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Need help for my galley kitchen

7 years ago

We have a very narrow galley kitchen, with one end opening into a nice eat-in area and the other end with a small window into the family room. We would like to open up the kitchen, and either break down the wall separating it from the family room, and/or the wall separating the kitchen from the hallway behind the wall with the fridge, and make an island for the stove.. This is just a nebulous idea and we don't know if it's even possible, or what the costs would be. If we kept most of the appliances, what would the ballpark costs be for such a renovation run? Are we looking at 15k, 30k , 50k?

Thanks for any advice or suggestions!

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Comments (2)

eam44
7 years ago
Cost depends in part on where you are, and how your house was built. Most folks in similar situations have structural issues opening up that wall. If yours is load bearing too, you'll find yourself paying for a large laminated beam.

We can give you improved layouts, but when it comes to cost, you'll have to consult with builders in your area. To get started, check out the New to Kitchens thread.
Buehl
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
What you can actually do design-wise, regardless of cost, will depend on the dimensions of the space.

As an FYI, an island is far from the ideal place for a cooktop or range - it costs quite a bit more to vent it properly and it can be a safety hazard if you also plan seating. The Cooking Zone is also the work zone you spend the least amount of time in - only 10%. If the island is considered "prime real estate", then it's a much better idea to put your Prep Zone in the island b/c you spend, by far, the most time in this zone - 75% or more.

Island size...You will need a minimum of 24" on each side of the cooktop/range and, if seating, 24" behind the cooktop range. So, that's an island at least 81" wide (87" if a 36" cooktop/range) and 49.5" deep:
- Width: 1.5" counter overhang + 24" cabinet + 30" cooktop cabinet or range + 24" cabinet + 1.5" counter overhang = 81"
- If seating, Depth: 1.5" counter overhang + 24" deep cabinets + 24" behind the cooktop/range for seating = 49.5"
- If no seating, then you only need 18" behind the cooktop/range:
  Depth: 1.5" counter overhang + 24" deep cabinets + 18" behind the cooktop/range for seating = 43.5"
If you plan to include both your Prep Zone and Cooking Zone in the island, then the island will need to be even wider:
- Width: 1.5" counter overhang + 24" cabinet + 30" cooktop cabinet or range + 42" cabinet + 18" sink + 12" cabinet + 1.5" counter overhang = 129"
- Depth: The same as above
.

Please check the following resources:

Read Me thread -- Other, helpful information for using and navigating the Kitchens Forum. Especially useful if you are new to the Kitchens Forum!

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

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.

.

New to Kitchens? Read Me First!
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4306041/new-to-kitchens-read-me-first
.

Layout Help:

How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include?
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information-should-i-include
.

Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines threads:

Kitchen work zones, what are they?
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638270/faq-kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they
Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and others
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638304/faq-aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-landing-space-etc
How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where?
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638376/faq-how-do-i-plan-for-storage
Ice. Water. Stone. Fire (Looking for layout help? Memorize this first)
- http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first
.
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Thanks so much, everyone! These are great ideas. I'm definitely not opposed to a 24-inch sink—that's the size of the sink in my current (rental) apartment and it suits me just fine. But would it be possible to squeeze a trash pull-out into a 24-inch cabinet? I'm less sure about a 24-inch range because I do cook a lot, and I tend to use the full width of my 30-inch oven for roasting big sheetpans of vegetables and things like that. I hadn't considered a built-in oven and cooktop because of the extra expense, but it would make a lot of sense given how narrow the space is. benjesbride, here's the full layout of the apartment: The entrance to the kitchen was originally a doorjam that was less than 30-inches wide, but we had the contractor take the doorjam out and raise the height of the entrance, which has already made a big visual difference, even though it's only widened the entrance by about six inches. I had thought about removing that wall next to the sink entirely, to open up the kitchen to the dining area a bit more, but I decided it might be a little odd to enter the apartment and immediately be confronted by a dishwasher.
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Carolina Kitchen and Bath - the trash is not next to the range. There is a cabinet between the range and the window. The trash is under the sink. The distance between the wall and island is supposedly 30 inches. As there are other doorways in our home that are this wide (and some smaller) this seemed OK to us. I think the distance from the front of the range to the kitchen island was 36 inches, but I will check.
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1- The 8 current photos don't show storage units. They show louvered doors on closets, very typical of the Washington DC area's older suburbs. Try uploading photos again to a comment (there's a limit on the initial post). 2- Since you are staying 5-10 years, you are building this new kitchen for yourselves. Do whatever makes you happy. If you want to keep up with fashion and trends, look at houses for sale in your area that are all fixed up in your price range. In fashion-forward metropolitan areas, slab front cabinets in natural wood are trending up, shaker cabinets trending down. 3. The lack of storage is clear from the photos. Do a good purge of clutter rather than planning for extra storage for things you no longer need. A designated drawer for tote bags would reduce their hanging on knobs and hinges. Ikea cabinets may be sturdy, but hanging extra weight on their knobs would be destructive.
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