Please Review This Layout/Little Cape Kitchen
With suggestions I received here, and the cabinets and appliances I have to work with in my limited space, I put together this plan for our DIY remodel. Please take a look and offer changes or suggestions.
I will link to my OP which has more info & pics. We have the base cabs except for the one that will have a shelf for the MW which DH will build.
Cabs will be painted. I would appreciate suggestions regarding uppers. Am thinking I could have glass inserted to the fronts of some on the sink wall.
I'm attaching pics of some kitchens that show the overall look I'm hoping to achieve. I appreciate any feedback you can offer.
Comments (9)
Noah Covert
8 years agoHopefully you can read my chicken scratch annotations on this drawing.
This plan puts the DW closer to a big upper cab and a drawer base for easy unloading of dishes and silverware. If you need two garbage cans, you may have to increase the pull-out cab size to 18" and make the other one 12". The microwave drawer is next to the stove. The uppers on either side of the sink are 36".
funkycamper
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Kitchen Layout review & suggestions please
Comments (18)Sorry for the delay in responding; I was away till this morning. bmorepanic: Thank you for taking the time to rework the plan. The hot water rads never get too hot so we're ok that way. Silly I know... I admit that the reason I didn't want to go around the corner with cabinetry etc was to keep that end wall clear to have a place to display my artwork. We do need 2 chairs & table. Currently we have a 54" round table (pre this house purchase) with 2 chairs and it is a very tight fit with a utility cart too behind the north chair along the long wall. Definitely a tight fit. We've been living with it for 7 1/2 years so downsizing to a 28" square bistro style will feel positively spacious! I close the door when seated at the table, but have thought of putting in a pocket door instead. David: I hadn't thought of an island 3 different widths. I'll give it a try. laxsupermom: Due to placement of stairs to the basement & to upstairs attic/loft bedroom the DR door can't be moved over. The appliances have all been ordered. I went with the KA convection micro/oven combo for the features of having a dual oven without having to purchase a double. buehl: I don't mind at all the personal question. I realize I should have given more background. My DH & I are empty nesters (mid 50's). Our 2 children (1 grandchild - 2yrs) live at a distance and visits to here are about 4 times a year for a weekend duration. I have a non-functioning ankle (fusion or ankle replacement hopefully in my future). This causes issue with inability to bend correctly from the knee to reach down & lifting. A raised oven will be so much easier & safer. This injury also causes instability in balance, so having to move only a couple of steps when carrying anything hot like pasta water to dump in the sink is important. A place to sit to chop veggies etc is necessary from time to time. jejvtr: Good question about soundproofing, but not an issue. The music studio is only a couple of steps down from the kitchen level, cinderblock wall with the hallway in between and a door on each side. It is almost completely soundproof. lascatx: I mixed up my dates and the cabinet guy comes next Saturday. It's good the hear from someone who has lived with a similar setup. Even though I'm the only cook, there is at times 2 of us trying to do things in there at the same time. Thank you everyone. I will take all your suggestions & work on more layouts and see what revisions I can make that will make me happy. Jazzie...See MorePlease review my kitchen layout...
Comments (19)lascatx - if you're frustrated imagine how I feel. The outer walls have been framed for about a month. I just got the kitchen plan from the contractor about 9:00 p.m. last night, 01/22. I told the contractor I wanted a corner pantry before we began the build. Earlier this week, the pantry was framed in without having a kitchen floor plan approved. ugh! I can't change the pantry walls or the three kitchen perimeter walls, but I can move everything else around. I can put the sink, frig, range, etc. where ever I decide. I just need to decide so the plumber and electrician can do their job. Believe me the last two days have been very frustrating. Before this week, I thought everything was smooth sailing and this building stuff was a breeze. If this helps, we did go with one of the most respected contractors in the area. Never heard one bad word about him, except that he could be slow. Okay - I totally agree with everyone about the frig. It definitely should be moved. I also do not like the sink at the end of the cabinet. Totally impractical. When you come in from the garage there is no counter space to place groceries, etc. because the sink is on one end and the frig on the other. How about a corner sink and put the dishwasher in the middle of the peninsula? Anyone ever done that? How about moving the frig next to the corner pantry? But then where should I put the range? If this helps--I'm planning on ceiling height cabinets, and a cabinet niche for the microwave(no over the range microwave), and a standard size range (no double ovens)....See MoreNew kitchen addition and layout proposal, please review/critique
Comments (34)Wow Rhome, I went to Beagles' open house (WHAT a kitchen and WHAT a house) today in PA and just got home to this wonderful posting of yours. THANK YOU! I am going to print it out and study it very carefully. My schedule is very crowded these next few days and I may not get back right away but I will study it carefully. I really appreciate it! Angela, the single oven is 27" tall, the micro is 19 inches tall (Including the face plate), and the steam oven is boxed- the box is 20" height. They are all made to go into 24" deep cabinets. I suppose the steam oven could go over the single oven, and I could just have a small micro anywhere (instead of an advantium), but the steam oven has to be plumbed so it would not work in Rhome's layout above. The canisters are about 7" diameter and 5" diameter- my stirrers, spatulas, tongs, large spoons, my prep and cooking utensils are all crammed into them right now. The rice cooker creates a fair amount of steam and I would like to keep it out next to the cooktop so that I can place it under the hood when cooking. Similarly the thermomix can produce steam when it is cooking and stirring, depending on what I am making.I don't think they would do as well in a cabinet or appliance garage....See MoreKitchen layout review please! Plans are 90% done :)
