Do you think I can fit an island in my current 11 x 11 kitchen?
Hi,
I have been thinking a lot about my main floor and kitchen. I can do a kitchen with a peninsula, but I'm wondering if I can fit an island in, without it being too tight. Or if anyone has a creative idea where I can use the whole space as kitchen and dining. (The back door is now a 76" silder with the left side fixed.) I don't want my house to be totally open though, because I'd like to hide some mess in the kitchen. Please take a look at my plan. Thanks in advance for all your help!
Comments (86)
Lisa's Kitchen
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoThis looks so pretty to me....but I don't have that space.
A new home in the New York Suburbs · More InfoRelated Discussions
Island with seating for four in 20x11 kitchen?
Comments (6)With 11 feet of width, you need to look at a layout that treats your island as the second wall. You'll only be able to put cabinets on one side. If the side with your seating is along the length, it will be tight when anyone is seated at the island unless you have one side open like mydreamhome's plan. If you look at seating on the width, you won't have enough room for aisles on either side -- just barely one, and that's with no cabinets at that point. You can wrap around or bend the seating area. That will help you put seating along along the length and cabinets at other points along the length, but it won't help along the width since you need more clearance for seating. You can do it, but you will have some limitations....See Moreis an 11x14 kitchen too small for...
Comments (40)...the 35" aisles are actually wider than most doorways. True, but it's narrower than a hallway (code is 36" in my neck of the woods). But I'm not sure what this has to do with the kitchen. It's still less than NKBA recs (although just barely) and given how you generally abide by them and post them here often, I'm surprised that you strayed from them in 2 of your plans. If that's a major path from garage or bedrooms to the rest of the house, I wouldn't want it to be too meager. (twn85, where does that hallway lead to?) You and I differ about fridge placement. I'd rather not have it blocking or taking up what could be great dish storage near the table. If the fridge is on the back wall to the right of the island, I don't see how someone going to the fridge will get in the cook's way. It's still at the perimeter. btw, I'm betting the window is about 2' in because the sink is right in the corner. And I'm betting the wall oven is to the left of the sink. Lovely home, twn85! Looks like you have a great space to work with. But, uh, that is one weird room divider in that kitchen. It looks like a wooden version of old-time bank teller bars. How do you access your back yard? Oh, and I just realized that you gain 4.5" to your space. You gave us dimensions for the kitchen and for the DR but since that wall is coming down, those inches are added to the overall space....See MoreFloor layout help with a 11' 6" x 11'11" laundry/mudroom/bath
Comments (27)I am not a guru but I can give you my opinion. Melanie on the regrets - while trying to minimalize them they still will happen! Flip side is you will likely also have some grrr that ends up turning out different but BETTER than you imagine. IMO stealing the foot makes it much more functional so I would do it in a heartbeat but I am not the expert. It also opens it up and will 'feel' better. I think that's a good spot for a broom closet and charging station and should easily stay tidy. It is about 5' wide yes? That is a nice size space. Measure what you have you want to store in there and then look for pics of what you are thinking. Utility sink in the garage - really in the winter there isn't much dirt and when it's exposed it's frozen too so I'd think the utility sink would get more use in the spring summer fall when it's thawed so I'd keep it on the table too. My opinion - your money. Ha! As far as 'enough room' - it sounds like your kids are younger based solely upon still being in the 'add more' season of life. :) I can tell you only to think seasons, think sports, cleats, basketball shoes, church shoes, boots, hiking shoes, tennis shoes, flops, bats, ball caps, backpacks, lunch boxes, water bottles (if you have girls think even MORE shoes and then purses - ack)........ I will say for my 2 the space we have is more than adequate and it's quite roomy (I just double checked and it's actually 6.5' on a side so each person has 3' plus). That said we also have a closet near that I put off season stuff in and dog food. Winter coats and snow pants and boots are not in the locker area all year. I put them in the closet over spring/summer/fall. As long as you have a spot for that I think you are fine. Off season can closets can always be in the basement as well. There are always sweatshirts hanging and ball caps. Besides that there is always a stray nerf gun, goggles, flash lights and what have you hanging out there. I don't mind it there - it's out of the way and not underfoot! Old house it used to be in their rooms and all over. We had no designated space for outdoor wear anyplace besides bedrooms. If I am feeling brave I will snap a real life pic of it in action. It is easy to pick up and look presentable when needed but typically M-F it's a dumping spot. I like an open bench vs doors because we do use it to sit down to put stuff on and take stuff off regularly. And when our parents come and use that entry they love to be able to sit down to put on and remove shoes. It's comfortable and useful. With your window placement in the bathroom and the exterior door you will find it a nice light filled space. Our exterior door there is 3/4 glass and I love how it lights the hall. It is never a dark space....See More12'11 x 12'3 Kitchen Remodel Layout
Comments (10)Definitely thinking I can't make the island work with fridge relocated and appreciate all the advise to avoid a walk-in pantry. My next thought would be to remove our current island altogether and add a peninsula directly across from where I'd like the fridge to be. The peninsula would range reach to just short of the center line of the kitchen, leaving 42 to 48" clear to the fridge. This would also allow me to have an overhang into the dining area. Currently the island top is small and the cabinets are used for storage. There is not enough room to sit there. Any thoughts on this being a better route? I'm not sure I'm sold on closing the kitchen off with an island, but I think it would give us a lot of counter space for entertaining, free up the kitchen floor for moving around, and keep guests away from the stove and food prep areas....See More
sheloveslayouts
5 years agoDo you have a closet in the foyer for cleaning stuff?
Try to maintain a 42" walkway at that pinch point near the foyer to kitchen entry.
If you prefer storing pots and pans below a cooktop, you could put a wall oven in a high cabinet next to the fridge.
Lisa's Kitchen thanked sheloveslayouts
fancyxx
5 years agoWhat kind of house do you have? We have a raised ranch and knocked down the dining, living and kitchen wall. Our setup was similar to yours. Our kitchen is 11x11 and we have an island that’s 48x54. There’s plenty of room in our kitchen with the island. I think it’s possible if you remove the wall :). This also didn’t cost us much because my s/o and his friends (all tradesmen) spent a night knocking the walls down themselves. Of course we confirmed that we didn’t have a beam in the way before we did anything.
sheloveslayouts
5 years ago
Sue 430
5 years agoSue 430
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years ago
damiarain
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agosheloveslayouts
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years ago
bbtrix
5 years agoLisa, I had a similar layout and struggled with what to do for years. My plan was to take down the DR wall and add a peninsula to the opposite wall you're considering making it a double L. I was not at all satisfied with any layout that my kitchen designer came up with. Then I found GW and started learning. My DH convinced me that taking down the load bearing wall and raising the ceiling would be the best thing for this small house, bringing tons of light and openness. The house had many small rooms and I hated cooking cramped in the corner of that kitchen. I don't like being isolated in the kitchen while everyone else is in the LR. Really your decision should be based on your cooking, living, and entertaining style. As you see from your responses we all have different tastes and lifestyles. I love prepping at my island with family/friends all around. I love having room for lots of helpers. I love my open concept being the hub of the house. Others like enclosed spaces.
Anyway, I thought I'd share what I did. We took down both walls making my total space 24 x 24, larger than yours but smaller than strob06's (hers turned out great!). I decided not to fret about the view from the front door as I would lose 3' of valuable island avoiding it. I have tons of storage and still have empty shelves. I keep all cleaning supplies in the laundry room just down the stairs and do not miss a pantry. My pullout pantry holds a ton of staples very efficiently. I also have a family room on the lower level which makes for nice entertainment flow.
