lisa -your photos are very similar to how i stored items in the kitchen in my old house. We did not design that kitchen and though some of the cabinets were small...12" i was able to use them for small items like towels etc. The command central space cabinets will be used mostly for kitchen related stuff. I will most likely use one drawer as our junk drawer and one shelf with organized school papers for the kids.

adoiron - id your cabinet a lazy susan or a corner cabinet like Stan Z?

Cpartist- why are you going with corner drawers? The one thing that I like about the drawers is when open they do not damage the other cabinets. What type of kitchen items do you plan on using them for ?

Llucy- see the plans that Lisa posted. My husband and I are still deciding between layout A and D

I vote for the lazy susan, but only the SUPER SUSAN design. It is very sturdy and easy to operate. I keep some of my pots and pans, crockpot, rice cooker, electric frying pan, etc., and it works wonderfully. I prefer to put larger items, as smaller ones might get lost in such a big area.

A and D both have large pots and pans drawers adjacent to the sink.

Since you want a counter and cabinets in your bump-out, can't you devote a portion of it for a tall cabinet with roll-out shelves like Lisa drew in plan A? That would store all your small appliances and large pans and bowls. I would want them out of my prep corner anyway! Before my remodel, I stored all that stuff in a 20" w pantry without roll-outs. Boy, was that ever fun removing everything on the shelf to get what was in the back. But it did hold an awful lot of stuff.

I have a super Susan. I also thought about a corner cabinet with just shelves but I am very glad my kd encouraged the super Susan. it holds tons of stuff and is very sturdy. being in between the stove and sink makes it perfect for all my cookware

I did a slight tweak to Plan D, increasing the width of the drawers and counter between sink and range and adding a Command Center area to the seating peninsula.

This is the inspiration for the Command Center/seating peninsula:

Central District Kitchen Remodel · More Info

Moving the Command Center out of the pantry location frees up additional storage for kitchen items in that area. You could do the run of cabs all at 12" or 15" deep or do a mix of 12" d closest to the DR doorway and 15" across from the basement stairs.

I did not swap out the voided corner for a Super Susan. I still believe that you need to keep drawer storage in this area, especially since you have other areas to store items that you might store in a Super Susan.

I think you mentioned baking sheet storage above. Have you thought about storing them upright above your fridge?

Shaker Cherry Kitchen · More Info

Here's a tweak to Plan A with a Command Center as part of the banquette area.

Novenstein · More Info

Efficient Modern Kitchen · More Info

I had another idea that might work but I need to draw it up and do the math to know for sure. Won't happen until tomorrow.

Morgue drawers in banquette. Nicely done.

Lisa_a- looking forward to seeing your other idea.

Below is the kitchen layout with the LS. What changes can I make to maximize the cabinet space. I am not sold on the LS as my best option.

I am open to switching the fridge and stove. Switching the two might give me better cabinet space and better work flow. I do prefer the fridge in the below location when hosting however for everyday work flow I prefer switching.

Thumbs up. I like the fridge in that spot. I'd probably void the corner so you have more drawer space. Are you putting a microwave in the cabinets on the dining room wall?

Ben- the microwave is above the stove. I asked the kd to do a layout without a ls and I am frustrated that she did not do it. Now with the holidays I have to wait over a week and my goat was to order the cabinets prior to Christmas. If I voided the corner how much drawer space would I get?

Oh gosh. I'm not good at that. I'm only personally familiar with using Ikea cabinets with limited options. Maybe you could message Lisa?

http://www.houzz.com/user/lisaa007

I like the layout - it gives you two nice prep zones and a variety of storage options. I used our LS to store all our post & pans, colanders, and larger serving pieces - it was a great option b/c it puts everything in front of you for putting away/taking out - just rotate and there it is!

Others use theirs for small appliance storage - again, it puts the appliance right in front of you for ease of access.

A corner susan also allows for taller storage for tall pots (like a 12 qt or larger stock pot) --or-- for a blender or other tall appliance.

If you decide to void out the corner - and I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of doing that unless you know you have an excessive amount of storage space planned - you will need at least 3" of filler on each side after accounting for the 24"x24" voided space. So, in effect, you're losing 27"x27" of space.

