Long time lurker, finally ready to start kitchen.

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Been around for 6+ years, I have learned so much. Almost 4 years ago I gave up on the addition, double the size of the kitchen thought. We added a pantry/office/command center cabinet in our dining area. Custom made cabinets to fit the spot, hand painted, love the brush marks, most functional thing ever. We are DIY for almost everything. Our dining area is 7'10" by 10' 4" and that is the size of the kitchen also. I have learned that my 25 year old builder basic kitchen was designed well and functions for our family of 4. I am finally getting rid of the soffit and cabinets hanging over the peninsula, minus the range hood, that has to stay ( do not want down draft). I would love more than the 20" to the left of the range for prep, but I am able to spread to the sink wall so it works. There is no way to move the range, get an island or do anything else with this size of kitchen. We have lived here for 14 years and I figure if I can survive a couple toddlers not burning themselves on the range (12 inch overhang) in the peninsula I am good. All appliances are staying and will be white, we will be painting the cabinets by hand, swan wing by behr, which is what the dining room cabinets are. The laminate flooring will be staying as it is only about 4 years old. The open great room will be painting a light green, we think.

I have questions about hood vents. I am trying to decide between an insert and an undercabinet vent hood. I do not need more than 300 CFM, 400 here I need make up air. I am considering a zepher insert twister or breeze. Low end compared to here, but it will work for us.

Also I have questions about countertops, no stone, it is too cold. I am considering solid surface with integrated sink or formica with a single basin sink. The formica gets me a bigger standard sink, but the solid surface is integrated, don't know how to pick. Back splash will be determined later.

I wanted to post a picture of my kitchen and the layout, I love looking at average everyday kitchens that get used to make 6 dinners a week at least and lunch and breakfast and is not huge. I am in no way a gourmet cook, but my husband and teens like what I cook so that is all that matters.

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Comments (11)

rsuburbhome
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Clearly the photos didn't work. I didn't see a preview button, only a post button, whoops, gotta keep working on that. Where is step 7 in the overview section? The part that tells you how to uploads photos says go there after you have copied and pasted from the photobucket.
Buehl
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
RSuburbHome - welcome to the "new" GW. Houzz took over GW back in February and we lost a lot of functionality and the functionality we didn't lose was changed. Unfortunately, you ran afoul of two of the functional losses...you can no longer "preview" your post b/f submitting it and you can no longer edit the initial post in a thread. Doesn't make sense, does it?

Posting pictures is probably the only thing that improved - you no longer need to use HTML code to post them. In fact, HTML code is no longer usable anywhere - including text editing.

To post pictures now, you can upload them from any one of three sources:
- The hard drive on your computer
- A photo hosting site such as Photobucket or Flickr
- From a Houzz photo
Here's how you use each one:

Hard drive:
1. Select the "Photo" icon on below the message box
2. When the "Open" dialog box opens, navigate to the location of the picture on your hard drive
3. Select the photo to be uploaded
4. Select the "Open" button
5. Your picture should appear in the message box
.

Photo hosting site:
1. In Photobucket, go to the picture you want to upload to a thread
2. Copy the URL in the "Direct" box
3. In the thread you want to post the picture, select the "Photo" icon below the message box
4. When the "Open" dialog box opens, paste the URL you copied in step 2 into the "File name" box
5. Select the "Open" button
6. Your picture should appear in the message box. Note that it may take a couple of minutes for the picture to appear when using this method.
.

Houzz Photo:
1. Select the "Houzz Photo" icon below the message box
2. The "Insert Photo" dialog box appears with several options: Ideabooks, Projects, Houzz URL, Click or Drag, and Browse.
3. Select the option that best fits where you're getting the picture from and follow the directions. (I'll be honest, I have not played with this as much as I do not have any Houzz Ideabooks or Projects.)
.

.

Unfortunately, Houzz took away my ability to update the FAQs, so I cannot update them to reflect the new reality. We're stuck with old, outdated FAQs until I can get them together to send to Houzz and have them redone. It's taking time b/c I don't have a lot of time to devote to them and I can't really do them gradually over time b/c of the need of a go-between.

