Fridge is too far from the sink to be efficient. If you put a prep sink on the island, you'll have a functional prep triangle, with a separate clean-up zone, which will be great for multiple cooks and helpers. I can't read the small print to tell what is beside the fridge/freezer.

I like H styled plans! I cannot see the plan too well and dimensions here. But the width is at least 20? If the fridge is on the right wall near the garage - it is too far from sink. I would move them closer to the stove.

Interesting layout. It will be quite the walk between the master and the laundry room. How is the home orientated on the lot?

ETA: Sorry, looks like you're just looking for kitchen feedback.

With the only natural light available to the kitchen is via a covered porch, and only on one side, it might be fairly dark.

The plan is to install a fridge, microwave, and double ovens on the right side wall. I am looking for some help with the placement of each appliance along with ideas for cabinet design.

The front of the house is facing south with almost 180 degree water views to the north.

@Michael - the house will be constructed in Jamaica with lots of transoms inside the house so this should get us plenty of light bouncing around inside.

Definitely add a prep sink to shorten that walk - you could slide the cooktop down a bit and put it to the left of it if you don't want it on the island. Be careful of your island size or you will be dealing with a seam ( or spending extra to bookmark the stone. Looks like it will be a great entertaining house!

Dear rdthomas12,

Without having your existing kitchen layout to figure out what performance benefits you’d might like to keep. And what performance problems it has that you may want to resolve, fix, or eliminate. I have no way to know exactly where you’re starting from.

Without an interview to determine HOW you want and expect to LIVE in your new kitchen I don’t know exactly where you want to end up. So it’s difficult to give you direction.

That being said I reviewed the floor plan you posted to give you some more things you may want to consider that might otherwise not occur to you until AFTER your new kitchen is done and you can’t do anything to change it.

1. You need to understand HOW to read your kitchen layout, because it tells you exactly how you will live your life in your new kitchen day to day and when you entertain. Your architect should have already explained HOW to do this. If they are not designing your kitchen it should be your kitchen designer’s responsibility.

You need to know exactly what you’re looking at and understand what it is telling you if you are to make fully informed decisions about how you are going to live your own life in your own home.

If you don’t know how to read your kitchen layout you’ll need to find someone who does that can interpret it for you. Otherwise you will be moving into your new kitchen with your boxes of kitchen items from your old kitchen, AFTER your kitchen is done, and all of your help is gone.

And you’re left trying to figure out where all of your stuff is supposed to go in your beautiful new kitchen. That’s when you’ll realize that you don’t have a clue as to exactly how your kitchen really works. Or where all of your stuff is supposed to go, so you’ll end up adapting to what you got.

So you put your stuff where ever it fits and as long as you know where everything is you’ll make do. Isn’t that what you did when you move into your last kitchen?

So much for the unique, custom, just for you and your space new kitchen solution you believed you were getting.

To avoid this problem create your kitchen item inventory checklist. Then when your kitchen plan and interior elevations are done, using your list locate all of your items.

Doing this will save you from experiencing disappointment and frustration you may otherwise experience. You’ll avoid mistakes you don’t know you’re making. Your new kitchen will be much more efficient adding time to your life instead of consuming it.

For a DIY solution to do this click the link below.

https://www.kitchendesignco.com/new-kitchen-doesnt-work/

Most designers and clients focus on esthetics. How beautiful your new kitchen will be and not how it works day to day and when they are entertaining. So the focus is on getting the kitchen done NOT HOW the client is going to LIVE IN their kitchen AFTER it’s done, and for as long as they are in their home.

Huge Mistake in my opinion because you really can get a new kitchen and a new, better, easier life than you’re experiencing now in your existing kitchen. And deep down isn’t that what you really want and expect to get?

2. You need to have a FINALIZED list of appliances that will serve you and your CHANGING Family needs for as long as you’re in this home. Appliance sizes are standard and fixed. Cabinetry sizes are flexible.

If your appliances are inadequate you will have to remodel your new kitchen or live with its built in inadequacies.

Without a finalized list you cannot finalize the design your kitchen. Rushing ALWAYS takes longer, you will waste time and money, and chances are very good that you’ll wind up with a kitchen everyone else loves, but doesn’t work for you.

Every time you change an appliance the change or changes in size will ripple through your kitchen design. Potentially fixing one problem and causing others. Not an effective way to move your project forward.

3. You should get to SEE and consider every possible combination of appliances and cabinetry that resolve, fix, or eliminate your current kitchen problems. Not consider one layout and try to justify it by tweaking it with good ideas. I believe this approach is working backwards.

Based upon my experience You should get to see and compare at least 5 different kitchen layout options. To see examples of what I mean click the link below.

https://www.kitchendesignco.com/layout-laboratory

4. You should use 3D perspective drawings to make your design decisions, because the majority of people (this includes many designers) don’t really understand what their 2D plans and interior elevations will actually produce. To see examples of what I mean click the link below.

https://www.kitchendesignco.com/kitchen-design-drawings/

That is until AFTER their kitchens are done and there is nothing they can do. Because even though what they get is unexpected, the kitchen (not their kitchen they expected) will match their kitchen design drawings.

