Please help me design a better kitchen.

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

We bought this house from the builder about 8 years ago, so the kitchen is not really that old. On the first look, the kitchen does not seem bad (though its small by GardenWeb standards) . But the floor plan does not work at all. I feel stuck inside the small U , there is wasted space in the two lower corner cabinets , no food storage and very thin cabinets on the sides of the stove , making them useless.

Now we are looking into updating the kitchen , and I'm trying to make a preliminary layout (which we plan to take around while shopping). I

Our base needs are:

a. More storage /more drawers. Current two corners are a waste.

b. More usable counter space.

b. A 2-person kitchen.

c. Food storage - a tall pantry cabinet ??

d. Lazy Susan in one corner.

I plan to change the U shaped design to an L , and add floor to ceiling pantry cabinets on the long side of the L. I was hoping to add a small island parallel to the longer side of the L. But no matter how I try to arrange the stove-sink combinations , I'm not able to find a design which seems to work.

Here is the current kitchen :

On the lower end , there is a half wall, which we plan to remove . The column cannot be removed.

Here is my proposed change (cannot do much with the planner ). This plan opens up the layout a bit , but I'm not sure it adds more storage and/or counter top. I could really use some help here. Thanks in advance.

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Comments (8)

rashmi
Original Author
7 years ago
Lily'smom , I will reply with your queries in detail later , but thanks for pointing out the missing table . I'm going to edit my post to add it back in (we need the table, but will be buying a smaller one - preferably a square one).
rashmi
Original Author
7 years ago
Seems I cannot edit my earlier post , so quickly posting the proposed layout here (just added a table):
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Thank you all so much for your input! I have been thinking hard and spent half an hour this morning standing in the middle of my current kitchen... That thinking and standing has changed my mind in regards to a proper dining table. I am now considering a smaller island and an extendable dining table which will normally sit quetly by the wall but when needed will jump out to the empty space and stretch perpendicular to the island. Disregard the photo frames and shelving on the walls, I don't really have them, was just playing with the software. I can't change the pictures now as I'm at work and the software is at home... For now I've only made that island smaller and added the dining table "placeholder". mama goose, you've just opened a whole new world to me, I'm now in love with stud bay storage! Will definitely investigate, what a fantastic option. Might work like magic for my cookbooks collection. Also a great idea to have dish drawers facing the DW. The only thing is, I was planning to put power outlets on that side of the island, where would you have them if that wall is all drawers? I guess can stil put them under the seating overhang, on a side of the cabinet with the dishes? A little harder to reach but on the other hand, well hidden from view. Also, rotating that cabinet for dishes to face the DW, would you put some sort of fake "face" on the side that is now on the front wall of the island? Just for visual continuity... Hope this question makes sense. mark_rachel - I don't quite understand. Do you mean, shelving instead of the fridge? Where would the fridge go then? I'm changing the setup anyway and there won't be "permanent" seating there so hopefully works better, please take a look. kaismom - I did think no dining table. I don't think that anymore. Family meals are important. Christmas is important. Yes, I am definitely trying to design not just the kitchen but a space for the family. Please take another look, I've updated the plan. A smaller island and an extendable table. I agree - that large island would be too "permanent" and too "customised" for when we will be selling the house eventually. cpartist - I thought about table-height section of the island. I don't really like this option, but I understand it works for many people. I would love a MW drawer but I spent a lot of time googling and it seems like not a single brand is available here in Australia. This country is my favourite place in the whole world but in some aspects we are just behind the rest of the planet... I will think about swapping the MW with some drawers in the snak area, but this places it quite far from the rest of the kitchen... Worth considering though. Thank you for your overall kind feedback Sophie Wheeler - yeah, I see it now. Please keep ideas coming :)
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Even though the cabinets are in production, you may still be able to make some changes if they haven't made those doors yet. All those 12" doors would drive me crazy. The KD probably felt that 21" was a little on the big side, which it is, but doable and so much better than all those 12". Not to mention that 2 cabinets probably would have been less expensive that 4. Is there a reason they couldn't put the range in the middle as you show? Maybe a stud in the way of the range hood? Waiting until it's installed to make changes is a bad option, IMO.
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If tou can’t afford the 5-10K extra to take down a wall, then what is your budget? Remaining within the same footprint, and contributing significant DIY, is always the cheapest possible budget. But not always be the best result. But a lot depends on if this is a 2 year house vs a 20 year house. If small budget rules, get the cooktop off the peninsula and onto the back wall. Done. If this is a long term house, figure out a way to get a bigger budget, to take down that back wall, and turn the breakfast area into added kitchen space, plus a walk in pantry and more storage in the laundry.
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cpartist
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Sorry but you don't have room enough for an island. Especially in a 2 person kitchen. You have 10' 8" which equals out to 128" total.

Your perimeter cabinets with counter overhang will equal 25 1/2".

So 128" - 25.5" = 102.5"

For a 2 person kitchen you need a minimum of 48" for your aisle between the perimeter counters and your island. That's countertop to countertop.

So 102.5" - 48" = 54.5"

You need a minimum of 3' walkway on the other side of the island, although 42" is better.

So 54.5" - 36" = 18.5"

Somehow I doubt you want an 18 1/2" wide island. :) Maybe a rolling cart would work, but an island, no. Even turning the island 90 degrees will still only give you an island that's only 18. 5" deep and actually narrower when you consider you'll need 3" for overhang. So no it can't work either way.
rashmi
Original Author
7 years ago
cpartist , thanks a lot for the calculations . But please note that the lower "wall" of the kitchen will be opened. There will be nothing other than a support pillar ,once we remove the half wall at the left.

I don't think my current plan (the very first pic) was very clear. Moving left from the fridge on the lower wall is first the current entrance into the kitchen, then a support column , and then a half wall , and finally an outside wall with a window. We will remove the half wall, which will open the kitchen up.

Will an island still not be possible ? I'd gladly attach a better drawing with better measurements , if someone can please suggest a better tool/software (I didn't like the Ikea planner so much).
mama goose_gw zn6OH
7 years ago
Since the support column needs to stay, you could keep part of the wall, and position the table against it, either a half-wall or a full height wall--I'm imagining an open shelf with a round clock above the table, kind of like a retro diner. The dish storage by the slider is 15" deep (or whatever works with the slider), with a low cabinet on the other side, under the window. Two people can work in the kitchen--the clean-up is separate, so the DW can be loaded or unloaded without interfering with prep or cooking.
cpartist
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I was going by the WIDTH of your kitchen which is 10' 8". Your measurement on the outer right side. Are you saying that 10'8" will be wider? You would need another 1 foot within the work space of your kitchen so the width of your kitchen was 11'8".
smm5525
7 years ago
Can you just post a simple sketch with dimensions and mark Windows, openings, posts, etc. Just draw it out on graph paper.

Please help me design a better kitchen.

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Please help me design a better kitchen.

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