Needing fresh ideas for kitchen layout
I posted several months ago, got some ideas, then took a break from thinking about kitchen and remodel stuff. Conversations are starting back up again, so I'm back asking for fresh ideas. Specifically, my husband wants to see if we could possibly come up with something that doesn't change the overall footprint of our house. We had a lot of recommendations to "square up" the back porch to the kitchen and expand there, which is still what I want to do, but to save on costs potentially, we'd like to see what ideas we can get that doesn't change the footprint. I'll try to keep an open mind!
The constraints are somewhat limiting though. As I said, no expanding if possible (maybe I'll sway husband eventually, but let's start with keeping it the same). The wall between the kitchen and dining can be opened up, though we'd like to not have it completely open if possible. We need a 1/2 bath somewhere on the first floor. And we're not willing to put it in the foyer like many encouraged, it needs to be somewhere in the northeast quadrant. There needs to be an exterior door somewhere on the east side of the house (you can see one off the porch currently) since that goes out to our patio, detached garage, and backyard. It could possibly be where the current window is on the porch. We'd prefer not to have the only entry from the east be into the dining room. Finally, it's not in there, but directly to the west (right) of the kitchen is staircase that goes down to a landing, and that can't be moved.
Comments (27)
sheloveslayouts
8 years agoI didn't follow your last layout thread very closely. I'm trying to remember... Is that lower part of the addition your existing powder room? And does your driveway run across the top of your drawing? You come into the house from the driveway?
Jillius
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Help with kitchen layout...fresh ideas for a new build?
Comments (32)Buehl, in my original plan, I had the DW on the left but switched it on a whim to see what I could do with the bottom drawers in that last one. You're completely right. It makes no sense to have it on the right. We're definitely thinking the same thing with that! Also, the window is fixed I believe. The plans have been stamped. For the island, I think I'm liking narrowing it and making it for four people...as in how Lisa drew it earlier. The island seems crowded for five no? What do you think of it as it was drawn rectangularly above your post? Would that work? The square kind of does look huge now! I've been looking at some of my Pinterest kitchens that I saved for layout ideas looking for range wall ideas where the range either ISN'T centered or IS centered from the first set of upper cabinetry. What do you guys think about these two different options for me? 1)OFF-CENTERED... This will even out the bottom drawers a bit as was mentioned above. STORAGE: If done this way, I'll have my baking supplies in the cabinet to the left of the rangehood. In the one toward the corner, I can put mixing bowls, casseroles/bakers, cakestands, etc. On the sink side, left cabinet will hold glasses and cups and the right will hold coffee stuff, etc. What I'm noticing about the offset rangewalls that I like is that the cabinetry on each side of the range IS symmetrical like the solid doors here and the glass cabinetry in the corner here. I could easily do something similar to this (note that there's a lot more cabinetry in these kitchens overall but you get the picture): Another idea is to put some kind of shelving somewhere? I want to give this kitchen some personality and warmth...not just solid cabinetry all over. I'm wondering...solid cabinets over the fridge extended out to give the fridge a built in look. Solid regular uppers on each side of the range. Solid (?) 30" uppers to the left of the window....should this be to the counter (a hutch) or regular uppers? There is a wall to the left of that space. Glass uppers to the right of the window. And the 24" uppers in the corne on the range wall could be open shelves or glass? I'm realizing this is almost identical to the layout of that first photo I'm posting in this post. 2) Then you have keeping the cabinets equal and bigger on either side of the range. So instead of having two sets of 24"ish uppers on the left side of the range, it would be just one set of doors to open on the left and the right. Then the lowers would be uneven. STORAGE: If this is what happens, then both upper doors would remain solid and baking supplies will be to the left and cooking supplies to the right. That's what I showed you photos of already above. I suppose with this option I'd do glass on both sides of the window. I was resistant to the asymmetry in my earlier post with the other photos. But now, I may be rethinking my stance and leaning towards it if I can get the aesthetics right. I'm actually liking the idea now I think!...See MoreFresh start-Kitchen Layout HELP needed
Comments (23)thanks alice and everyone here that have been so helpful. I'm up again after 4 hours of sleep but this time because of middle child throwing up... another thought since extending into the family room even by a few feels too cramped i think. what if i left the peninsula one level but put my prep sink towards the window and had my main sink on the center island? on the peninsula, people could still sit and not be too concerned of splashing- kids could sit and finish up homework and not have to clean up since we have the kitchen nook- i could prep and still talk to people and rhome , the fridge would be just a few more inches right although not inbetween? i could also use the main to prep if it is clear of dishes i could have my cleanup sink with the dishdrawers right behind me and above that I was planning to have glass doors anyhow to house glasses and glassware- this way i keep all everyday servingware close at hand. if i extend that island a little bit i could also fit my prep stuff at the end of the run next to the stove so i can still access this if there were dirty dishes and i wanted to prep in the prep sink.- kids could wash hands in the prep sink or fruit and the bev center would be at the end of that run. then, because i don't have to hide a cleanup sink, or be worried too much about splashing, i won't have to extend too far into the family room? does that make sense....See MoreNeed kitchen design ideas - weird layout