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Regarding a Command/Message Center above a banquette - it will not be easy to access items in that area, especially anything in a cabinet. What will probably happen is that since it's not particularly accessible, people will "create" their own drop zones wherever they feel like it - where it's easy to get to - and not necessarily where you will want those zones.

"...If I voided the corner how much drawer space would I get?..."

With a corner susan, you have 12" of cabinet space on each leg. Take 3" away for the filler, and you only gain 9" on each side.

Don't forget that a 12" cabinet has only 9" interior dimensions.

The one thing this kitchen lacks is drawer space! You have a row of base cabinets on the south wall for appliances and such. The only thing you have to keep in your prep area is your pots and pans, and they can go in the 27" cabinet between sink and stove. Mine are in a single layer with the lids in place. I open a drawer, reach in, and pull out a pan.

What is the 18" KB? I would put a 15" trash pull-out in its place and give those three inches to the cabinet to the left of the stove. The stove is squished over a little more than it needs to be. What will you store in the 17" cabinet to the left of the stove anyway? Gadgets and utensils? Potholders? Storage containers and wraps? They all need to be in drawers, and it will be tight in 17". What's going in the base cabinets near the fridge? Baking dishes? Better in drawers. You can also use a deep bottom drawer for small appliances. I have a crock pot and hand mixer in mine.

Put an L-shaped hinged cabinet in your upper corner instead of the looming diagonal box that is hard to reach back into easily. Or void that corner so your side cabinets are larger. The right upper near the stove opens toward the sink, but will that be used for spices and cooking ingredients? I'd change it to open toward the stove if so. You may need a wider hood over your Viking gas range too.

And most of all, don't rush to order! I would never want to place a cabinet order on a major holiday.

Can you shorten the wall the refrigerator is on? What's behind that wall?

Is there a layout of the entire floor? (Did I miss it somewhere...?)

Buehl- the basement stairs run behind the fridge.

We are planning on using a Korner King unit for the corner cabinet. I found about this add-on unit from earlier threads in GWeb.

Carol Korner KIng

Buehl - Ben is correct it is the basement steps. We considered moving the steps however the current layout for the steps is the best option for kitchen layout and overall house layout.

Buehl - I had an earlier post regarding the kitchen layout. There were a few posts inquiring about the house layout one was regarding the basement steps

I have a U kitchen - two corners to deal with. Between sink and fridge I have a super susan; between sink and range I have a closed off corner and drawers. Each is the perfect solution for its location - but switching them would throw off the whole works.

So the "best" solution depends on how much space you have in the corner, how much space you have elsewhere, and what you plan to store there.

My kitchen has few drawers, so closing off the corner and putting drawers on each side was a no-brainer. I have an 18" cab on one side, and a 24" on the other side. I use them every day, and I do not miss the "wasted" space in the corner, since I had other places in the kitchen for the sort of bulky or less-used items that I might have put there.

Looking at your kitchen, putting a susan in the corner severely limits the cabinets on each side. I have cookie sheets and cutting boards in a 9" cab next to my sink; I would not have need for another that size (or slightly bigger). And drawers in a 12" cab are next to useless. If it was me, I would not hesitate to close off the corner and surround it with drawers.

Mayflowers commented above about your upper corner cabinet, and I agree completely. I had two of those diagonal uppers, and they were black holes. Yes, you can cram a lot of stuff in there - but you can only see/reach what's right in front. I now have two easy-reach uppers, and absolutely love them. I may have lost some physical storage space, but the effective storage is so much greater.

I spoke with my KD earlier and she still recommends a SS corner cabinet. She did mention that an option to get more cabinet space is a smaller sink instead of a 30 inch sink do a smaller sink and gain 6 inches of cabinet space. the 27 inch cabinet to the right of the stove would be a 30 inch base. The 13.5 base cabinet to the right of DW would be a 23.5 base cabinet. Also to make the SS a 33x33 instead of 36x36. she does not believe doing a blind corner would provide more usable space. Also, she recommended a L shaped cabinet which would be two 12 inch doors instead of the diagonal upper cabinets.

This kitchen is giving me a headache.

I did just that - put in a 30" sink base. The sink is still as big as I need, and the added storage where I needed it most is wonderful.

