It looks like your builder does awesome work. It's going to be a great home for the mountains. I like the U-shaped kitchen and would keep the range on the back wall as you want your cooking area to be in the most protected location. The only change that is jumping out at me is the sink placement. It's way too close to the range. The counter between sink and range is where most of the prep work will occur. There isn't much counter length in the current set up. I would move the sink down at least to be directly across from the current fridge placement. At least. Or even a few inches further. And then a nice, wide sink, at least 36", with double-faucets, means DH can prep while you clean up and have enough room in the sink to share it. But, most important, this gives your DH plenty of room to spread out while prepping.

Those rocks around the stove would drive me batty.

Oh yeah, agree with night owl. How on earth do you cook if you don't have any room on either side of the range to put things? This is definitely form over function. Not to mention cleaning them...

I love my U kitchen, so I'm with your DH. But, can the fridge be on the other side? It blocks any view you might get of the LR or outside while you are cooking and cleaning up.

The rustic look of the stone around the range is cool, but does it have to extend out so far that it encloses the space? If you like the look but not the impracticality, perhaps it could extend only 6" or so, to create the impression of a nook but still let you move pots or spoons around easily, and without breaking dishes when you bump them on the rock.

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Funkycamper- my initial thought was to reverse the sink and dishwasher. Oddly enough that will make the layout very close to my current kitchen. But I got slammed on an old thread about having the dishwasher in the prep zone, so I tried to leave it outside the triangle. I guess I could leave it to the left and just put that smaller 12" cabinet on the other side?

So from this-

To this?

Night owl and lharpie, I agree. The rock looks cool but seemed impractical to me. After consideration, DH has decided it may be an expensive add on that adds no function. I think we will go with a reclaimed wood vent cover and put the rock elsewhere in the house. I'm hoping we can go with the builders other signature thing, which is a great rock fireplace on the covered porch, like so,

Or this,

Definitely keep that DW out of the prep zone so, yes, in this particular plan, that means it should stay to left of sink.

I would actually make the brown hutch narrower and move sink/DW even farther left. I have 54" between sink and range and I'm often spread out using every inch. IIRC, NKBA guidelines are a minimum of 36" but most folks here at GW suggest a minimum of 42". Note that those are minimums. I wouldn't want less than my 54" but myself. Since your DH is the cook, this is something you should discuss before finalizing. The question should be: How much space does he need to be able to spread out and feel comfortable? Not, how little space can he get away with.

I disagree with bpathome about switching fridge and sink. You don't have many windows. If you put the fridge on the window wall, it's going to block views to outside and the light that would be coming in that window so that less of the kitchen would be getting any natural light. I agree that I wouldn't want the stone surround around the range but I would rather have that than have the light blocked off. In fact, I would make that kitchen window at least twice as wide. Do you really need all those uppers since it sounds like you are going to have a large pantry?

Those stone fireplaces are fantastic! Oh, please get one or two or three. :)

Bpathome, I thought about moving the fridge. The only thing I could do is trade the sink, dishwasher with the fridge placement. I would then have no window in the kitchen. I don't want the fridge by the door for 2 reasons, one it would feel claustrophobic to enter there and two, I want the wine/beverage center there as it will be a different color and I want it kind of away from prep and cleanup.

I could do this, what do you think?

I was also going to chime in and say move the sink down further and make the window bigger! Glad the argument has already been made. This space cries for more light (and showing beautiful views too I think?) especially given the darker cab colors, and looks like it is going to feel pretty heavy with all of those uppers. Love the rock fireplace - that makes a lot more sense to me.

Do you have only the two options? I don't understand the counter across the opening, unless it's just to tie in the post. I'd rather have a straight shot from the entry, since you can see into the kitchen anyway. I'd move the sink over as funkycamper suggests, make the window wider, and put the wine cooler in a peninsula.

