Take 2: New small kitchen layout. Opinions please!

10 years ago

Hi folks, I had posted my original layout thread in the beginning of September and got good feedback from you all(thread linked below).

Some basic background: A family of 2 adults to 2 kids(7 and 1) in Long Island, NY. I cook most dinners at home, lunch is usually leftovers or TJ's wraps. The major goal for this renovation is to add some much needed counterspace and increase storage options (our kitchen table doubles for both currently)

Here's what the current layout looks like:

Unfortunately, we can't do the fantastic layout Buehl drew (with switching DR and Kitchen) because of budget reasons.

Here's the layout I like currently based on Lavender Lass and Sena's suggestion.

Things I like about this plan:
A better traffic flow. Seems to have adequate storage for our needs.

My concerns with the current plan:
The raised ledge near the basement door-is it too close? we can't move the door. The door won't hit the ledge but it is going to be pretty useless spot for anyone to sit at. I considered walling up that area but I don't think I like the idea of entering the house to a face a closed wall.

The sink and DW location-it is not near the DR table where we eat all our meals and where we store our everyday dishes in a sideboard. Any alternate location? I don't want to move the range to the half wall as we desperately need a powerful hood with all the Indian cooking we do.

I would like to fit in an appliance garage to hold a mixer and a toaster oven that we use fairly often. I currently have it next to the range but I am not sure of that location. I don't think we can swing one of those combination oven/mw on the budget but I have it in mind. Those can't go below the counter, right?

We are getting estimates right now to put in a beam so that we can take down the walls separating the Kitchen and DR and LR. Unfortunately both of them are load-bearing and this being LI, I am bracing myself for a sticker shock.

Does this layout look OK to you guys or can we do better?

As always, thanks for any input or opinions!

Here is a link that might be useful: Original layout thread

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Comments (5)

blfenton
10 years ago
I missed the first go around so I won't muck around with the floor plan but Depending on the depth of your overhang put shelving under it. Either open shelving for books or maybe sliding glass/wood doors to store vases, bowls, seldom used platters etc. It would be great if you could get maybe 12"-16" depth under there.

There are mixer elevators so that the mixer can be stored under the counter.
Elraes Miller
10 years ago
I still think you should close up the stair wall and use the space for kitchen storage. A wonderful blank canvas on the entry side to work with for a "view" when walking through the front door. With my small kitchen, every inch counts and a working flow more so.
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I should have answered the questions. Stairs go to basement. 'Lighning bolt' indicates switch between drawing upper (pantry) and lower (stairs). I was told the sink and other run were made high because the prior owner was tall. Thank you, lavendar lass, for the idea to put a whole bath in. (I do think about breaking a leg someday...) I love the exterior and the street. Makes me sad to pass when I look at that porch. Listing link is below. Sadly, the rooms are all a good bit smaller than what is listed, so I'd have to buy all new small scale furniture. Walls, floors and trim all would need work. It goes on and on. I am too ambivalent to take this one on. It will be my benchmark. We will find the right one. The houses in this area are pretty much all 100 years old, so we shall have charm. There will be charm. Darn it would have been a great kitchen. And porch. Sigh. Here is a link that might be useful: listing
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Staceyneil and I were thinking along the same wave length, as you'll soon see, but I came up with an island plan, not a U-plan. I've got 3 for you, one with only slight mod to the pantry and 2 with changes to the bathroom/pantry area similar to staceyneil's. One change I made to all of them is shifting the basement door to the right by 8". If you can't do that, you'll need to adjust the cabs to the left of the fridge by 8". All of them require closing up a window to place the range on the window wall (it is against code to place a range below an operable window in most places). I'm normally loathe to lose up a window but since you're opening up the wall between DR and kitchen, you won't be short on light into the space. Windows flanking ranges is a popular look at present, btw. The reason I did not move the range to the island is a) it's more expensive to vent an island range (island hoods are expensive and require duct work to be installed in the ceiling) and b) I wasn't crazy about the possibility of an open oven door when kids come roaring up the stairs for a snack. So, here are a few more options for you to mull over: I moved the pantry door 6" to the right so that you could run standard depth cabs and counter to the wall. If you want a 29" pocket door, you'll need to enlarge the wall to the left to 30". Plans B & C are variations on each other with changes to the bathroom/pantry area but with the same kitchen lay-out as Plan A. You'll see that the bathroom is moved as Staceyneil suggested. A "skinny" 2 x 4 wall is 2 x 4s turned sideways. It takes up less space, gaining you 2" so that the 24" deep pantry cab only protrudes into the aisle by 3". This cab gives you 42 sq ft of storage (assuming 84" height). And finally Plan C: I enlarged the back hallway to gain a mini mudroom - room for hooks and shoes but not a bench. Sort of like this: [traditional laundry room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-laundry-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_753~s_2107) by toronto general contractor HARDROCK CONSTRUCTION Because of that change, I needed to shrink the pantry cab to 12" deep. To make up for that loss of storage, I added a 24" wide, 12" deep cab across from the DW. These 2 cabs give you 35 sq ft of storage.
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BTW, in my current layout, the fridge is right behind cooktop, and people using the fridge interfere with cooking. Obviously that doesn't work either. The ideal layout is to easily go from fridge/pantry > sink > prep space > cooktop. Additionally I can see why you put the fridge more out of the way as you definitely don't want it interfering with you when cooking. However a larger kitchen doesn't always make for a more efficient kitchen. Guests walking through kitchen to dining is not ideal, but the trade-off is dining in the solarium with 180 degree wooded view through a glazed area 3 times the window in the old dining room. Ok and how often does one look up and gaze outdoors as one is eating one's meal? Especially at night? Personally, I'd rather have views like that when I'm cooking since we spend a heck of a lot more time in the kitchen than in a dining area. Putting kitchen hen at the end of the house is a common layout, but I haven’t been able to work out a viable plan due to lack of wall space for storage, even if we sacrifice the fireplace. How tall on the end are those windows? Can I see a picture of what it looks like now? How far across do those windows go?
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Hi everyone, sorry for the late reply, I've been traveling and thinking about your comments. I've been checking and thought that it might not be necessary to have the trashcans next to the sinks, but to have them UNDER them (still being pull out trashcan). With such large sinks it will even be possible to have one opened while someone is using the sink. Check the photos below: If I go this way, then I save a lot of space next to the sinks, which would allow me to add another dishwasher (something a lot have mentioned to be something very nice to have). Dishwashers below in blue. What do you think about the location of both dishwashers below? Bear in mind what will be stored in the drawers in the island space to give your opinion about placement (all the measurements are in centimeters in this case). Regarding oven placement, please check the photos below. What would be the ideal height to have everything at a comfortable reach? Next to the microwave I plan to have a space for a nespresso machine and maybe a toaster. (LV in the above photo would be the dishwasher)
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sena01
10 years ago
Is there a landing when you open the basement door? Maybe you can change the door swing.

