Here's what I have, what can I do... layout advice??

12 years ago

Hi, Ive been thinking about renovating my kitchen for years, but Im actually ready to start, (after a few failed starts before). I thought I'd solicit the advice from this forum to get some ideas. Here is the layout of our current kitchen. I read the (Read if you are new) and I have tried to answer those questions so I could figure out what I want and give you all some insight!

We are a family of 5 (3 kids). Usually only one cook at a time. We are in the kitchen a lot, for eating, cooking. hanging out, etc. We do eat dinner as a family almost every day, and its one of the things I like best about our family time. So we need to seat 5 on a regular basis., Kids are in school, and so far do their homework at the table while I cook. We have lots of people over, families with kids as well, most occasions are informal.

We do have a separate dining room, which we use mostly for entertaining. It most often has our paperwork on it. We use the room only for holidays and company, but the furniture is formal, and I do love the way it looks. (When the papers aren't on it). I need to find another place to keep paperwork (maybe in the kitchen somewhere, maybe somewhere else, I haven't figured out a good system for all the paper,) I don't think I want to knock the wall down from the kitchen to the dining room, and I don't think I want to eat in the dining room on a regular basis. I want to continue to eat in the kitchen. I'm happy having a table instead of an island since we need a larger amount of seating, and I don't really have the space for both. We have a split level house, so our living room/ dining room is already completely open to each other.

I attached a sketch of the current layout, and am open to ideas or suggestions. Should I try to move stuff around or keep the current layout. And just replace cabinets. No matter what, I need a bigger oven. The "Easy bake oven" as I call it, fits 2 casseroles at a time, max! Im not opposed to getting the oven out of the wall, and using a range instead. Ive been thinking about adding some cabinets on the empty walls, but I not sure which one would work better. The pantry is an angled closet, which has deep space but is not laid out well. Im not opposed to moving it. And I can't move the exterior door. I need it!

Would love any input or advice! Thanks (PS, I can post pics of the actual kitchen if that would help, and I can confirm dimensions if you cant read them, some may look a little unclear!)

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Comments (6)

remodelfla
12 years ago
Can you close up/move windows?
juliekcmo
12 years ago
Here is what I see as the functional issues with your current layout. Can you confirm?

No place near oven to set down hot pan
No run of counterspace long enough to plate up a pan and 5 dinner plates.
No easy space to use as a pretty serving area during kitchen/dining room meals.
Lots of traffic through the kitchen.

Quick thoughts: Get rid of oven, get range in current cooktop space (30 or 36 if budget allows).

Enlarge window over sink to be twice as wide. Or even go all the way to the back door. Bay window or bumpout would be nice.

Scoot down sink to be centered on the window wall. This gives more counter run space for plating up food by the stove. It also centers the window adding symmetry.

Consider moving dishwasher to other side of sink if range door would give enough clearance. This avoids blocking traffic path with open dishwasher when someone comes in through back door.

A 12-15 inch deep built in sideboard on the living room wall would add bonus storage for papers and supplies.

I would do a rectangular farmhouse style table with chairs that are unobtrousive. A table that can be used to prep.
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Buehl
12 years ago
Where is your current table in this layout? Is it in the lower right corner?

How big is it?

What is the label in the lower right corner?

How do you feel about banquette seating?
rosie
12 years ago
Hi, Lac1. It's nice that you like eating at a table in the kitchen. After 10 years planning for my next kitchen to once again have a table in it, I created one with an island. In my defense I had some good reasons for it, but... :)

Regarding the basic space you have to work in, door numbers and placements are my first question. Three suggest possible redundancy and opportunity for layout improvement; but two, or one large one, desirable since such a heavily used room should have good circulation through. But which 2 (if it came to that) and where?

Does the less-used DRM offer a closeby door to the pool? Could traffic to and from the kitchen from outside be diverted through the DRM, or is that door a must-keep?

Does the door at the bottom (to foyer?) need to remain in the same position or could it be moved to maybe the other end of that wall? Could it be closed off?

Would, strange as it might sound initially, 2 doors on the DRM wall work, one at/toward each end? We have a 7' wall with doorways at each end separating our LRM and DRM, which defines both areas and provides real separation but keeps everything flowing as well as if they were one. I'm
lac1
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi, thanks for the advice. To answer the questions, yes, I could move windows,I think. My table is in the sort of empty corner that we have now. Its 5 1/2 by 3feet. I thought about a banquette, but Im not sure how I feel about them. The notation at the bottom of the sketch says baseboard, which is the type of heat we currently have. I have no idea if that has to stay or can get moved around or changed or lessened.
As far as the doors, we don't have another door in the dining room, we do have a large set of windows, that we could contemplate changing into french doors, but again, there is heat there, and then my kids would be traveling in and out of the dining room sopping wet. Im not sure if the foyer door could be moved down. we probably need it somewhere on that wall, as it comes in right off the 4 steps to our family room. High traffic!!!
Finally, Juliekcmo, you are right on in your assessment with the functional issues. I do use our cook-top as counter (although I would love to replace our electric with gas when we renovate), and I think a range would be our best option as well. I also use my table now as a prep area, especially since its currently right across from the fridge.

Thanks!
lavender_lass
12 years ago
Unless you need a wall oven, I'd get a new range and have counterspace, on both sides. I think your plan would work fine, if you added an island, with some stools. Hope that helps :)

Here's what I have, what can I do... layout advice??

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remodelfla

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Here's what I have, what can I do... layout advice??

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