Ye Wise Kitchen Gurus - New Build Layout Advice Please

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

We are meeting with our kitchen cabinet maker this week, so I am looking for layout feedback. The foundation is set, so no changes to room size, but layout within the kitchen is fair game. We are leaning towards a range with oven, plus an additional wall oven (if budget and space allow). We want to keep the island countertop free (no sink or cooktop), but are open to having things underneath if that improves layout. Excited to see what this amazing forum has to suggest!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

cpartist
6 years ago
First congrats on a nicely laid out house. It's going to be light and bright with windows on two sides in almost every room

I think the kitchen layout is fine as it is! You go from getting food out of the fridge, to bringing it to the sink to wash, to prepping between cooktop and sink. It works! In fact my first house had this exact layout and it was absolutely the best setup I ever had for cooking. So much so, that I'm repeating it in my new build.

One question to you. You said foundation is set. Are windows set? I ask because if it were me in your master bedroom I'd switch the two sets of windows so you could put the bed on the wall at top. I say that so one person is not walking around the side of the bed in the middle of the night.

Also one other suggestion if it's not built on a slab? I'm looking at your laundry room and I think it would be better if you could rearrange the room so the door to the laundry room opened into the hallway and not the foyers. I'm wondering if you moved the washer/dryer under the windows and the dog washing area where the washer is now, if it might be doable? Not sure.
PRO
Anglophilia
6 years ago
Your refrigerator is going to have to have some space between the side and the abating wall or it will not open enough to pull out the drawers fully.
Related Discussions
Advice please, oh wise ones!
Q
Comments (28)
I think the walk in pantry is a must. As you grow in the house so will your need for a pantry! I have a friend with a similar plan regarding the kitchen, dining layout. Her plan has the spot where the playroom is as the great room and the playroom is where your great room is. One thing I LOVE about her plan is the half bath you have is actually her walk in pantry. The butler pantry is like yours but has cabinets on the opposite wall to the walk in pantry which would be your half bath. If you make a full bath in the laundry area I think you could do away with the half bath and gain that as the pantry without losing much. Also, I find it is always nice not to have a bath to close to the kitchen (I have two little boys, enough said!) If you rearranged the living playroom layout a bit I think you will be happier. Maybe just flip flop them and grow your kitchen into the playroom space so you aren't wasting the whole room. That would also solve your concern for cabinet space. I agree that even with our dedicated play room my kids still drag toys around to be with us or just to make a mess. Then if you make the hallway larger running from the garage to the kitchen through the great room you can eliminate the cased openings that are at the angle and have a more open space to enjoy your great kitchen! I like the layout of your kitchen now over the rough drawing you posted but I think you could make it happen and have the other changes to make the space really functional and still grand!
...See More
For Summerfield and other layout gurus, please review
Q
Comments (11)
OK my friend sent me her revised plans which she had been working on simultaneous to my posting. Turns out that she had wanted just "some accessibility" at first but the designer talked her into a greater degree of accessibility. It does cut down on room sizes but seems to make more sense. Hopefully she can get the zoning variation for the extra 3 percent. I think this address most of bevangel's concerns. First Floor (revision 2) The ramp has been added to the garage and there are no longer stairs between the mud room and the first floor. The bathroom now appears to be accessible. The doors are 36" wide at least. 2nd floor (revision 2) The Parents entry and bath have been revised to be accessible. I have some thoughts on the entry alcove and parents' small closet which I will post in a followup post. Basement- not yet revised, just needs larger bathroom. Posting again to be complete. Here are the comments I had before. The "crafts room" and "play room" here are potentially be a bedroom and living room for the future live in helper but I think the rooms need to be reversed since there is no possible egress window out the "crafts room (future bedroom).Perhaps the "helper suite" should encompass the exercise toom and play room area to address the issues of egress.
...See More
Calling the layout gurus -- help me swap DR for kitchen?
Q
Comments (26)
I may not be getting the total picture of how it orients to the rest of the house (I think I am, but it seems we see things from a different direction each time, and I get a bit lost), but the kitchen plan looks pretty good. Is there such a thing as a 15" beverage center? I thought a beverage center was a place for fridge, glasses, and serving, so that confuses me a bit. Is it just an undercounter beverage fridge? Again, I didn't know there was any that small and wonder how much they'd hold. My bigger concern is about the backside of the person at the sink being in the main path coming from and going into the family room. ;-) Does this give you overall advantages enough to warrant the expense it's going to be to swap the rooms, tear down and build walls, move utilities and vents, etc.?
...See More
Please help !! Attn: all lay-out guru's
Q
Comments (27)
This is me, again feeling anxious and bummed :( !! We just spent $4k moving the water htr, & W/D down so we could put a door into the den for access to laundry. I thought about putting it in the den area inside. It would have made more sense. But was in doubt because of the entry to the den is in the LR. you can see better what I mean in the pic. Now though, after all this $ spent, the den is no longer a room to flop because there is no where to put any furniture w/out congesting an entry! Ergggggg. Would have made sense to do what you suggested and made it a laundry/mudroom. This is why I am pleading for suggestions for the other areas (LR/kitchen/add-on) because I do not want an even larger costly mistake! I am beginning to hate this house and feel very guilty about that (could be a whole different blog). I REALLY would like to fix it to sell, but DH sees it totally differently and not a fan of change (another blog) ...so, moving is out. Its just that this plan has always been so hard for me to live in and almost 22yrs later- I am the closest I have ever been to changing it. I just cannot, for the life of me, find a plan (yet) that I am happy with! The biggest prob is the main door entry. It is in a terribly awkward place and cannot be moved because of the way the driveway is. I am torn btwn living w/the entry/LR as is, and refocusing on the kitchen, adding-on to the back. I am riddled w/angst, this project has been on my mind for 22yrs and now is beginning to consume most of daily life! I wish it were easier, I want to have the joy I used to in the first few yrs looking forward to making it better. Now is seems, that the "thrill is (just about) gone" and I am not a happy camper. DH says, "ya- if we had all the $ we wanted, we could do what we want to the house" - dont' we all wish? I have tried the Sweeby test. made me more angst about the floor plan. Thanks for listening. . . .
...See More
skookumoose
Original Author
6 years ago
cpartist - We too have had a house with a similarly laid out kitchen and it worked well for us. I think I am in the stage of the build when every decision seems life or death - its nice to hear someone confirm it is a layout that works for them.

I really appreciate the feedback on layout. The master bedroom window placement is a compromise as the views out the large window at the top are the best and that view trumps the extra steps around the bed at night -I'll make hubby sleep on that side anyway ;) I completely agree about the laundry door placement and will see about getting that switched around. Funny how you can look at something a million times and miss those kind of things.

anglophilia - Excellent point about the fridge and the wall! I've put it on my list of things to address with our builder. May simply need to delete that little wall.
cpartist
6 years ago
Funny how you can look at something a million times and miss those kind of things.

Tell me about it. I have a long list of things missed.

Ye Wise Kitchen Gurus - New Build Layout Advice Please

Comments (4)

cpartist

Anglophilia

Related Discussions

skookumoose
Original Author

cpartist

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Ye Wise Kitchen Gurus - New Build Layout Advice Please

Comments (4)

cpartist

Anglophilia

Related Discussions

skookumooseOriginal Author

cpartist

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

skookumoose
Original Author