.
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Although it's getting OT I too think this is bringing up some interesting discussion. Before going off, I'll comment on: Definitely better the devil you know. So many are poor workers, thieves or worse so if it's a small issue then probably better to do little or nothing but the whole point I tried to make before is if it's a big thing to you Jae_tn, then for your sake, something should be done. And BTW, glad to see you posting - I remember seeing you around the forums! Hope things are well with you. Now for the off stuff! I guess being normally pretty moderate leaning in most things, pragmatic on virtually all and try to be guided by common sense and other values of "Cynics", I know that it's good for the world to try to conserve resources but there's practical times when it makes more sense to do things for my benefit. I use a water filter on the kitchen sink but also I buy bottled water and won't hang my head doing it. Fiscally it's responsible for me since I buy it for anywhere from $1.50-$2.50 per case of 24. I also try not to exaggerate things. The water I buy is *not* simply "tap" water from someplace. It is filtered, sometimes I buy spring water. I do not buy much in the way of soft drinks, though I have been getting hooked on the iced tea from Aldi. The bottles are convenient to take with me and I don't buy drinks when I'm out, even if I go through a drive-through for eating. One saved can or bottle pop purchase pays for about 1-2 months of bottled water. Good tradeoff for me. Plus with physical limitations, it's not as easy as for most to just "get up and go to the sink". And BTW, I recycle all of the bottles so they're not going into the landfills as so many try to say too. Please don't blame the bottles when people won't recycle them! I sometimes use cloth, sometimes paper, for cleanup. I use CFLs for nearly all of my lighting and bought LED lights for Xmas decorating. I do not buy or use disposable diapers. Now these are *not* recyclable and they *do* all go into the landfills! What a waste of resources in so many ways! I could see using them on occasion, similar to using cloth and paper cleaning items but diapers are a big peeve of mine, especially when someone complains about resources. Many are quite hypocritical there IMO. I don't do 20 loads of laundry a week. I'm willing to wear something more than a few hours. Heck, if I'm just sitting around I'll wear the same shirt and pants for a couple days. I'm not a surgeon needing to change gowns after each operation. I don't need to shower 2-3 times a day most of the time. And I don't have to marinate myself in colognes and sprays to keep myself from offending peoples' olfactory systems. I'm quite proficient at offending people in other ways! :D Along with money, keyboards, phones, steering wheels, doorknobs, TV remote controls are all grubby. Period. Few people, admittedly myself included, clean them often enough though I've always had a thing about a dirty phone. That's where I approach "OC". People also seldom realize some of the filthiest parts of the body are eyes and ears. People wipe them all the time and (shudder), well you could probably be better off bacteria-wise to scratch your butt! I like to use tongs or scoops for things when multiple people will access it. I keep sanitizer by the computer if I am going to eat by it. I keep some sanitizer in the vehicle too but I don't use it all that often. I know what it did to Howie Mandel, but that was his own OC that got him into trouble. Misusing things isn't the responsibility of the product. And also I'll use certain resources but I also contribute in other ways too. I use reuseable bags at the stores often, but not always and never for drippy meat. I have planted literally hundreds of trees, and saved trees on properties which helps clean the air, save moisture, promote wildlife and other things. I don't use tons of fertilizer & weed sprays. I think an occasional dandelion is just fine. And I haven't run a sprinkler on my lawn in 20 years. Rain and snow wash my vehicles. So if I use a paper plate or two, and enjoy the convenience and savings of a bottle of water I'm able to sleep at night! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get a sandwich and a salad (from a plastic bag) put it on a paper plate, grab 1/2 a paper towel and have my din-din! :D
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Hello from a long time lurker : plans to build a new kitchen
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Comments (19)
How nice that your DH does such nice woodwork! . Kitchen layout - I have some concerns.... Aisles...It looks like you are measuring them correctly for the most part (counter edge-to-counter edge, not cabinet-to-cabinet) - with one notable exception - in front of the refrigerator. If the refrigerator is a counter-depth, be aware that it's depth will be around 31" plus an inch or so behind it for plug, water line, anti-tilt, etc. So, figure 32". That means it will stick out approx 6.5" past the counters. You show an aisle of 52.5" b/w the island an left wall; however, when you factor in the refrigerator, the aisle is only 46" in front of the refrigerator - and you have a seat there. That isn't wide enough. I would eliminate that one seat and give your self more useful work room on that island. (If the refrigerator is a standard depth, then you have even less space - subtract another 5" off the aisle.) . Ovens...You have your wall oven and MW in the middle of your seating area - I wouldn't want someone sitting there, especially if I was trying to use the wall oven. Opening it will send out a blast of heat, you will have to maneuver around someone sitting at the island to be able to put food in or take it out, and, finally, many of us have discovered that the best landing space for a wall oven is actually across from it - which you will