Mama goose, as I stated in the first post, the post doesn't actually exist. My basic program doesn't understand walls without 4 corners which makes it hard. The wine center at the end is 48" which at this point is my bare minimum. I really need about 7 feet to fit my extensive collection of cocktail and wine glassware. But will store some and squeeze into 4 feet upper and lower. To be honest I can live on cereal and pbjs so don't need a kitchen personally :D. I do love a pretty kitchen, though so come here for help on functionality.

Holy Cow that outdoor fireplace looks wonderful.

So is there a counter past the fridge, where the wall ends? That is what I would leave out, so that you don't need to go around it to enter the kitchen. You'd still have the same storage for your cocktail accoutrèments, it would just be in the form of a peninsula between the kitchen and dining area. The blind corner could be accessed from the back of the peninsula.

Mama goose, I get what you're saying I'm just not sure I want to lose the peninsula just yet. It's where I will put the microwave and also could be a good spot to set up my mixer( I don't cook but I like to bake). Also a spot to put out appetizers or use as a buffet to serve meals when we have guests. Also it may have to house dishes if I widen the window and lose uppers. Maybe shorten it a bit? My cocktail stuff is vintage stuff I've been collecting and really hope to display it as well as use it. I love your suggestions, they do make functional sense, I'm just really attached to my hutch idea.

With wider window, y'all are right it looks way better.

I like it but I still think you should narrow the hutch and put the DW and sink even farther left. I would want a longer stretch for prep and also for clearance for someone to be at the range and someone else at the sink without stepping into each other.

I can't do a 3D drawing and it's difficult to see on the small overhead drawing, but you can keep the hutch uppers over the peninsula I drew, and serve from that one, too. The MW can go on a shelf on the left of the fridge, with the mixer under it, but I think the peninsula on the sink side would be a great place to stage baking. Those are viable solutions, but if you prefer the current layout, I think that's fine--you know better how you want to use the kitchen.

Thanks all, while looking at my plan I realized the dining area is longer than I was thinking in my head. So if I get rid of the peninsula altogether and move the hutch into the dining area this is what I get. My question is about unloading the dishwasher, where would you store dishes in this kitchen? The area on the plan that is the kitchen is 10' x 10' so too small for an island and kind of big too walk across carrying very heavy dishes. The kitchen is under the upstairs loft and the dining and living side of the house is a high vaulted ceiling, hence the wall where it is

You'll want a trash pull-out in the base beside the sink (unless you're
opting for under sink trash), so the uppers to the right of the sink
would be the logical location. That's above your prep zone, but in a
small kitchen there aren't many choices. Actually that's where I store
dishes in my kitchen, although the sink and range are flipped. That
leaves all the uppers on the other side of the range for pantry items.

I like your hutch in the dining area--it seems much more of a focal point.

Mama goose, yes, I think you're right, dishes to the right of the sink. I will have trash under sink so maybe I can do dish drawers. I have beautiful, but very heavy everyday dishes. Hubby bought them from a potter for our anniversary.

I still like your idea of a peninsula, I am going to bring it up with the architect to see if he thinks it can be worked in.

How about keeping the hutch next to the DW? Although narrower than in your previous plans so you can move that DW and sink left. I liked that and thought it was a nice focal point in the kitchen. It seems like it really shows up better there from the living space and is more of a focal point than in the dining area because, turned sideways, the dishes won't show up as well in it anyway, imho.

I have my wedding china and some silverplate pieces that I keep in a hutch-type cabinet in the dining room--it's location is exactly where the hutch is drawn in your current plan, relative to the kitchen. I bake a lot, using the end of my island for rolling dough (just made puff pastry this week-end), and I love being able to see the cabinet while I'm working. Sometimes I stop and gaze at it, thinking how pretty everything looks. So I suppose I meant that the hutch would be more of a focal point for you, while you're working in the kitchen. Also, you'd be able to see it when entering from the bedroom hall.

