Need Help with New Kitchen Layout

13 years ago

I've been searching the forums for a while and can't thank everyone enough for such valuable information and inspiration. So many of my questions have been answered by previous posts, I haven't needed to post until now.

We are remodeling our kitchen to improve storage and add an eat-in island. The kitchen is 13' 9" by 16' with 12'4" tall ceilings. The house is an early 1900s victorian cottage. Overall, I'm aiming to create a vintage inspired kitchen with a few modern elements. I've finally pulled together my new kitchen layout (drawings are attempted to be at scale), but need help with a few key issues:

1) Pantry/Fridge wall - I want this wall to have the appearance of an antique china cabinet in the middle with glass upper doors. The 36' french door fridge will be paneled. Pantry doors will match fridge panels for symmetry. I can't decide how the china cabinet part should look. I'm also planning to use glass doors with elliptical or X-shaped mullions. I've drawn two options, and I welcome your ideas for improvements.

2) Range Hood wall - I plan to use a liner hood with cabinet style hood. Our ceilings are 12'4" high and I have to vent straight up through attic due to the wall arrangement and code requirements. I need to cover the ducting with either cabinetry or a sheetrock box as drawn. I can't come up with anything better here, and would really appreciate suggestions.

3) Stacking Upper Cabinets - I love my tall ceilings, but the current 42" cabinets look wimpy. I'm concerned about the getting the proportions right at the range hood if I stack the upper cabinets. Our crown comes down about one foot from the ceiling, leaving 136" for max cabinet height. Working from the bottom up: 36" base with countertop) + 18" backsplash + 42" Upper + 18" Upper + 6" Cabinet Crown = 120". That leaves 16" of sheetrock between cabinets and crown. Does this seem right?

I'm caught in analysis paralysis here. Please help!

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Comments (6)

formerlyflorantha
13 years ago
Tall ceiling gives more options. Have been impressed by the uppers that have a second small cupboard directly above the first, I think foot high or so and having no additional shelves. Gives the wall more detail, including a second spot for a knob or handle. Sometimes these have glass in them. Classy look and a good place to display a collection or a seldom-used wedding present.
Buehl
13 years ago
It would help if we could see the layout.

If you need help posting your layout, see the "Read Me" thread. Scroll down to the "Layout" and "Posting Pictures" posts.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!
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You said you had a sloping lot. Does this plan have a basement so you can utilize a walkout? To block off the kitchen: add a small broom closet facing the kitchen, at the top of the pantry. I would also turn the island 90 degrees to give a little more space in the DR if needed. For the bathroom toilet: -remove the door -move the toilet forward so that the front of it is even with the front of the sink cabinet -put up a wall behind the new toilet location -make a linen/storage closet accessible from the PR OR: -remove the door -move the toilet forward so that the front of it is even with the front of the sink cabinet -put up a wall behind the new toilet location -open the wall at the end of the left closet run -put shelves in the now available shoe/storage space
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Thank you for your quick response! So happy to hear that this is do-able. Messy I can live with, as the kitchen has been completely gutted for some time as I ponder my options. There had been a tile floor directly on the slab. I have 7 1/2 ft ceilings, so I prefer the lowest profile flooring I can get (i.e. no subfloor). And yes, there is (defunct) radiant heat piping in the slab. Does that change your opinion? I may do a floating or glue-down 3/8" engineered hardwood floor with radiant blankets underneath, but havent gotten that far yet, as the layout is the critical first decision. I could have more cabinets placed along the remaining walls if I buried the baseboard heatpipes and replaced them w/ a Toesters toekick unit, as long as they're here w/ the saws.(Passed the heat load consult.) Can't wait to get past these concrete related challenges so the real design fun can begin! Any further advice is so very greatly appreciated.
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I had considered shaving a foot or 2 off your island to make it easier to get around, but did not show it in the mock up because you mentioned needing a lot of seating in the island. Your kids may have friends over after school (or weekends) and that can snowball. One thing to consider is to have rounded edges on the island to make traffic jams less painful. I'd also recommend that the back side of the island curve outward because you have plenty of room and it would give you a nicer look. It would also allow anyone seated at the island to have a better shot at conversing with each other. I mocked up moving the fridge/freezer setup lower. I also think a base cab at the end would be best for landing space and keeping an open feel. I like the extra opening into the great room for much easier flow. I added a base cab for utensils by your table because we have that in our new kitchen and it is fabulous. It is also next to the dw for ease of unloading. I like the idea of one more window in your morning room to get cross ventilation. Your hutch would have to be more of a buffet kind of set up. Another thought was a window seat along the left side and upper walls. You seem to have the space for it and you could use it for storage below. Otherwise the morning room is a little large for the table shown. Dooonie's is the perfect example of how you can have a feature by the stove and sink and not miss having a window at all! Her features complement each other and are not copies. btw - I could not figure out the label on the closet in the laundry room... I had thought that your laundry room could be laid out better. We have the large Lg Tromms that are stackable and that makes more floor space. I did a mockup with them side by side, but moved to the other wall with the sink. It opens up the laundry room more and gives you more options. If you stacked them, it would give you even more flexibility.
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Thank you so much for the feedback, mama_goose & frenchtarragon! I agree that the current stove location is best, so I'll probably opt for another slide-in. It's only a few hundred more. And then another few hundred for the island hood, but that would be a more modern look, and it allows for more upper cabinets on the other side. I am planning an overhanging countertop into the family room so stools could be added. The old layout had this, too. It would be nice to not have your back turned to the family room while cooking. I am curious why you recommend the easy reach upper rather than the corner upper cabinet. Below is my new proposal, with another blind corner base cabinet, pulled out to clear the pipes. Maybe I’d be better off with just an 18” cabinet or drawer base there, since I've read bad things about the usability of blind corner bases. The other blind corner base cabinet would not be accessible from the other side due to the half wall, so this could be replaced, too. I'll price & consider your other recommendations - trash pull-out & microwave shelf. Thanks again! Any more thoughts would be appreciated!
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teapotmissy
Original Author
13 years ago
The instructions for posting the layoutwere really helpful. Thank you buehl. I wish I had discovered them before I posted :(

