Starting Over From Scratch
I'll use the site's questionnaire to help flush out details:
What is your family composition? Me, wife, 17 year old daughter, 12 year old son.
How many kitchen workers are there? I cook main meals and the wife and kids make their own quick meals if I'm not around.
How do you see your kitchen used? The kitchen opens up wide to the great room so it's always been an area of congregation. Much more than just cook and cleanup. Homework is done there often. We entertain, informally, and the kitchen/great room area is where we flow between. The kitchen to great room area should be accommodating for hanging out everyday.
Do you have a separate DR? Yes, connected via doorway to kitchen. We use it frequently. We rarely use a small table in the nook area which is near the back patio doors.
Would you like to open up the kitchen to adjacent areas? Close it up? Do you plan to merge two rooms/areas (e.g., Nook and Kitchen into a Kitchen only) Where are you flexible? We're very flexible but I can't think of any other ways to open things up...it's already very open.
Can windows or doorways change size? Yes
Can they be moved or eliminated? Yes
Can windows be raised/lowered? Yes but not really applicable
Can any walls come down? Sure
Does the sink have to be centered under a window? No
Does it have to be under a window at all? No
Do you bake a lot and do you want a Baking Center? Not necessary
Do you want a coffee/tea/beverage center? No necessary
Do you want a snack center? Not necessary
What appliances do you plan on having (helps to figure out work flow, work zones, and types of cabinets...upper/lower vs full height, etc.)
- Range or Cooktop or Rangetop? we have a traditional 30" gas double oven with burners on top. It's counter height.
- Single or Double or no Wall Oven? The range and oven is the same piece.
- Warming Drawer? Not necessary
- MW? (Advantium, MW Drawer, OTR MW/Hood, countertop, built-in, shelf?) currently it's OTR but we're open to change that if it's the best for layout. We do like the look of the range hoods over the range but not sure if we have the space to accommodate one.
- DW? Standard or drawers? We'll be buying a new DW so any size can work based on recommendations. Standard is what we're used to.
- Refrigerator (Top/bottom freezer, SxS, or all-fridge/freezer? Counter-depth (CD), standard-depth, or built-in?) We'll be buying a new fridge so any size can work based on recommendations.
- Ventilation Hood? See microwave question.
Sizes of desired appliances: TBD by fit.
Pantry: Walk-in or cabinets? In the Kitchen or outside the Kitchen? It's in the corner of the kitchen. It's currently walk-in but as mentioned, if it's best for the layout, we can use the space for something else.
***** Very Important *****
Is there anything you:
- Cannot live without? Some sort of an island or bar type setup to accommodate people hanging out.
- Definitely do not want? NA
That about covers it.
Thanks in advance for any layout suggestions!
Jim
Comments (9)
cpartist
7 years agoI kept walls and doors the same. My question to you is the door to the bathroom and laundry able to be moved or does that need to stay where it is?
Without moving any doors, this is my idea. I like what Mama came up with, but I personally would prefer less of a walk between the fridge and the sink. You could extend the island more towards the sliders too but then it would mean walking around them to get to the laundry room and bathroom. It depends on how much extra seating space you want at the island.
Jim thanked cpartistRelated Discussions
wanted: starting over from scratch - need bulbs, plants, etc!
Comments (1)I would like to start a bulb from scratch. How do I go about doing that? I have some amyrillas that bloom. Is there something on it that I can start another bulb?...See MoreStarting over, from scratch (Lawn)
Comments (10)So you actually live in southeast NY, Portchester. We are only about thirty miles apart. You can still go with KBG if you want, but the shade issues you have means cultivar selection is very important. 1/3 of an acre is a lot of area to cover, especially when you should be dropping seeds in about 3-4 weeks. It might be easier to do either the front or the back, but not both. If you do so I would recommend doing the back first so you can get your feet wet and learn from your mistakes for next year. Also once you get your soil test back (you sent that out already, right?) you can begin working on getting your soil ready in the front for next fall. I know it's hard to wait a whole year, but grass renovations are marathons, not sprints. Also, a sprinkler system will make it much easier to keep your seeds wet, but it's not necessary. If you decide to get one, time is of the essence. Since the clock is ticking here's what I would do: Soil tests today if you haven't already done them. Round-up the areas you are going to do tomorrow, but once you do that, there's no turning back. Schedule the sprinkler system to be put in a week after the Round-up (if you are going to do that). When everything is brown and dead, mow it as low as you possible can, using the bagger attachment to get all the dead grass up. Then I like to core aerate, north-south, then east-west. Follow this with a good power raking. This will break up the cores, fill in the holes and break up the remaining dead grass. After this (if your arms haven't fallen off) then a final manual raking will smooth is all out and you can remove any dead loose grass. Now it's time to seed. Use a rotary spreader. Apply half the seeds in a north/south direction, the other half east/west. Shoot for the middle to lower seeding rate, don't think more seed is better. More seed equals trouble. Use a water filled roller to press the seeds into the soil. Now you can top dress with a very thin (1/8") layer of peat moss or fine topsoil or compost, but it's not entirely necessary. Apply some starter fertilizer (I use half the recommended rate) and then keep it all moist (not wet) for three weeks. This usually entails 2-4 five or ten minute waterings every day. No one, kids or pets, can use the yard for at least two months, another good reason to do the front and back separately....See MoreIf you could start over from scratch...