Almost everyone enters through our back door, which is also located as yours is, between the kitchen and DR, and the open shelves of the hutch are very noticeable from that vantage point.

If you decide to keep the hutch on the sink wall, you could keep the dishes in drawers in the base. In the drawings, it looks as if the hutch base has doors, but you could use overlay doors if you prefer the look of doors to drawers--you'd just have to open the door, then pull out the drawers.

or have both. Narrow hutch in kitchen for more every day dishes, glassware, eating utensils. And then one in the dining area for more interesting and cherished items, serving pieces, etc. Best of both worlds!

First off let me say thank-you all so much. This thread has totally made me really excited about this kitchen and the final layout. I did one more update and added the peninsula to make a G shaped kitchen. This gives me many options I was missing before, one I have a spot to set out informal appetizers or use as a buffet to serve from, I have a spot to set down groceries I am bringing in or guests have a spot to set down dishes or a purse or whatever, I can also do some prep there and not be in hubby's way and lastly it gives me a spot for baking, which I tend to do outside of normal meal prep times. As we are now empty nesters we generally are just cooking for two, occasionally for 4 so this is plenty of space. I also added a cabinet to the right of the fridge so I can use this for overflow plus I'm going to have the upper area open shelving as I had nowhere for cookbooks and such.

The hutch isn't really a hutch, it is a wine/cocktail spot disguised as a hutch. Kind of like this, but no sink.

I'm sure my final layout will change a bit when I go to the architect, but this gives me a huge jump on showing him what we are looking for. I know some aspects aren't following the kitchen design rules, but for how we live and use our kitchen I think this works for the space we have and the budget we are allowing.

Can you consider resizing the master bed/bath area? I can't read the dimensions but it looks quite huge compared to the other parts of the house.

The master bath is 5' x 14'. The water closet area is 5'x3.5 so that leaves 5' x 11.5". Is that too big? My current master is bigger because it has a big soaker tub( that has never been used in 18 years), but more of a square. I don't have a tub in this one, just a shower. 2 sinks and a linen tower between. The shower is a bit bigger than a standard tub at 42" by 5' but I figured with no tub I should make the shower a bit bigger. I think the angle of the screenshots skews things a bit.

So my final appliance question, I was thinking of putting the microwave to the left of the fridge as suggested but with the addition of the peninsula I have other options. I found these 2 pics on Pinterest. I love that the dishwasher is in the same spot as y'all talked me into! Just shows me that it was a great suggestion. So any thoughts?

Option 1

I lean toward option 2 but it really depends on your own needs. If you did option 1, where would you put your coffee and toaster?

How do you use your microwave? Do you, more often, take leftovers out of the fridge for a quick re-heat? Steam vegetables, or melt butter for cooking? Re-heat your coffee 3 times before you finally finish it, or heat water for tea? 1 or 2, I'd put it beside the fridge.

The first pic is really pretty, but I would imagine they have a difficult time unloading the DW directly to the upper cabinets--they would need to place the dishes on the counter first. When open, the top edge of most DW doors are 26-27" from the cabinet face. Would you keep dishes there, or would you still keep your dishes in the cabs to the right of the sink? Or consider keeping them in drawers in the peninsula? Will there be enough room on the end of the peninsula for a drawer base wide enough for dishes? That would be ideal--easy to stage buffet service or set the table without crossing into the work space. You would need 24" for the blind corner, 3" for filler, a 24" drawer base (you could use a MW drawer), then at least a 30" drawer base for dishes. Add 1" for counter overhang, and that makes the peninsula 82", from the back wall.

If necessary, I would give up the cabinet to the right of the fridge, in favor of a little more space in the peninsula, or make the cabinet a shallow pantry. You can pull the cab above the fridge forward and use panels on both sides of the fridge, to cover the sides. A fridge surround might already be your plan, even though the drawing doesn't show it.

