please help w/ the layout of this kitchen!

bellaflora

16 years ago

my current kitchen is a narrow kitchen w/ island in the middle and breakfast nook at right corner, desk to left.

this is very close to our current layout, except ours isn't as wide, nor as nice! ;-)

Should I remove the breakfast nook and convert the island into a prep/eating island as in this picture

or turn it into a breakfast as in this pix?

{{gwi:1541069}}

Thansk.

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Comments (8)

mommycooks
16 years ago
I can't tell if any of these are of your real kitchen or just of kitchens you like. Not that there's anything bad about that, but the answer to the question depends so much on YOUR dimensions and YOUR way of using the space.

Our current (okay, current until a week ago and the sledge hammer) kitchen looks very much like the second picture you posted. We had no room between the island and the dishwasher when it was open, nor the fridge when open and the island. We have a door to the left of hte stove that leads to the garage. Our decision was to remove the left bank of cabinets, rip down the wall, and go with a sort of galley/L-shaped kitchen, with the island serving as one side of the galley. The door is being relocated.

I desperately wanted more space for people to gather, enjoy, and be a part of the cooking. Not that I have helpers, although with close to 160 linear inches of counter space on the island as it will be, there should be space for more than one to work in comfort. There will be a raised bar with seating for 4 or more people, hiding hte prep clutter and allowing for wonderful companionship.

Post pics of YOUR kitchen, with your plans and dimensions, and you will get lots of great help. People think of everything, and even if you don;t agree with them, responding to their concerns or opinions will solidify WHY you are doing it a certain way.

Good luck!

Nica
lascatx
16 years ago
I'm also not clear whether the first picture is your kitchen or one like your kitchen.

I will say that if your kitchen is barrower, I would not even consider a table in the center. That requires more room than a small island. What you do want for seating and work space depends a lot on who and how many work in the kitchen, how you work, and what elese you want to happen there. Start with a list of things you need, want and like as well as a list of things you don't like, don't want and can't stand/absolutely have to change. Think about how you want to work and how you want the kitchen to look and feel. Then you work to put them together, but start with the functional needs and work from there.
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Actually, I should have mentioned that we eat in our dining room every day. I shouldn't call it a "formal" dining room, because it's not "formal". If someone bought the house, they'd recognize it as a dining room, separate from the kitchen (though it is completely open to the LR). When my kids were little, we ate mostly in the kitchen. Now that they're bringing home STUFF and dumping it on or next to the table, we eat in the dining room. Lately I've been more strict about decluttering and not dumping stuff in the kitchen -- so we're back to eating in the kitchen sometimes. Our dining table can hold 12 people when expanded, and sometimes we have that filled, plus people eating in the kitchen, too. So I'd like to have someplace people can sit in the kitchen, even if it's not a table. Seskatchewan girl: wow, what a lot of work...I will have to fetch my bifocals and take a close look!
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As far as I can tell the designer doesn't have too much lighting design knowledge. Are they an interior designer? The electrician won't be able to give you any information on placement, but rather be able to wire everything up. Beam spread all depends on the type of lamp (technical term for lightbulb) is used, and nothing to do with your line voltage. I highly recommend line voltage. You should be able to zone it how you would like, but I recommend having different switches for different tasks. Or even areas. Your undercabinet lighting should be separate from your kitchen lighting, this will not only help you on your lighting bill but will give you way more control. Also, I'm hoping with all this work you will actually have dimmers. Please remember that if you're using compact fluorescent you cannot use a dimmer, unless you have a ballast that supports it (very expensive ballasts). There seems to be downlights all over the place, am I right? You will want to make sure downlights are 18" away from the wall. Try to follow your contractor/electrician's advice as far as "how many lights can go on one switch". To me it seems as if you're trying to turn all the lights into task lights, as oppose to indicating task areas. A well designed kitchen is well lit, however it doesn't have to be lit up like a ball of fire. I would love to give you more details, however I really can't read your plans very well. Perhaps a bigger size?
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See, I'd just tell my DH that he could enjoy the sunrise while he's doing the laundry rather than while he's making coffee! ;) I kind of like the look of latest rendition, but I'm not loving the function. Leaving the laundry in the MBR would kill it for me. I know you don't mind it, but I can't imagine that it wouldn't be a sticking point for some potential buyer down the road. It would be for me. The issue raised earlier about kids having to come in the parents' room to do their laundry as they got older would be even stickier with the addition of another bedroom--i.e., room for a second kid with laundry needs. Could your stackable W/D fit in that closet area in the mudroom? Also, how will you use this desk? Will it become your home office space? If not, it seems like it would become a clutter magnet, ruining that nice view. I still prefer the rendition above where you reuse your sink and five-panel door. I think it makes the space far more useful in a house where useful space is at a premium.
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However, if you usually cook using the cooktop, and if you, say, cut your onions and soften them as you cut your chicken and then brown the chicken as you cut your vegetables, in the pattern that the vast majority of cooktop recipes call for, having the cooktop behind you is incredibly annoying if you don't have a helper. So for cooks who use the cooktop heavily, prepping with your back to the cooktop IS a major issue. I know that a lot of people don't really cook, but if you do, it matters. You have several options: prep next to the stove as soon as you start using it and turn your back on the people at the island that you put there so you would face them; prep everything on the island before you start cooking and add 20 minutes to your cooking time every night; or turn your back to the stove and either burn things or switchback and forth a lot, also wasting a lot of time. But I suppose CPArtist is a special person with eyes on the back of her head. Or she doesn't really cook. I do cook, although not frequently. And if you had spent lots of time on this forum like myself and most of the other regulars, you'd know that Kitchen work studies have shown that you spend the following amount of time at each major kitchen activity: Prepping - 70% (some studies put this number higher - more like 75%) Cooking - 10% Cleaning up - 20% So based on that study, most cooks spend the majority of their time prepping the food, not cooking it. And most people prefer to prep while they are facing their guests, family, etc. So once again, prepping with your back to the cooktop is not a problem. And quite honestly, most people I know, including the chefs I'm friendly with, will tell you to prep everything in advance and not as you go.
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dcwesley
16 years ago
I am struggling with the island / no island decision. If I would only have 42" on each side of a 24" x 48" island, with the oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator all located across from one side or other of the island will I be sorry? I desperatly need the cabinet space, but maybe it is just not worth it.
malhgold
16 years ago
Really need to see your dimensions, but if your kitchen is less than 15' wide, you can not do an island and have counters/appliances on either side. My kitchen is 13 1/2' wide and I am planning an island with seating, but will more than likely leave the wall behind the seating empty. My kitchen is an "L" shape, 13 1/2' X 18'.