Comments (34)The main thing to remember is to make the pitch (slope) of your patios, carports (anything concrete) MORE than the minimum required, with the grass, groundcover, mulch (whatever) recessed down from, AND sloped away from that concrete 'shelf'. With 2-3 inch-per-hour (or more) rainstorms, there will still be run-over from the gutters, and it will need to drain QUICKLY away from the house. Make sure there adequate swales around the edges of your yard to slow and guide the water, and that you and any neighbors you may have don't mess them up. Also, if you plant trees that will become large (>35') make sure they will not interfere with good drainage. That is, as trees grow, they tend to form a large flare at the ground which usually humps up soil and possibly roots creating a barrier, preventing water flow, especially from back to front yards, in a narrow area. Prevention will save you thousands of dollars and hours of backbreaking labor...my neighbor did that this week...new sod was placed yesterday. Boulders are a great idea, done well. Done poorly, they become a large blockade, are impossible to move and difficult to work with (not to mention eyesore and vision blocker)...get professional help for that. There are many trees, like Paulownia which are invasive...the birds spread the seeds far and wide with a good dose of fertilizer. Florida privet or crepe myrtle would be better choices, but don't 'hat rack' them, just do enough pruning to give them some shape. You can contact your local county extension office or the Florida Native Plant Society for more FREE help. For those of us who need more help, go down to your local "Labor Ready" (or similar) place and hang around outside until you find some one who speaks your language, and negotiate a few hours' labor with a couple of people who have enough experience to know what you are talking about...you will find all the help you need...make SURE you have a neighbor around when you do this, just in case, and don't pay more than minimum wage unless you feel they are worth it....See MoreHow to get raspberries started near Atlanta
Comments (4)My "Backyard Berry Book" arrived yesterday and I immediately devoured everything on raspberries :-) I also have several other neglected reference books (and the internet!) to read up on. I think my problem was that the young plants never got established and could not compete with my weeds. They are on top of a long a long low hill/mound that never gets drowned and I have a similar bed next to it that I'm thinking of dedicating to more raspberries since we love them so much (and they go so well with grandkids). As mentioned in my original post, we have Bristol Black, Caroline (from Edible Landscaping, but still a baby) and the yellow is "Fall Gold" which we absolutely love. I'm thinking of adding Cumberland Black (solely on Ison's recommendation, since it's the only black they have in stock), Heritage (because it has worked for so many for so long) and Anne (because it is supposed to be "the best" yellow). So you people near Atlanta, what varieties have done well for you in our hot humid climate? I'd like to try Bababerry but Ken from AL says all of his from Willis Orchard died quickly. Any suggestions or other reliable sources of the Bababerry variety? Also for interest, does the Royal Purple do well here? And I'd maybe like to have a very early variety. Thanks a bushel! Ron...See More
Jim
7 years ago
mama goose_gw zn6OH
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoYou're welcome. Something else to consider--looking at cpartist's plan, it occurred to me that if you can remove the stub wall beside the basement entry, that would open up the seating aisle, since you want the kitchen open to the great room, anyway.
Thank you, cpartist, we were cross-posting. :)
Jim thanked mama goose_gw zn6OHJim
7 years agomama goose_gw zn6OH
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoIf you are asking about the prep sink on the island in cpartist's plan, it is placed correctly--more time is spent prepping than loading or unloading a DW.
From the Kitchen FAQs:
Kitchen work zones, what are they?
.
"Zones" are
areas in your kitchen where the work occurs. Work in the kitchen is broken down
into three primary work zones. Everyone
has these three zones, everyone!.
Prep Zone...This is the zone where food prep takes place. Food prep can be anything from making a
sandwich to preparing a multi-course meal. It includes cleaning/rinsing food, cutting,
mixing, processing, etc. For many
people, especially those with small kitchens, their Prep Zone is also their
Baking Center for rolling out dough, etc. 70%
or more of the work and time spent in the kitchen is spent prepping. It's the most often used zone in your kitchen
– and you spend the most time in this zone.
(That's why it makes the most sense to put the Prep Zone in the most
pleasant spot in your kitchen.).
Cooking Zone...This is the zone where you take the food you've already prepped
and apply heat...cooktop, oven, MW. Only 10% of the work and time spent in the
kitchen is spent actually cooking – including stirring, adding ingredients,
and watching food cook. This is the
least used Zone, relatively speaking. Think
about it, you usually don't spend the entire time standing in front of your
oven or cooktop watching it cook. Sure,
there are some things that do have to be stirred constantly, but most things do
not. Even if they do, you usually still
spend more time prepping before you begin cooking..
Cleanup Zone...This is the zone where the dirty dishes and general cleanup are
handled! Clearing the table, wiping down
counters, loading the DW, and unloading the DW.
20% or less of the work and time
spent in the kitchen is spent cleaning up.____________________________
In the plan I posted, primary cooking prep is to the left of the clean-up sink--the smaller sink I included was for secondary prep, snacks, coffee pot, etc., but the sinks could be switched in that plan, too. The secondary prep zone for snacks wouldn't be as nice, but the main prep space would be wider:
Jim thanked mama goose_gw zn6OH
mama goose_gw zn6OH