Where is the actual countertop area where you will be doing your slicing, dicing and mixing? Is that next to the fridge and is that a small prep sink by the fridge? What about turning the counter with the cooktop on it against the wall and inserting an island if there is room. What software program did you use to design the layout. It looks very nice!

Thank you quiltgirl!

I used excel shockingly. I tried to use other design programs, but my proficiency with excel is so much higher. The red labeling / annotations was a part of the preview program on my mac laptop. Its easy with preview to label jpegs.

The back counter with the sink is actually a 19' long granite counter space 30" deep. It has some 13" open shelving above it and 2 small 2 foot wide upper cabinets at the height of the lower shelving (13" same depth at the bottom) and deeper (16") from the upper shelf to the ceiling. This is where I will do all my veggie prep: slicing, dicing, peeling; meat prep (to one side of the sink); and on glorious days of baking the whole right side will be baking and I can pop it in to the under counter oven.

For cooking I carry my cutting boards (slide in vertical cabinet to the left of the sink) and bowls of stuff to the induction cooktop. The induction is a bit faster and requires everything to be ready to go before starting.

I hope this layout works. The fridge is not perfectly placed for me, for snacks, drinks and self-service it works great with the little bar sink there and snacks to the right of it. But for me not so much - still okay - but not ideal. But this is the only wall that enables the fridge to be recessed to cabinet depth. compromises???

What do you think of mixing painted and cherry cabinets. The floors glow, they are oak and the room gets lots of light. I like your idea of turning the peninsula sideways, but there is a 14 foot sliding door there that begins in a few feet. I did play with that though, its an awesome idea!

TY TY

- Martha

I imagine you have a reason for locating the cooktop as you have, but with the room on the wall, I would seriously consider swapping the oven and cooktop for a few reasons:

1) So that you're not moving prepped foods across the aisle more than necessary

2) So that you take hot pots of water down the counter instead of across the aisle

...Both of which I do, honestly, since my island is my prep space, so not the biggest deals. But moving on..

3) The wall location will allow you to vent out that way, if that's easier.

But the biggest advantage I see is

4) that it would leave you the island for clear and deep spread-out space for baking and larger projects. With older kids will you have grandchildren baking cookies with you in the future, for which a large space you can reach from the opposite side would be helpful and more comfortable? Will your entertaining benefit from having the island open for serving? If you do any sewing or even gift wrapping, it's nice to have a big open expanse of counter.

I like the style you're going for. Not sure I could have that much open shelving and want to keep it all organized and dust free, but you're putting a lot of thought in and I hope you enjoy it.

Some thoughts. Would this type of layout be possible? Not sure of your spacing.

Put the fridge where the pantry is but turn it so it is facing the sink. Build wall behind fridge/put panel on side of fridge.

Move induction/eating peninsula to the right side next the the fridge. This would give you counter space next to fridge and have cooktop closer to the other counter. The extra space you will have behind the fridge facing out toward dining area could be bookcases or cabinets with glass doors.

Then you could move the built-in hutch to the side where the peninsula used to be. You could add a two drawer refrigerator with matching furniture panel into the hutch so guests can get their drinks from their leaving the kitchen space for the cook. We put a two drawer fridge in a wetbar in the family room and guests can help themselves and it works out great.

This would require you to move your dining table to the other side.

As I said, I am not sure of your spacing so this may not leave you enough room to walk by the peninsula. If you do have the space this would be great for keeping people from walking behind you while cooking as they are going in and out of french doors.

Down side is you lose that pantry space you identified.

Not sure about the practicality of the floor plan yet, so I am going to get out my markers and play with that suggestion, Monkeymo. TY

I know Rhome, its such a big question - on the one hand I really hate pointing outside when I do all my work on the south wall with my back to family and friends. I would rather be hanging out with my husband or my friends and having fun while I cook either at the cooktop / bar area or outside at the grill. But if I cook on the peninsula, the drawbacks are obvious - hood is in the way, the raised counter keeps anyone from seeing the gorgeous kitchen I just built and as you said, its a ways away from the spigot.

I love the look of open shelving. And sadly for a girl who is not supposed to love such things - I LOVE MY DISHES.

Maybe the solution is to put in a pot filler on the peninsula, drop the counter to a seated height and put super comfy seating there so it's a lounge area. I can build 2 lounge areas, one outside the french doors where I can make the deck wide enough for a few pieces of furniture and grow jasmine like a roof over that section. That way we can drink outside or in, enjoy sunlight or moonlight and always have an amazing place to sit, relax and hang out.

Thanks Rhome!

I just want to come over for a drink and jasmine sniffing!

Looks like there's a lot of thinking here regarding appliances but not finished thinking yet about walkpaths. I'm wondering where you will be when working on vegetbles, etc. Right of the sink? Is this also the area for dirty dishes awaiting dishwasher?

I'd increase the size of the cupboard over the oven--echo the width of the oven plus unit right of it perhaps? This would be cheaper now than later and you will always use the storage space. Is the area to right of the oven the landing space for dirty pots, etc. during cooking episodes and/or a space to plunk stuff coming or going from outdoors?

I have a kitchen space oriented to the deck in summer--is there such an outdoor eating space on the right in layout? In that case, the range/oven area is nicely deadended, but in summer, it's a walkpath. Am concerned that French door will be opening and shutting into the workspace at times that might duel for space with oven door. Also, will opening door bother the person at the rangetop?

Is there a space for a small sink? Otherwise, you trot a long way from indoor eating areas to rinse off something or fill a glass.

Do you have plans for pull-out work surfaces (breadboards)? They really increase the am't of plunk space during dinner parties and they will help launch prepared foods when you're cooking and serving. Will also give good work space for baking and veg prep., sandwich making, work surface for the extra person inside the cooking area.