Before:
After:
The foyer is all the way to the left in the last pic. My sink is deep so you can't see the few dishes that my accumulate. I never thought I could have so much counter space in what was a tiny kitchen. I am so glad I moved the sink to the island freeing up an additional large prep space and getting me out of that corner!Lisa's Kitchen thanked bbtrixLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoBuehl
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoA couple of ideas to think about....
Layout #1 - Galley style Kitchen
This gives you the most open Kitchen with a good workflow and decent counterspace where it's needed.
The three primary work zones (Prep, Cooking, Cleanup) are arranged to follow the logical workflow in a Kitchen:
Refrigerator --> Sink --> Prep Zone --> Cleanup Zone
The sink separates the Cleanup Zone on the left from the Prep & Cooking Zones on the right. Separation of work zones is a good design practice that allows more than one person to work in the Kitchen at the same time and to store dishes/tools/utensils at their point of use.
The Cleanup Zone has the DW and dish storage with enough space to stack dirty dishes away from the Prep Zone. The location of dish storage in the Cleanup Zone and not the Prep Zone means that someone can be cleaning up or unloading the DW while someone else is working in the Prep and/or Cooking Zones.
It also has a pantry on the dining area where the window is being removed per the notes on the picture you posted. 15" is the deepest I would go. 12" deep shelves seem to be the "sweet spot" for pantry shelf depth and when you factor in the back wall of the cabinet and the front frame, you have shelves that are around 12" deep. (The 15" depth also matches the depth of the upper cabinets -- see below.)
The refrigerator and MW are across the aisle from the primary work zones so someone getting a snack or getting condiments from the refrigerator when setting the table will not get in the way of those preparing a meal. This also makes a nice "Snack Center".
The cabinets and counters are all 3" deeper than standard
- 27"D base cabinets
- 15"D upper cabinets
- 28.5"D counters
- This extra depth increases your workspace as well as adds significant storage.
- If your cabinet line does not offer 27"D base cabinets, then standard depth base cabinets (24"D) can be pulled 3" from the wall when they are installed.
- 15"D uppers have become very common in the majority of cabinet lines.
Another advantage of the deeper counters in the Snack Center is that you can have a standard-depth (SD) refrigerator. SD refrigerators are usually quite a bit less expensive and they hold much more.
.Layout #1 work zone map:
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Layout #2 - U Kitchen with peninsula and two seats
This layout provides you with two seats in addition to the table. However, IMO, this is a bit cramped.It does have a general separation of work zones -- except for dish storage. (More on that later.) It also follows the normal workflow.
As with Layout #1, the sink separates the Cleanup Zone on the right from the Prep & Cooking Zones on the left.
You do have an additional Prep Zone on the peninsula when there isn't someone cleaning up or unloading the DW. The sink is a bit far, but it is doable.
The Cleanup Zone has the DW and enough space to stack dirty dishes away from the Prep Zone. However, b/c the DW is so close to the peninsula, the storage above the DW and peninsula will not be accessible when the DW is open. Either dishes will need to be "staged" on the peninsula when unloading the DW, or you will need to put them elsewhere. The problem with elsewhere is that now the dishes will stored in one of two places: in the middle of the Prep Zone on the left or across a wide aisle in the Snack Center. If they're in the middle of the Prep Zone, it means someone unloading the DW or setting the table will get in the way of someone trying to prepare a meal.
Dish storage is the biggest drawback I see to this design.
Note that I left the window in this design. If the window is being closed up, the Pantry could be installed in this design as well. (I'm just presenting another option.)
Again, the refrigerator and MW are across the aisle from the primary work zones so someone getting a snack or getting condiments from the refrigerator when setting the table will not get in the way of those preparing a meal. This also makes a nice "Snack Center".
Two things of note regarding the corners:
- The left corner is voided out to give you wider drawers on each side of the corner.
- The right corner (in the peninsula) has a cabinet turned 90 degrees that opens into the Dining Room. This maximizes storage space. Seldom used items and/or Dining Room items (e.g., table cloths and napkins) can be stored there.
