Layout help needed for tiny kitchen

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hi. I could really use some layout help please. I live in a
townhouse and have a very small, awkward kitchen. My original plan was to
update the appliances, flooring, sink, counter and backsplash, but now I’m
debating replacing the cabinets entirely. The cabinet boxes are in good
condition (similar to Ikea in style) and the doors are oak. They are thin
doors, but real wood and in great condition. They were pickled oak, but I refinished
them to a gray with an antique stain using a kit from Rustoleum and I love the
color. I don’t love the arch but I can certainly live with it. I don’t want to
spend the money on new cabinets unless it’s worth it, for example if I can
greatly improve the layout.

My kitchen has two angled walls which makes the layout
difficult. My biggest issue is the dishwasher – the door opens in front of the
sink so you have to stand off to the side a little to load. The dishwasher is
new, but now I’m wondering if I should have installed dishwasher drawers
instead to make the loading easier.

I cannot move walls, windows or doorways. There is a pony
wall between the kitchen and dining and I could probably remove that to
eliminate the peninsula. I am going to add 60” of cabinetry to the dining area
for additional storage, so if I removed the peninsula then the kitchen would extend
into the dining room a little. I’m not sure how that would look though.

I don’t know if I can move plumbing or venting for the hood.
I currently have an OTR microwave, but I am moving the microwave to the pantry
and will get a stainless hood. I don’t have to have my sink centered under the
window. It’s not now and I’m okay with that.

A little about me: small family of 2, one is away at college
so only home occasionally. I cook a lot, but there is usually only 1-2 people
in the kitchen. Function is most important to me, especially with storage being
at a premium in this kitchen. I don’t need to store food in this kitchen since I
have a separate pantry under the stairs.

Current appliances:

Fisher & Paykel CD refrigerator

GE 30” gas range, Café series

GE dishwasher

Please let me know if you see anything that can be done to
improve the layout. And thank you for your help!

Note: the photos are prior to move in, so not my stuff, and
the appliances have changed since. I’ve also included photos of the gray finish
on the cabinets. Also, the full floor layout is not fully to scale (my foyer is
not that big!)

Featured Answer

herbflavor

8 years ago

depends on the direction that you want to take it.....do you value the overhang? You can have a one wall kitchen...use the stove wall and extend by adding the 120 inches of wall in dining area.....then move fridge to this wall as well.....eliminate the angled enclosure around fridge and have an island or turn your table to run the other way in that floorspace. If you want to keep more of what currently you have, you can at least move stove to the right .....give yourself 27 inches to left of stove and put a 9 inch rollout pantry and then 18 in dishwasher....you can stand at sink and pivot and load dishwasher....would that be better for you, while keeping general layout......I'd probably put in a smaller sink. You have a lot of sq footage generally,to do quite a few things aesthetically and function-wise, but things like budget/long term plans/how the space is used by you/resale value..are your factors to weigh.

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Comments (12)

traci_from_seattle
Original Author
8 years ago
traci_from_seattle
Original Author
8 years ago
For some reason I'm not able to upload the layouts. I'll keep trying.
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I'm a little confused by the pictures, not really knowing what's where (that's me tho, no sense of direction) but I can comment on a few things. I think your kitchen is way too small for a corner sink...they take up a lot of space IMO and you'd have to get a new cabinet for it. I really like you existing cabinets and think your could make them look great in a different layout. I'm not sure why you want to squeeze a desk in (is that a desk?). There's also not enough space for an overhang on your proposed peninsula for seating. The dishwasher will be very hard to access from the corner sink as well. I'm sorry I'm only pointing out the problems I see but I don't understand the space well enough to offer any constructive advice. As small as it seems, You have a lot to work with and I think your house is adorable and full of potential. Personally, the deck would be at the top of my list, then the kitchen. I just love to sit outside.
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I'm not sure about putting a range under the window. That seems like a recipe for goop and splatter on the window, and also seems likely that, assuming you live in an area with winters, your window is liable to crack/shatter with the temperature extremes of hot from the range vs cold outside. I had that happen in my house when I first moved in, actually, and it didn't even have a range under it, just a sink! So, I'd imagine it being a high risk event with a serious heat source under a window. I think it'd be a lot easier to figure out a good layout with the right side of the diagram filled in. Can you repost a diagram showing what is over there? That way, folks can see traffic flow and imagine any options for that end of the area.
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Denise Marchand - thank you for all of your suggestions! We took your suggestion to move the refrigerator to the wall with the other tall cabinets but are keeping the sink and dishwasher in the locations on my original plan - this allows us to have a corner cabinet. We are using ikea cabinets so we are limited to 15" and 24". We are planning on using a gloss, white subway tile for the open walls (full wall) and back splash on the cabinet wall. We also switch to solid oak counters throughout. Do the window's it is hard to add shelving on either side of the sink. Once the wall is bumped out to even it out with the other side to cover the plumbing stack, the wall to the left of the sink only has 5/6"s of depth before the window. We may add open shelving above the dishwasher on the same wall as the tall cabinets and a high open shelf along the wall with the stove as well. We're going to wait till cabinets and counters are up before we make any decisions about adding open shelving. Since we eliminated the wall cabinets we also switched around the light plan. (below). With a 2nd row, we dropped down to 4" lights from the 6". We are somewhat constrained by the water pipes/stack and AC vents that run through ceiling. The tall cabinets will also have counter task lights. The box outline matches which switch they are attached to. We'll will make sure both sets are dimmable. Debating if it make more sense to only have 2 lights in the hall...If we add another light above the dishwasher, it could only be 10" from the wall. Since we eliminated the wall cabinets we also switched around the light plan. See attached. Since we added another row, we are dropping down to 4" lights from the 6". We are somewhat constrained by the water pipes and AC vents that run through ceiling. The tall cabinets will also have counter task lights. The box outline matches which switch they are attached to. We'll will make sure both sets are dimmable.
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traci_from_seattle
Original Author
8 years ago
dan1888
8 years ago
Removing the L wall between the kitchen and the dining area would give you the most potential for layout updating. It doesn't look load bearing.
mama goose_gw zn6OH
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
.If you can move only the gas line and vent, you could move the range as far right as possible, and move the DW over to make loading easier, but I'd leave the fridge as is, to keep it closer to the sink. If you can move the plumbing, too, I'd put the DW on the short wall, to get it out of the prep area. Then, I'd go for broke and put in shallow storage to the end of the DR wall.
Click to enlarge

