the kitchen is fine-nice big L with a pantry to boot. I like it all....but would find out if the microwave is vented OUT because you may want a better range with good hood at some point...and the fridge looks like a downsizing would be in order with max 36 in wide French doors and bottom freezer.......the space gained by ditching the 48 in fridge can be another pantry of sorts. I would just move in and use it...make sure the pantry has the shelf configuration you want/need to maximize the potential.

Thanks!

Yes, I'm planning on a hood over the range and maybe putting the microwave in the island. My biggest issue is the sink, dishwasher and fridge all jammed together. This leaves me one 24inch cabinet in vicinity of the dishwasher which definitely won't fit my cups and dishes! So I'd have walk across to the opposite wall constantly to unload dishwasher. Here's a rough look at how it would be if I move the fridge. Ignore the partial island, not done yet.

Is this a primary residence or a secondary home?

I like the kitchen the way it is, but understand your enthusiasm for making it your own. I think white cabinets would totally be the wrong direction in this home, but maybe you've gathered up some inspiration pictures of cabins with white cabinets that work? I'm having trouble visualizing this.

You should read Marcolo's Ice-Water-Stone-Fire to better understand layout basics.

Are you ditching a table and chairs for an island? I hope not. Nothing is more cabinish to me than playing cards or board games with my family and you can't really do that at an island.

I'd move the fridge back to the other side of the sink - better for function, and I don't like the way it's crowding the front door in your above image. Do you need such a big fridge? It looks huge in your original photo. If not, you could probably fit another (or just a bigger) cabinet between the sink & the fridge. You could even move the range a little closer to the door... I think 24" or so is enough of a buffer between the door & the range.

I prefer to put most of my dishes near where I'll use them - near the range - as opposed to near the dishwasher.

One more thought: Are you tall? I'm 5'8" and didn't really use the top shelf of my 42" cabinets since they required a step stool. Not practical for frequently used items and awkward for most rarely used things.

I just looked for log cabins with white cabinets. A lot of them looked out of place, but this one was nice:

I like the current layout of your kitchen as well. The peninsula helps define the front entry. I'd do a smaller fridge and move the range to the left a bit and vent it properly. Maybe make the window bigger? But no major alterations.

You might just commit to living with the current kitchen for six months or a year. You probably know well already how you want the future kitchen to look, but using this kitchen will help you solidify which parts of the layout really don't work for you.

Ok here it is with the island done to the best of this programs ability.

I will now move it back the other way. The fridge is a 36" that we love as it has 2 ice makers. As we will be remote bigger will mean less trips down the mountain.

Heres how I plan to deal with adding taller cabinets above regular.

Gorder Residence, NYC · More Info

This will be a primary residence. There will be a dining table and a game table on the screened porch near a fireplace. The only people who will eat in the kitchen usually will be hubby and me. There is also a separate summer kitchen about 40ft across the driveway that is screened and will have the grill.

Can't change the window :(. If I could I'd flip the sink and range for sure!

Some kitchens I've been hoping to emulate.

Please take just a moment to read the ice-water-stone-fire link above. It's actually quite entertaining in addition to a great explanation. The fridge and the range need to be opposite sides of the sink.

Since you'll be living remotely, have you considered a separate fridge and freezer towers instead of the existing fridge? I don't know anything about them, but many who post here are going that direction.

Can you post the dimensions of the space? What's happening to the right of the fridge?

Design wise, I really think you should limit the height of your wall cabinets to the height of the interior walls (highlighted in red below.) I think the cabinets will better relate to the rest of the space. There's a chance anything higher will just distract from and/or compete with that beautiful woodwork.

Like you I'd prefer cabinets in a painted finish...anything other than wood close to the same color as all the other wood...or maybe if the cabinets were stained darker it would look better. I love all your inspiration kitchens...any of the colored cabinets would look beautiful in your house. As to lay out I haven't got a clue. :)

I'd leave the fridge where it is and move the range over 3' from it's current location to provide more prep space, unless you plan to put a prep sink on the island. You have glass in the front door--putting the fridge beside the door will block some of the light.

As for color, I prefer the cabinets that are painted a darker color, putty or green-gray. Maybe with the white already on the stair wall, white cabinets will work. I'd still do an off-white with no cream or pink undertones. It occurs to me that there's a lot going on with the loft beams and the light fixtures--solid painted cabinets might calm things down. Good luck!

So dimensions are: from door to corner is 12' and from corner to edge of fridge is 11'.

Here's another view to show to the right of fridge.

And the layout with the fridge back in it's original spot and with upper tier cabinets added.

The new layout looks pretty good to me in terms of efficiency, though I do wonder about aisle width. Those chairs on the door side look like they could get in the way of passage to the door, and the same for the chairs backing up to the sofa. If the chairs aren't pushed in all the way, and/or someone is sitting in them, how much room is there to get by?

Also, as drawn, the kitchen looks fine... but kind of like any suburban kitchen. I very much hope that whatever you do retains the absolute charm of the log cabin.

The NKBA recommends 18" of clearance on the knob side of a swinging door on the pull side, so I'd heed that and not crowd the front door.

Have you considered a peninsula or open galley style of kitchen?

The distance behind the stools and to the couch is about 4 feet, same on the other side that backs up to the door path. I am new to the program and haven't figured out how to make a bar overhang so had to just make a big tall table and can't show the stools tucked up under the counter. I have a 16" overhand and will be doing backless stools so they will be out of the way most of the time. Seriously, this cabin is really remote and it won't be like people are coming and going, especially during meal times. If someone were to show up when we are sitting there eating with the stools pulled out I'd be really surprised. On the occasions when we will be entertaining the island will be a buffet for hor d'oeuvres or for setting out food and we would eat on the screened porch or out in the big grill kitchen which looks like it could host 12+ easily. This is really just a 2 person house almost all the time.

I am going from a 5000sf house on 12 acres to a 1350sf house on 10 acres. The hint to our kids being to come for very short visits, or camp out LOL.

benjesbride,

I really like that layout but I think it cuts my storage down to about half as I'm losing all the upper cabinets but maybe 4. The best part about the galley style is I could turn the window into a french door onto the wraparound porch, sigh.

I don't really need much seating but settled on 4 as I'm guessing my daughter will come visit with a friend every now and then and this will be the breakfast spot. My personal preference is to scrap all the appliances and just have a microwave, a sink and a wine fridge but hubby won't go for it.

In my drawing, you could swap out 4 feet of overhang next to the wall (by the fireplace) for 4 feet of base cabinets to make up for any wall storage.

I'm not much help with layout. But I can't help but notice how almost identical your floor plan is to our log cabin. Ours is on a smaller scale tho. We have the same open stairway and a loft and high vaulted ceiling. I went with white cupboards because it seemed like too much wood grain with knotty pine ceiling and log walls with lots of character. I love wood but it can be too much of a good thing. I like the idea of warm lighter colours like cream to create a less busy look and brighten up the general appearance.

In your plan with fridge to right of sink and island you could have a drawer in the island facing the DW for dish storage.

Why can't your windows open?

I like painted cabinets, definitely not bright white, with your cabin. That's really quite lovely in there.

I watch Barnwood Builders, since all the fun shows have been taken off. I love the homes they make.

I realize this isn't any help, but I was wondering what the dimensions of your logs are? They look very wide.