Are the two plans designed for the same size interior space? In #1 there is a doorway and then it's open to the left (?). In #2 the seating area extended beyond that partial wall. (if it's an open floorplan, do you need that partial wall?).So I'm confused about the adjoining spaces too. In #2 there is seating on two sides of the island. Do you have 42-48" clearance behind both sides? Is that the best use of space and is the "flow" good from the adjoining rooms? Maybe post a floorplan, including adjoining rooms, so we can understand and give more informed comments.

You don't have the ceiling height for a double row of cabinets -- they're just making the main ones look stubby. I'm also concerned that all your base cabinets appear to be cupboards rather than drawers -- most people find drawers invaluable and maximize their use of them. A trash pull-out is also worth doing.

I agree with acm - the stacked cabinets don't look that great and you are actually losing storage. Also what finish are you doing? If painted then go for the better cabinet as they will have a better finish process. I would also suggest that you ask if your kitchen was priced as Omega or as Dynasty. Dynasty is the semicustom version of Omega so your best pricing will be if you use Dynasty and only use Omega for the parts you need to customize.

It is also very difficult to compare the REAL price difference when the designs are so different.

This is a big job - you have to love both the layout and the look. Finalize a plan first then price it both ways...

My 2 cents - Don't like the look of the stacked in your space or the open shelves by the stove ( for cleaning reasons or the microwave next to the range...

Also - Ella is a luxury series option and swanbridge is not - so there will be a good price difference there - go Swanbridge and put the money into the cabinets

Keep at it - you will get there!

There are a lot of options to keep you on track and on budget here. They are all going to need more information from you. If you aren’t willing to answer some of the questions on the forum, then perhaps hire a Kitchen Designer who works just for you and with whom you will be more open. Good luck!

Yes i need to upload kitchen cabinet dimensions! The space between island and perimeter is sufficient. 51.5” on one and 37” on the other.

Kitchens cost A LOT of money so the plan needs to be top notch to maximize the functionality. Sorry to say, this plan is down right awful and I hate to see you spend all this money on something that could be so much more. I would be fighting tooth and nail with your builder to allow changes to be made.

As for aisle width, the 51" width is the side of the kitchen I would label the dead zone. All wasted space with no function. The 37" (is this cabinet to cabinet or handle to handle?) is tight especially with ALLLL the work space within a few feet of each other.

Stomp your feet, make a scene. Do not accept this floor plan.

Thanks for your inputs. I am getting a lot of negative feedback but it doesnt seem like any alternative solutions are being offered. :(

I am not a huge kitchen person but I like how everything is close together between pantry, fridge, stove. I would make the isle width larger than 37’ but i dont want it to be too far away either! Prob around 42’. I will make the island larger for personal preference and i will have microwave on the island. I also like the idea of more base pull out drawers as many have suggested. But I am willing to let it go if it is too expensive. I don’t mind pulling dishes out for $3k less!

There are no measurements for anyone to offer any solutions!! Geez.

Thst big island is a big problem with a seam needed and a bunch of support needed for the seating overhang.

Apologies here are the measurements.

I have to go to a job site, but I might have a bit of time later to offer better input. The first thing that really jumps out to me is the pinch point between the island and doorway. That’s a problem. I notice that the cabinet person didn’t do an aligned dimension to let you know that dimension either. That means she is trying to ignore the problem, and not consider it in the design. Not good.

If that section of wall has to stay, I‘d almost say that this needs to be a peninsula kitchen in order to avoid that pinch point. I‘m not sure why you need a doorway there either. That’s just odd to have a post and a doorway, with noting around it. Those are questions that need to be clarified with your builder.

Can you post the whole floorplan in order to make sense of the kitchens position? And why that doorway to nowhere and post section exists?

Omega Dynasty...our cabinets are a mix of Omega Dynasty and Omega Custom (now called Pinnacle). The majority of our cabinets are Dynasty, but a few are Custom -- those that were cheaper as Custom vs the cost of modifying Dynasty to meet our needs. That's one of the good things about Omega -- most door styles, materials, and finishes are available in both lines.

