Kitchen layout advice please!!

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

We are in the beginning stages of building our "forever home" and need all the help we can get from GW. We are a family of 5 with kids ages 8,7 & 4. We also homeschool so we will be using our dining area and island quite a bit for school activities. The plan shows the island will have a ledge but that needs to be corrected...it will be flat. I'd rather not have any appliances on top of the island for a large prep area. I cook regularly and need a functional kitchen. Advice please?

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Comments (4)

mama goose_gw zn6OH
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
My advice would be to switch the sink and DW with the cooktop, and put a prep sink on the island. With three kids, you should have help in the kitchen soon, and separating the prep and clean-up zones will make it easier. You can have a cutting board made to fit over the prep sink, so that it can be used as countertop.

Dishes could be kept in drawers on the end of the island, opening toward the sink, and in the cabinets above the sink. Are the island cabinets deeper than standard? I'd make the counter 4' deep, so that two stools will fit on the end, which is more sociable for dining. That's 24" for each person, which is the minimum space recommended by the NKBA, for comfortable seating

Kitchen planning info: New to Kitchens? Read me first.

NKBA guidelines
Buehl
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Right now, you don't have a decent Prep Zone. The two key components of a functional Prep Zone are water and a bare minimum of 36" of workspace (42" or more is much, much better). In addition, the Prep Zone should be next to or across from the Cooking Zone. The DW should not be in the Prep Zone.

Without a water source on the island, it will not work well as a primary Prep Zone. You will end up prepping next to the sink - regardless of your "plans"

In your layout, you have a barrier island b/w the refrigerator and Cooking Zone (where the cooktop is) as well as no true connection b/w the Prep Zone and Cooking Zone.

Island...with one set of cabinets in the island, your island should be at least 41.5" deep:

1.5" counter overhang + 24" deep cabinets + 1" thick decorative door/end panel + 15" seating overhang

Depending on how you arrange seating, it may need to be at least 8' wide.

MamaGoose's layout is much better!

Please see the following:

Kitchen Design FAQ Threads (they will help you understand the comments you receive):

FAQ -- Kitchen work zones, what are they?
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638270/faq-kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they
FAQ -- Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and others
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638304/faq-aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-landing-space-etc
FAQ -- How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where?
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638376/faq-how-do-i-plan-for-storage
Looking for layout help? Memorize this first.
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first
.

Asking for layout help:

How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include?
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information
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Kitchen layout advice please!
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Comments (3)
Where is the oven in Option 2? The microwave has a place, but not the best place. Things that go in the microwave will come from mostly from the fridge/freezer and sometimes the pantry, so it's often best to have it near the fridge. I had it situated as you show in our last house, and it was 'ok,' but it was a tiny kitchen and absolutely the only place to put it up off the work counter. Why the double basin sink in the island and the smaller sink by the window? It seems to me there will be lots of zone crossing with the fridge on the opposite side of the cleanup area from the stove and prep area in #1. I consider the fridge a crucial part of my prep and cooking area, and don't want to travel back and forth through traffic and other activity in the midst of preparing a meal. Other people wanting to access the fridge can do the walking, since the timing for them is not so crucial. My opinion and according to the way I like to do things. May not be the same for you. I have 2 dishwashers, but don't consider them to be dish storage, because I want to know where to find things. Obviously sometimes I have to check a dishwasher if it hasn't been unloaded yet, but I don't want to encourage leaving things in there on purpose. What happens when roughly 1/2 or 2/3 of the contents have been removed? Or even 1/3? At that point, it doesn't seem to be an efficient use of the appliance to leave it partially full. Do you wait until it's all been emptied, or do you hit a certain point when it actually needs to be cleared and someone will understand that? I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything, I just don't really relate to the idea, I guess.
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Some like to have counter-space to a side of the fridge to help with loading from a grocery run. Your island would probably work alright. I don't have a big kitchen, so while muskokascp is right in that your "work triangle" is pretty sizeable, I am not sure what kind of deal that would be for you. I personally prefer a range or oven right by cooktop to allow for pan sear with oven finish, but that still won't bring your fridge closer to the sink for the prescribed 9 foot max spread. It is only a suggestion afterall. Anyway, some quick renders so others can picture and provide layout feedback:
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Comments (22)
Continue… PREPARATION: Most of us prep between the sink and the cook top (you may not). The refrigerator is a few steps away from this prep area, and so is the cook top. Your work triangle with the addition of the prep sink is small and very efficient. You won't do a lot of walking to get from the cook top to the fridge and from the fridge to the prep sink and from the prep sink to the cook top. Great work flow and very efficient. Your prep sink against the edge of the island limits its usefulness because you only have staging on one side of the sink. Your island is small so you may not have a choice. COOOKING/BAKING: You have counter space to the right and left of your cook top so you can stage items to add while cooking. There is very little counter to the right of your oven cabinet to place trays or bake ware going into and coming out of the ovens. You’ll have to use the island and with seating this can be tricky (don’t want to burn anyone). PROVIDE SERVICE: The fridge location is close to the island seating and close to the dining room. The counter top left of the fridge is small for taking ref/f items in and out of your ref/f. Serving meals from your cook top and /or ovens you’ll plate on the island or fill serving dishes to be delivered to the table for self service. You’ll get dishes and glasses from your main sink area to the island, breakfast booth, or dining room. CLEAN UP: After the meal all of the dishes, glasses, and serving pieces will be delivered to the main sink area staged to be washed or rinsed and put into the dishwasher, or staged on the opposite side of your sinks to be dried after they are washed and put away. You have plenty of counter to the right for this purpose but almost none to the left. This isn’t your exact scenario but this is how this kitchen and most kitchens work.
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Fiedajune. You and I must have different page layouts. When I look at the top of this thread, it only indicates it was posted in home decorating (the sub-thread, if you will). However, I'm in GW, so maybe you are elsewhere and see something different? From my GW perspective, I agree with My3dogs that there could possibly be access to additional help in the kitchen forum if the OP wants to try there.
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Buehl
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Another option would be to rotate the island so the long end faces the range, add a prep sink, and switch the ovens & refrigerator. People will need to cross into the primary work space to get to the refrigerator, but if you can work it, force them to go around through the Cleanup Zone - it's less of an issue than going through the Prep and Cooking Zones.
jocrochet
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you all for your suggestions!! I will definitely have to adjust my thinking. I've always wanted windows above my kitchen sink but I may have to sacrifice that for functionality.

Kitchen layout advice please!!

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mama goose_gw zn6OH

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Kitchen layout advice please!!

Comments (4)

mama goose_gw zn6OH

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jocrochetOriginal Author

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