Comments (11)Thanks katinparadise, herbflavor and Alyssa for your suggestions and ideas; we really appreciate it! I just uploaded newer pictures of the kitchen and area adjacent to the kitchen since we have new appliances, we painted the walls and placed steel shelves for extra storage in the area adjacent to the kitchen (we also replaced the carpet of the stairs to the second level and the entire second level with hardwood floors). To address your points: Yes, we are getting rid of the soffit, though we'd like to replace the range hood with a steel chimney-style range hood. We already replaced our appliances and could not get a standard 36" fridge, so we were limited on the selection of narrower fridges available. We are thinking of putting a narrow counter and open shelving in the area adjacent to the kitchen for flexible storage. We'd like to have a long cabinet for storing brooms, vacuum, etc. since we have nowhere to store them (there is no room in the utility closet). We're thinking either the corner in front of the stairs to the second level or if getting rid of the breakfast bar, an end cabinet into the living area. We're not sure if this is possible, but hiding the garbage/recycling would be great so we can have more space in the kitchen; not under the kitchen sink though, because we want to replace with a deep sink. Other than storage, our pain point is traffic flow, because we do cook on a daily basis and it's hard for both of us to be in the kitchen at the same time. We don't use the breakfast bar at all (we use our dining table) and the only reason we'd keep the current layout is if it is visually better than removing it. I'm just afraid that the new opening might look too narrow or the utility closet would stand out as an eyesore. The way I see it, we have 3 options: remove the breakfast bar and extend the counter to be in line with the utility closet, leave the layout as is and install lazy susan and blind cabinets in the corners, or move the breakfast bar towards the living area to be in line with the outer edge of the utility close (extending the "U" shape inside the kitchen). It's hard to see from the pictures and the floor plan is not to scale, but the utility closet is in line with the counter in the kitchen, while there is a good 40" from the edge of the counter to the edge of the utility closet on the living area side. We've thought about hardwood floors throughout, but are afraid of leaking/flooding from the water heater, HVAC and dishwasher (though we don't have kids). We're still mulling on flooring options. If you have any further ideas, we're all ears!...See MoreNeed fresh eyes on new layout.
Comments (3)Do you have a floor plan of the whole first floor? My instinct is to say that, as a clean as you go cook, you'd be happier with the cleanup sink and stove swapped on that wall so that you can then leave the dishwasher open the whole time you are cooking without having it block a doorway. But it is difficult to weigh in on stuff related to foot traffic without being able to see surrounding rooms and therefore where people are likely to come in and out. Also, moving your clean up sink to the stove wall as you did means your island sink is now a bit redundant, as both sinks are between the fridge and stove. It can still be nice to have two sinks, but given the grandchild scenario you also mentioned, you might actually prefer eliminating the prep sink in favor of having an unbroken island counter. That would mean more space to spread out big trays of things and to be able to gather several people around and work on the trays from all sides of the island. And also, as I have learned as an aunt to six small children, it is nice to be able set them up in a location where they CAN'T reach the faucet. The siren song of the water is very powerful to them, so they will turn it on and play with every chance they get, and you would not believe their ability to put exactly the right object under the water, held at the exact right angle so as to redirect the maximum amount of water out of the sink and all over creation. And if the faucet swivels, there is also the kids' tendency to turn on the water when the faucet isn't even over the sink and just pours a flood all over the counters. Good times!...See MoreJennifer Weinman
8 years agoHere's an updated one for you Jillius, with the kitchen and bath labeled. Yes, the lower part of the addition/porch is the current 3/4 bath (we can ditch the shower, we have 2 others in the house). Yes, the driveway runs across the top on the entire length of the house. There is a door entry in the split stairwell that we use in the winter, but it is very crowded and small. I think we'd like an entry somewhere else to the back yard, but maybe maybe if it was a HUGE gain for layout we could do without. We grill/smoke a ton on the patio in the summer, so having an easy way to the back would be nice. Basically, we do use all 3 entries to the house (back, side, and front) fairly equally right now, so I guess it's hard to imagine losing one.