It's been over 11 years since our remodel and at our last party people were amazed...they thought the cabinets were brand new! Yes, they do hold up to life with children! [We have cherry stained cabinets (I love the look of wood plus they hold up much better than painted cabinets in general).]

Two very nice standards items are full-extension, soft-close drawers -- all drawers come with them in both lines. While I'll admit that soft-close is a nice-to-have rather than a need, full-extension is must-have.

They also have excellent customer service! I was having issues with our KD's company ordering the correct extra shelves (they kept messing up the order or losing the order) and when I finally called Omega in frustration, they told me they would take care of it -- they sent the shelves directly to me
and then worked with my KD's company for payment. My shelves were at our house in about 2 weeks and were exactly right!

I don't know anything about Homecrest, so I cannot comment on them.

If it helps, my plan is to use Omega in our new home.

Look for Shiloh cabinets. They are a very good quality semi-custom, mid-range brand. They have no up charge for inset doors. I used them for my kitchen 3 years ago and picky as I am, I could not be happier.

For your lower cabinets, you want drawers and more drawers. They are life-changing!

I think people are more than willing to help and work with you on a new design that is both functional and beautiful. They just need to know that the changes are possible and that you are also open to changing the plan.. The reason you are getting so much negative feedback is because there are problems with the plan on many levels. The members here give of their time voluntarily, and many have amazing experience and knowledge. If they are asking for measurements and floor plans, then that is what is needed to answer your questions and arm you with the very best information so you can make an informed decision and not one that wastes thousands and thousands of dollars.

I speak from experience. Years ago we hired an architect to develop and design an addition on the back of our house that would allow us to expand our kitchen. Naively I thought an architect would design a beautiful and functional kitchen. A few days before work was to begin I found gardenweb and posted the plan thinking it would get rave reviews. I was shocked and upset when it was destroyed by everyone. It made me take a hard step back and the night before construction was to start I stopped it. So began my education on kitchens and best practises in designing them.

I stopped all work with the architect and found a local design firm that took it on and now I have a beautiful kitchen that is a joy to work in and has great flow and function.

You may get some feedback you don't want to hear, expect it but open yourself to it and really digest it.

@TheCook'sKitchen saying that "No pro will ever pay the upcharge to add plywood construction." is highly uneducated. If someone has the budget than having solid plywood interiors adds a safety net in-case the DW or Refrigerator have a leak. It also is wood therefore for someone in the industry is a considered a better product. You think all my clients that are loggers are about to put particle board in their house, HA!

This layout is a tough one. What are you limitations? Can appliance placement be changed? If the post in that return wall structural?

Try to find a local cabinet shop instead of being stuck to restrictions of these massive brands. You will be surprised on pricing, my local shop is top quality custom but the pricing is right in line with any box cabinets (outside of Ikea).

Regarding inset...be aware that with inset cabinets any nicks on the frame from pans, dishes, utensils, etc., bumping/nicking the frame will be visible at all times. With full overlay, the doors & drawers hide any nicks when closed. You also lose some space in inset in cabinets or drawers b/c the doors/drawer fronts are recessed into the frame instead of sitting in front of the frame. You lose the thickness of your frame in depth for both cabinets and drawers when using inset (usually 3/4" to 1").

Yes that wall and door is load bearing. Some of it may be able to be removed but it will be a hindrance. Floorplan attached below. Thanks all. This is very helpful. I still dont fully understand what everyone is talking about here but I will digest it tonight after some study.

I was going to ask you for this:

But you gave us some of them. Could you also please provide us with the following missing dimensions (D, E, F):

A = 29-7/8"

B = 37"

C = 10-9/16"

D = ????

E = ????

F = ???

G = 136"

The missing dimensions are key when working with aisle widths//traffic paths.

