Need Layout Help Please

12 years ago

Thanks in advance to all you experts! I've learned a great deal from this forum.

I am working on the final layout of our kitchen and would love some advice.

My main question is:

Should I switch the place of the sink and range? Almost the entire East wall would be windows if we move the sink to that wall and there would only be two windows flanking the range the other way. The primary reason I would switch them is (1) because of the light/sun and (2) more cabinet space as I would eliminate the sink on the (duel height) island. It seems like functionally the range on the East wall is much better (with the sink on the island there is a nice work triangle - and cleanup is on the south wall), but aesthetically the range is better on the South wall.

Some notes and questions:

1)It's tight to the piano so we may move the piano out of the room (although we love having our kids play while we cook!)

2) We may make the island only 7ft (with 3 seating)and make it single height (like in photo) if we keep the piano

3) The 9ft. run along the back wall is likely only 8ft, as we are verifying setbacks

4) Is 36" large enough for a pantry? If we move the piano I can sneak some more space for the pantry.

Any comments greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Laura

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Comments (2)

bmorepanic
12 years ago
Comment on either design first - the angled base with the flat corner cabinets above? Can you actually reach those wall cabinets? I'm saying that because at 5'7", I can't. With a non-angled corner base, I can't reach the back about 4-6" but with an angled base, I can't reach the back 12-15" on both sides. This is because the countertop prevents my body from being able to get as close. I like the angled base in your kitchen, but I think it makes it one or the other. Have the wall cabs and a straight corner or have the angled base and no wall cabs. Maybe something like an angled pot rail.

Leave yourself some extra wall area behind the range - if the range is 48", the hood should be 54" and then a gap where the wall or backsplash shows and then the window trim and then the windows. The small gap (1" to 6") between the hood and the trim is to make it not look crammed in. It also provides a small assurance against little construction errors.

The trash and the micro are two things that others come into the chef's domain to use. Stuff going into the micro comes from the ref a lot of the time. I wonder if the micro should be on the other side of the island? Also consider either moving the trash so its accessible to others or add another trash that is. People use the trash not only for cooking but for general disposal of things that start or end their life in the family area.

An example that illustrates the point - you are making holiday supper and using every bit of the island space. "unnamed child" comes home and wants to heat up soup. Perhaps gets a micro-ready container from the pantry, walks through your prep area to use the micro, gets a spoon, walks around to eat the soup, then goes back into your prep area to ditch the container.

On the point you asked about, I think you end up needing perhaps a lot of other changes to make moving the range to the other wall work. The ref and pantry end up on the far side of the room from prep and around the island - turning the island into an obstacle in the way of cooking. The windows take the place of your dish storage. Cleanup is further away from the table space.

If you want to use the island for prep, you might need to turn it to get enough surface that faces the range area, but of course that makes it more of a barrier.

Some people solve the basic ref issue by adding ref drawers in the prep area. Omitting some of the south facing glass might make it possible to move the ref to the end of the south facing run, but it would do some other stuff - much more visible and cuts off the view from prep of the table area.

hth
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dljmth
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you so much for your help! I didn't think about that corner cabinet and I am 5' 7" too. Will definitely adjust that. And thanks for the comments on the backsplash/hood for the range. The windows will need to be smaller else we'll need to settle on a 36" range. We were hoping to get a double oven but don't really have the wall space hence the 48" range. I suppose we could put the refrig and double oven on the South wall, but that would be what you see as you walk into the room.

This is the view into the room.

{{!gwi}}

One alternative we are considering is getting a speedoven and rather than a regular microwave. Not truly an oven, but it could meet our needs.

At first we had the kitchen and family room area flipped (posted that view earlier), but the architect and others suggested this version as we spend most our time working in the kitchen (where we want the most light/sun) and want the least sun on the TV area.

Much to consider. Will keep you posted. Thanks again for your help!
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Any benefit to having the refrigerator at the end of the short wall vs end of long wall? The advantages to having the fridge on the short wall are that it's closer to the entry, where groceries are brought in, and so more convenient for stowing perishables, and more convenient for anyone coming from the bedrooms and living areas. The island can be moved toward the table to make the short aisle a little wider--maybe a moot point since you are omitting seating on the back of the island, and the long aisle will be wider. OTOH, it's nice to have the fridge near the dining table, if you need milk, salad dressing, etc., during the meal, but having it on the end near the table means it will block the light from the sunroom slider. You have the windows on the end to help alleviate that problem, and you might consider making the window over the sink wider, but that's more $$$, and you lose upper cabinet space. Another advantage to having the fridge on the long wall is better functional line-up--fridge-->sink-->prep-->range. DW and sink can also stay on the same wall, without DW being in the prep space. ... would I just add 6" filler panel between the range and sink to meet the 36" recommended distance? Did you mean range and DW? You could add a 6" or 12" slot for large cutting boards and/or baking sheets--I keep both in the same 12" filler cabinet that was plugged in between the end of a cabinet run and the wall. It's beside my baking counter, so a perfect location in my kitchen. If you're moving the DW, you have the option to use a 36" drawer base, great for pots and pans, convenient to the range, although usually in that case, you'd want the trash pull-out in the prep space between the sink and range, rather than on the left side of the sink. With the DW on the short wall, you can't move the sink any closer to the corner, and still have space in front of the sink to load the DW, so I'd leave the trash on the left side. That presents another problem--you'll need a 2-3" return panel on the left side of the DW, to support the counter (plus the fridge panel, if you decide to enclose it), so there will be only 12-15" between the open DW door and the perpendicular counter, to stand and load dishes into the upper corner cabinets. You could keep dishes in drawers in the island, which puts them just behind your prep space, or maybe in drawers facing the fridge: In your kitchen my preference would be the one you said you liked, with the sink, DW, and fridge on the long wall, and if you put an 18" deep pantry cabinet on the end, then there would be more space for the table. Think about the way you cook, and access the kitchen--maybe that will help you decide.
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Need Layout Help Please

Comments (2)

bmorepanic

dljmth
Original Author

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Need Layout Help Please

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bmorepanic

dljmthOriginal Author

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dljmth
Original Author