I'd love some suggestions on how I could work in some informal seating aside from the table. Even for just 2 stools/chairs. I REALLY want some informal seating. Actually, I prefer the notion of a regular seating height overhang since I'm so short and don't know how comfortable I'll be on a bar stool. As it is... my feet dangle when I sit on my ADA complaint toilet! (probably too much information there...) I had calculated that I should still have 4' of space between the island and NE wall. Is that too little with a couple of stools?

7. The cabinets over the table are really suppose to be open shelving but they didn't have an option for that on the LiveInterior program. I think I wasted my money on that but I had to buy it in order to save my drawing.

8. Great point on the kitchen being "heavy" on one side. I'll work on that.

9. I do plan on going to HD to use some freebie advice. Also, I'll price out some cabs even though I think it'll be considerably less $$ to go with IKEA and Scheers doors.

10. On the note of trying to be helpful/economical for DH; the frig in this plan is exactly where the frig is currently in the house. I plan on building a box around it so it'll resemble built in. I had tried to look at the possiblity of using the existing outlets to lessen his burden. I wouldn't though completely compromise design just to avoid moving an outlet.

OH... about the offset wall...I actually had though about Scheers making me a custom base cab that would wrap around the offset on the west wall. Part of it would be deeper. I want an Advantium and have to install it 36" above the floor. Was looking for a place for that. That what that cab sitting on the counter is suppose to be.

We're a long way away from beginning demo. I'm trying to come up with some kind of viable plan that I can go over with an archetict. We are going to have to have professional plans drawn for our rougly 220 sq.ft. addtion for the bedroom/bathrooms. I'm a little scared over the prices/costs of such services that I've read on this forum. That's why I'm trying to work on this. Can I really expect to pay 10K for drawings to submit to the town for the addition? I thought that perhaps the kitchen area won't need to involve an archetict since the footpring of the house won't change on this.

Lastly, do you think I should consider some kind of peninsula design or design with a pony wall? Right now the existing kitchen is a tiny box.
Again, I'm very appreicative of the time you take to respond. I worry that my evolving design, learning curve, and consequent perpetual changes will make me become an annoyance. I get annoyed with myself! I feel the need to apologize for posting ineffective plans. OK... I"m back to the drawing board!

Forgive me if you already did this previously, but maybe you could start by posting some pictures and a layout out (with dimensions written) of your current kitchen. Then state what you don't like about it and want to fix, what you like about it, and what you want the new kitchen to feel/function like. What your priorities are, ie. keep appliances in current location, or windows/doors can/cannot move, etc.

Keep at it, designing just the right kitchen for you and your family is a long hard process, but definately worth it! Took me well over a year, a TON of paper and many computer versions.

mom2... right now nobody lives in this house. We had it as a rental home and the tenants totally trashed it. It took DH 5 months to get it cleaned up. Now, it is a construction zone. He doesn't want to rent it again which led us to the decision to renovate and move there earlier then we had orginally thought. I did post pics of the house. I like NOTHING about the current kitchen. It will all be demo'd and my options are only limited by some weird structural things, my imagination, and reality.

Here is a link that might be useful: house in Hollywood

Please do yourself a huge favor and look at the comments on the remodeling forum as well as here, using the search mechanism, for things to do with architects, budgets, contracts etc. Before you get too invested in the kitchen design you should have a very good idea of the cost of hiring an architect and building an addition which seems to be integral to your plans. Otherwise, you run the risk of being burned the way so so so many people are being burned every day.

In some ways, the comments you'll find aren't very helpful in that there is no silver bullet for the problems which I would loosely define as people having to pay for plans that are too costly to build but not knowing enough in advance to narrow the scope of their project. You can't get real bids until you have actual plans with choices made about fixtures and surfaces and fittings etc. On the other hand, why would you want to pay for plans that you cannot pay to build just so that you can get a firm bid on the cost?