Kudos, btw, on the Laundry Room location next to the MBR closet.

If you do laundry at night when one of you is sleeping, I recommend putting some extra "sound proofing" in the wall b/w the MBR and the Laundry Room. I might have suggested moving the machines to the opposite wall, but unless your Garage is climate controlled, the wall may be too cold in the winter and you may risk freezing pipes.

Hmmmm....one thought, though...where will you vent the Dryer? I think it may be too far from an exterior wall.

You are spending $1 million+ on this house (despite feedback on Houzz about the plan's shortcomings) but you don't want to spend $3k more for drawers?

Your flurry of posts suggests you are rushing in all of this. I get that. But consider:

Rushed decisions are usually bad decisions. A house (especially one this expensive) is a huge financial commitment.

Forget the drawers. Forget the kitchen. Focus on the big picture.

Can you bail on the house construction until you have had a lot of time to figure out what you really want and need? Even if you take a loss in the short term it may well be worth it in the long run.

Master bed bath laundry mudroom configurations have all been changed. I know people will rip me apart on that so just fyi!!!!

Do you have the D, E, & F dimensions?

Alfter looking at your first floor plan, do you really need the small entry and porch at the mud room? The entry is so close to your front entry, plus you have entries from the garage.

Have you considered deleting the small entry, enclosing that space and making it the laundry, and using the current laundry space for either your MBR or kitchen?

The L shape doesn't add much value or increased style to the plan. All it adds is cost.

I would do more of a galley style with a giant island.

Back Wall- Fridge by wall with weird opening, with the range centered on the remaining wall. Use all drawers and pull-out accessories.

Island- attached to column and 90" long x 54" deep.

I would also flip the pantry door to this room instead on being on the hallway. That way you can easily pull things out of there and set it on the island.

An island will not fit b/w the two walls (I know, I just tried).

136" available width

- 25.5"D along the perimeter

- 6" more for the refrigerator doors and handles

- 48"W aisle

- 41.5"D island (with seating)

==========

15"

That's what's left for an aisle between the island and the wall with doorway to the Foyer. Even shortening the 48" aisle to 42" only gains you 6" and 15" + 6" = 21", which is still not wide enough.

The aisle b/w the island and wall should be 44". Even if you close up the doorway and used the "inch by" (or "squeeze by") minimum of 36", you're still short of that!

Yes, if you "attach" it to the wall and, in essence, make it a peninsula, it will work. However, that's what the original floor plan had it appears the OP does not want that. I'm drawing up 3 options right now (one is what you suggested).

You can NOT make a great kitchen in a really BAD house. The plan is totally bad. A kitchen and dining squashed in the middle of also not great proportions. Save your money and start OVER! HARSH? Just saved you a million of awful . Truth is painful, it's a bummer. Nowhere near as bad as a build at that expense, followed by major league disappointment. Get out of it if at all possible. No matter deposits and contracts. Still cheaper than a bad build. This is exactly that. Too much stuff for one floor. For the footprint of TOO small for your wish list.

Put the stove on the wall with nothing; put the sink where the stove is drawn.

Really, just put something on that back wall or else nobody will ever go there.

The absolute best money that you can spend in this kitchen is whatever it takes to get rid of that support post. Talk to the builder about doing a steel beam, as indicated in orange. You’ll need a bit of a stub wall at the other end, but that will give better separation to the dining room. Eliminating the awkward wall section eliminates the awkward sized island and gives you the ability to have proper aisle spaces on both sides. Give up a couple of expensive upgrades if you have to, buy make this happen.

pinging you for the missing measurements -- D, E, F

Yes here it is. Thanks!

D = 17.35

E = 13

F = 4 (the entire opening, not just doorway)

??????