If you don't want to make the peninsula longer, and don't mind unloading the DW and stowing the dishes in two stages, then keeping the dishes in the upper above the peninsula and/or in a drawer on the end is still a good option for dish storage, IMO.

Funkycamper, I am better with 2 as well. If I did 1 I would put the coffee maker and toaster over to the right of the sink. Maybe an appliance garage in that corner. I may still put those there as I like those in close to the sink and I will keep coffee mugs in the upper cabinet to the right of the sink. I'm thinking microwave below in peninsula and stand mixer in appliance garage above.

On a side note, the opening at the end of the peninsula into the kitchen is 42". I think that will work but I could always make the cabinet to the right of the fridge bookshelf depth to the floor and get an additional 10-12" there.

It would look like this.

Versus this

Mama goose, to be honest I never use the microwave, and hubby uses it to reheat leftovers at lunchtime. Hubby went on a health, organic kick a year or so ago and we quit cooking in it because of that. We even gave up microwave popcorn. Maybe melt butter or chocolate for baking. Kids use it when they are home for visits.

Storing dishes in a drawer in a longer peninsula would be my preference, I will play with that. Otherwise I will stick with a dish drawer to the right of the sink and glasses and mugs maybe in an upper?

Here it is with no cab to the side of fridge and 82" peninsula. Don't think this will work. Kitchen is about 10'6" x 12'.

Ok for fun I switched the peninsula to the other side. I moved the fridge in 12" to allow the doors to open and added a 12" cabinet to the right, then blind corner and 36" peninsula. I can put dishes in drawers in peninsula and cups, glasses and mugs in the upper to left of dishwasher? Or is this completely wrong to put fridge inside the "G"?

With how little you use a microwave, I think you should do as Mama G suggested and put it in those cabinets next to the fridge. I don't know if it's still being made but there used to be a style called Spacemaker that would fit in a 12" deep upper cabinet. It sounds like something like that would work well for you with your limited use.

Another plus for putting your microwave next to the fridge is that this frees up that lower micro-drawer space for your every day dishes. Mama G is right about the hutch above the peninsula creating a two-step process for putting your dishes away. Drawers in the peninsula sized so they can be open when the DW door is open eliminates that problem and would make putting dishes away super-quick and easy. You really don't want the dish storage in drawers on the other side of the sink as that puts them in the prep area making it difficult to do clean-up while DH is doing his prep in that area. Also, the drawers in the prep area should be used for things DH will need while prepping like colanders, bowls, knives, and other gadgets he uses regularly. Don't plan a traffic jam into your kitchen.

If you want to put your mixer in the appliance garage on the peninsula, and I think that's a good location since you want that for your baking area, I think you should consider putting the toaster and coffee on the shelves to the right of the fridge. You really don't want them to the right of the sink in the prep area either. Imagine DH making breakfast for the family and the grandkids want toast, everybody else wants coffee, and DH has to interrupt his prep or move everything he's working on elsewhere to allow folks access to toaster and coffee. This is another traffic jam you're planning.

The bookcase idea looks great to the right of the fridge. If you can't bear the idea of putting the microwave, coffee and toaster there, you could put it all to the left of the fridge. To be clear, I think it's more functional to the right of the fridge so someone can grab a cuppa coffee, make toast, and use the micro without having to come into the kitchen while DH is cooking. Or while you are cleaning up. It's just really nice to keep these things out of the kitchen proper while people are working in the kitchen. In your space, the second place for function, imho, is to the left of the fridge. It's not a close second. But it's a heckuva lot better than putting it all to the right of the sink.

Regarding your two bookshelf designs, I do visually prefer the one with the shallow lower. However, I think the full-depth lower with the coffee and toaster on the counter with a micro-drawer makes the most sense for how you live, especially when family is visiting.

Do you know what the width of the aisle is between bookcase and peninsula with the full-depth lower? You don't want to create a bottle-neck there where someone can't leave the kitchen while someone else is coming in. 42-44" is a decent width to provide egress/ingress at the same time although some folks prefer wider. But then you don't want the peninsula so short it's not usable.