I'll have adequate funds ( I believe) for this renovation. We plan to DIY much, take our time, look for bargins... etc. I am going to sell my home and repay myself (so to speak) for this project. The addition is a basic 10 x 21' to square off the back of the house. I'm figuring about 100K on the high side, though DH thinks I'm out of my mind. I figure... where else could I go where I could build my dream interior and have a large (by Florida standards) tropical backyard for 100 grand? The renovation might ever so slightly, make us on the high end for the neighborhood but not too drastically. Right now, the house has orginal 1950's everything and would be valued on the low end for the area. I'm not too concerned about resale because we plan on staying there a long time. I just have no clue what an archetict cost. I'll ask for some recommendations, make some phones, and find out though! I just nearly croaked when I read 15K. Guess I'm acting childish cause I'd rather spend the money on something fun! My DH is the practical one.

I think you may have misunderstood about recessing the fridge in that spot...Using the recessed area, plus cabinets on either side, a regular depth fridge could look counter-depth/builtin. We didn't mean recess it all the way back to the wall.

AHHHH... gotcha! I still think it would look more seamless if I could convince DH to build out that wall 14". Ya' think? Would that help my design?

I've kind of read everything in a hurry, so I apologize if I'm repeating anything. But a couple of other suggestions that come in to mind are moving your fridge to the area which is currently marked for a message center. And perhaps creating an eating area at one end of a wrap around island, as opposed to the side. You could place your message center/wine rack where your fridge is currently.

{{gwi:1783982}}

Or..

Build out the wall 14". Put a cooktop/hood in the area where you now have a range. Put your advantium and a wall oven over where the current message center is. And, do an eating area at one end of a wrap around island.

1. I had thought about moving my frig but I had read here that flow should go from pantry (big walk in one behind that door on SW end) to frig to prep to stove to cleanup. I was trying to go for something like that.

2. bmorepanic... thanks for the layout . For some reason DH is against having any cooking against that east wall. He feels that we shouldn't cook on the end closest to the family room. I appreciate the thought and like the long island.

3. I realized I can't build out the wall 14" because it would mess up the doorway and I don't want to lose the alcove on the other side of the doorway.

I'm posting layout #9... let me know what you think!

Where is the family room? When you post #9 could you include labels for all the connecting rooms and views you want to maintain?

Since you're already changing out one window for french doors how about moving the door to the right (east?) and wrap your cabinets around the upper corner. Put the sink and DW on the upper leg with a window above. Then since you're changing out the window above the sink anyway you could put the cooktop where the sink is and put in two smaller windows on either side of the cooktop. Lastly put the fridge where bmorepanic has it with all pantry cabinets where you currently have fridge and pantry. If you don't want the oven below the cooktop you could slide the fridge down and put the wall oven kind of splitting the wall jog. I would then incorporate the column with the island possibly adding a fake one with molding connecting the two to balance it out.

The east wall is currently another 9' window. That window is coming out because the extension off the back of the house will butt up against it and it will become an interior wall. That is where I put that doorway to lead into the new bathroom. I will have to draw this on paper as best I can to give a better visual. I won't need pantry cabinets because I using the old laundry room as a walk in pantry. I posted layout #9 but messed up because I forgot to save the 2D view. I'm trying to do it again but guess I'm too tired because I'm having a hard time with the program. I'm fine with the oven below the cooktop. THe specs on the ones I'm planning on allow for that. Oh well... tomorrow is another day. Thanks for your input.

As usual, loving Bmorepanic's idea. Concern about cooking on the east wall...Do you mean the ovens and baking counter? You actually had the cooktop there in the first plan didn't you? I could see not wanting that activity close to the family room because of smells, noise, and the traffic problems you had, but not sure I understand the concern with baking...and, mostly, it seems to be a good beverage and snack spot, place to set up a buffet, etc. With the small sink there it seems nicely multi-purpose. Not that I have to understand, though, since it is your and dh's house, and not mine... :-)

I didn't have a problem with it. I'm trying and am open to anything. As exhausted as I am and my bad shoulder is killing me for sitting at the computer for so long... I can't wait to see what I actually end up with. I placed appliances just about everywhere so far. Just posted layout #10. Total change from the others.

I'm mainly following along because I'm not in the same league on "overall layout" as the people who are giving you layout advice. Regarding informal island seating, my little family of 3 loves it, we hardly ever sit at the dining room table. I can't tell how exactly how to fit it in, but 4 ft is definitely enough between chairs and a wall (I would think you could get away with 42").