Just another modern farmhouse...need floorplan critique!!
7 years ago
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Comments (13)
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
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Critique my floor plan for condo kitchen remodel
Comments (13)Thanks very much everyone for the feedback! Sorry for picture difficulties, I couldn't get the pictures to load otherwise for some reason! I had 3 contractors and a kitchen/cabinet designer over yesterday. Fortunately, it seems like my budget range overlaps with ballpark figures the contractors were willing to throw out, so that's a relief! The KD agreed with the general layout and said I should have minimum of 36" from the pantry to the peninsula, but I will see about trying to make the clearance there as much as possible, like up to the ~42". I can put down some tape and stack some boxes and see what clearance would work best for me. Its already a small kitchen, so anything I can do to make it feel a little more spacious would be valuable. Also in agreement on the lazy susan - it adds nothing and drawers would be nice, and I could put in a cookie sheet insert or something, just generally get more out of the cabinet. I will definitely do that! The KD also mentioned that instead of a kidney-shape pullout in the blind corner, I should just give up on that space and go with normal drawers as it would be a good way to get more fixed-size drawers in the kitchen (right now, the only fixed-size drawers I'd have would be those next to the oven, probably 15" wide, and ones at the top of the peninsula). So eating that dead space would add 3 or 4 drawers. The KD also recommended a single bowl sink. I don't know, it seems so convenient to have 2 bowls, though maybe 36" cabinet isn't big enough to have a 2 bowl sink with at least one bowl big enough for pots and pans? The KD also said that reducing the sink size doesn't really give me much benefit, only a wider cabinet at the other end of the counter that will be up against a wall anyway. I will have to research if a huge one bowl sink or maybe a 70/30 two bowl sink might work. Out of curiousity, would more than 24" between sink and oven be for more prep space? I can't fit anything bigger than about 24" in my oven, so I figured if I was doing a pizza or turkey, I could pull it out and put it right on the counter. Unfortunately I am pretty restricted on the sink because I can't move the drain enough to put it on the other wall with my state's plumbing codes. I can easily run water line down for fridge, but the drain is the greater issue. I actually mapped out a plan with my sister very much like yours mama goose, but the building engineer said people tried in the past and it wouldn't pass inspection. I don't like the corner sink, just a personal thing, and I like having my drying rack in the corner there. Any recommendations on where the trash can pullout should go? I'd like it to go in one of the bases.. If I were to drop down to 60" of cabinets on the peninsula, could I switch to a 30" cabinet, 12" cabinet and 18" cabinet for trash? Or maybe they'll have a 15" trash can pullout, though I doubt it. I still get a drawer above the trash cans, but would the top drawer get smelly and gross with trash underneath? KD also recommended microwave in a center cutout of the pantry, which I'm inclined to do as it would take away a small eyesore and I personally very rarely use a microwave (though I know future owner may want a place for one). As an aside, two of the three contractors told me they'd only work with me if I used their cabinet lines, as its where they make most of their money. One of them only used Bellmont cabinets, which I read about and was not impressed. The other had a little more selection: Marsh, Wolf, and J&K Cabinetry (Chinese made). The Marsh seem ok.. but reviews are mixed and contractor estimated $6-7k for my small kitchen. The last contractor said they are fine with whatever cabinets I choose, and, despite having carpenters that can install them, would understand if I wanted to have cabients installed by someone else. If Woodharbor comes back in my price range, I'll almost certainly go with their cabinets and the contractor that offered flexibility....See MoreBuilding a new home looking for floor plan critique
Comments (15)Mark, thanks for the info we will definitely reconsider using an architect. It was not a we don't like the Yugo now we don't need a car it was a someone showed us a bike now we don't think we need a car. For the pantry we are considering cantilevering some space into the garage to widen the space. It would allow room for shelving on both sides. We are also looking into venting it. We thought about doors on both ends and may still make that change. That is a hall that looks all the way down to the "mud room". You are right we may end up with a pile of crap there that is an eye sore but in our current house this is the case and we can live with it. There will be a closet and then a bench/locker on the front side of the hoise that will hopefully contain a lot of the crap. Then the stairs thing, it's a 2 story house with a partially finished walkout basement....See MorePlease critique our retirement home floor plan
