Interesting...both the house plans and comments in the other thread.

Regarding the kitchen...to help you design a kitchen that will work for you, we will need more information. No, we're not trying to be nosy, but there are some things we need to know to determine what you need and want. There's a lot of information in the "Read Me" thread (linked below), but I've copied the info from that thread that we need to review & help you with your kitchen design.

But first, take the Sweeby Test.

Excerpt from the "Read Me" thread

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Layout Help

We often get requests to help with layouts. Many of us enjoy doing this but it would help if you can post a copy of your layout, preferably to-scale.

• The best place to start is to draw up your kitchen (to scale, if possible) either without cabinets & appliances if you don't know where to start or w/your proposed new layout if you have something to start with. Regardless, measure and label everything...walls, ceiling height, widths of doors & windows, distances between windows, walls, doorways, etc.

If you cannot move plumbing or gas, mark them on your drawing as well.
Mark all doorways & windows (w/dimensions) and label them as to where they lead. If they're actual doors, mark how they swing.
It also would be helpful to see the connecting rooms, even layouts so you see how they interact with the kitchen and/or extend the kitchen feel and flow.
Make note of traffic flows in and out of the kitchen

Make a list of things like:

• What are your goals? E.g., more counter space, more storage, seating in the kitchen (island? peninsula? table?), etc.

What is your family composition? Adults? Children? Age ranges of children?
How many kitchen workers are there? Cook(s)? Cleanup? Helpers? Now? Future? (E.g., if you have young children, plan for them as teens for both "sizing" of seating as well as helping in the kitchen in general)
How do you see your kitchen used? Just for cooking/cleaning up? Children doing homework while you cook?
Do you entertain a lot? Formal? Informal?
Do you want your kitchen to be a "hang out" place? Parties only? Everyday?
Do you have a separate DR? Do you use it frequently? Infrequently? If infrequently, do you want to begin using it more frequently?
Would you like to open up the kitchen to adjacent areas? Close it up?
Do you plan to merge two rooms/areas (e.g., Nook and Kitchen into a Kitchen only)
Where are you flexible?

• Can windows or doorways change size?

• Can they be moved?

• Can windows be raised/lowered?

• Can any walls come down?

• Does the sink have to be centered under a window?

• Does it have to be under a window at all?

Do you bake? Do you want a coffee/tea/beverage center?
What appliances do you plan on having (helps to figure out work flow, work zones, and types of cabinets...upper/lower vs full height, etc.)

• Range or Cooktop?

• Single or Double or no...

It was a little difficult to read the layout and there were no dimensions, so I guessed. Here are some ideas to start the discussion...

(No Pantry)

Wow. We built our house, including cabinets. My best estimate was around $70/sq ft, and we kept the plan simple and square as possible, using the recommended 2, 4, and 8 ft increments for the exterior dimensions, with a simple roofline (no garage, but covered porches)...So as mentioned in the building thread, I worry about your plan with all it's intricacies and angles and complex roofline being affordable.

But on to the kitchen: It looks like it's roomy, but I wonder how set you are on the diagonally place island. Pretty, likely not the most efficient use of the space. I think you could still do the corner pantry, and place the island as Buehl drew it in her last plan above.

Ok, now I had a forver long post answering your questions and it vanished. grrr.... Here we go again!

It's a new design so nothing is set in stone. Well, it will be since it's gonna be on a slab :P. The current design has the aisles as 36" with 42" between the sink and middle island.

I had a big kitchen, galley shaped, about 10' between the counters....HATED IT...it was too big to be functional. Currently I have a U-shaped kitchen, about 6' between the parallel cabinets and it's very user friendly.

There is me, wifey, and three kiddos: 4, 2, and 1...and YES, we are most definitely finished with kiddos. Both wife and I cook, frequently together. Kiddos like to "help", so we sit them on the counter away from the action so they can be involved. Involved generally means snacking on raw veggies while we cook :).

The only multipurpose area I see being used in the kitchen is the bar area. I could easily see wifey and I with our laptops there (I'm in the DR right now) or kiddos doing homework there when they get older. For that matter, we would probably eat there quite a bit. We use our DR for supper (we always eat supper as a family) but breakfast or lunch would probably be either at the bar or breakfast nook.

When we entertain, it generally means we have the grill going. And, as you can see in the plans, we've got plans for a HUGE covered veranda area. I also have plans of eventually putting an outdoor kitchen near the outdoor fireplace with both gas and wood grills.

I really like open spaces. The double dashed lines in the plans are open archways. I really like the Old World feel, courtyards, verandas, tile floors, etc...but not so much southwestern...I want Spanish mission, not Arizona tract home.