not be able to use b/c there will be people and/or stools in the way of using the island as landing space. Do you have any landing space on the left side of the wall oven? I think it says "bookshelf" - so is that a full height bookshelf or just in an upper or base cabinet with counter b/w the cabinets? I'm not convinced the "catchall" counter will be available for use as oven landing space. Ditto, btw, concerning the MW, for the most part. . Island...if you plan to prep on the island, then the island is a major barrier island - it's b/w the refrigerator and the prep space on the opposite side of the island. If you plan to prep on the perimeter b/w the sink and cooktop, then the island is no longer a barrier. The prep sink, in that case, would be OK for a second person prepping (who would still have to deal with the barrier island) - just not for a primary prep area. I would then move the sink as MamaGoose suggests. The other issue with having your primary Prep Zone on the island is the DW - if the door is open while someone is loading or unloading, you won't be able to use a lot of the island for workspace. We have close to 47" b/w our peninsula and our sink wall and that's just enough to pass by an open DW door - but not enough to work opposite it - and you only have 1" more. Oh, and I'd add another 2 or 3 inches to the length of your island You need: 4 seats at 24" linear space each = 96" seats on the short end need 15" of clear leg/knee space as well = 15" 96" + 15" = 111" Your island is 109", only a couple of inches shorter. Will it matter? I don't know...are you a tall or large family? If so, then those couple of inches may very well make a difference. (You don't have to answer that here, just be honest with yourself privately.) I know there has been some discussion in the world of Kitchen Design about changing the guidelines to specify 30" per diner rather than 24"... Bottom Line: I would eliminate the seat in front of the refrigerator and add a couple of inches to the length (toward the FR end) of the island. If you eliminated that seat in front of the refrigerator, you could then get a 30"W x 24"D cabinet there (drawers, of course!) - a nice chunk of cabinet storage that's not broken up or too shallow. It would also then make it easier to access the refrigerator. Do you really need 6 seats? I would hope that when your entire family is present for a meal that you will be using the Dining Room - table seating is much more conducive to family bonding than counter seating (think of a diner with counter seats - they're great for strangers, but not so much for family!) Five seats should be plenty for snacks/quick meals, even when your boys have friends over. . Mudroom...Is it also your Laundry Room? Do you plan to put a door b/w the Laundry Room and the Mudroom to separate the rooms? Personally, I would not want everyone coming in via the Mudroom to see my dirty (or even clean) clothes! Separate rooms would be better. Better yet - can the Laundry Room be moved to wherever the bedrooms are? That's where most laundry comes from, so it makes sense to locate the washer & dryer where the clothes will be coming from/going back to. Does the Mudroom have a "Command/Message Center"? If not, consider one in your "wasted space" area. It would help keep the non-Kitchen clutter out of your Kitchen! Make the Garage/Mudroom door a sliding door (36" wide) Move the door down closer to the cabinets Put in a "Command/Message Center in the corner space you now have. Train/encourage everyone to drop their keys, phones, mail, etc., in the Command Center, not the Kitchen on that "catchall" counter! Note: I'd move both doors in the Mudroom down - they'd still match up and you can fit either cubbies or a closet on the "top" wall of the Mudroom. Is it wide enough? It depends, are you planning to put in a closet or cubbies? If cubbies, I would keep them shallow, no more than 18" deep b/c you need room to maneuver while taking off boots, shoes, etc. A closet will need to be 28" to 30" deep, including walls. There isn't enough room for a closet along the side walls. . Other comments.... Will there be enough room b/w the cooktop and cleanup sink for you to prep (since you said you like to spread out)? Because of the locations of the cooktop, refrigerator, and work side of the island, the most logical place for your Primary Prep Zone is the counterspace b/w the cleanup sink and the cooktop. You will gain more "floor space" and usable workspace if you make the corners 90-degree cutouts instead of diagonals. It will also open up the Kitchen space in general. Open shelves in your "Baking Zone" - with flour flying around, do you really want open shelves? If you are going to have open shelves near the cooktop, be sure you have very good venting - -- A hood at least 6" wider than the cooking surface and at least 24" deep -- A fan at least 600 to 900 cfms (more if you fry/stir fry a lot or grill inside) -- A hood that's vented to the outside -- A hood that is shaped so it adequately captures the grease, smoke, steam, fumes, odors, etc., since you won't have any cabinets flanking the hood to help corralling the grease, steam, etc.
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Mrs. Egg, what specific model is your EcoSmart? There's a tag on back/left corner of the control panel, it may be affixed upside down to facilitate reading it by looking over from the the front. The serial number is coded for the year and month of manufacture if you want to know that.
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rsuburbhome
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for the info. I have done a bit more research and I have learned my mac could be part of the issue. I will keep working on it.
sheloveslayouts
8 years ago
What is on the other side of the range peninsula? Is there a window or slider there?
huango
8 years ago
Wow: your kitchen brings back memory.