Comments (30)Being retired, I don't want a lot of floor space and rooms to clean. I agree. I HAVE 40' OF 3' deep closets just for 'stuff'. Kitchen. Towels. Sheets. Cleaning. Vacuums. Sewing. Whatever. !! I LOVE LOVE their M. bedroom closet. Hmmm, this makes me want to measure my proposed closet space. I'm not sold on the idea of 3' deep closets though ... too shallow to be walk-in closets, yet they take up square footage and must be heated/cooled. As I am a homebody, and just fully retired I do not need all the 'good' clothes I have. I'm remembering cleaning out my grandmother's house when she moved out /went to live with my uncle at age 99. She was holding on to SO MANY "good clothes". She loved her job and enjoyed dressing professionally; plus she and my grandfather "went out" often and took fancy vacations, so she had piles of evening gowns ... all so tasteful and so "her". At age 99, those days were past, yet her clothing filled the closets of all three bedrooms in her house ... filled them to the point that it was difficult for her to store the comfortable elastic-waist pants and embroidered sweatshirts that became her standard everyday fare in her elderly years. She was NOT open to getting rid of ANY of those clothes, even though she had lost weight from a size 12-14 to a size 6. She had good memories attached to those clothes, but she was never going to wear them again, and no one else wanted her business suits, though they were very stylish (and expensive) in the 1980s. To make her happy, I purchased plastic bins and carefully put all those things away (wrapped in white tissue paper, boxes labeled diligently according to her requests). We all know that this makes NO SENSE. Sometimes having LOTS of closet space just allows you to build up /save clothing that, in all honesty, you know isn't going to be used again....See MoreFloor Plan Critique
Comments (58)PT 2 Chisue Thanks for understanding what I am trying to accomplish. I want to be able to say that I love having these rooms attached to each other, I don’t want this space near this space, etc and for me, bubble diagrams do not work, I need to walk through the space in my mind and floor plans do that for me! JDS I really appreciate all your comments. I am a person that researches the c**p out of something and then is very decisive when it comes to actual decision time. This is just how I work. I want to be able to recognize the architect for me easily as I will see all the aspects of great design in their work from the knowledge I am gaining from this forum, reading all the books recommended here, and feeling the spaces are right from messing around with my own floor plans. I don’t think all architects are great or right for my needs so I want to be as prepared as possible for this expensive and important endeavor. I hope you can understand that! MrsPete You are so brave to admit to using a stock plan with modifications! Haha. Your responses are always so useful! Cpartist Good point that feelings invoked are also just as important. I mainly want to feel connected to the outdoors and warm (not huge vaulted ceilings, no unused or formal spaces). JDS/ARG Good points about the big picture items being the most important. To me, using standard spacing for cabinets and standard building methods/spacing is important as I don’t want my costs to go to difficult to build things inside the house, I would mostly want to build to get the spaces and flow done right. The finishes are not nearly as important to me or my husband. How should I communicate that to an architect? I don’t want “fancy” angles or anything really architecturally renowned. I just want a house that has the spaces we need/want without lots of waste of space. Should I be looking for an architect that works with builders for cost pricing or one that talks to cost during the design phase? Too many reports of designs that can’t be built within reasonable budgets, even on this forum! Holly Appreciate the input. I find it fun so I wont be stopping but I swear I wont bring a floor plan to a parti meeting so don’t be too disappointed in me! Chloecat Your critique on that houseplan cracks me up! Thanks for the laugh! Barginhunter I actually don’t want two separate living spaces besides for an away space (playroom when they are young, study when older) but do plan on having a plan to finish parts of the basement to provide extra living spaces for the kids when they get older and don’t want to be right under foot of their parents anymore! Haha JDS I can be cynical about licensing but good point about life-safety codes. And wow!! Loving that sketch idea! Its what I have been doing on papers during boring work meetings but for some reason I was thinking to scale and exact “drawings” would be better. I think I will go back to sketching since, as you and others have said, the fine details aren’t actually something that will make it to a parti with an architect so they aren’t very useful!...See MoreRelated Professionals
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