Initial kitchen design - please critique!
Comments (17)
enzaenza
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoEdited to add all photos at the top of the thread:
Existing kitchen
Proposed layout that I LOVE, but may be too tight:
Architect layout 1:
Architect layout 2:
Main floor plan:
Survey showing exterior of house - kitchen in last room before "yard" and garage. The extension would enclose
http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj490/MamminaNYC/5cf4dcb9-a38c-470c-afb0-7640cb4627ec.jpg
kelleg69
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Kitchen Plans: Cabinet maker delivered two designs. Critique please
Comments (70)We met with our guy, Brian, from the kitchen ideas center again last week. We made a lot of decisions and we're pretty excited. Perimeter cabinets will be Plato and the two islands will be Woodland (?). We decided to go with mid-level cabinetry for the islands, because we're painting them and it's one way to cut costs. The walnut cabinet uppers will have walnut interiors as well. The lower cabinet interiors will be natural maple. Thanks to the advice on here, I decided to go with two 6" drawers in the "hutch" and the appliance garage will be 16" high. After seeing a 3D model, there is one area of our plan that is getting an overhaul, and that's the 84"W x 60"H x 10"D pantry. It looked like a row of lockers. Ugh. I hadn't taken it to the ceiling, because I wanted to put a TV above it. I've since given that idea up and I'm excited about the ideas Brian presented. Basically, a shallow hutch (10" - 13" deep, maybe less) with 18"W floor to ceiling pantry cabinets bookending a center display area - either glass doored cabinets or open shelves, with countertop dividing top and bottom. The pictures below are similar to the idea. As soon as we started discussing possibilities I remembered this post by illinigirl: what height pull for these extra tall uppers in bar area? I loved her design drawings for her bar area. At the end of the thread she has a picture of the partially completed bar behind an island, I believe. I especially like that the plans call for 'wood shelves with glass inserts' for the center display area. I'm not 100% sure how this will evolve, but it's possible we'd use the center shelves for alcohol. Or maybe just a display area for pretty things. The side cabinets would definitely need to hold pantry staples. We also met with a general contractor and that went quite well. We have another meeting with him tomorrow. Our project would be about 12 weeks out, and he estimates it'll take 12 weeks to complete. He will be presenting us with a full plan tomorrow, I believe. He is also taking on relocating the washer/dryer and making sure we have a somewhat workable temporary kitchen....See MorePlease critique our kitchen design
Comments (15)> What type of range do you want and what is your cooking style? > The over the range microwave is (at best) marginal for a standard range > but if you want a professional style range with high BTU burners it will not work. > Personally I would not want an over the range microwave/vent combo but > if you seldom cook (you live in NYC after all) it might be OK. We do cook a lot (both stove and oven) so I was trying to stay away from the microwave/hood. The original layout above actually gives us more counter space than we currently have which is why we considered it, although it sacrifices 30" to the wall oven + microwave, but also makes them more usable. > Any chance you could put the cabinets closer to the window? > Instead of the over the range microwave I'd try for a 24" microwave drawer > next to a 15" or 18" wide stack of drawers like you show in your rendering. I haven't looked into microwave drawers yet, that could be a good compromise, although not sure how usable they are at that height....See MoreKitchen remodel-please critique the first design plan
Comments (24)Here's an island plan. You mentioned that you enjoy the view from your kitchen and I think that should be a priority and maximized. My childhood home has counter seating in the kitchen with a lovely view. It's the best place to hang out. I'm not clear on the dimensions or the plan for the area around the back door and present laundry zone, so I made some guesses in that corner. I thought it would be a good place for reach in/roll out pantries and a ~48" worktop+ upper cabinets for a coffee station and small appliance storage. The distance between the island and the nearestwall is 44", which is probably wider than your hallway. I'm hopeful that I didn't miss something and that you can indeed widen that opening between dining and kitchen. It would be great for the dining area to take advantage of view and natural light from the kitchen as well as let the cook interact more with those outside the kitchen. Here's a floor plan and a 3d view from the dining room opening....See MoreKitchen Designer plan critique please
Comments (0)Our lower base cabinet plan is complete and installed and for that I extend my thanks to several members who assisted in narrowing down options for the floorplan. This is for a cottage that was a complete gut in the lower walkout where the kitchen and main living areas are. I hosted a family event there this fall and had to get some semblance of a kitchen installed so we opted for the base cabinets and left the upper plans for later. Now it's later and I want to have a complete kitchen soon! The base cabinets are mostly installed with the blind corners and peninsula still needing final attachments. Love my fancy drawers pulls and sexy plywood counter lol? Those familiar with Ikea will recognize the base cabinets but for the uppers I am using a local manufacturer to give me more flexability with size and to add some individual style. This is the first concept drawing I received from the KD, and for the most part I really like it. There is one wall left completly bare which maintains a more open feel to the space, but is there an easy way to add cabinets or shelves without cramping the other walls? Problems with a full u-shaped kitchen I guess. There is electrical roughed in for under cabinet lights but I don't think it's a problem if they aren't used.. The pictures are how the kitchen currently looks. There will be an 18" DW between the sink and fridge, but right now without the DW, the fridge is pushed up next to the sink cabinet. Thoughts, feelings, comments on the KD's proposal?...See More
junco East Georgia zone 8a
9 years agoDIY2Much2Do
9 years agoYour seating aisle appears to be narrower than typical recommendations. It looks to be about 36", assuming your floor squares are drawn 12x12. Especially with the fridge there, it will be tight. Try mocking it up to see what you think, since you don't really have room to spare elsewhere.
