More kitchen plans- please help me choose (lots to look at)

14 years ago

Several weeks ago, i got a lot of help choosing between layouts for a kitchen addition. (orignal thread linked below). There was a general consensus on the "D" layout. I have put those through the Ikea planner software mainly because that is the only free software I can figure out how to use, although it has some limitations.

Here is the last variation of "D" by bmorepanic

Here are the 2-D plans that I mocked up. The horizontal aisle widths are all 42 inches and there is 54 inches in the vertical aisle behind the island seating (generally between the fridge and seats) in all plans, with 48 inches on the other vertical aisle beside the island (generally between the range and the island). The "double ovens" are in the plan but I am undecided whether to have a slide in range with included ovens, or just a range top with a separate double oven. The under counter oven in the island is a Sharp microwave drawer. There is also a rolling cart (2x2 feet) under the counter in the island. The island counter looks like it is two heights but it will only be a single height - limiteations of the Ikea software.In the following posts I will also post the 3-D perspectives for the plans. Please share what you think will work.

Plan 1

The right side "wall of tall" really doesn't work with the corner cabinet here but I included this since I had thought about it. Perhaps a variation would work better.

Plan 2

Works better than Plan 1. Both give a large combined Butlers Pantry/ beverage center by the eating area. Large broom closet space by pantry on right in this plan.

Plan 3

Lines up the "wall of tall" on the left, makes a smaller butlers pantry but creates a separate beverage center on the left.

Plan 4

Like Plan 3 (Lines up the "wall of tall" on the left, makes a smaller butlers pantry but creates a separate beverage center on the left) but also includes a storage closet by the door to the new screened room on the back wall. The window is a little smaller.

Plan 5

Moves the fridge to the right, slightly better access from the family room and kitchen table, switches screened door storage closet with double ovens. The double ovens do not have high traffic in front of them since you only stand there when you are putting things in or taking out, so I am not too worried about it being right beside the door to the screened porch. This layout best reduces congestion behing the island seating.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scrappy25 original link for layout help

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Comments (11)

scrappy25
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Plan 1
The right side "wall of tall" really doesn't work with the corner cabinet here but I included this since I had thought about it. Perhaps a variation would work better.
scrappy25
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Plan 2
Works better than Plan 1. Both give a large combined Butlers Pantry/ beverage center by the eating area. Large broom closet space by pantry on right in this plan.
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Please help me choose between these plans
Q
Comments (13)
It almost seems like a runaway win for #2, huh? I originally really liked #2, but upon further searching, came across the other plan. So I wanted some outside opinions, thus my OP. lindybarts, you're probably right about that echo-effect, although I have a feeling that the Devon Park also has an overlook of sorts there as well. And, yes, two of the boys (arriving in April!) are twins! So they'll be sharing a room until they decide otherwise, at which point we'll convert the bonus to a third bedroom. You all had a good point about the kitchen / dining / laundy relationship. I hadn't even considered that until you all brought it up. Although I did notice the garage entry into the kitchen and wasn't real thrilled about that either. anvil, interesting and well thought out opinion on the 'serving bar' design. I'll have to give that some thought. And you are certainly right about polling for opinions like I'm doing here, but I am only trying to pick your brains and get ideas that I haven't thought of (like the kitchen / dining / laundry thing). I am an information junky, so I'll take all I can get. Also, I don't know if there is a way to track 'post views' on this forum. But there are no doubt many (some?) that viewed and didn't post. Those are the "I don't knows" A couple of other considerations; I now notice from looking at the rear elevations (not shown here) that #1 has a '2-story' family room with windows all the way up in the back. #2 has a 'vaulted' family room, but only 1 level of windows on the back. Our lot is very wooded, we're in zone 7 (I believe). Any opinions about the difference here? Also, I originally said that the plans are similar in sq. ft., but in reality, they are about 400 (finished - assuming the bonus room will be finished in the Devon Park plan) sq. ft. different, with plan #2 (Devon Park) being larger. I am shooting for a building cost of around $100/foot (may even owner build) not including the lot. By looking at these plans, is it valid to say that the Devon Park would cost about $40K more to build? I think not, mainly due to the more complex framing and roofing structure of the Prescott Ridge plan (see the images below). Is my thinking correct here? Prescott Ridge Devon Park To me, the Prescott looks more expensive to frame than the Devon. Thanks to all, please keep the ideas coming.
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Comments (14)
florantha - yes, I would want to protect the range from traffic more than in that last layout. The suggestions of opening up the long wall on the left are interesting, I don't think they are right for our family. We do want to keep a table in the kitchen and upon reflection, I don't really want the kitchen completely open to the family room since a little separation is nice when friends are over and the kids are watching a movie in there. I do think that the thoughts are ideas that could inspire other readers in their own planning. I am leaning toward option C (last) in the original post, but I am a little hesitant about the fridge location. I like it along the back wall because it leaves the sides of the room more open, giving more of a feeling of connection to the family room and to the outside through the window on the right wall. The room is long and my idea was to place the bulky fridge to shorten the room, not narrow it. Placing the fridge on the back wall in the corner also allows room for a bigger (deeper) fridge without interfering with traffic in the room - I'd like to maximize my fridge space without going to the expense of a large built in. But I also know that it's preferable to have the fridge on the perimeter of the kitchen. The proposed location would not drive traffice through the prep and cooking area, but perhaps it's still a bad plan? Feedback would be appreciated. For Layout C, the shallow pantry on the left side of the room is 12" cupboards, the space from there to the island is 41", the island is 41" wide, and the space from the island to the cleanup sink is 48". I've pulled the counters on the back wall so that the counters would be 30". Sorry not to have added these dimensions to the drawings.
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Don't even know how many homes I've put RG in at this point. I will tell you that I don't put RG and Blonde together much any more unless there is substantial natural light. Reason being you can hardly tell the difference between the two. In a couple of homes that's worked out well. Blonde was just a snidge lighter than RG so it all looked like the same color, but in the individual spaces the lightness of Blonde helped *lift* that area whereas the RG would have been too dark. If a definite difference between areas is desired, I pair RG with Believeable Buff. BB ended up being what several people thought Blonde would have/should have looked like next to RG. Had a couple clients repaint Blonde with BB because they thought there would be more of a difference. I suggested only partial repaints for them because RG worked out great just needed to tweak the contrast with BB. If you sample in your space and you can easily see a diff between Blonde and RG, it should be fine. Just be aware and really look before you decide. Don't assume RG and Blonde are a good pairing just because of how they are ordered on the strip.
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Comments (21)
Everyone's remodel takes longer than they think! I'll be 1 1/2 years out on a kitchen remodel we thought would take 6 months, so I'm sure you're doing great. Thanks for the big photo of the fixture, and it does look perfect for your space with a nice blend of those colors in the drapery hardware as well as your somerset pendants and the mirrors. As for the mirrors, really anything can be made to work and blend into a space as long as colors, textures or patterns are repeated elsewhere in the room. If you like the mirrors, by all means keep them as they are despite all the opinions people are giving you. Other people aren't living with the space -- you are. It sounds like your pendant hanging length isn't going to interfere with head or visual space, but I'm not an expert on that so double-check the measurements. If your counters are a standard 36" high and the pendants reach 36" above that, then I think you'll be fine. Some people are putting in elongated fixtures over long dining tables, similar to the ones you posted in previous photos, but I have a dining table that is long with a small chandelier above it and have never felt that the fixture was too small. If you like the colors and shape of the round one you just posted, I think it would work for your long table, especially because it has so many lights in it. You might want to think about installing it with a dimmer so that it is not actually too bright for some occasions. I'm happy to throw in my suggestions as so many people have helped me a ton with our remodel here in the Houzz forums, primarily through the archive of searchable posts. I'm like you trying to make decisions on my own, so it's required a lot of time researching everything.
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scrappy25
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Plan 3
Lines up the "wall of tall" on the left, makes a smaller butlers pantry but creates a separate beverage center on the left.
scrappy25
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Plan 4
Like Plan 3 (Lines up the "wall of tall" on the left, makes a smaller butlers pantry but creates a separate beverage center on the left) but also includes a storage closet by the door to the new screened room on the back wall. The window is a little smaller.
scrappy25
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Plan 5
Moves the fridge to the right, slightly better access from the family room and kitchen table, switches screened door storage closet with double ovens. The double ovens do not have high traffic in front of them since you only stand there when you are putting things in or taking out, so I am not too worried about it being right beside the door to the screened porch. This layout best reduces congestion behing the island seating.