Where am I flexible? Well, my knees, back and shoulders. Why does this matter? :-P Actually, I'm pretty open right now. I like the shape of the kitchen because I like my ceiling plans in that area. Originally I had the ovens where the pantry is and two "coat closet pantries". I would like more light in the kitchen, but the west wall, relative to the plan, (where everyone tells me I should add windows) opens onto a driveway/future courtyard which means ugly views.

I want a 48" cooktop because I like the look and I like the idea of an in-house grill, but wife doesn't like the cost. I've thought about putting in a 36" cooktop but have the design so that I could change it out to a 48" at some later date. The current plan has double ovens with a microwave over/under/between them. I either want a CD fridge or a fridge on the south wall (I could thicken the wall up and recess the fridge if necessary.) Fridge drawn is a 48" but once again, wife doesn't like the price :-P. At one time, I had figured a 42" fridge/freezer with a second 36" freezer. Like the idea, not really wall space though. Standard dishwasher, like the idea of a warming drawer but not really necessary. Would be nice though. As drawn on the plans, I'd put a...

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So, I don't know - I think maybe a version of this.

I'm uncertain where people will gather? The living room or kitchen dining? This design picks kitchen dining.

You don't have windows in the kitchen - one little one to the covered porch doesn't count. This (or cleanup area on the exterior wall) lets you have another direction of natural light and ventilation.

You say you're all about cooking outdoors, but cooking outdoors means somebody needs to prep inside and tote a lot of stuff to and fro and the only available door is in the living room. This changes the veranda window for french doors.

If you don't really eat often in a the formal dining room, consider making that the bedroom/bath and consolidate some of the bedroom space into a nice sized, semi-formal dining space in the kitchen with lots of windows. Consider using some of the space to add a real summer kitchen on the veranda.

I'm not set on the angled bar, I just thinks it looks nicer and opened up the pathway for foot traffic to the bedroom and powder room. I am going to play with some of bmorepanic's ideas. I think I like the idea of having the opening closer to the garage except it throws off the symmetry of the foyer area....but my arch probably does that anyways. Also I like the buffet server between the kitchen and living room. I also really like the window placement in that layout.

I really like beuhl's bottom layout except I think the ceilings would be boring. One other thing both of these posts got me thinking about was trying to use the entire space (nook and kitchen area)....I've only been modifying the kitchen area.

I do plan on eventually adding a full kitchen to the veranda area. Well, sink, fridge, warming drawers, countertops. No DW, ovens, or microwaves.

Keep the ideas coming. I'm liking it!

Here is the latest layout. Don't quite like it as much but think it is much more functional. Plus I get to keep my ceilings.

FYI: Aisles are 36" wide. 36" cooktop, 36" ovens, 48" fridge.

Please let me know what you think.

Here is a link that might be useful: Revised Kitchen Plans

I think this one crowds too much in too little space (no room to pullout chairs at the table, not enough room in front of the fridge, etc.) and limits counter and movement where you need it, while giving you a very long stretch of counter where it's not needed. Sorry.

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Concept sketch mostly for self-amusement.

Serious things to say about the master bedroom and office and the concept sketch shows one of, I'm sure, many solutions (and quite a few of them are probably better than mine). Master bedroom and office doorways are small enough to be unusable, I think. This is a place where you need to bring in large pieces of furniture and I don't think you can. I once rented a small townhouse only to find out that it was impossible to bring the bed I owned into the bedroom because of small, odd clearances.

Bit less serious, in the master bath, I question being able to use that toilet with the door closed. Particularly thinking of the normal male position...

Hey peoples :)

I have a revised first floor plan posted below including a new kitchen layout. Kitchen likes: wide aisles, large island, ginormous pantry. Dislikes: lack of "centered" wall cabinets (hence the cabinets leading towards the bedroom), it looks like a LOOONG walk from the fridgidairy to the cooktop.

FYI: 42" between the two islands and the islands and the cooktop, 51" between the wall and the prep island / seating area, 54" between the fridge and prep island. Pantry shelves are 12" wide (west wall according to plan) and 18" (north and east wall)

Bmorepanic....likes with your plans: center laundry, open kitchen with lots o' winders, dislikes: i liked having the lockers for the kiddos in the laundry and right beside the entry door was convienient, i want a more formal dining room, i went through great pains and efforts to hide the toilets, split vanities in the master, and changing the overall footprint would wreck havoc with my elevations.

Oh yeah....so the normal male posiition for using the toilet? you mean kneeling over in front of it after a hard night of partying? (Kidding....I don't drink that much :P)

Here is a link that might be useful: Revised Plans

When it's time to look at pictures or look for contractors, I find this site very helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Design Pictures

Big_Hans...you have resurrected & posted on several threads now touting what is obviously your company...that violates the terms of use for this site.

On the plus side...Rsc2a....do you still want critiques of the last plan you posted?