Jillius
8 years agoJennifer Weinman
8 years agoAlright, don't laugh at my ridiculous free painting skills! The stair way entry is a bit odd because not the first floor, you enter on the landing, kind of like a split level entry. You can either go down to the basement or up to the main level of the house. That little landing is shallower and the steps from the main floor to basement are a bit more condensed than the steps to the 2nd floor. And actually, technically I have the door on the second floor bump out in this photo. Oops. It should basically be right where the arrow is on the stairs up from the foyer (if that makes sense) The little bump out for the steps is actually only on the second floor landing.
The patio is enclosed in pink on the photo. It actually goes around to the bay window of our dining room, so it's pretty big. There's one large tree in the middle of it (trunk is the green circle). The gray stripes are the driveway along the north side of the house.
Jennifer Weinman
8 years agosheloveslayouts
8 years agoI don't think I was involved in your last kitchen layout thread. I skimmed it tonight.
I wondered if it would be an improvement to put the powder room and a shallow closet near the stairs and move the kitchen into the addition. Maybe there would be room for hooks and shoe storage in the bathroom hall in this plan. I moved the back door to the dining room. French doors.
There's a big sink with a big window, a 36" cooktop, stacked wall oven/mw. Unfortunately no seating, but I think I read in your previous thread that wasn't important to you.
Jennifer Weinman
8 years agosheloveslayouts
8 years agoPutting powder at the end of the hall and a walk in pantry in the upper right corner of the kitchen while trying to maintain some symmetry in the dining room with the kitchen/dining wall:
sheloveslayouts
8 years agoor maybe ovens could go between pantry and cooktop. more counter and upper cabinet space; maybe for husband's coffee? I've moved things around enough that im losing grid lines--not sure how this would fit together exactly.
sena01
8 years ago
A few more ideas.I kept the foyer entry and exterior door is in the kitchen in each.
This keeps the kitchen in its current footprint.
I have a range in this one MW is in an upper shelf next to the fridge.
The last one has a small 1/2 bath. MW can be next to the fridge or in the wall oven cab depending on how you use it.
Jennifer Weinman
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoOooh, I like the 3rd one you posted benjesbride! I like the space next to the fridge having some landing space or being sort of a coffee/tea space. That looks nice! And it gives me wall ovens and a lot more prep space.
The only downside - husband isn't thrilled with the only back entry being into the dining room. Which stinks, because I know that limits possibilities greatly as soon as we try to tuck a door somewhere in that kitchen. Let me show this to him and see what he thinks though!
Here's something I came up with the other day that plays off to a lot of what our current kitchen layout is (for instance, the window, sink, and stove are all basically left as is). I didn't put too much thought into this, fair warning. Just trying to maximize space and try to give us "everything" we want. The only thing it doesn't give us is more cooking prep space between the sink and stove, which I suppose I could bump the stove over a tad more towards the doorway. And it doesn't give us a separate wall oven. But it does give a lot more storage! That doorway from by the front hall and stairs into the kitchen is kind of up for discussion right now. I see some advantages to having the bathroom there near the stairs (I run a photo business out of our basement, so it's very accessible to clients without them having to run through my whole house) but it also really closes off the flow of our 4 square house and separates the kitchen quite a bit from the main way we enter into it currently. It's just hard to imagine that doorway not being there, Anyways, here's one idea...
Things I like about this plan:
- the bathroom stays relatively close to where it is, potentially reducing costs (wishful thinking?)
- separate back entry, with room for hooks or some simple space for shoes etc that won't get cluttered either in cooking space or our dining room
- sort of separate pantry/fridge area with lots of storage space. Not super ideal for family to access the fridge easily though.
