New Construction Kitchen Layout: Need critiqued!

9 years ago

We are about to sign a contract to start building our home, and are getting nervous about a few things! The kitchen seemed fine right up until the end, when we realized this was such as permanent decision :)

This is by no means a huge kitchen, but there is absolutely no space to make it wider. We could expand off of the eat-in area if necessary. I have contemplated expanding the eat-in area and then flipping the two areas so that the kitchen area is larger. However, I don't know if it would be strange to have an eat-in area with no windows. I have come to terms with no windows in my kitchen after walking through a few houses (as long as there are lots of large windows in the eat-in area).

We were thinking the back wall (behind the island) could be a wall of shallow cabinets with tall doors to use as a pantry. The large double doors pictured was supposed to be a double fridge/freezer combo, but I am debating taking that down to a standard fridge to gain cabinet space (although we like the idea of the double unit to get rid of our upright freezer!) .

A few details: The back wall of cabinets are 15 1/2" deep. There is 4'6" between those cabinets and the island. There is 3'9" between the island and the standard cabinets. The island is 2'6" wide by 5'10" long. I really don't want to use my island for a sink/range because it is my primary work space as I HATE prepping with overhead cabinets above me. Also, I have an 8 foot span of cabinets in my butlers pantry off of the dining room for a bit of extra storage.

Right now, we are planning the sink centered with the island so it is more accessible to the table, but could switch it with the range (on the short run of cabinets).

Please let me know if this is a workable space! If it is just terrible, then tell me... I can take the heat :)

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Comments (8)

britwooten
Original Author
9 years ago
Also, we have decided to forgo a basement and therefore have a bit of extra square footage that can be re-allocated. I have posted a picture of this half of the house below. If I move the mudroom and door from the garage down, I can move the bathroom down a bit and gain some space for a walk-in type pantry. That sounds REALLY appealing to have a place to park my appliances, but I m just not sure where a fridge could go. I could put it to the right of the pantry and steal a bit of space from the garage, but I am not sure having the fridge behind the island will work well?

