New construction Cabinet/kitchen layout help
ahreno
6 years ago
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cpartist
6 years agoahreno
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Kitchen layout for new construction, help needed :)
Comments (11)Since no one has mentioned it, it's not possible to put a ref right up against a corner wall that is longer than the BODY of the ref. This is because for most, but not all refrigerators, the doors are hinged in such a way that they open out to side of the ref body - like some tv units where the doors store on the outside sides of the unit when open - but ref doors just don't open that far. Generally, the ref needs to be placed anywhere from 6" to 15" away from the corner depending the exact make and model. There can be other issues. Door handles can hit (-really, eventually punch a hole into) the wall - even at just a 90 degree opening. Most refs need the doors to open more than 90 degrees for cleaning but a goodly number need the door open further to operate the drawers. Ones that can be placed right up against a corner are called fully integrated. Some refrigerator columns, some gaggenau, and a few others at a pretty steep price scale. Really not dis'in' you or JennieMer, but the location of the ref in your original drawing or Jennie's drawing really can't be done. Most people insert a utility cupboard or pullout pantry in the actual corner for this exact reason....See MoreKitchen Layout Help Please, New Construction!
Comments (3)Welcome MamaCat21! You have a good eye for knowing what's not right in kitchen design - the architect was probably going for looks, not function - and you want function (as well as looks, I'm sure). You'll fit right in here - most of us are the same way! (The architect's kitchen would be very frustrating to work in!) Your family sounds a lot like ours and how we use our kitchen - prepping/cooking & cleaning up going on at the same time and kids wanting to be with you when you're in the kitchen. I don't know how old your children are, but they will also be learning to cook & clean up soon and adding to the mix of people working in the kitchen at the same time! Some comments: If there are more than two or three seats at an island (or peninsula), some should be "around the corner". Straight seating like the island has now is often compared to "ducks sitting in a row". It's not conducive to conversation & bonding; it's more like diner counter seating with strangers. So, I recommend at least one, if not two, seats on at least one short side. I would turn the island 90 degrees so the long side is along the range wall. How do you feel about prepping in the island? It would mean turning to get to the range, but many people are OK with it and even prefer it b/c then they can prep facing people or other rooms. Right now, with no water in the island and with it's current orientation, it's doubtful it would be of much use as a primary Prep Zone. You have your prep sink along the perimeter so you're prepping next to the range - so you may prefer prepping that way. If so, that's fine. However, you don't have enough counterspace b/w the range and prep sink. The bare minimum recommended is 36", but 42" to 48" is much better. Note that much more than 48" and it can be too much b/c of the distance b/w the sink and range. Right now, it looks like you have 24" - and I can tell you from personal experience that 24" is nowhere near enough! Do you have a draft layout of the floor the kitchen is on? It helps us see the flow of the house and the potential traffic through the kitchen. Where is the family entrance - usually a garage entrance?...See MoreNew Construction- Kitchen layout needs help!
Comments (8)Hi guys, thank you for the input and help! bethohio3, that beverage center looks awesome! Thank you so much for that find and recommendation. I think that would look great on that south wall by the stairs. It would also be functional since its closer to eating area and great room. Hopefully we can get that made by our cabinet guy in budget. For questions that Cheryl Heweitt asked: 1.) Do you have a floor plan that has more detail, like what size cabinets and their function? Aisle widths? Unfortunately do not have this yet. Will be getting it from architect in next week or so. 2.) What is the function of the cabinets in the breakfast nook? Again, more detail would be helpful. Not sure what the function would be but were thinking of using as pantry and also as a beverage center for a small bev fridge and such. 3.) Family size? If you have children at home, age ranges? Number of cooks in the kitchen? 2 small kids age 3, family of 4. 1-2 cooks 4.) What kind of cabinets/function are you planning for the island? Your island is really deep. Will there be cabinet access from the back side, too? We specifically wanted a large island as we thought it would be functional and like how it looks. Will have cabinets in it (hopefully on both sides). Use (w/ addition of prep sink now thanks to the feedback here) will be for food prep and also guests to sit at. When I look at your present floor plan I don't find it all that functional due to the refrigerator being so far to the right. If you rotated the island 90 degrees, and added a sink I think it would function more smoothly. I guess it depends on where you expect to do meal prep. My wife and I talked about island orientation for quite a while and we decided not to rotate the island but leave it as is since the north south dimensions of the room are so generous (19 feet) rather that the east west....See MoreHelp with kitchen layout for new construction
Comments (16)ssdarb - thanks for the perspective from a fellow mom! We just have one daughter, so dealing with a crowd on a daily basis isn't common, but we have tons of extended family in the area and usually have dinner guests at least once a week, so we do need to think about ability to scale up. And once or twice a year we have a big party with 75+ people (what can I say, my husband is an extrovert!) but for that we bring in a caterer so I don't end up trapped in the kitchen all night. I'll have to think about #1. Not sure there's any way to avoid it altogether (and it's less of an issue with a small family), but worth putting some thought in. That is definitely an issue with my mom's kitchen - the cooktop and main sink are across a 4' aisle from each other, and the fridge/freezer is one one side and the microwave is on the other. It can get a little crazy when the whole family is over (especially when a small child decides to wander through. :-) As for #2, if we used the bar stools for eating, I think the arrangement you have sounds awesome. We don't eat at the counter, though, just the table (I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've sat at our current counter to eat in the 7 years we've been in our house, and I never did at my previous house, either) so they're really just there to make it easier for my daughter (and a friend/cousin or two) to help or keep me company while I cook. On #3, I really don't want to give up the view while cleaning up option! We're on almost 20 wooded acres that back up to one of the largest urban parks in the country, so the view out that direction is straight into woods that will always be preserved because of the environmental zoning. We're hoping to avoid uppers near the family room because the family room is vaulted, and we don't want cabinets ending into nothing at the far end. That said, I think that section bears looking at again to see how it can be arranged. #4 is important to us, too. My daughter sets the table most nights (but we have to get the dishes down for her) and often empties the dishwasher (but right now that mostly means handing me things to put into cabinets she can't reach). I love that she could do it herself with dish drawers. #5 Great suggestion. No coffee area needed for us, but I have to remember to plan for the tea setup - that's our caffeine of choice :-). Thanks so much for sharing your hard-earned knowledge and suggestions!...See Morecpartist
6 years agoSina Sadeddin Architectural Design
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