Changing kitchen layout
I am gutting my kitchen. I came up with a layout that would have an island connected with a booth between my living and kitchen. That idea was torn apart here. So I went back to the drawing board and came up with a few more ideas. So what do you think about these? My favorite is still the counter wrapped booth:(
Comments (31)
Buehl
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoEdited to add:
Could you please let us know what can/cannot be changed, what your goals are, etc. I tried to read through your previous threads, but there was so much back & forth that it was difficult to get the information. I think it would be a good idea to consolidate all the necessary information here - see the Layout Help FAQ below for what info we need.
Thanks!
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Could you please post a layout with all the dimensions labeled? Something like this:
I don't know if you have had a chance to read the FAQs, but here are our FAQs:
Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines threads - These threads explain best practices/good design guidelines for items such as work zones, aisles, island/peninsula seating, etc. These threads will help you understand questions/comments you will receive.
Layout Help - FAQ for asking for layout help. It has a sample measured layout as well as a description of the other information we need.
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Layout Help:
How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include?
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Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines threads:
Kitchen work zones, what are they?
Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and others
How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where?
Ice. Water. Stone. Fire (Looking for layout help? Memorize this first)
Related Discussions
Kitchen Layout - need help
Comments (18)I'm glad you've gotten the prep sink closer to the cooktop, where it is needed. However I am concerned that now your main prep surface is actually around the corner from the cooktop and at least 7-8 feet away. That would be too far for me. Picture yourself standing in center of the island, just opposite the center of the clean-up sink. You've washed and cut up some veggies to add to a pot on the stove, you have to turn left and walk around the corner of the island to get to the middle of the cooktop. If you turned the island 90 degrees (so stools had their backs to current fridge wall) this would be improved. This would be an even better design if you also moved the fridge to the place of the 40" cabinet shown in grey to the left of the doorway at the bottom right of the picture. Functionally then you would move from the fridge (and also pantry) area in a straight line to the island/prep counter (with prep sink). Then you could just pivot around to the cooktop and wall-oven with the ingredients after prepping. You'd still be facing your seated companions. The clean-up zone corridor wiould still be outside the protected cooking aisle, etc. I think the problem with large spaces is often the temptation to spread the work zones out along the walls like they are in much smaller spaces. The result is just a ballooned design, making the kitchen too spread out. Think about how this works in other rooms. Take a living or sitting room: really big rooms don't just have their furniture ranged against the walls as smaller ones often do. Instead they have two or more clusters of seating arrangements, within each the elements are comfortable distance for the activity taking place - usually conversation and socializing. In a kitchen the activity centers also need to have fairly similar spatial relationships, even if the room is large. Large rooms just allow more clusters. But you still need to have the standard proximate associations within those clusters of the individual components. In this case: close access to where the food is stored > surface where it is manipulated (prepped), preferably with easy access to water for washing it or prep-soiled hands > cooking appliances (ideally also with easy access to a water tap, I like the prep sink to do double duty as the cooking zone's water point for economy and simpliicty). This is one reason why when I see a design (not yours!) that has the wall ovens across the room from the cooking surface I just roll my eyes. Who wants to carry hot pots from one area to another? Not me! If you turned the island as I suggest this efficiency would be achieved quite easily. And even though the food prep/cooking cluster or zone is concentrated around one axis, you aren't going to feel it's cramped because of the overall size of the room. I think it will just feel right-sized, not over-sized. HTH L....See MoreLast changes to kitchen layout