My options are a 33 inch base with a 30 inch sink or a 27 inch base with a 25 inch sink. I am leaning toward the small sink for cabinet space however a big sink is nice when washing the really big pots or baking trays

AnnKH - this is the layout with the working triangle

Whoa whoa whoa. Are you back to the fridge between the doorways?

Awwwww. I LOVED D and E. so sad ..... Good luck with it all though. Of all the options, this would be the last I would pick. But, I am not the one who has to live with it. Perhaps you have a movable island planned?

I have a 27" sink base. I would only recommend it for a single or two person family. Yes, everything fits for washing. No, you can't even have one dirty dish in it and have it available for prepping. You have to keep everything moving into the DW. It's not worth it for 6" of cabinet space.

benjesbride - my husband prefers the fridge between the doors however I am slowly convincing him on layout D

I feel for you. I've been there.

SR74 - with all due respect. Does he do 50% or more of the shopping, prepping, and cooking? Good luck again, whatever you decide.

I have a 26" sink going into my 27" sink cab and it seems pretty big to me. My old sink was 23" though. It does fill up fast. I would def do a lazy Susan over a blind corner. Good luck!

Whoa, I didn't know that plan was a contender. Sorry, but it seems a tight squeeze in a decent sized kitchen.

If hubby insists on the fridge between the doorways, this is a much better option.

I moved the table from putting a squeeze on aisles to a banquette booth ala jm_seattle's wonderful set-up. See jm's kitchen reveal here, Finished Traditional Kitchen (lots of pics), floor plan and bench plans

If you go to jm's reveal thread, you'll see what I mean by "morgue drawers."

The booth is the same width as jm's but it's longer by a foot. A trestle table will make sliding on and off the bench easy. Or you could do a built-in-place table ala jm's.

You could make the bench and table slightly longer than 60"; you've got the clearance between bench and counter next to the fridge to add up to 10" and still have a decent aisle here (I'm keeping it generous since this is one of your home's entries).

With the table out of the middle of the kitchen, you now have room for counter and cabs next to the fridge, which means you have a landing zone and space for a MW nest to the fridge. Kids can make snacks without getting in your way while you prep a meal.

I moved the DW to the left of the sink, getting it out of the way of the prep zone.

I sized the sink cab from 30" to 33" so you can have a larger sink.

I left the Super Susan in the corner with a 36" drawer base between it and the sink. That gives you 48" of counter between sink and corner for prep. You've also got a decent amount of counter to the right of the range.

I added shallow pantry cabs and a shallow cab with counter against the DR wall, leaving a decent aisle to get to the basement stairs.

The cab is deep enough for 15" drawer guides, giving you about 14" of depth inside the drawers. Use this as your bar/entertainment area. It's shallow, yes, but without cabs overhead, it will be adequate, IMO. Here are a few inspiration pics for you:

El Dorado · More Info

Contemporary Kitchen · More Info

Tudor Kitchen · More Info

Woolman Woods Model - Spring 2012 · More Info

PS The other big plus with a booth is that you no longer have to worry about your family forgetting to push their chairs in when they leave the table, spilling over into the aisles.

Whoa whoa whoa. Are you back to the fridge between the doorways?

Ditto

Of all the options, this would be the last I would pick.

Ditto

Does he do 50% or more of the shopping, prepping, and cooking? Good luck again, whatever you decide.

Ditto

Whoa, I didn't know that plan was a contender. Sorry, but it seems a tight squeeze in a decent sized kitchen.

Ditto

I think you should show your DH the negative reactions to this plan. Every single plan others suggested are better than this one.

"I spoke with my KD earlier and she still recommends a SS corner cabinet. She did mention that an option to get more cabinet space is a smaller sink instead of a 30 inch sink do a smaller sink and gain 6 inches of cabinet space"

I'd be concerned about her pushing the SS... what do you want? what do you need to store in that spot?

are you planning a 1 bowl sink or a 2 bowl? have you look at smaller sinks irl?

Yikes we had a 30" sink for 18 yrs and it was cramped with 70/30 split. I would never go less than a 30" single bowl again.