And you can’t complain about getting a beautiful new kitchen without coming off as being completely ungrateful. So you’ll just live with a kitchen you don’t really want and make do. And For As Long As You’re In This Home!

Not what anyone expects or wants to have happen.

5. You Should NOT focus on getting your new kitchen done to start your new life. You Should Focus on how You want and expect to LIVE Your New Life In It AFTER your new kitchen is done.

6. If you expect your new kitchen to last AVOID Everything Trendy, New, and WOW. The kitchen industry pushes the latest fashion trends to sell more kitchens. This is a fact not a secret. Trends change about every ten years.

If you ever wondered why so many dated dysfunctional kitchens litter this country this is why. When the Trend your new kitchen was designed to meet CHANGES the esthetic appeal of your new kitchen plummets to Zero!

No one wants a kitchen that’s dated. If you want your kitchen to Look the way it did when it was completed for as long as you’re in your home. AVOID the latest trends.

Here is my feedback on your kitchen layout (see attached marked up layout).

You have good separation between work space and gathering space because of your island.

Your work triangle is a large as you can get it. Without an island sink you’ll have to travel about 18’ (6 to 9 steps) to get from your ref to your main sink. 10’ from your main sink to your range, and about 8’ from your range to your ref.

Ref/f Wall

Your ref is in gathering space. So when you’re entertaining you may not be able to get into it. And the 57” aisle way between your island and range wall may encourage guests or family to hang out in all that space, which may be exactly what you want. But could make working a chore trying to navigate around people.

Your Ref/f location is about 15’ from your dining table, and about 30’ away from your living area. I don’t see a beverage center anywhere. It’s also far from your covered porch. I don’t know where or if you have an outdoor patio/grill location.

It appears that your ref/f wall is made up of all tall cabinets ( I can’t read what is written) which is a trend that has been in existence for about ten years now. When this trend passes you’re kitchen will be dated.

This trend will pass as more and more people are exposed to living without counter tops next to major appliances which is just not practice.

It looks really cool and clean having all that mass. But you’re left without counter top space. So if this is the case you’ll have to use your island to load and unload your ref/f or carry your items to the counter to the right of your range (guessing it’s a range).

For most of us the ref is the most used appliance. So getting into and out of it and having to travel to the island or counter by the range may not be the most efficient use of your time and energy.

Island

I believe your aisle way between your island and cook top is 57” for a reason. As well as the 42” distance from the ref/f wall and the 45” distance from your main sink wall. If not you may want to reduce them all to 42” to 48”, depending upon your preference.

I prefer 42” because it will bring the island about a step and a half away from the main sink, range, and ref/f walls. Adding time to your life by saving you time.

You may consider adding a prep sink to cut your work triangle in half saving you lots of steps and time. And depending upon how you decide to live in this home a second dishwasher for the island.

For such a large island, 10’-6” x 4’-9”, I don’t get why the overhang for seating is only 12” deep, because sitting on a 24” high seat it won’t be very comfortable. Do you really need all of the base cabinetry shown under your island counter top?

I wouldn’t suggest making the island any wider than you can reach across to clear it when using island seating. If you can’t reach across you’ll have to go around it to clear it, more steps more time.

The additional island storage won’t be easily accessible with seating there. And with such a huge pantry just off of the kitchen is all that cabinetry necessary?

Main Sink Wall

Your main sink is about 15’ away from your dining table. Dish and glass storage is as far away from your dining table as you can get them, if stored in your wall cabinetry on your range wall. You’ll have to cover quite a distance to set and clear your dining table.

You should add a dbl. Trash pullout to the left of your main sink. You may consider moving the dw to the left of the sink if your dishes and glasses are stored in the wall cabinetry on your range wall to save you steps and time emptying the dw.

Range Wall

You have plenty of counter top to the left and right of your range top for prep and staging items during cooking and baking. Base cabinetry could be 27” to 36” wide for storing the items you will use there.

You’ll have to travel about 20’ to get from your range to your dining table (16’ as the crow flies, if you had no island).

Pantry

Your pantry is HUGE this could be good or bad. Deep cabinetry or shelving is shown with wall cabinetry or shallow shelving shown above. I’m going to guess that you don’t have cabinetry in a pantry with a door. You want all shallow shelving 12” to 15” deep.

Deep shelves block your view. Unless you’re storing all like items (like paper towels) what is in front you see, and what’s behind you can’t see. Sure you can store more stuff but you won’t know what you have beyond what you can see.

Keeping shelves shallow makes it hard to bury stuff in your pantry. And you won’t need so much space. You might consider adding more real estate to your hall bath or laundry room.

I could go on but I’m out of time.

I hope this has been helpful.

Joe Brandao

Kitchen Design Company