Kitchen Design

7 years ago

Our kitchen plan can be found here. I hope I have answered all the questions to provide enough information to receive help. Thank you in advance!

Do you think our plan
which is not ICE-WATER-STONE-FIRE will work?
Do I need to have prep sink at the end of the island near the stove to accommodate the I-W-S-F? Our
kitchen currently will be 17’6” x 13’.
We still have time to change the layout and sizes as our plan is not
final. We welcome help!

We are 2 adults and 2
elementary-aged children. I usually cook and my DH is my cleaner/dishwasher. I sometimes cook with the children but that
is not something that I want to drive my kitchen plan. During the week, children
may do homework while I cook. We have big gatherings of 20+. We are informal when we entertain and our
kitchen is the “hang out” location. We do have a separate DR attached in our
plan. We do you use our dining table every day for every meal that we are home
for; breakfast in the morning and dinner at night.

I cannot
live without a window at my kitchen sink.
I love symmetry and strive to have balance in the kitchen, which is why
I wanted my window on one wall and my range hood on another. We bake a great
deal during the holidays and throughout the year. I plan on storing all of our dry foods in the pantry.

What appliances do you plan on having?

·
30” Cooktop with Ventilation Hood

·
Combo microwave/ wall oven

·
Standard DW

·
Refrigerator - Top/bottom freezer

·
Additional refrigerator/freezer combo in walk-in pantry

·
Transom cabinets (floor to ceiling)

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Comments (7)

emilyam819
7 years ago
Since DH helps, you'll want 2 sinks.
Stan B
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Can you post specific dimensions for the island, aisles, and choke points? I think you have very tight spaces in multiple places but maybe with the dimensions we'd see thay are OK. I also see a choke point between the island and the eating area stub wall that looks like its less than 36" and maybe one between the fridge and the cabinets by the range.

Also, is this a new house or a remodel? If new how far along in construction are you?
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OK, so it sounds to me that you are trying to do this little kitchen on the sly. I'm going to say you need a drain for a washer/dryer and sink. Yes you have one where the sink is now, but I'm advocating moving the sink. If it is possible to move the window near your sink, I would. I'd put a stackable washer/dryer in a cabinet to the right of that window. I'd have lower cabinets along that wall with a corner easy reach wooden lazy Susan. Then I'd put the kitchen sink under the next window (yes, have the window above the sink). The dishwasher to the left of the sink and then more cabinet space, then a counter depth full size refrigerator/freezer also in a cabinet (which could have an icemaker) and a pull out cabinet. The seating area would be in the middle. In the space between the doors, I would put pantry storage. It might have to be two 42" wall cabinets stacked on each other with extra depth (yes, you can do that). Check out Starmark cabinets. They've got all kinds of great organizational cabinets and even a bread board. Their reputation is good and they appear to have quality cabinets. I know about them because I'm designing a new kitchen for my small space and have researched about 40 cabinet manufacturers. You could have your microwave under the counter or on top. Code requires a landing space within a certain number of inches from a fridge, which is why I put some between it and the sink. It's always nice to look outside while at the sink. Also, it's probably not that much to move the windows up or replace them (worth the money). Smaller appliances cost as much as the full sized ones, so I wouldn't compromise on the fridge/freezer. All this being said, if you cannot move the windows, then I would put a storage cabinet where the current sink is, a bench seat under the window, then sink, dishwasher, stackable washer/dryer in a cabinet. Left of the next window would be a refrigerator and cabinet space. The seating area would still be in the middle. The narrow depth pantry space would be the same as previously mentioned. Since the whole area is small, it's not far from the fridge to the sink and you still have landing space around everything. Good luck with your project! Oh, and you can get counter top induction cook tops (2 burner) and wonderful convection microwaves, both plug into regular wall outlets. I get that you just put those windows in, but it's still better to replace the one near the current sink than to have a horrible layout. Can it just be lifted the 10" you need, having it start at counter top height?
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Kim Le
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you Emily and Stan.

The island is 9'. The aisle between the island, sink and stove is 4'. The aisle between the island and the wall that leads into the eating area near the great room is 3.5 feet.

This is a new build. I still have time to change things. Do you think I would be able to get a beverage station like the image I have attached in the eating area on the wall that does not have any windows, nearest the great room? What is the depth of a base cabinet to save space here? Can I do a 15" or 18" base depth?
emilyam819
7 years ago
I think that would be an awkward place to have the beverage station. And I don't think beverage fridges are made for shallower than normal cabinets. I'd start by switching the stove and the fridge. Then the fridge wall can be the beverage center, and you won't need a separate beverage fridge. You would still need a prep sink in the island - that would be your sink, and your DH would get the cleanup sink under the window. Are you ok with that? This house doesn't seem to provide you everything you want.
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Kitchen Designs by Jeffrey F. Krider
7 years ago
I have never designed a kitchen using a generic layout like yours, and sold it without making several changes. Schedule a meeting with your builder and have a list of your prepared in advance. Be thorough, and don't jump around from one subject to the next, until you have the possible answer to each question. Communication is key to ending up with whatever you are visualizing or expecting your new kitchen to be. I don't believe that most architects have the knowledge of kitchen design that can only be gained through years of experience. I would talk with a designer prior to starting the design process. A designer who only wants to hand you a quote, and some pictures isn't what I would ever consider using. I usually spend the first meeting talking to my clients, asking about their expectations, what type of quality they are wanting, and how much they have budgeted for their kitchen. The more I know about my clients ideas, the better I am going to be able to help them.
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Anglophilia
7 years ago
My late husband always cleaned up the kitchen after dinner. I've never had two sinks, nor needed them as he wasn't in the kitchen when I was cooking, and I wasn't in the kitchen when he was cleaning up! Good division of labor!
sena01
7 years ago
Can you post the layout of the whole floor? I'm not sure range and fridge locations are ideal. Maybe the beverage fridge you plan to have in the DR can help with the traffic from the DR and the GR but there may still be too much traffic passing in front of the range.

Your range and sink are too far apart. It will be particularly hard and unsafe to carry food/boiling pasta water when someone is using the fridge or pass behind you.

Kitchen Design

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emilyam819

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