- trash pull out - hurray! I would love to have one of these.
- extra cabinet space for storage in two spots - one could be for coffee/tea/wine etc, and one could be sort of a dish and serving area, sort of a built in hutch. Both might have to have shallow cabinets due to space.
Things I don't like:
-feels very chopped up with cabinets all over the place.
- will we hate having the fridge back there?
Jennifer Weinman
8 years agoGoing back a bit to the U shape with island that I liked to begin with...
Things I like:- Way more counter space than I currently have (Right now, I have one corner to prep in, so this looks positively luxurious!) and lots of prep space that could work for 2 people if necessary, and it's cohesive instead of all chopped up everywhere.
-There's an island! Hooray for future "kid lingering in the kitchen" space! We are used to not eating in the kitchen and eat 99% of our meals in the dining room or outside on the patio, so we're okay not having a true eat in kitchen. The only time we "eat in" the kitchen is the occasional Saturday morning waffles, where DH stands, I sit on a lone bar stool, and our toddler has a little learning tower, which is essentially like a bar stool.
- wall oven and cooktop are separate
-has back door entry, but not as much hanger/shoe space. Keeps bathroom in present location.
-sink and window to backyard so I can see kids playing and view our beautiful landscaped yard instead of my driveway and the neighbors yard (this change in view is a BIG plus for me as a mom!)
Things I'm unsure about:- how to work that nook for the cooktop wall and the run of cabinets? Is it better to do deep cabinets and sorta conceal a recess with the cooktop decoratively somehow? I know lots of people talk about deeper cabinets being great, I have no experience with that at all, but I'm curious. That corner by the prep sink is kind of a mess of odd cabinets and I'm not sure how best to configure that, but most likely it would be where husbands coffee stuff would end up. I'd really like to have as many accessible cabinets as possible though!
- is the prep sink necessary?
- where to put pull out trash/recycling. We actually compost and recycle a TON, and don't need nearly as much trash space, but I would LOVE to have all of these within cabinets. Ideally, a double trash/recycle pull out, and then a separate compost pull out under a sink (doesn't need to be huge, but it would be nice to have it concealed
- While there's an island, it's fairly small and I wonder if it would look silly? There's a good amount of clearance around it, and we could maybe put a small curved overhang on the long end towards the dining room.
sheloveslayouts
8 years agoJennifer Weinman
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agosheloveslayouts
8 years agoI checked. The minimum is 21".
I have aging family members, so I erred on the side of the recommended dimensions and greater; the minimums didn't stick in my memory. If you have aging family or friends it is something to consider. My mother-in-law used minimum requirements in her bathroom remodels and shortly thereafter my husband's grandma required a walker and was no longer able to visit her :-(
sheloveslayouts
8 years agoI moved the back door. It shrinks up your primary prep space between sink and stove a bit:
Jennifer Weinman
8 years agosheloveslayouts
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoJennifer Weinman
8 years agosheloveslayouts
8 years agoJennifer Weinman
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
Anna Kristín Gisla
8 years ago
I have not read all of your wondering but read through this quickly and I have some ideas. I would do two doors for your outdoor area, one from the dining and one from the kitchen to maybe an outdoor grill. I think an large island would function nicely as a prep area and adding two to three barstools would make a nice place to have breakfast or for your kid to help you cook. I usually like having the recycling under the sink or near it, so that is what i would do. A secondary workspace in the corner is nice when there are dinner parties and you want to keep the clutter away. I would go for and open plan kitchen dining, and if there is a deck it would make the entire are look really big and spacious. Putting a big sink with a view to the back and maybe a small prep sink in the island. This is my proposed layout, the sizing is not completely correct but i tried my best. A nice half bathroom with a door that swings in "hiding" the toilet. Then a little prep nook and pantry with wall hung oven/microwave (This could serve nicely for grill prep and baking). Then a L shape main kitchen and an island. I would do a oven below the cooktop for when you are cooking meals you don't have to walk through your entire kitchen with hot food. This plan also makes it so when you are walking down the hall the kitchen isn't the main focus. Hopes this helps or just gives you a new idea. Love to see what you end up doing :)
sheloveslayouts
8 years agoJennifer Weinman
8 years ago
Jillius