Kinda OT: I know all the kitchen layout gurus hang out here...

15 years ago

...but where do the layout gurus for other parts of the house hang out?

When we were planning our kitchen layout, the highly skilled and insightful members here like celticmoon, sweeby, bmorepanic, paulines and others helped us scrap the junky ideas we were getting from our designer and put together the perfect kitchen we have now. I know, I still have to post finished pics here, but I just need to get the corbels stained and mounted and I will, I promise!

I recently got a kinda big job promotion and the day I found out, DH immediately started allocating my new salary increase towards a large bedroom addition to our house. The thing is that the layout is quite tricky, especially for the upstairs part of it that will house the master bedroom, bath and open onto an over the garage terrace. We need brainstorming help!!! We will be working with an architect, but we want to go in armed with good ideas, especially since our past experience getting ideas from our designer for our kitchen resulted in ideas that weren't that great or creative.

Were should I go to find the layout gurus for this? Building a home forum? It's not a whole house, but it is a BIG addition, and overall "flow" throughout the house matters a lot to us. Remodeling forum? I'm just feeling spoiled by the experts and help I got here on the kitchen board, and don't know where else to go.

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Comments (7)

rhome410
15 years ago
I've never visited the remodeling forum, but the homebuilding forum, I think, would probably give you some good help. Kind of like here, if you post a proposed layout, you should get some feedback and suggestions.

BTW, Congratulations!
igloochic
15 years ago
I've helped design in the bathroom forum, and I know sweeby posted her entire master suite (including the bath) in there as well (because I did some of the drawings for her bath I remember that one). You might try there and see what you get. You could always cross post in the remodeling and bathroom forum :)
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Lavender - thanks for the layout and granite feedback! Rhome -- thanks for your layout ideas (and forgive me for not calling on you specifically for advice, you obviously know what you're talking about!) My question was about the upper cabinets -- @lavender, I am SO looking forward to our new lazy susan base. It will have an adjustable shelf with the lazy susan attached (so no center pole to interfere with objects) and I can make the top shelf taller for appliances, and the lower shelf shallower for bowls, etc. As for the uppers, the plan currently includes a cabinet opening fully on the sink wall, abutting a blind corner cabinet, opening on the range wall, that goes into the corner. My KD said that she could change the design to a 90-degree-opening shelf, like this: Rhome, you're right that the cabinet sizes would change -- the KD suggested using 21" uppers on either side of the range for symmetry (which would necessitate changing the lower tray cabinet to 9" instead of 12"). I still think it might be worth it for the increased access to the corner space. We currently have an angled cabinet, and everything gets lost in it -- I just pulled out a 4 year old cake mix last night! Never again!! The KD insists that we don't need a filler between the pantry and fridge, but I'm not convinced. The Kitchen Aid CD French Door doors swivel somewhat when they open, so I'm not as concerned with a problem when they fridge is opened -- I am more concerned with not being able to open the pantry doors fully to access the pull-outs.
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a lot of dishwashers are handle-less. It seems it would be fine to the left of sink. there will be stuff on island and peninsula so the peninsula location at[pivot and step] from sink seems it would be fine-even better in a way.rinsing of dishes is not de rigeur anymore.I don't know-I just get a funny feeling about the plan-switching range and fridge would help. I think it's something about the "center of gravity"-I'm not feeling it-there are several sections here but in the end, the "center" ends up the floorspace in the middle,oddly. Here's something-what if you had a long elongated U coming off the window wall---the sides would extend less than the peninsula..then do an island running left to right with stools across back. It's more straightforward and "center stage" which to me your space is asking for. I guess the island off to the left seems marginalized to me....for your lg space you get 3 seats? not good use in my opinion. You could have 10-12 feet of island running left to right, along with ends, so calculate seating potential with that. Also-at the left side of a U, coming from piano plaza, you could do the structure necessary to back up your fridge/ panel and finish off end and back so the fridge is situated on that arm of U-facing in. then place bench or deacon's bench on the back of this wall or whatever you construct. This carries theme of bench at front hall.[I like benches] This would be nice in that mini area. Maybe if you just pause,walk through and look at your existing space and ideas on paper as they have evolved and go back to your goals. You'll get something great here.
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I would sacrifice a bit of symmetry for better function. If the plumbing can't be changed, I'd at least move it over to the right, and place the DW on the side nearer the DR, which I assume is off to the right. Then I'd put a dish hutch on the perimeter counter, to balance the ovens on the other end. With the DW and dish storage on that side, a helper can unload the DW or gather dishes to set the table, without interfering with prep and cooking. I moved the pantry door forward, to give you more space in the pantry, and to incorporate the door into the fridge wall. If you need elbow room on both sides when removing something from the wall ovens, you can open the pantry door. Cooktop and hood are centered between the ovens and dish hutch. The fridge is beside the pantry door, bringing it closer to the prep area, and providing a counter beside it for landing. The MW is on a shelf beside the fridge, with a cubby beside it, for cookbooks, cutting boards, or coffee cups, with space below for the coffee maker. Someone can re-heat left-overs, make a sandwich, pour a glass of juice, etc, without needing to turn to the island. The MW could instead be a drawer model, beside the fridge, but I wouldn't recommend an under-counter MW. Dog bowls could go in a low drawer, or toekick drawer under the dish hutch, or in the side of the island nearer the DR, to keep them out of the main prep/cooking areas. Trash pull-out is on the end of the island, convenient to the prep zone, cooking zone, and also the fridge/snack area. The single bowl sink is off center, but if you use one with a left back drain, you can put the faucet more toward the center of the island. Images--dog bowls in drawer
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alku05
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Rhome, I'll try building a home. They were my first gut response, but I didn't now if it would be couth for me to post there for only part of a home.

Igloo, I hadn't thought of bathrooms! Great suggestion for the master which is giving us the biggest challenge.
sweeby
15 years ago
Also try the Decorating forum. That's where my original master suite plan got 'critiqued', which eventually sent me over to Bathrooms for Igloo's invaluable help. The layout help I got over there is comparable to the kitchen suggestions you can find here -- really creative! I'll watch for your post.
alku05
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Sweeby! I just posted over on decorating and on bathrooms. Clicking on those two links should take you straight to my posts in case anyone here would like to take a peak at it.

I figured I'd start on those two forums for some ideas, and them run it by Building and Remodeling.
igloochic
15 years ago
I am running off to dinner....but I'll look at it tomorrow as well.
jaymielo
15 years ago
alku05, I just looked at your post in the decorating forum. I would suggest once you get some feedback to try again in the BAH forum, as you suggest above. It looks right up the alley of a lot of posters over there and I think you'd get some good advice. I'm going back to study your plans in decorating again...

Kinda OT: I know all the kitchen layout gurus hang out here...

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Kinda OT: I know all the kitchen layout gurus hang out here...

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rhome410

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