What Would You Do: Island Orientation & Prep Sink?
rantontoo
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
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Island prep sink orientation
Comments (9)Thanks to buehl, jimandanne_mi, and rosie for your comments. It seems the topic has shifted from prep sink orientation to overall kitchen layout, and I greatly appreciate your ideas. Yes, the kitchen is overloaded on the west side. However, a couple of things seem to dictate this. For example, the main sink. If we put it between the two windows on the fridge wall (if I understand Anne's suggestion correctly), we would lose 4 feet of wall cabinet space, and be staring at a wall while washing. We thought about putting it in front of the window nearest the fridge, but there will be a passthrough there out onto a back deck. So that seems to lock in the sink in the corner, unless you can suggest another idea. This is our preferred location as well, as it gives a great view outside and nearby bird feeders. The cooktop is also, as you pointed out, problematic due to its lack of side landing area. Trying to relocate the stove is made difficult due to the fact that the kitchen has exposed beam ceilings, and venting is best accomplished through an exterior wall, since we don't want industrial ducting being strung under the beams. The two exterior walls are the west and south. We can't use the south, as we don't want to vent onto the deck. So that locks in the cooktop to the west wall. One way to get more landing space around the cooktop would be to get a bottom oven, rather than wall ovens. We prefer the wall oven design, since that's what we have now, and we're not getting any younger. I'd be interested in any suggestions concerning these placements, but we've tried and can't come up with anything different. We were sure that we could improve the layout significantly from the original 1959 design, but have not found a practical way. The island is the only difference, and we hope that it will give the necessary prep and landing space behind the cooktop, rather than next to it. Having a prep sink on the island allows multiple cooks to avoid the traffic jam at the main sink. Mainly for washing hands and prep. Entertaining at the island is a secondary benefit. So, maybe we should concentrate on a smallish square prep sink to compromise on the orientation issue. I really appreciate all of your comments, and welcome additional suggestions before finalizing this plan. Alice...See Morewould you add a prep sink to this island?
Comments (17)Hi Mom23: I am not a fan of sinks in islands. That said, with the current set-up you have, with cabinetry along the side of the island nearest your main sink, and seating on the side facing the refrigerator, where would you put a prep sink that would have cabinetry underneath, and not interfere with seating--other than directly across from the main sink? If you reconfigured where on the island the cabinetry would be, you would lose seating area. A few other observations: The walkway space between your range/cooktop and the island seems tight. The overhang of countertop on the seating side of the island (on the refrigerator wall) seems too large without any support on the one corner. If you are using stone, maybe rodding it would solve that. I am not a stone expert, but I think anything more that about 12" needs to be supported in some way. You have the post on one side but what about the other corner? this would be something to check out with your fabricator or contractor. I would consider rotating your island 90 degrees, so the length of it is oriented the other direction. With a 6'6" island, and 15'8" to the counter along the refrigerator wall, you would still have 3'7" walkways between the main sink counter and the island, and the island and the refrigerator-wall counter. That is not generous, but not bad. You would then be able to have a more generous walkway along the long side of the island--between island and range, (which you want if you have 2 cooks in the household). You would also have more space between the dining area and island seating. You could keep the cabinetry under the same section of the island as in your drawing--except now, it would be in the corner of the island closest to the refrigerator, which is where you want the a prep sink if you have one. It is also not going to interfere with seating there. rotating the island gives you many benefits--and if you will not have seating on the short ends anyway, is a viable option. Another alternative to consider is doing a more "triangular-shaped" island with a straight side along the "sink wall" and the "Range wall," with the third side having a curve to get more seating. The island seating would then not interfere with the dining area, and with the curve, you would get more seating. You would be limited by allowing for the pantry door swing--and that would dictate how big the curved side could be, and how much seating. Just some thoughts.....See MoreHow do you choose your island size? And prep sink location?
Comments (17)Thanks, all. There is a lot to consider here. We can't move into that dining room because it's a load-bearing wall, and our DR furniture is already cramped in there. Our table + end chairs just fits. All the designs so far were for a 24" cabinet for the prep sink, and one portion of our current double sink seemed like it would be roomy enough for our uses (our biggest colander fits, and it's around 18"). No garbage disposal, so we won't be doing prep directly into the sink. It will be for rinsing veggies, washing hands, and draining pots. I'll have to go see a 24" sink, though we had a 25" single bowl at the last house, which was small for our only sink, but seems like it would be too big as a "spare" sink. My husband still isn't completely convinced about the sink, so I haven't wanted to rock the boat on the sink size. He seems pretty set on ~18 inches. I'm having a hard time really envisioning that pantry wall, even after seeing elevations on the (various, now 4) designers' computers. I've gotten feedback that it would look "best" with deeper flanking tall cabs and recessed inner/counter portion (15-12-15), or "best" with the opposite, with the center/counter part jutting out a bit (13-15-13). Also that it might look bad if it was all the same depth across (either 12" or 13")....See MoreDo I need a prep sink in my island?
Comments (24)kelleg, that's exactly how I envision using our island prep sink, so I'm happy to hear that it worked so well for you! And great idea, to keep the cutting boards and knives right there. cpartist, nope, we're happy with our first floor layout. Our front room is one large room instead of two, so it would just end up as one vast family room, leaving us with no separate "grownup" living room (and after living in a very crowded apartment, we're really looking forward to having a more formal sitting area). We're putting the dining table on the left, because we genuinely almost never use it, and the right side of the front room is the more pleasant part of the room to sit in (thanks to the windows). And it's really only a difference of five paces. With little kids, we need the family room, with its toys and TV, to be the most accessible room from the kitchen, and to have the sight line. It wouldn't work for a family that did a lot of entertaining, but we don't. So I have no worries that it'll work out great for us. And we can always re-situate the space when the kids are older, if we want to. Did you love or hate living in an old house (or both)? zippity, good to hear the layout works for you! If you had a prep sink in the island, do you think it would become your primary workspace, instead of that stretch between the sink and the cooktop? suzanne, good point about the dishwasher handle...I think we want a handle, as a spot for a dish towel, but you're right, we'd bump into it all the time on the right....See Morerantontoo
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