Kitchen layout review needed - kitchen renovation continues...
The Tile Ice Age is underway-- it is time when large expanses of my house will become covered in tile! It’s a good thing...really :) The family room carpet and underlying sheet vinyl (ick!) has been replaced with this beautiful wood look tile: Bedrosians Kensington in taupe. Baseboards are back in place. It’s done...woohoo!. All DIY and it looks fabulous!
Per the law of home renovations, the end of one project calls forth the beginning of the next. ~sigh~ The kitchen is next. Deep breath. Before I start swinging the demolition hammer, I could use help with some layout decisions.
Kitchen Renovation Goals:
- Keep it simple! more counter space, less clutter on counters, easier for 2 cooks to share the space
- everything goes, down to the drywall (mostly DIY)
- keep plumbing in the same place (slab foundation with plumbing housed in a bar-counter pony wall)
- I'm open to some minor framing work or changes (with help from a contractor)
- planning to use Ikea cabinets
With that said, I can’t see any useful way to reconfigure my small kitchen. Help! There will be workzone violations no matter how I move things around.
- Is the existing layout as efficient as it can be ? (hmmm...my experience tells me otherwise.)
- What changes or ideas would you recommend, since I will be starting out with an empty box (and maybe a pony wall housing the plumbing) ?
I’ve included a link to Ikea kitchen planner layout and also some pictures of identical house plans. (mine actual kitchen is a disaster zone due to aformentioned family room flooring project)
Detailed dimensions (just in case :) )
-Mal
Comments (18)
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Much needed help with Kitchen layout/renovation
Comments (21)sowkmom – I wasn’t initially thinking about adding a mudroom by the garage door. I’m not totally opposed to it, I just can’t really visualize how it would work with my space. The step down to the family room makes the space a little extra awkward. acm – Yes, there is a step down to the family room to keep in mind. We don’t absolutely need an eat in kitchen because we use the dining room. If we could fit a few chairs in with an island or peninsula that could be a nice option for us though. er612 – Thank you so much for those layouts! One thing to keep in mind is that on the other side of the wall (in the dining room) where the refrigerator is currently is a cold air return, so it won’t be as easy to eliminate or shorten that wall. I kind of like the layout with the island, but am a bit concerned about the 36-inch space on both sides of the island. I’m thinking that maybe a 2.5 ft. island could maybe work and give us a little extra space. Carly Schwanz – Thanks for the 3d diagrams. That makes it helpful to visualize! I didn’t really think about a peninsula until I saw it in your layout. I feel like the only thing is that we have a bit of empty space behind the peninsula and may not have enough cabinet/pantry space as we would cutting out the wall by the dining room. My husband and I went to Ikea to just look around and were surprised by how nice some of the cabinets there were. We are thinking about maybe using those. I know that we need to get a designer and GC involved, but I’m not sure if any will really want to work with Ikea cabinets either. Does anyone have any experience working with a designer that was ok with Ikea cabinets?...See MoreKitchen Design/Layout - Need Advice/Review
Comments (2)Yeah, that is a good point. Would it make sense to swap the fridge and wall open? Could the space between the island and cabinets be far enough that it wouldn’t be too much of an issue? Would it make sense to disconnect the butcher block from the island? What other potential solutions?...See MoreKitchen Renovation Layout Advice Needed
Comments (3)Could you move the sink and DW over far enough to put a 30" oven in the corner? If that puts the sink off-center to a window, the faucet can be centered on the window, to disguise the asymmetry. Then move the cooktop and hood toward the fridge. (Plan on left.) Ideally, you could add a prep sink to the island, to give you a more compact work triangle, and a more open area as you prep. (Plan on right.) In either plan, if dishes are kept in drawers on the island, facing the DW, they will be out of the prep space between the sink and cooktop....See MoreNeed to renovate a kitchen--which layout should I use?
Comments (34)Sounds as though you have a plan. I would very much consider keeping the hardwood flowing throughout the space, including the kitchen. There's nothing wrong with RTA cabinets. Mine in my kitchen and both my bathrooms are RTA and the quality is excellent. Furniture board boxes, solid wood door and drawer fronts, dovetailed, full extension drawers with underglides, and full overlay. I did as many drawers as possible, an extended depth refrigerator cabinet with panel, and a few other bells and whistles and spent $9700, including install. It's wonderful that you don't have to rush to complete the project. You'll appreciate having the luxury of time to make informed decisions. I hope you'll keep us updated on your progress!...See MoreRelated Professionals
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9 years agoHi benjesbride, below is a quick layout for the rest of the house. (for point of reference only --- not to scale!)
Is this helpful ?
Thanks! -- Mal
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
If you move the entries toward the front of the house between the front hall/kitchen and kitchen/family room, you'll have more space in the kitchen proper. If you skip the counter seating behind the sink, will you have room for a dining set by the slider?
I'm thinking this:
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Hi benjesbride, taking space from the closet...I never even considered that !
Is this what you are thinking with the closet ?
I like the galley layout. My concern is with vent the refrigerator wall. That's an intake vent into the heater unit directly on the other side of the wall in the garage. Is moving something like that an option ?
Does that put the refrigerator back on the same wall (as the door) ?
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Maybe you could just recess the fridge a couple feet next to the hall closet. The base cabinets in the kitchen could just be in an L config. I don't think Ikea corner cabinets are the most efficient use of space.
9 years agoAre you interested in opening up the kitchen and family room to each other? This absorbs the coat closet into the kitchen and adds a new coat closet in the unused corner of the kitchen?
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9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoBB, your first plan was just what I was imagining when I first looked at it last night. I like that. It would work great if Mal could move that wall vent.
I just played around a bit with a more open L idea. I was trying to fit more seating at the dining table, so I added a banquette bench.
I used the hall closet space and switched the door swings.
This probably won't work, due to the move of the sink. I was not sure how close it would be to the existing pipes.
I will post it just in case it sparks other ideas. :-)
eta: oh sorry, not sure why that posted so tiny...
I forgot to say I also moved the opening to kitchen from hallway down toward front door which might not work either for you.
huango