Help with the most awkward kitchen ever
Help! My wife and I moved into a starter home a few years ago and it's finally time to start doing some work on the kitchen.
Below are some photos of the kitchen when we bought it.
Since these photos were taken, we switched spots with the cart and the fridge. We also added a smaller cart to fill out the space.
Pretty terrible, right? So we plan on doing new flooring, countertops, cabinets, lighting, and appliances but we are lost on what we should do with this awkward space by where the fridge is now and the pantry. I don't like how the fridge is floating on one side. Our idea is to create a wall even with the pantry on the other side of a newer fridge and maybe put in some open shelving between them, but is that the best use of this space and would that look good? My wife likes the smaller cart (the larger one will be replaced with fixed cabinetry). This is also a starter home and I don't want to spend a bunch of money we will never get back on a complete gut of this corner. I attached a really rough layout below.
Thank you!
Comments (10)
suzyqtexas
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Most Awkward Living Room Layout Ever!
Comments (12)Wow. Ya'll are great. And quick. Thanks so much. Okay so the room is really the only living space in our rather "efficient" home in NYC. That's code for, I can't move any walls. It is directly off the entry way ("foyer") with the dining room across the hall. I would like to figure out a way to put a TV in it in a hidden unit somewhere but the first requirement is really that it be set up to entertain guests comfortably with plenty of seating without looking too cluttered. We don't have children, but our friends and family do. The window sill in the bay is 27" from the floor with a radiator below it (the house was built in the 30s and we have not successfully found room for HVAC ductwork without losing much needed space. This also means that there is a really "lovely" a/c unit built into the wall to the left of the small window, yuck. The sill is 14" deep at the back (to accomodate the radiator) but only 4" deep at the sides. The measurements I've provided in the layout are for the floor space. I wanted to avoid pics because the space is truly a mish mash of furniture right now (not to mention the ferns that are overwintering in the room right now) As a further note right now, the sofa in the room is either going, or will be reupholstered in an off white fabric and the oversized chairs, I think should go as they seem way too big for the space. Again, assume a blank canvas. I tried putting the sofa in front of the small window with a console table behind it, which I could try again, but it seemed to push the rest of the room too far in front of the bay window/ left little room for additional seating. to enlarge click on the thumbnail From Living Room Layout From Living Room Layout From Living Room Layout From Living Room Layout Oh yeah... of course the rug situation is a complete mystery to me. Did I mention I did not get the decorating gene? ;-) Thanks again....See MoreHELP - Most Awkward Living Room Layout Ever!
Comments (26)I have nearly exactly the same layout, except add a door in the upper left corner and replace your bottom wall with wall, wide opening, closet. My room is also longer than yours - it's 18'x18'. I have added Billy bookcases with the half doors and height extensions to either side of the fireplace. It looks good and the extra storage is a godsend. I would definitely integrate a desk into any built-ins you do, like the picture kellyeng posted. Obviously custom built-ins/bookshelves are nicest, but the Billys are fine if you are on a budget. You could buy the short ones and/or cut the Billys down to fit on top of the desk. I have found two layouts that work for my room. Obviously we have different furniture but perhaps reading this will help you. 1) float sofa in front of fireplace, put sofa table with lamp(s) behind sofa, put two upholstered/leather large chairs in front of left window, float loveseat in front of slider on right, put coffee table in front of sofa, place dresser for extra storage on bottom right wall. 2) Float sofa and loveseat in the middle of the room perpendicular to fireplace with coffee table between them. Put the two large chairs south of the sofa & loveseat, angled toward fireplace. Put dresser for extra storage on bottom right wall. My TV is above the fireplace since DH wants it there, but you can easily put yours in the upper corner since you have less furniture. I would recommend that, actually, since the closer you are to the TV the less comfortable it is to look up that high. You really just have to move things around until you are happy - at least for now. The room is awkward, no doubt about it. So, when I get sick of one layout I switch back to the other. I switched back to my Option 2 yesterday. DH laughs at me but hey, moving furniture is cheaper than moving....See MoreNeed help with awkward layout and opening kitchen in late 50s ranch
Comments (24)You guys are awesome! I tried to incorporate everyone suggestions (because they were all great!) and this is what I've come up with. Since I'm not sure which of the kitchen walls are load bearing, both designs incorporate the possible need for a beam to extend down, which is fine. LAYOUT A: large pass-through looking into the living room and the doorway to the kitchen has been expanded. Basement stairs and corner coat closet have also been removed and the doorway into the addition has been widened. Hoping the outer facing cabinets around the beam can act as a place to put keys and bags, otherwise, we have no entryway. Concern: I'm a messy cook and with that being said, I'm questioning whether the stove should be below the pass-through because I'm envisioning grease splattering and sauce flying into my living room. LAYOUT B: The same as layout A but with a smaller pass-through that begins after the stove. My concern for this is despite the pass-through being just shy of 5ft wide, based on this mock-up, it doesn't look like it does much to open the room. Would this be a waste of money to even bother with? Here's a loose floorplan of both A and B. What are your thoughts? The fridge jams me up a bit because it seemed too bulky near the kitchen entrance and moving it towards the addition opening made it too crammed again....See MoreMOST AWKWARD shaped living/sunroom/kitchen ever!! HELP!!
Comments (46)I’m digging the 3rd one! My style is contemporary and/modern. Do You think I need it to to be big enough for all the furniture to go on? I’d probably need a 9x12 or even 10x13 to fit it all. Or should it just be big enough for the front legs of each piece to rest on? Like an 8x10....See More
PROSina Sadeddin Architectural Design
5 years ago
cawaps
5 years agoSo you moved the fridge from next to the stairs to the other room by the pantry? What was your reasoning? It makes more sense to me with the fridge next to the stairs, since that is more convenient to the sink and counter and makes for an okay work triangle.
Your biggest issue is not having counter space next to the range and fridge. My kitchen has similar issues that I solved with stainless steel commercial kitchen work tables. They are available down to 18 inches wide.
If it were my kitchen, I would use the 1st room as the kitchen, with the range, sink, and fridge, and the second room as the pantry. Add shelves for storage. Or you could set up that room as the breakfast nook.I've seen worse. Mine was worse. Mine might still be worse (my sink is in a different room from the range and refrigerator). But my stainless worktables have made it functional.
Judy Mishkin
5 years ago
PROJudyG Designs
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoAlex
5 years ago
katinparadise
5 years agoAlex
5 years agocawaps
5 years ago
Lampert Dias Architects, Inc.