Here is the overall house layout, kitchen layout, and eleveations for the pantry and range wall. The scale in the kitchen layout and elevation drawings is 1 box = 6 inches.

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a href="http://s775.photobucket.com/albums/yy35/teapotmissy/?action=viewÂ¤t=WestElevationOption1.jpg"; target="_blank">{{!gwi}}

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chicagoans
13 years ago
On the second option for your pantry/ref wall: if your refrigerator is all the way in the corner next to a wall, it will be hard (or impossible) to open the right hand door all the way. This will make it hard to pull out drawers etc. for cleaning. So my vote would be to have the 18" broom closet between the ref and the corner wall.

However, I'm a bit concerned about the glass doors next to the refrigerator. If there is a way to make sure that the fridge door won't slip and hit the glass door, or vice versa, that would be great. I guess it depends on the depth and location of handles.

Since you have 2 stacks of drawers in the china cabinet, I'd go for 2 stacked cabinets rather than three for the uppers. (Unless you have an inspiration picture that you love, that shows it like you have your drawing.)

Would you consider removing the door between the kitchen and dining room? It will interfere with refrigerator access where it is now.
teapotmissy
Original Author
13 years ago
I hadn't thought about the refrigerator handle interfering or breaking the glass door in option 2 until now. Thanks for catching that chicagoans.

We are planning to remove the swinging door between the kitchen and dining room. I think it is an injury waiting to happen.

I included a link to the (way out of my budget)Woodmode kitchen that inspired the china cabinet.

TIA for your help

Here is a link that might be useful: Southhampton China Cabinet
chicagoans
13 years ago
Love that inspiration pic! Really beautiful. (Although I'd have the same concern about the pantry doors hitting the sconces! Maybe it's because I have 2 middle schoolers and usually there are lots of kids running in and out. I'm sure more dignified folks could figure out how to avoid hitting the sconce with a door!)

If you go for option 2 on your north wall elevation, please plan on 6" or so of space between the ref and the wall, unless the wall is shorter than the depth of the body of the ref (not including doors.) The 6" doesn't have to be filler - people have done amazing pullout storage (for brooms, step stools, etc.) in less space.

Need Help with New Kitchen Layout

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formerlyflorantha

Buehl

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