Comments (5)I have a 9" cookie sheet cabinet next to my sink, with a drawer (custom cabinets). The drawer isn't good for too much, but it does work for pop tops, box tops, and soup labels. In my old kitchen I tossed those things in jars on the counter, but one of the goals of my remodel was to eliminate most countertop clutter. I think a better use of that space (where the drawer is) would be a cabinet with a door, with a shelf or two at the top. The shelves would be perfect for long rolls of aluminum foil and plastic wrap, butcher paper, paper towels, rolling pins - you get the idea. My cookie sheet cab is not a pullout, and also holds cutting boards, but since everything in there sits close to the front, it's just as convenient as a pullout (perhaps more so, since a pullout would need to be pulled all the way out to remove a cookie sheet). You can see how there would be room for two shelves above....See MoreNeed help with changing kitchen layout
Comments (23)Ha! I typed that very idea last night, then deleted it before I posted, thinking you wouldn't want to give up that lovely pantry since you have 5 kids. Plus it was late. Here's a quick idea: You have little kids right now (and at least one high chair), so I think you can get six seats around the island. Later, when the kids are bigger, remove one seat on the long side and they can still fit at an 8' x 42" island. It looks as if the dining nook seats 8 (you can have another kid! :), so the island won't need to seat the whole family. I moved the island to give you a few more inches between it and the sink/DW. Since there is now plenty of space between the cooktop and island, you can pull the cabinets on that wall out to be flush with a standard depth fridge, so you have more space in the fridge, and more counter space around the cooktop. If you are doing custom cabinets, the drawers on that wall can be deeper, to add to storage capacity. I also included a window seat/reading nook just off the play room, for the kids. (And I love window seats.) GW discussions--deeper counters GW discussions--deeper drawers...See Moreneed kitchen layout advice
Comments (10)I can see where a door to the deck would be very convenient. Can you put the door in the DR? We actually moved an entry door from the kitchen, a few feet away, to the DR, to improve traffic flow and add storage space in the kitchen. I had a couple of other ideas--If you make the shallow pantry beside the fridge deeper, you could store dishes there, which would make it easy for a helper to unload the DW and gather dishes to set the table, while you prep and cook. I'm imagining glass doors on the top, for pretty dishes. Instead of housing built-in storage, the wall between the kitchen and DR could become a pass-through, with storage below, which would make the DR entry to the deck more convenient. Items used for outside dining could be kept in the small counter-to-ceiling cabinet behind the fridge, with linens, candlesticks, large serving pieces, etc. in the drawers below. You could also have corresponding upper cabinets on the other side of the pass-through to increase storage. Whichever layout you use, I hope you will share your progress and show us the final result. I love old houses and kitchens that complement them....See MoreBuehl
7 years agoBuehl
7 years ago
sheloveslayouts
7 years agoherbflavor
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agoUser
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agoThese are the measurements of the blank canvas. There is currently a wall where that darker line is. It isn't load bearing, I can take all down or just part of it.
Karen Loll
7 years agoUser
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agoUser
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agodesertsteph
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agomtnmom9
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agojmarino19
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years ago
mama goose_gw zn6OH
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoI don't remember if I posted either of the first two plans (left, middle) on your other thread, but they give alternate layouts with the fridge on either leg of the L. The plan on the right might be a little 'out there' because I don't know if it would be possible to support the load by moving the points to tie into the island and the staircase newel post, and sistering the ceiling joist. It would take some space from the LR, but would give you a clear walk way. I don't know how it would impact the budget, or the basement, but some of the cabinetry would need to be custom.
If you wouldn't mind having the extra posts, you might take the plan to the Building or Remodeling forums (as suggested above) and ask about the support posts before wasting time and money with a contractor. Or maybe Sophie could comment on the feasibility and structural integrity--I won't take offense.
Click to enlarge.
Karen Loll
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
suzanne_sl
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agoKaren Loll
7 years agoI came up with this idea which would allow for a walkway into the living room. A high top 2 seat table could be put into that area.
Karen Loll
7 years agoThis one this one would leave the wall in place but just add a pass through window. It would have a narrow island for extra work space.
Karen Loll
2 years agoSophie Wheeler, just thought I would let you know that I was able to do the remodel and stay under $30,000. I lucked out and all the electrical was done for free. I was able to splurge on hand made tile for my backsplash.
We had to do a lot of the work ourselves, but it is possible to do things on a budget and still end up with a nice final product.
herbflavor