I see that I posted the wrong link in the introductory post for the 2-D plan. Here it is.
scrappy25
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I realize this is a huge posting- is there a better way of presenting the information? Also, is there a way to edit my posts- I posted the wrong link above in the first post for Plan 5.
thanks!
Nancy
scrappy25
Original Author
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
BTT for those layout experts- bmorepanic, rhome, buehl, michellemarie others that helped initially, are you there?
rhome410
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
This is a lot to look at and respond to. I couldn't really love any of the plans and didn't know where to start, and I'm betting others feel similarly.

I think you need to think about how your task areas will work. I don't think I'd have any task areas (prep sink or appliances) toward the table and wouldn't have seating blocking the fridge. The fridge always seems to be across the kitchen and around obstacles from the stove, which would be a deal breaker for me. I would like to see an efficient zone or triangle consisting of the fridge, the prep sink, and the stove. With the size limitations, I'm wondering if putting the stove on the back wall might be the best bet.

The stove is definitely best on the right wall or the back wall, so not in a traffic path.

What's the purpose of the rolling cart?
Mark Lay
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Couple of thoughts
> Way too much information/questions - need to provide less information and ask more specific design questions; you'll get better feedback
> you are planning a significant rennovation($$$) find a kitchen designer help you - they work for free if you buy enough cabinets
> I agree with rhome410 points above
> suggest moving frig to screen porch door (left of window sink) - having counter space next to the frig is extremely helpful (place to set things down going in our out of the frig (it's this way in your hand drawing)
> move dishwashers to right & left side of large window sink ; leave the other sink for prep
> drop the upper cabinets right & left of window; drop the corner upper cabinets - not worth the money & you loose stuff in the back; put cabinets only on the range hood wall;
> two counter stools on the left end away from range
> mount the wall ovens next to pantry;
rhome410
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Can't believe I missed that, because I did dishwashers split into different locations before and it didn't work well at all...I agree that the dishwashers will likely work best for you flanking the main sink. Keep the dirty dishes gathering in one area, not two.
desertsteph
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
ok... on plan 5 i think keeping the stove in that area - is it just a cooktop? move it a bit to the left - or turn the corner and put on back wall...or even angle the corner and put it there. then put the oven where you have the fridge.

put the porch storage closet to the far left of the main sink - just inside the door and next to it put a CD fridge.
I'd put the prep sink on the end by the stove.

stove is out of traffic, fridge is also and others have access to it going in/out of porch.

use the wall between porch door and DR door for pantry and extra dish storage.

More kitchen plans- please help me choose (lots to look at)

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More kitchen plans- please help me choose (lots to look at)

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