Rental house kitchen -- please share your advice!
mabeldingeldine
9 years ago
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Hillside House
9 years agoNothing Left to Say
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Old house, funky kitchen, grateful for your layout advice!
Comments (39)Interesting and, again, helpful. Thanks to you both! Brilliant to incorporate the Pet Center into the kitchen. As it is, I've got at least half of one big drawer devoted to those things, and I don't much like mixing some of that stuff with food-related items (leaky Frontline packages, I'm looking at you!) They belong in a separate drawer as you have them, or in a mud room near the dog wash, which of course can double as a utility sink. It's not too hard to rig up a proper dog wash, inside or out--depending on the size of the dog and level of recalcitrance when it comes to baths ;) The more I think about it, the more a mud room makes sense for a small house. The only real addition that has been made post-1920s is a large-ish bathroom, with heated floors, a big closet, and a walk-in shower (separate from tub,) that has a nice high window. You can see the high window on the right in my other photos. Anyway, I do think that adding a good-size bathroom onto a tiny house is a huge improvement, especially when you think about sharing the space. A well-designed mud-room/ laundry will have a similar effect, unburdening the kitchen and other spaces from storage of linens, light bulbs, gift wrap, you name it! It's possible I can achieve what I want without adding extra "living" space (a bedroom or studio,) but I wonder if that becomes risky. It'd still be a 2 BR 1Ba house, albeit with ample storage and a comfortable connection to utility space outside. I think I'd like to proceed by designing the mud room and kitchen as if there would be a two story space where the garage is. I'd always imagined that space being linked to the old space through the kitchen, and that "mud" would be housed in the lower portion of the addition (where the garage is presently.) It's so helpful to have feedback like this to keep me from doing something impulsive that might make things better only in the short run. What a great resource you all are! Thanks again....See MorePlease Share Your Opinions/Input About This Home Plan
Comments (19)I don't generally comment on layout posts because I'm not qualified at all in house design. But I have learned a bunch from reading others comments about what might work and what might not work. Assuming this works with your site, I like this plan mostly. As far as stock plans go, it seems like one of the better ones. A few comments that I do have but are pretty minor.... 1) I think the entrance from the garage will be quite functional. You have a locker/cubbie space to drop coats, shoes, bags, etc. A closed off coat closet for bulkier and lesser used coats and this could be your guest closet. And the pantry is accessible from the kitchen. 2) The kitchen layout needs work but I think its placement in the house is OK. I'd seriously consider a 'drop zone' area for mail, keys, and other assorted stuff that gets dropped on my kitchen island daily. Maybe where the refrigerator is. You need to tweak the whole kitchen layout to make it more functional. 3) I'd put more windows in the dining room...on the left side so you have light from all 3 sides (including the door to the back). I'd actually consider replacing the dining room door with a window. It looks like the whole wall of the great room is full of doors, so do you really need another door? 4) Will you really use that screened porch? Seems like its in a location that won't have great views and kind of looks like an after thought. Plus if you can get rid of the door from the dining room, that opens up more kitchen layout options. 5) Put more windows in the master bedroom. On all the walls you can. 6) The laundry room isn't very big and those 2 doors limit the space even more. I don't have any better suggestions, but maybe a whole tweak of the powder room, laundry and master bath space could fix it? 7) Do you need a 2nd fireplace in the Living room? 8) Full disclosure, I'm not a fan of 2 story great rooms or foyers. If you put a ceiling in the great room, you'd end up with a great bonus room upstairs. Don't know if you have kids or not but that would be a great space for a toy/play room. I've got 2 kids with a bonus room upstairs in our house I don't know what I would have done without it! I think your great room can still be quite 'great' with the walls of doors on both sides and make it 10' foot ceilings. Good luck!...See MoreDebating between two home builders. Please share your opinions.
Comments (36)b w: I hope I didn't come across as blunt! I tried to convey some advice that was economical and practical. Last year, we purchased 4 acres and in a few weeks, the small, old house and dilapidated barn that are on the land will be demolished - and soon the foundation for our new house will be poured. We have spent a ridiculous amount of hours going over house plans - ourselves, with the builder and with the house designer - it becomes like a second full-time job, without the pay! We have learned so much and feel that we have planned for a pretty high-quality home without being extravagant or blowing money. You have to decide on the needs of your family and your every day activities. If you absolutely want a master on the 1st floor, do it. If you do not care about a big foyer space, do what you like - you may have the kind of lifestyle where only a few guests per year use the front door! When you build a house, it's probably the biggest expense/investment of your life, and the last thing you want to do is move in and say, "I wish the powder room would've been closer to (wherever)". Take the TIME now to analyze details, not regret them when you move in....See MorePlease share your story when you moved to another home
Comments (17)Hi, Patty. Just catching up on the forum. Everyone has offered wonderful and understanding suggestions, but I'll add some of my thoughts and garden info in case they're helpful. My last garden was at least 4x the size of my current one. (I just checked the city map.) I live on a 5,400 square foot lot, but the house, garage, deck and oversized driveway probably swallow 3/4 of the lot. Like you, at my last residence, I grew countless bulbs, perennials and shrubs (many of which were roses) that I wished to keep. Before leaving, I made a list of all I wanted to move and begged favors from any gardening friend who would help dig. The most precious plants I dug myself. I acquired a gazillion nursery pots in advance in addition to a pile of potting soil. This reduced the bed creation and planting pressure. Like you, I took cuttings and hoped for the best. With traveling OGRs like Gallicas and such, I sliced stolons and tagged the canes to be dug and moved later. I've been trying to decide whether or not to share this on the forum, but I will since it's best to be prepared. My former garden is gone. It lasted through several years and two owners who enjoyed it, but the current owners ripped out everything. Yes, everything. With that said, I want to emphasize that the latest owners of my old house are executives that seem to have purchased the home for its proximity to downtown. They did not buy it for its historical value or its garden. I think there's a very, very good chance that your property will attract buyers who appreciate 100-year-old farmhouses and heirloom plants. Your place has that kind of magnetism. You could even offer to take a tour with the new owners to identify everything. I made that offer with my last garden. :-) Even though my current garden is a postage stamp, I manage to grow about 70 roses. I grow them in ground and in pots. I grow them over and under, vertically and horizontally. I am eliminating all my grass. The remains are disappearing this summer. All that's left are either seating or bed areas. Someday, I'll post photos of my multi-layered, hodge-podge green space. It's amazing what can be crammed into microscopic patches of dirt with a shoehorn. I'm both a collector and designer, so I'm highly motivated to smash plants into any crack in the composition. That's my abridged story. However, I've saved the most important piece for last. After a few years, I began to positively celebrate my small garden. I've learned to hone my values, to make choices and feel content with the results...and I live a more balanced life. The upkeep of my last garden was almost overwhelming at times. My current beds are a tangle of bohemian chaos, so who can see the weeds during periods of neglect? I culled out my highest maintenance roses and enjoy the ones I have more than ever. There are plants for all seasons, and each one is a special event. Really and truly, Patty. After the period of adjustment, I've never looked back. Ever. Best wishes for your sale, purchase and move! Carol...See Morebtrix00
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9 years agoLavender Lass
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9 years agoNothing Left to Say
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9 years agoHillside House
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