Please help me make this kitchen/dining room layout work!
We are planning to combine our kitchen and dining room sometime next summer. I'm using the IKEA kitchen planner (stumbling through it really) to come up with potential layouts but we don't currently plan to use IKEA cabinets.
I have my heart set on maintaining the current dining room area - my priority with this remodel is having a large table area for our family of 6 (2 adults, 4 sons ages 9 and younger) to eat at. My main problem with the current kitchen is the squishy eating area surrounded by doorways.
I need help determining if this layout could make sense though, the last thing I want to do is make my kitchen worse! We are going to hire a kitchen designer to measure and figure out exact cabinet sizes etc but I'd like to meet with them after I come up with a general idea what I layout and features I want to fit in.
A few things to note: the angled solid wall is actually the doorway to our family room, the planner wouldn't let me add an angled doorway. Also the 3 windows on the sink wall are a 3 bay window area that is bumped out in our current dining room.
Also of note in the plan I'm posting I:
- made the existing sun room door smaller (I'm picturing a glass french door where both sides open into the sun room)
- removed the existing window above the sink
- added windows to the dining room wall.
- I also threw seating on the end of the island where I picture the kids hanging out, chatting, doing homework. We are not planning on ever eating at the island so those can go if they really don't work.
- It's not clear from the layout but I have the DW and trash in the island, I need a spot for a MW too - where's best for this layout? drawer in island or wall?
I appreciate any and all suggestions!
CURRENT LAYOUT:
FLOOR PLAN:
POTENTIAL NEW LAYOUT:
Comments (10)
- 7 years ago
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Comments (14)florantha - yes, I would want to protect the range from traffic more than in that last layout. The suggestions of opening up the long wall on the left are interesting, I don't think they are right for our family. We do want to keep a table in the kitchen and upon reflection, I don't really want the kitchen completely open to the family room since a little separation is nice when friends are over and the kids are watching a movie in there. I do think that the thoughts are ideas that could inspire other readers in their own planning. I am leaning toward option C (last) in the original post, but I am a little hesitant about the fridge location. I like it along the back wall because it leaves the sides of the room more open, giving more of a feeling of connection to the family room and to the outside through the window on the right wall. The room is long and my idea was to place the bulky fridge to shorten the room, not narrow it. Placing the fridge on the back wall in the corner also allows room for a bigger (deeper) fridge without interfering with traffic in the room - I'd like to maximize my fridge space without going to the expense of a large built in. But I also know that it's preferable to have the fridge on the perimeter of the kitchen. The proposed location would not drive traffice through the prep and cooking area, but perhaps it's still a bad plan? Feedback would be appreciated. For Layout C, the shallow pantry on the left side of the room is 12" cupboards, the space from there to the island is 41", the island is 41" wide, and the space from the island to the cleanup sink is 48". I've pulled the counters on the back wall so that the counters would be 30". Sorry not to have added these dimensions to the drawings....See MorePlease help me figure out best kitchen layout?
Comments (13)Wow, so many replies so quickly! Thank you. I will try to answer all the questions but I might miss something... * In our part of Texas, there are NO basements because the water table is simply too high. * We also do not have a garage. * The laundry room is too small to steal any space from (the washer and dryer back right up to the kitchen's adjoining wall) nor is there any room in there for the freezer. * Totally agree about the wasted space 'down south'. My ultimate dream would be to bump out the wall and build a 'great room' there with tons of windows to catch our spectacular sunsets. * With 4 kids always in and out for drinks, balls, or potty breaks, or for hubby to get to his grill or the shed, the back door really is used very regularly. And yes, it really is only a 30" aisle. * The entry/front door measurements are a bit off since I started too near the top of the paper and ran out of room, lol. The entry itself is 53" (of which the open front door cuts into by 36"), but there is a framed walkway into the kitchen/DR which only measure 46" W , if that makes sense. It really is a bizarre layout. I apologize for the crude sketch - I know I need to do it properly in some online software or something but I still need to learn how. :)...See MoreOpen Great Room, Dining Room, Kitchen Layout help, Please :)
Comments (3)What I would do if it were my kitchen: 1. move the DOvens to the R of cooktop 2. make that sink area to the L of fridge = clean up zone: - make sink bigger, and - put the DW to the L of the sink 3. Move island sink toward the R (closer to patio): I like to come in from patio to wash my hands after being in the garden, etc. - So now island/cooktop = prep/cook area, clear path to fridge, w/out the rare use of Oven in the way 4. Clean up/putting away clean dishes has its own zone So much potential; great space. Make it awesome! Amanda...See MoreRelated Professionals
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7 years agoI'd suggest a 30 deep (33" with 1,5" o/h on both sides) island and b/w the studs storage at the back wall so you can have about 40" in front of the fridge and have enough room on the other side of the island for traffic.
You can also consider a small sink b/w the fridge and the range so more than one cook can prep at the same time.
An utc fridge may be useful near the fr/sun room side, so you won't be disturbed while you prep/clean up.
kim k thanked sena01- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
I'm going to post an old kitchen layout I did to better show current aisle depths...
- 7 years ago
- 7 years ago
A counter depth fridge can give a few more inches for the island, but your aisle behind the island would still be around 38-40", and since the island is quite long that may not feel very comfortable when you got company.
Here's an idea with a peninsula.
kim k thanked sena01 - 7 years ago
Sena that's a really interesting idea, I'm awful at visualizing and can't quite wrap my head around it yet but I'm trying. If I did that not sure I'd put a sink in the peninsula.
What about a layout like this?
Debbi Washburn