When I'm cooking and the fan is on, I'm concentrating and the fan is loudish, so neither is good for visiting and hanging out. However, if you have a prep sink and do your prepping at the island, the noisy hood is away from the conversation and you can visit and see everyone as much as you like. Things at the stove rarely need constant attention, so turning to stir or take care of something under the hood shouldn't take you away from people too much? Just things to think about.

I don't have time for a long answer, but I'll say this:

It seems that you are trying to merge two galley kitchens to form an "L" shaped kitchen and from what I can tell, you will lose a great deal of functionality in the process. Your work triangle is rather obtuse, to say the least. I don't think there are really even two sub-triangles.

For starters, I'd move the french doors to the other side of the penninsula. Otherwise, the main part of your kitchen is a long hallway from the garage to the backyard. I know that it just the two of you, but I don't like this arrangement.

I also think that the room lacks a focal point. Is it the cooktop? The sink area? But what about that window to the left of the sink? That wall seems off-balance. I do think that the wall with the fridge is beautifully designed. Its unfortunate that it is rather disconnected from the other part of the kitchen.

Having your back to most of the kitchen and the dining hall for prep would be very unfortunate. I would think this decision over carefully. Perhaps moving the fridge closer to the washer and dryer might free up some space elsewhere and lend more functionality to the clean/prep/cook functions and spacial relationship.

Don't think restaurant, think of a home. You might be making grand, glorious meals here, but you don't have a staff working for you, so keeping things closer together makes sense on many levels.

I'd take this plan to a KD and go through it very carefully. If you must build your new kitchen in this configuration (ie: the walls cannot be moved, the laundry appliances cannot be moved or made into a closet), then you should think very carefully before you move forward with this plan. There are many issues with this design.

FWIW, in the least I would add a prep sink near the stove, rather than several steps away.

I know all of this sounds critical. However, you are thinking about spending tens of thousands of dollars here. That's why I'm being rather straight-forward. Please accept my apologies if I have offended you.

Here are a couple more thoughts:

1. Is there any way that you can partition off the laundry area and make it a separate room? This would lose some light in the kitchen, however, it would also quiet the sound and maintain the temperature between the kitchen and the garage. If you have the money, you could separate the room with a pocket door, perhaps, if there would be room in the wall. The wall you would create would line up with the current wall that the fridge is on.... where does the half bath door open?

2. Can you make the half bath smaller and set either the fridge or pantry unit into that space so that your kitchen would feel more square-ish than "L" shaped?

3. What is the focal point of the room? If it's the cooktop/bar area, then what will make that area the centerpiece of the kitchen? This is probably the first question you should ask yourself.

4. I'd change the 4-stack drawers on either side of the oven to 3-stack. More functional, space-wise. However, if you are a serious cook I would recommend double ovens. Can you put the fridge where the oven is and put double ovens along the wall? Just a thought... One regret that I have is that I could not fit double ovens in my new kitchen. Surprised at how much I could have used that second oven. I even have a convection microwave oven, it's just not the same.

5. The long sink/window wall is very cool, but where are you planning to store all of the gear that you don't want anyone to see? Do you have a basement? Another option for that half bath is to make it smaller and carve out a larger storage closet. The 18" pre-fab closets are really tiny. A true pantry somewhere would be great.

6. I would center the kitchen sink under the window and rearrange the dishwasher or trash unit accordingly. Off centered, the sink seems unbalanced which throws the entire wall off--unless that is the look you are going for, I prefer a more traditional look, what you love is best.

7. Since you don't have wall ovens, why don't you put the oven under the cook top? You will always have a safe place to put hot pans and baking dishes, and this would seem to keep like function together. This will allow you to re-work that sink wall... or do something else with upper cabinets. Or, you could drop the height of a base cabinet and have a pastry counter at a lower height.

These ideas are worth about what you paid for them! Good luck with your new kitchen!

You have not offended me at all. Feedback rarely feels like criticism.

This is the plan after 2 kitchen designers loved the basics and made some changes. But that does not mean its a perfect plan, just that it works for this house in this space with this family as far as we could tell...which still doesn't mean it can't get better, plans can always get better. I am looking forward to playing with all your suggestions :)

About the restaurant part: I was on prep most of the time lol! I am used to doing all my prep work first all at once and marinating, cutting and readying meat and other things and never beginning to cook until I am pretty much all set because of lack of space in the present area and because its so much easier for me.

Which is good because induction cooking kind of requires all prep work be done in advance, which is what I do!

The french doors could become a hall to the backyard, but its unlikely --- the french doors open onto a small balcony / deck that overlook the garden part of the back yard (27" elevation), the steps lead down into the garden.

On the other side of the peninsula in about 5 feet are 14" glass sliding doors that lead out onto a patio that surrounds the pool, its more likely that all traffic headed for fun and sun in summer will head that way since all the bed rooms, the tv and the front door are on that side of the house.

The laundry room had a wall between it and the kitchen but I removed it because the laundry machines are front loading and the same depth and height as every other machine in the kitchen wall, so I covered them over with one long granite counter for prep space, baking and clean-up - this is where dishes will wait if they have to. This area is not visible from the main part of the room, its blocked by the half-bath and the pantry. I really wanted the huge counter space for prep work and clean up after meals.

We did think about the sink on the peninsula but could not go with the dirty dishes in public, plus I would lose the storage space required by the dishwasher...hmmm.

I like moving the fridge. It would mean not recessing it to counter length which stopped us from making that change before but it might be worth it. But if I remove and refit the header above, there may be a way I can recess it more to fit the depth of the bar and pantry, but that would mean only dry wall between the toilet and the ridge which may not be okay...not sure but its a good question.

I will play with the layout some more and use these suggestions. Thanks all!