BTW...would you be able to post a link to the brown/white kitchen that you show above. I'm hoping to see a bigger picture of what that brown shelving unit is. I will need something to fill that empty wall I will have. Thanks
bellaflora
Original Author
16 years ago
here are some better shots of my kitchen I hope.

{{!gwi}}

{{gwi:1541067}}

malhgold; you mean the 2nd pix from top? I don't remember where I got that from.
rhome410
16 years ago
I agree with the others...Can you do a simple drawing on graph paper so we can gaze at the layout and dimensions? Then, please tell us what you dislike about your current layout and your wishes for a new one. Do you use the desk? How many people work in your kitchen, and how many do you cook for? Do you do big baking projects? Do you use the kitchen eating space much? For b'fasts and snacks, or for most main meals?
saskatchewan_girl
16 years ago
From what I read, it sounds like you are mostly concerned with the island taking up space. If that is your concern, then change it to the peninsula you suggested. That will give you more seating but not sure if you'll have more DR space for larger groups. You can always put the DW in the peninsula, that would shorten the sink side to give yourself more DR space. It looks like you have lots of cupboards so that may be an option. This would give you more of a "U" kitchen with more dining area/seating. How many cooks in the kitchen? That would have a factor related to "bum bumping".
I think your kitchen is very nice and I like all the cabinets you have. Nice kitchen to start out with: )
Good luck
bikey
16 years ago
I would make the island longer and put seating on it. That is what we did and we love it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen pics

please help w/ the layout of this kitchen!

Comments (8)

mommycooks

lascatx

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dcwesley

malhgold

bellaflora
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rhome410

saskatchewan_girl

bikey

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please help w/ the layout of this kitchen!

Comments (8)

mommycooks

lascatx

Related Discussions

dcwesley

malhgold

bellafloraOriginal Author

rhome410

saskatchewan_girl

bikey

COMPANY

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bellaflora
Original Author