Comments (35)funkycamper: Yes, the sink under the windows is a prep sink. Dishes, cutlery, and glassware would be stored near the dining room table and right-hand dishwasher. That would include the 30" wide drawers in the island, 30" wide drawers to the right of the wall ovens, and 30" wide upper cabinets to the right of the wall ovens. (The kitchen elevations currently show cabinets under counter height, but we are converting those to drawers. Still waiting on revised elevations from the builder.) I really wasn't sure where to put the second trash. I originally had it closer to the prep sink like you suggested, but I wasn't sure if it was a problem having it so close to the other trash. I put together a rough estimate of their current kitchen storage vs. the new design, and I'd say a pretty conservative estimate is that there's at least 2/3 more storage in the kitchen cabinetry (ignoring the pantry for now). Most of the storage gains are below counter height which is excellent for aging-in-place. I was surprised when I started really thinking through the pantry vs their current "extra" storage space outside of kitchen cabinetry. At first glance the new pantry is HUGE and you'd think it would fit so much more than the storage they have now. But take a look at the kitchen related storage they are currently using outside of their kitchen cabinetry: - 1 coat closet converted to a pantry (maybe 3 ft wide? but very inefficient use of space because it's so deep and hard to find stuff) - 1 small reach-in pantry closet that is an appropriate depth (maybe 18-24" wide) - 1 rubbermaid style storage "armoire" on the basement stairs landing, used for oversized and infrequently used items - 1 double door reach-in pantry in the living room (converted from a wet bar), used almost entirely for servingware and china - 1 china hutch in the dining room (though it doesn't exclusively house china, there are also collectibles on display in there) - 1 buffet/credenza in the dining room with special occasion flatware, bartending supplies, etc. Suddenly that new walk-in pantry doesn't seem so big anymore, especially with the freezer in there. For sure, there is a lot of stuff they aren't really using now that could be pared down. But there is a lot of special occasion stuff like holiday china and flatware, specialty serving items, etc. that I don't think they'll be willing to part with. Now I'm wondering if it might be worth bringing back the extra cabinets we had on the back of the island for storage of infrequently used stuff like that. Like I said, this really took me by surprise because their kitchen related storage is spread out all over the first floor of their current house. It's hard to picture it being condensed into one dedicated space in the new house. Thank you for suggesting this exercise - it has been eye opening!...See More
mama goose_gw zn6OH
8 years agoYour proposed layout is very similar to mine (DIY in an older home), except my sink and DW are switched--I'd rather have it the other way around, but unfortunately that wasn't possible. I'm going to get myself in trouble here, and tell you my aisle widths, which are far from ideal, but they work for us in a household of 3 adults, one child, and frequent family dinners for up to 20 people. I have ap. 38" in the working aisle, and 35" in the seating aisle, IIRC, and the island seems to be the preferred place for my DD, SIL, and grandson to eat--I think they like being close to the source.
I have a row of cabinets where you have the doors, so we have a little more shoulder room, but really no problem walking past anyone seated at the island. That counter is my buffet area, with the island bench tucked completely under the seating overhang, and it works wonderfully--it was one of the main reasons for my kitchen layout. Everyone comes in from the LR (m/l where you have the between studs pantry), loads up at the buffet, and walks directly into the party room (where you have the back entry). Oh, and I have a stud bay pantry, too, which I love!
I have step-back room on each end of the island, so using the fridge and oven is not a problem. The big difference in my plan is that my DW opens into the long aisle, but if you move your island down 6", I think your DW will be fine and you could even store dishes in a drawer on the end of the island.
If I had been planning a kitchen in a new build, I would never have designed such narrow aisles, but I love my old house, in my real world, and it works well for us. The one thing I'd have done differently if the budget had allowed (other than moving the DW) is add a prep sink to the island, but I have a second sink just inside the party room. **Please note--it looks as if you, and I, have measured the aisles cabinet-to-cabinet, so they will be even more narrow than drawn, but certainly not as narrow as mine.
Since it already exists, I left the window by the basement stairs to provide a little more room to maneuver, and adjusted the new windows on each side of the range. If you need the storage, you could put a 12" wide x 12" deep wall cabinet where I have the top seat on the island, facing the DW, and still have room for two seats on the back side.
Here's a link to my badly hand-drawn kitchen plan--if you scroll forward you can see the whole remodel mess. Kitchen album.So now I need to duck and run for cover. ;)
mama goose_gw zn6OH
8 years ago
cpartist
8 years agofunkycamper
8 years agomama goose_gw zn6OH
8 years ago
Kippy
8 years ago
brimdOriginal Author