Ask your KD what size sink she has in her house.

lisa_a - thank you for layout G. I think G looks cramped. I will show this to dh.

desertsteph - one bowl sink

I had a 25" single bowl sink in my last house, and always felt it was small... but had no idea that there were larger options out there. In this new house, I have a 33" double-bowl, but will be switching to a 33"+ single bowl when we redo the kitchen. I CANNOT wait for all that space!! I want to be able to lay my sheet pans and big 14" saute pan FLAT while I wash them.

You're welcome, selfridge! Plan G is less crowded than your plan that I tweaked but when compared to Plan D (and it's slightly tweaked alteration, Plan E), yes, it looks crowded to me, too.

I'm with desertsteph; why does this KD keep insisting on the corner Susan, especially at the expense of a larger sink? To repeat what I've said multiple times - and what others have also said - focus on the type of storage you need and determine the cab plan from that. The KD insisting on a corner Susan is going bass-ackwards, IMO.

I was showing off my kitchen to my SIL and a niece the other day. They commented on how well planned my storage was (I opened drawers to show them what we had done). There is a very good reason for that. I told them that when the kitchen was finally finished, DS2 said, "Now we get to figure out where everything goes." DH replied, "Your mom already knows. She had it planned out before the kitchen was torn apart and the cabs were built."

If the KD keeps insisting on a corner Susan, even after you've decided not to include one, thank her for her advice, tell her that you've given it a lot of thought and that you've decided to void the corner anyway because a larger sink and wider drawers are what you want in this area.

Lisa - two KD people that I have spoken to said that the voided corner does not provide wider drawers on either side. What am I missing? My conversation with the KD frustrated me.

I was considering an L upper cabinet for that corner but I don't like how the door opens....I think I prefer the diagonal for the asethics.

SF74 - That does not make sense. A susan takes space from the sides of each wall. Remove the susan, widen the drawers. Unless, they do not offer drawers in custom widths? Or, perhaps it is the corner spacers? FWIW - I never want another susan in my life.

For us, we split the difference - wider drawers on one side and top drawer, a slide out, and 2 blind slide outs. The slide out is perfect for our KA mixer and Vitamix.

Good luck!

Lisa - two KD people that I have spoken to said that the voided corner
does not provide wider drawers on either side. What am I missing?

Nothing as far as I can tell because what they are telling you makes no sense to me at all. If you don't give up 12" of linear space to a Susan, you gain 9" of drawer width (3" goes to spacer at corner).

I considered adding a BCC to my sink corner (didn't have space on sink side to do corner Susan) but opted not to because a) it wasn't the right kind of storage for that corner and b) a drawer base was cheaper storage than a BCC. Here's my corner.

If I had done a BCC, I would have lost the bank of drawers on the right. If I'd had room for a corner Susan, I would have lost 27" of much needed drawer storage. The few items that I would have been able to store in a BCC (ditto for a corner Susan) ended up in a a single drawer in a much roomier cab next to my wall oven.

I use the items in the drawers in my prep zone much more regularly than the items I use in the drawer by my oven. A few extra steps now and then is a much better option than extra steps several times a day, IMO.

Look at the whole picture when it comes to storage. What you decide for one area affects storage in another. It's a domino effect, IME.

Lisa- my KD gave me a 36 SS. To the left is a 13.5 base cabinet and the right is a 12 base cabinet. If I do the voided corner I would get 9" added to each cabinet on the left and right of the SS....it seems that the larger base cabinets are more functional than the SS. Also I am not a fan of the tiny doors on a Susan.

Giving up the SS would mean you'd have a 22 1/2" drawer base and a 21" drawer base. You can store a lot more in drawers that size than in 13 1/2" and 12" drawers. I've found drawers a whole lot more functional but I should add that I've never owned a SS or a BCC. Oh, wait, the latter isn't true. I've had a BCC cab but the worst kind. Nothing but a shelf so getting anything out meant getting on ones hands and knees and digging in the nether regions. Ugh. Never. Again.

Does this KD have a showroom where you can go look at the SS? Take in the items you think you'd store in one and see how they fit. I did that with both Haefele and Rev-a-Shelf BCC cabs and was very surprised to see how limited the storage was. So glad I did this because it became immediately obvious that this was not going to work well for us.