My previous kitchen was identical layout, except mine didn't have a hood. (I don't know how the previous owners lived here for 30years w/out a hood! The old cabinets were so GREASY!!)

Do you have a layout of the 1st floor?

What's past the peninsula?

--

"Almost 4 years ago I gave up on the addition, double the size of the kitchen thought."

Really? I was there, 4 years ago.

---

Question: are your kids toddlers now, or are your kids older and you'll have toddler grandkids coming to visit?

"I can survive a couple toddlers not burning themselves on the range "

"I would love more than the 20" to the left of the range for prep"

---

I ask this because these were 3 of the main reasons why I renovated my kitchen:

- lack of hood

- lack of prep/countertop

- unsafe/not optimal use of the peninsula

I am so happy that I DID change my layout, instead of just living with the same footprint/layout.

--

Now I have a fantastic hood (sucks up toddlers w/ 1100CFM along with fried fish smell and all the steam from the induction cooktop when DH forgets how quickly his water boils when he walks away to get the tea bag).

I also have tons of countertop space (23feet) to spread out:

- DH gets his sandwich making area/baking area

- I have my prep/cooking area, with no one walking through it

- kids have the peninsula to hang out/do homework, without the risk of Mommy splashing hot oil or hot water or stir fry all over them/their craft paper, etc.

Amanda's original layout

Amanda's improved layout in 1st screenshot

---

Now to be helpful:

- hoods:

My friend has a powerful Zepher. It worked great, but I'm not sure how easy it was to clean: spraying soapy water into the fans to clean???

I love my Kobe baffles that I can remove to soak/wash in the dishwasher. It sucks up so well; it's astounding just how much grease it catches. (Think about how much would be in my house if I didn't have this hood: ugh).

---

countertop:

- conflict:

I like solid surface, but I had Corian in my previous kitchen and the integrated sink was great BUT it had tiny little dark cracks right around the drain, and it was constantly difficult to keep white.

So while I love the integrated sink, I wouldn't want to deal with an unsightly sink.

Formica: can you have an undermount sink?

I can't stand an overmount sink for crud to catch at the rim.