Why did I do this? Most corner solutions do not use the space well. Corner susans are actually not a bad solution, but in your case you don't have much space to work with on the walls, so voiding is a better solution. (Avoid blind corner cabinets like the plague! Even with the fancy pullouts/swing-outs, they waste more space and a major drawback is that if something falls off, you cannot close the pullout/swing-out until you've retrieved the item...and that will sometimes require sending in a small child! Today's corner susans usually follow the contour of the shelves so nothing can fall off.)
This layout has a counter-depth (CD) refrigerator. Because of the doors, you need to have enough space b/w the Snack Center counters and the range wall counters to allow easy passage, including while carrying something. This limits the depth of the Snack Center Counters (unless you want to shorten it by 6 or more inches).
If you want your refrigerator to look "built-in", then a CD refrigerator is the only one you can fit...unless...you recess the standard-depth into the wall behind it. However, since you cannot easily recess into a corner or the end of a wall, you will need to add 3 to 4 inches to the length of the wall (or reduce the Snack Center counters).
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Layout #2 work zone map:
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Layout #3 - slight modification from Layout #1.
This layout is basically the same as Layout #1 except for the table and the refrigerator wall.
Instead of 6 chairs, there are 4 chairs and a bench. This frees up a considerable amount of space b/w the table and refrigerator.
Notice that the Snack Center is now 9" wider than it was before.
The work zone map is the same as Layout #1's work zone map.
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Layout #4 - Layout #2 with the partial banquette
This layout is basically the same as Layout #2 except for the table, refrigerator wall, Pantry, and aisle b/w the range wall and the Snack Center.
The work zone map is the same as Layout #2's work zone map.
Lisa's Kitchen thanked Buehlartistsharonva
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agosheloveslayouts
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
I love a Buehl zone map!
This would be my choice.
Buehl
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoLisa - do you mean the door to the backyard is now a slider? Does it start on the left side where this ones does? If so, that's even better for the seats in #2! But, that means a no-go for the pantry, that's too bad.
If it extends into the Kitchen instead, that may be an issue and may mean eliminating seats in #2 and shortening up the sink/range run in #1 (perhaps to the point that it won't work).
Note: From the pictures, I think it starts on the left where the current layout has it and extends to the right for 76". Please confirm.
Could you please post a fully-measured layout of the space as it is now? Something like this:
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I probably should have posted the Layout Help link (as well as the Best Practices):
Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines threads - These threads explain best practices/good design guidelines for items such as work zones, aisles, island/peninsula seating, etc. These threads will help you understand questions/comments you will receive.
Layout Help - FAQ for asking for layout help. It has a sample measured layout as well as a description of the other information we need
Read Me thread - Other, helpful information for using and navigating the Kitchens Forum. Especially useful if you are new to the Kitchens Forum! (This thread is being updated with the new Houzz functions, etc.)
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New to Kitchens? Read Me First!
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Layout Help:
How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include?
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Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines threads:
Kitchen work zones, what are they?
Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and others
How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where?
Ice. Water. Stone. Fire (Looking for layout help? Memorize this first)
Lisa's Kitchen
5 years agoBuehl
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoThank you all for your great advice. I'm trying to decide if I should move a load-bearing wall to inset some storage. I could keep a post. Will attach drawings with the wall moved and an island vs. the peninsula plan. I prefer the island visually, but the peninsula may be more cost-effective and practical. Some of the drawings are from Home Depot--I don't know which vendor I'm using yet.
PRODiana Bier Interiors, LLC
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years agoLisa's Kitchen
5 years ago
Karenseb
4 years agodamiarain
4 years agoLisa's Kitchen
4 years agoLisa's Kitchen
4 years ago
cpartist
4 years agoartistsharonva
4 years agoAniesia Williams
3 years ago
Patricia Colwell Consulting