I only know how to post one picture in a post, so this one is of the current floor plan with the stairs that will be removed. I will follow up with what I had in mind with the pantry.
britwooten
Original Author
9 years ago
And here is what I was thinking....
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So, at the risk of responding to myself too much and becoming an echo chamber, I have some more thoughts after having 15 people for dinner last night. The first family arrived, and we all clustered in the too-small kitchen, which meant someone was in my way if I needed to take something out of the oven, stir something on the stove, grab something from the fridge, or put something in the sink/dishwasher. Once we moved into the dining room, the serving space was too small (the cabinetry on the dining room wall). And once people sat down at that side of the table, it was totally cramped and almost impossible to get food. Yet we all clustered in that area anyway, since there was really nowhere else to sit. As I was standing there, I realized we had NO ONE in the sunroom - our largest space - all night. Instead, we were all in the tiny kitchen or cramped dining room. So it's pulling me toward this expansion idea, with the intention to move the dining table into the sunroom (the table would have at least as much traffic space on either side as it does now, and it will only impede traffic to the bar or deck, rather than the hallway/rest of the house). We would also have more space in the kitchen for people to gather without getting in the way as much. Anyway, I'm leaning toward an island like this: The shallow cabinet at one end could hold cookbooks, and this would give adequate overhang and as-needed worktop/serving space with 25-30" depth, rather than the approx. 40" needed with a standard island. Math: 143" width - 25.5" (cabinet run) - 42" aisles (x2) = 33.5" for the proposed island solution. Any thoughts?
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hmmmm this is interesting.....i've actually changed those 2 or 3 rooms around alot. I originally had it so that you had to walk through the laundry to get to the PR, which was the big no-no. We ended up with the PR on top, and laundry/storage in the south. What is interesting is that all this time (6 months!?) no one I've spoken to - architects and contractors and friends and family, had a problem with having the PR on top. In fact, while we were discussing how to not have the PR accessed through the laundry, everybody felt that it makes the most sense for the PR to be right next to the entrance to the stairs to go downstairs. That seems to be where people expect the PR to be - by the entrance. While, the laundry was put directly next to the entrance to the MB for convenience. Everyone who saw that thought it would be great to have the laundry there. So now that you guys are telling me not to have the PR there, I really don't know what to think, and don't know what to do. Personally, having the PR with easy access to the kitchen/living room is actually a plus - why would I want my guests to hunt around for the bathroom when they need it? People like peeing before they leave a restaurant/party/house etc. Personally I never thought it would be a problem to have the PR so close to the kitchen, since it has a door anyway. And also, putting the PR near the entrance of the MR would not benefit me at all - whoever lives in the MR (me) won't need to use the PR so close. Having the Laundry there just seem to make most sense? I'm just shocked that I've never heard this rule before. I guess I have not been to enough nice houses? And I have come to some conclusions on the fridge locations - splitting the fridge looks nice due to symmetry, but the problem is, just about every example of a split fridge I've seen have both relatively close together. OK, I accept that in reality you either need the fridge or the freezer, you don't need them close by, but once I got the tape measure out, and saw the actual distance - 13.5', between the freezer and the fridge (which is also the length of the island), thats just too far away.
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Hi guys, thank you for the input and help! bethohio3, that beverage center looks awesome! Thank you so much for that find and recommendation. I think that would look great on that south wall by the stairs. It would also be functional since its closer to eating area and great room. Hopefully we can get that made by our cabinet guy in budget. For questions that Cheryl Heweitt asked: 1.) Do you have a floor plan that has more detail, like what size cabinets and their function? Aisle widths? Unfortunately do not have this yet. Will be getting it from architect in next week or so. 2.) What is the function of the cabinets in the breakfast nook? Again, more detail would be helpful. Not sure what the function would be but were thinking of using as pantry and also as a beverage center for a small bev fridge and such. 3.) Family size? If you have children at home, age ranges? Number of cooks in the kitchen? 2 small kids age 3, family of 4. 1-2 cooks 4.) What kind of cabinets/function are you planning for the island? Your island is really deep. Will there be cabinet access from the back side, too? We specifically wanted a large island as we thought it would be functional and like how it looks. Will have cabinets in it (hopefully on both sides). Use (w/ addition of prep sink now thanks to the feedback here) will be for food prep and also guests to sit at. When I look at your present floor plan I don't find it all that functional due to the refrigerator being so far to the right. If you rotated the island 90 degrees, and added a sink I think it would function more smoothly. I guess it depends on where you expect to do meal prep. My wife and I talked about island orientation for quite a while and we decided not to rotate the island but leave it as is since the north south dimensions of the room are so generous (19 feet) rather that the east west.
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After seeing benjesbride's idea to add a door, this would be a more direct route to the pantry, and it preserves the sink/pass-through. The door is narrow (30"), and would have no facing, and the counter overhangs would be flush with the edges. I have a similar sized door between the kitchen and LR,--the cabinet edge is flush with the door opening, and the counter wraps the 'facing'. We have a lot of traffic through that opening, but no problems. If you use 1" overhangs, the total length of the wall would be 123". You would also have the option of a wall oven, leaving drawer space under a cooktop, and eliminating a blind corner. That space could also be used for a coffee center. Disadvantages would be that anyone coming from the mudroom might cut through your work space to get to the LR, although taking the hallway would be the same distance, and the wall oven step-back space is tight. If you skip the wall oven, that would be perfect spot for a KA mixer. :) With no upper cabinets on the range wall, I gave you a 42" hood to help capture steam and grease.
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User
9 years ago
Some actual dimensions and appliance spacing would help a lot, but at first glance, no this kitchen doesn't have the type of space needed to do what you want. It wastes a lot of potentially useful space in hallways surrounding the kitchen as well. If the rest of the plan is as poorly laid out, you are right to have concerns.
Karenseb
9 years ago
Your dining room reminds me of our last home, which I just loved. We had a kitchen about your size, maybe a little longer. We had a peninsula with sink facing the bank of windows in the casual dining room. It was as if I had one big window in front of the sink. You probably don't need a walk in pantry when you have a butlers pantry. I'll try to draw out something like what I had a little later.
I can see your kitchen and eat in area are 14 ft wide. How long are each of the rooms?
britwooten
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the quick feedback!

The length of the entire space is 23'11" and it is almost exactly cut in half. The kitchen area is 12' (so 12 x 14'2").

That would be so helpful to see your layout! Thank you so much! I will start to play around with a peninsula style. I was REALLY set on an island design but if it is really just terrible, then I will have to reconsider :(! A peninsula might be a good solution!

As far as the hallway space goes, there is not much I can do about that :) I really do not want our guest bedroom's only access point through the kitchen, so the hallway is necessary. I have posted a picture of the entire floor plan if that helps any.

I am working on marking the floor plan up with more dimension so I will post that asap.

Thanks again for the feedback! Any more suggestions would be fantastic!
britwooten
Original Author
9 years ago
I marked this up the best that I could... I hope it is understandable! Please let me know if I need to include anything else.

Also, would it be strange to extend the island and back wall of cabinets? Or would it be strange to see them from the living area?
Karenseb
9 years ago
I tried to fit the peninsula into your layout, but I'm not sure it works. My kitchen was actually a little smaller, but open to the hallway with a shallow pantry across the hallway. My isles were not the standard 42 inches, but they worked well in the kitchen (better than the the kitchen I have now with the 42 inch clearance) The stove sink and peninsula as drawn are similar to what i had. I'm not sure you have room for the bar seating in front of the sink. My fridge was a little further from where I drew yours and I'm not sure if where I put it is ideal. Also I took another foot from your garage to give you extra width.
I am definitely not an expert in this area. I went to a couple of kitchen designers to get layout help before we finalized the floor plan and one designer was excellent and had great ideas.
Actually, I like your original floor plan and shallow pantry. Putting a 30 in cabinet next to the fridge should help when setting things down and using the fridge.
I don't think you've allowed enough room on either side of your stove and I don't think I would want to switch it with the sink.
britwooten
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you so much for taking your time to draw this out! So helpful! I am still playing with it but it seems this might be the route to go! Thank you so much for taking your time to draw this out!

New Construction Kitchen Layout: Need critiqued!

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