If you can spare the few extra inches in the DR, you can make the counters on the range wall deeper, to provide more landing space in front of the stub wall, and to provide more counter space overall.

GW discussions--deeper counters
traci_from_seattle
Original Author
8 years ago
I am considering adding a banquette to the dining area - under the window (without a back) and along about 1/2 of the long dining wall (with a cushioned back). That will allow the table to move as far towards the window as possible allowing more room if I extend the kitchen.

Do you think it will be strange for resell if my kitchen is different than all the other units? It should be better so I would think it would be a plus, but I'm concerned people will think it's odd that my kitchen extends into the dining.

I'm not planning on selling anytime soon, if ever, but it's still a small consideration.
mama goose_gw zn6OH
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Who is your target market? Young singles/couples who eat out or bring home takeout? They might not care about the improved kitchen function, but I'd buy it because of the improvements. :)

I tried an illustration of the cabinets extending into the DR, including the storage I suggested, and one with base cabinets and counter only, which could double as serving space.

Range moved over, and no upper cabinets:
traci_from_seattle thanked mama goose_gw zn6OH
sheloveslayouts
8 years ago
I don't think it's s good idea to reduce the size of your dining room. If families of 3+ tend to buy these units they'll want room for a table and chairs. Banquettes with no backs against a window are cute, but not comfortable. 10'x 10' is a minimum dining size in my opinion.

I think you should make the most of the kitchen in its present footprint, however it might involve some changes to walls and plumbing.

how tall are your kitchen ceilings?
traci_from_seattle thanked sheloveslayouts
sheloveslayouts
8 years ago
I'm wondering if the angled wall would allow enough clearance for you to move the sink...
traci_from_seattle thanked sheloveslayouts
Jillius
8 years ago
Various thoughts:

1) The natural light in your dining room is gorgeous!

2) If storage is your problem, you are probably much better off getting new cabinets. It is amazing how much more drawers fit than base cabinets, and of course, your uppers could go to the ceiling.

3) Can you post a picture of foyer too, please? It seems a real shame that the front door doesn't just face the stairs. That'd be perfectly normal for a foyer, and then you'd not have the weird angle where your dishwasher should go, and the kitchen would be a LOT better without the expense of moving much else. Are you constrained by HOA restrictions?

4) Do you use the bar stools? Usually when the table is that close, bar stools are redundant or in the way. You might do storage on the back of the peninsula instead of space under the overhang.
traci_from_seattle thanked Jillius
traci_from_seattle
Original Author
8 years ago
Wow, great ideas. Thank you everyone!

To answer a few questions:

My ceilings are 9ft. Those wall cabinets are only 30" so it probably does make sense to pull them out and start over, but I love the gray color and was trying to save money. I also thought I could add on cabinets to the top of the existing, but there's just too much room between the tops of the current cabinets and the ceiling.

The townhouse is 2b/2.5bath so it's couples and small families. I agree that making the dining smaller is not ideal. I just love the idea of the banquette :)

I don't use the bar stools at all. I don't even like having an overhang with the table right there, I was mostly adding that for potential resell.

I will try to post a photo of the foyer. I am not home right now and don't seem to have one on my phone. The door is an at angle (why are there so many angles?!?) and I can't move the wall that is between the kitchen and the foyer.

Herbflavor, can you further explain your suggestion for an island? I can't picture where that would go.

mama goose thank you so much for those mock ups!! I love the visual - so much easier than trying to imagine how it would look. I could easily fill up all that cabinetry :)

Thank you all! I really appreciate the input.

Traci

Layout help needed for tiny kitchen

herbflavor

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