See rules 8 and 9 on this site... The Thirty-One Kitchen Design Rules, Illustrated
enzaenza
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoThe micro is mounted above, then there is a counter, and the wall oven will be below the counter.
The three feet between island and perimeters worries me too. I'm sure there is a better way!
I'm posting a layout of the existing kitchen now. Then I have the initial proposition that I did not like (minus the shower) followed by some changes the architect thought through.
sena01
9 years agoDo you use the basement frequently? Maybe a peninsula, rather than an island can work better. I also find it unsecure to have sink and range on different counters in a house with small kids.
I can't clearly see where the DW is. I'd have it on the fridge side of the sink, so it won't block the traffic to the DR and also a second cook can use the right side of the sink for prep.desertsteph
9 years agoJillius
9 years agoenzaenza
9 years ago
sheloveslayouts
9 years agoAssuming you don't want the kitchen open to the dining room at all...
Can you move the side door? I'm wondering what you could do with your new kitchen if the powder room and a mini mud room swapped placed with the proposed kitchen?
You'd eliminate traffic through your kitchen and create kind of a central intersection. The door to the powder and the basement would create a private-ish mini-hall. Your kitchen could have a view to the backyard. You could put french doors between kitchen and dining in case you wanted to muffle kitchen sounds or cooking smells.
Just an idea that might prompt more--and better--suggestions. I didn't study your dimensions, just played around in paint...
enzaenza
9 years agosheloveslayouts
9 years agoWith 3 kiddos I'd want to have a designated mudroom. Here's another attempt at keeping the traffic out of your work space:
sena01
9 years agoIf I'm reading your dimensions right you can do something like this. I'm not sure on which side of the sink the DW should go. If the room is 17'3" wide then you can have about 70" b/w the edge of the peninsula and the main sink wall, so I guess an open DW wouldn't block the traffic much.
enzaenza thanked sena01enzaenza
9 years agosheloveslayouts
9 years agoI don't have a good sense of your dimensions, I just based sizes on what was in the photo. You might have room for shallow pantry cabinets here too...
enzaenza
9 years agoFollowing up with some updates and (I think) a more accurate
representation of our space. Benjesbride and Sena, I am especially hopeful to get
your input since you've helped flush out the bad ideas and suggest so many good
ones!!!
- changing the entry from the back of the kitchen to the front is no longer an
option. It has to remain where its pictured, but can be shifted right or left
as needed.- extending the wall parallel to the powder room also not an
option since we are putting in a window on that back wall and the extended wall
would block any light coming in- items in yellow are the variables - shifting doors, reconfiguring bathroom
size, closing up a window, adding a new one- the two small black
squares along the top and bottom lines of the drawing represent a bump out
that will require a space between cabs or to notch out the backs of
whatever cabs get placed in front of them- 48 inch window: I would like to plan around the stages 45 sink so I am hoping I can get a trash pull out in the space
partially under the sink and over to the right, allowing the DW to placed to
the left of the sink- for the proposed entry storage I would like it to blend with the kitchen
but to serve as a mudroom type area: full height, mostly closed, lockers/cabinetry
for coats, hats, scarves, backpacks, some shoes, etc. plus some drawer stacks for junk, mail ,
keys, charging devices, etc.- I want an island desperately, but starting to see that I may not be able fit
it. I am open to a small or narrow island, or even an L- shaped one ... OR .... a peninsula if it gives me a smarter space- I need seating for at least three people, but the husband insists it not be in
the pass through space at the side entry- appliances include a 36" range, range hood, and a 30" single
wall oven. I don't care much for the microwave, as long as its in there
somewhere - hidden or under mounted is great.- pantry ? - maybe - BIG maybe - if it were substantially justified, I could take a
few inches over on the right from the dining room. That wall is not
load bearing and I would be willing to knock it down and rebuild if the
small space gained (under 12") made possible something that would not otherwise
work.
please and thanks!
sheloveslayouts