So of the 2 options, I would get solid surface, maybe with an undermount stainless steel or Silgranit (GW people love it) sink, instead of an integrated one.

Good luck,

Amanda
Buehl
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
RSuburbHome - were you able to edit your original post to get the pictures to work? I'm asking b/c I haven't been able to edit posts I started...so, how did you do it?

(I guess it's possible it's one of the things they've fixed recently...I sent a list to Tamara a week or two ago of the many issues I've seen with Houzz, including the inability to edit the initial post...)
funkycamper
8 years ago
We bought an Albert Lee hood, actually made by Zephyr, with 600cfm but it's not installed yet so I can't comment about it. They had it hooked up in the store and it ran super-quiet. I just hope it's as quiet in my house!

I agree with going with SS or Silgranit over integrated.

Do you want some input on your kitchen layout? It actually looks like a nice, basic yet functional layout. But perhaps, as Amanda suggested, some improvements would be nice. If you wanted to share a diagram with the adjacent rooms, maybe we could suggest a few tweaks.

The only tweak I'd suggest based on what I can see is more lower drawers. Drawers hold more are easier to retrieve and put away things into. I added a 21" wide, 4-drawer stack and put the entire contents of 45" of upper-cabinets in three of the drawers. And things are so much more organized and easy to find.
rsuburbhome
Original Author
8 years ago
Buehl, I edited the original post, just clicked on an edit button and was able to put them in. Now I just looked at the post and edit button is no longer there, very weird.

The other side of the peninsula/dining area is the family room/great room type area. There is no slider on that wall, tv mounted to wall is there. I will work on finding my 1st floor layouts that we worked on years ago. It is a 1500 sq ft house, one dining area, and one family/living room.

My kids are teenagers now but I spent a year babysitting a baby and put her in a seat connected to the bar while I cooked, out of the splash zone. I am not concerned about grandkids because I pray they will not be living here when that time happens and I will watch them the best I can and that is all I can do. Almost every house in our neighborhood has that peninsula. With an 80 square foot kitchen, there is no way to move the range except between the fridge and sink.

Good points about the integrated sink, I do not want undermount with formica if I have to have that I would do a top mount. I do not want stainless steel sink. I have thought if the integrated sink doesn't work I would be able to have the fabricator cut it out and cut a new spot for a drop at anytime. My awesome husband will replace the caulk anytime I ask around the sink, hate the junk but this works for me.

Thanks for all the thoughts, I know I still have so many decisions to make.
funkycamper
8 years ago
I think I recall reading in the FAQ's that the OP can be edited for a very limited time, like maybe an hour or two, after originally being posted. This is so someone can't go back in an totally change their post after people have started replying making their suggestions not make sense as they may not apply to the edited OP.

Responses are given a longer time for editing. I think it's 24 hours.
sheloveslayouts
8 years ago
Kitchen projects like yours are my favorite. Thank you so much for sharing with us! Forgive me if this layout suggestion is old news and won't work for you, but I thought I'd toss it out here.

Have you considered putting the range where the fridge is, removing the peninsula and putting the fridge on the wall between the sink and the family room?

The benefits of this arrangement would be 1) counter space on both sides of your range 2) fridge on the exterior of the kitchen 3) more floor space for walking around your dining set 4) a wall mounted exhaust hood instead of a ceiling mount by be cheaper?

The downside would be that I don't know if you can reconfigure your existing cabinets to do this and you'd have to fill in an opening in your newer flooring. Also, I guessed on pretty much all the dimensions except the overall room...
rsuburbhome
Original Author
8 years ago
Benjesbride, yes we have thought about this, we have extra flooring in case of changes, we knew this would be coming. The biggest issue is the kitchen/dining at the end of the 10'4" starts to vault into family room, it would look very weird to have a fridge sticking out into the vaulted room. The wall behind the dining table was removed so we have a huge walking space being the table, essentially the entire hallway. Still working on tracking down whole house floor plan.

Long time lurker, finally ready to start kitchen.

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rsuburbhome
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Long time lurker, finally ready to start kitchen.

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