It IS a bit like putting a puzzle together, isn't it?

We were cross-posting. I don't think the peninsula will make a good baking center on the other side. You want closer access to the sink for that. And if DH is cooking while you're baking, you would have to move out of the way every time he needed to access the fridge.

Mama G asked if you would consider making the master bed/bath smaller to allow a bigger kitchen. I'm wondering the same. Do you really need two sinks in the master bath? DH and I rarely are getting ready at the same time but, if we are, sharing a sink has never been a big deal. And I would rather have a few minutes of sink congestion in the bathroom than continual congestion in a tight kitchen. Most of us spend a lot more time in our kitchen than in the bathroom. Another 2-3 feet in your kitchen would make your planning much easier and more likely to fit what you want and need into it without creating a crowded space. I encourage you to really consider shrinking that master bath.

Or, if you really want two sinks, couldn't the master bath be made a bit wider? It looks like you have a LOT of walking around space in the master bedroom. Unless you really need that space. Maybe you're planning on putting a treadmill there or something?

Just throwing it out for your consideration. I would never sacrifice a workable, spacious kitchen for a bigger bedroom/bathroom. Of course, you and DH may feel differently and that's OK. I just really want you to make purposeful decisions about this to create a home that works for you, not against you.

Funky camper, I think you are right in leaving microwave to left of fridge in an upper, or at least out of peninsula base for my purposes. I really like my last layout with the peninsula flipped. I just walked out to my current kitchen and opened the dishwasher and pretended to unload into a drawer and it totally works. Then storing mugs and glasses in the left upper is easy access to unload to and if coffee maker is in that appliance garage someone can make a cup and/or refill the carafe and not get in the middle. I could put my mixer in an appliance garage under the bookcase keeping it near where I will use it. The bonus is the blind base could be a 30" cabinet where I can store my formal China. This leaves a 30" dish drawer. The opening aisle into the kitchen is 42" in that layout.

I may end up eliminating a sink in the bath, but that dead space between the kitchen and bath is actual the heat/air stack plus plumbing to the upstairs bathroom. Being a timber frame we have to use interior walls.

The lower end of the bedroom will be a seating/tv area. We are losing both of our offices in this downsize so decided to use that space as a place to get away from each other if we want to watch something different on tv or work at a laptop in peace.

This was the only other option I came up with. The issue with this is venting the hood to the outside.

dyhgarden recently posted a finished kitchen with the fridge located in the middle of the U. Different style, but you might want to take a look at her pics.

Just to clarify--sena asked about the BR and bath. I don't mind being mistaken for her, but when it comes to design, I'm all about the kitchen. Who cares about the rest of the house? ;)

If you made the bathroom a bit smaller or re-shaped it, couldn't that heat/air/plumbing stack also move over? I recognize this might mean modifying some of the second floor layout as well but I think it's a worthy exercise for gaining extra kitchen space.

Your latest plan does make a lot of sense. As long as you realize that using the peninsula for a baking center means you will have to walk across the room to access the sink and move out of the way of the fridge if someone needs access to it while you're baking, and you're sure that won't bother you. Or you could bake in the clean-up space. If you're not someone who bakes daily, either situation should be fine.

I need to run out but I might play a bit more with your layout. I'm mulling a few ideas but not sure if they would be helpful or not. Will post them later if they work.

Mama goose, thanks for the input. I checked the pics and love that kitchen. Makes me want to scale back on my uppers. I wonder how it would look with a fridge with no panel, just the stainless. I finally found a fridge my husband loves and it won't be able to take a panel.

Funky camper, thanks so much. I generally wait and do my baking when I'm alone in the house. Currently I traipse around to get to the water and fridge so I won't be bothered to continue.

I'm meeting with the architect on Friday so will ask about moving the stack.