Layout challenge: large family, small kitchen - please help
Katie
6 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (178)
cpartist
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Help Please with Challenging Kitchen Layout
Comments (21)palimpsest, I didn't mean to offend you if I did. Everybody's experience is different. I come from a large family. My step mother has exactly that setup with the island, the size, the seating, the relationship to the range. Every time she entertains for any number - every single seat is filled and the person in the center behind the sink has to stay pulled back. There are people and dogs running up and down every aisle and clogging everything. And I'm talking about the adults! The bar flys wish the island was deeper. In her setup, the appetizers end up on the island while the rest is cooking and the bar flys would like to be able to reach all of them without moving. As kids grow, they get playmates and perhaps siblings. They all hang around the kitchen - get drinks and snacks, make their own sandwiches and become independent chefs. I regularly splash all over the my 15" tall backsplash. If I had that type of island - a permanent pond would develop back there complete with tadpoles... And I right now have a sleeve damp to the elbow and damp places across the tummy zone - prep for split pea and ham soup. This doesn't mean I think everyone splashes water everywhere (altho dh is actually worse than I). It's a simple statement for the op to hear or ignore. It's the same thing with prep time. If I entertain, nobody sees me do more than a last minute thing - like whipping cream. (might mean I'z control freak) But others in the same family do most things after the crowd arrives and usually with one or two others helping. The thing I like about this kitchen is that all that is possible. I never know if its possible to for anyone satisfy all the needs of whoever is posting until stuff is suggested and the poster accepts it....See MorePlease Help! Small Kitchen Layout with pics
Comments (62)Sorry, they are difficult to read! I had to shrink them a lot to get them to be a reasonable size (not too big/not too small). RHome410 & ScooterMom are right, while it's nice to have 24" on each side of the range and you should strive for it, it's not always possible. In this case, it's more important to have the additional work space on the other side of the range and 18" is a good amount of space for emergency landing space as well spoons, etc. I also agree about the corner prep sink...while it gives you two Prep Zones of a sort, the one nearer the range is the more important and it's just too small w/that corner sink. I just included it so you could see various options. The corner susan, btw, is a great place to store pots & pans. In my old kitchen all my pots & pans, colanders, etc. fit in our 36" lazy susan (the one w/the pole in the middle). Here's a closeup of the Snack Center containing A tall 24"W x 12"D cabinet either for additional pantry storage or for a utility cabinet for broom, mop, cleaning supplies, etc. A long counter that is very shallow by the garage door and gets deeper as you move away from the door. The widest part is 22.5" deep, which means... The two cabinets (24" & 30" wide) under the deeper part of the counter are 21" deep instead of the standard 24" (Ikea cabinets can be cut down, check IkeaFans for more information.) Under the shallow portion of the counter is a bookshelf for cookbooks A MW sits on the counter as part of the Snack Center. If you also drink coffee, you could put a coffemaker there as well. If you like them and they're in the budget, you might consider a 24" MW drawer so the MW is off the counter, leaving quite a bit more room for the Snack (or Snack/Beverage) Center. Snack Center Pros: It gets the MW out of the main area of the kitchen so it isn't taking up valuable counter space nor is it taking up cabinet space (under or over) in the main part of the kitchen (where the primary zones are located: Prep, Cooking, Cleanup) The MW is still fairly accessible from the kitchen's Prep & Cooking Zones but out of the main working area so snackers can use it (and/or the refrigerator) w/o getting in the way of those working in the kitchen The MW is located near the refrigerator/freezer where most foods cooked or warmed up come from MW is near the prep sink so if water is needed it can be gotten w/o, again, getting in the way of those working in the kitchen If you also put a coffeemaker there, it's also close to the prep sink for water. Actually it's not that far from the main/cleanup sink as well, but the prep sink is much closer and more convenient It helps spread out the various functions of the kitchen so you have more overall workspace. You could even work in front of the DR window if you needed to Snack Center Con: It might make that area a little......See MorePlease check layout for our large family kitchen
Comments (50)You might want to look again at the pantry wall arrangement. You USE the pantry and the refs when cooking. In the current arrangement, the pantry entrance is centered for no particular reason - making it further to travel for the cook. The refrigerator is a good 12-15 feet around the island to main prep. Also, forgive me, but the pantry just looks like a collection of miscellaneous stuff shoved in there instead of a storage pantry. The reality of a desk like that is no one will use it because its dark, cramped and not fun to be rolling back in the chair and smacking into the open door or the extra ref/frz. Then too, the ref door will not open all the way and the doored cabinet on the shared bath wall can't be opened. Even if you do something like use sliding doors, you won't be able to use the stuff in the area by the side of the ref because you won't be able to reach it. Try not turning the corner between the range wall and pantry wall with cabinets. Put the entrance to the pantry there instead, then do refs and then do counter to the doorway to the dining room. One of those cabinets could double as a standing desk. Then try shelving around the "U" shap of the longer part of the pantry for storage ending in the blank ref. Keep cabinets along the left hand short wall and maybe a crate space with counter over it facing what is now the doorway. Start or finish the "U" with the extra ref/freezer....See MoreHelp please with small kitchen layout
Comments (4)You kept the DW out of the prep zone between sink and range. Bravo! If you have room to stand at the sink and load the DW, then I think your DW placement is just fine. I think your layout looks quite functional. And I'm a bit of a DW Nazi, lol. I see you have a side-by-side fridge in your drawing. Do you already have one and are continuing to use it? If not, you might not want to buy one. They don't get a lot of love here due to how narrow the fridge interior is which limits putting in things like a bigger tray of food for entertaining, a big turkey, etc. Just something to think about and do some more research on if you're buying new....See MoreKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agokazmom
5 years agoMolly
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agobbtrix
5 years agoUser
5 years agoKatie
5 years agobbtrix
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agobbtrix
5 years agokazmom
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years agoKatie
5 years ago
Related Stories
KITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: Zoned Layout for a Family That Loves to Cook
A designer makes a kitchen function for three generations and gives it warm, modern style
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: Large Island Anchors a Family Hub
Beautiful woods, metal finishes and antiqued surfaces create an elegant transitional style in this eat-in kitchen
Full StoryKITCHEN ISLANDSKitchen of the Week: A Family’s Big-Island Dreams Come True
A large island transforms a kitchen into the hub it was meant to be
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen Design Fix: How to Fit an Island Into a Small Kitchen
Maximize your cooking prep area and storage even if your kitchen isn't huge with an island sized and styled to fit
Full StoryKITCHEN OF THE WEEKKitchen of the Week: Refacing Refreshes a Family Kitchen on a Budget
Two-tone cabinets, vibrant fabric and a frosty backsplash brighten this eat-in kitchen
Full StoryKITCHEN ISLANDSPlan Your Kitchen Island Seating to Suit Your Family’s Needs
In the debate over how to make this feature more functional, consider more than one side
Full StoryHOMES AROUND THE WORLDHouzz Tour: Bright Kitchen Addition Becomes a Family’s Hub
A home in England gets a glass-enclosed cooking and dining area and a spacious new master bedroom
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSNew Layout and More Light for a Family’s 1940s Ranch House
A Los Angeles designer reconfigures a midcentury home and refreshes its decor
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: A Seattle Family Kitchen Takes Center Stage
A major home renovation allows a couple to create an open and user-friendly kitchen that sits in the middle of everything
Full StoryBEFORE AND AFTERSSmall Kitchen Gets a Fresher Look and Better Function
A Minnesota family’s kitchen goes from dark and cramped to bright and warm, with good flow and lots of storage
Full Story
cpartist