If you can add a 42" high shallow cab facing DR at the end of the sink counter, you can have MW cups, bowls etc. there, move MW to the left, and keep your mostly used plates in the cab next to the sink. I believe with non-slip mats, glasses can be stored in drawers too.
vdinli
Original Author
10 years ago
Blfenton, good point about building in extra shelving or storage under the overhang. I will look into it.
Technicolor, I am going back and forth on closing up the kitchen entry wall. I am waiting to hear whether a pillar hidden in that wall will be enough support to replace the rest of the wall. If that saves $$, then it will be the way to go. Then I would have space for the appliances too.
Sena, good idea about the shallow cabinet. Will try it in the planner. The door swing can be changed but it could clash with the outside door. In the summer we use that door a lot and I can already envision a crash, bang sequence! Somebody had once suggested to take down the entire wall till the shoe closet and replace it with a railing. We liked that idea but it might not be a smart thing to do with regards to heating and cooling zones. Will investigate that angle further..
Thanks for all the suggestions! Please feel free to add more-I am still in the tweaking stage.
vdinli
Original Author
10 years ago
Blfenton, good point about building in extra shelving or storage under the overhang. I will look into it.
Technicolor, I am going back and forth on closing up the kitchen entry wall. I am waiting to hear whether a pillar hidden in that wall will be enough support to replace the rest of the wall. If that saves $$, then it will be the way to go. Then I would have space for the appliances too.
Sena, good idea about the shallow cabinet. Will try it in the planner. The door swing can be changed but it could clash with the outside door. In the summer we use that door a lot and I can already envision a crash, bang sequence! Somebody had once suggested to take down the entire wall till the shoe closet and replace it with a railing. We liked that idea but it might not be a smart thing to do with regards to heating and cooling zones. Will investigate that angle further..
Thanks for all the suggestions! Please feel free to add more-I am still in the tweaking stage.

Take 2: New small kitchen layout. Opinions please!

Comments (5)

blfenton

Elraes Miller

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Take 2: New small kitchen layout. Opinions please!

Comments (5)

blfenton

Elraes Miller

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sena01

vdinliOriginal Author

vdinliOriginal Author

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