D should be at least 18', the distance from the Foyer corner to the Porch corner (I just realized it appears to be the same length as the Grand Room -- 18')

E is a doorway to the Mudroom & Laundry, and I'm sure it's not 13" wide (or 13')

F is the distance from the wall the Kitchen shares with the stairs to the doorway that goes to the Mudroom and Laundry. I'm sure it's neither 4" nor 4'.

I am trying to upload partial blueprint but Houzz is not letting me. F is denoted in the kitchen plan.

Ok it worked!

OK, I can figure it out from here. I've got 4 layouts I'm working on and another is percolating in my head. However, my husband is telling me it's time to pay attention to him, so it probably won't be until tomorrow. :-D

Thank you! :)

In the perimeter wall with nothing but cabinets, I might do a small coffee station or floor to ceiling cabinets to hide small appliances.

You can NOT make a great kitchen in a really BAD house. The plan is totally bad. A kitchen and dining squashed in the middle of also not great proportions. Save your money and start OVER! HARSH? Just saved you a million of awful . Truth is painful, it's a bummer. Nowhere near as bad as a build at that expense, followed by major league disappointment. Get out of it if at all possible. No matter deposits and contracts. Still cheaper than a bad build. This is exactly that. Too much stuff for one floor. For the footprint of TOO small for your wish list.

As mentioned in hawami's other thread, many of us tried to suggest changes to the plan and were rebuffed because hawami apparently can only use one designer's plans. We already noted the house and the rooms will be dark, especially the kitchen.

I feel bad that Buehl says she has a number of plans she is going to work on for the OP. This OP has had a pattern of not answering direct questions, and ignoring all advice given, after people have spent some time on her requests for advice.

People don’t want help. They want validation. If they actually do want help, they don’t give enough information. and won’t hire the ones that can give it to them, because “the budget is already gone”. They’ve already shot themselves in the foot, and not getting expert help is shooting themselves in the other one too. Then they stand around in the way of the emergency responders waving their arms and fussing over the bloody shoelace and fixing the darn shoe that the EMT won’t even look at because the feet have HOLES in them and are bleeding. .

Here they are...only 4. The 5th one I was thinking about didn't work out.

They're in order of preference, #1 most preferred. Note that #1 only has a slight edge over #2, in my opinion. If it were my Kitchen, I would prefer #2, but I know you like the island, so that's why I made it #1 for you.

All four:

• Have a nice separation of the three primary work zones -- Prep, Cooking, Cleanup
• Have two Prep Zones so at least two people can be working in the Kitchen at the same time prepping, cooking, or cleaning up
• Have the Cleanup Zone along a wall so the area where dirty dishes inevitable accumulate is either out of sight from the Front Entry and Grand Room (when on the far right wall) or has very little prominence (when on the top wall; low profile from Front Entry & Grand Room and out sight from the Dining Room)
• Cave counter seating for three
• Have counters & cabinets 3" deeper than standard along the right wall -- 28.5"D counters, 27"D base cabinets, 15"D upper cabinets. You'd be surprised how much more storage and workspace 3" adds! If you cannot get 27"D base cabinets, then you can pull them out from the wall by 3" before installing them. 15"D uppers are available in most lines these days. I know they're available in Omega Dynasty as I have them.
• In Layouts #1 & #4, that row of counters/cabinets are also 3" deeper than standard.

.

Other

• Layout #3 is the only one where I have reservations about aisle width. While 36" is the minimum recommended width for a walkway, there is a seat right next to it and it is a bit of a concern if people end up using that area for traversing the Kitchen.

Layout #1:

Layout #1 Zone Map:

.

Layout #2:

Layout #2 Zone Map:

.

Layout #3:

Layout #3 Zone Map:

.

Layout #4:

Layout #4 Zone Map:

.

Oh my goodness - I LOVE this, Buehl!!!!!!!! Thank you so much. Apologies if I look like I am not answering questions. It's because I really don't know how to answer certain questions. I am thankful for everyone's feedback. Quite frankly, I have to literally sit down and study your feedbacks to understand them...

Thank you so much. This is VERY HELPFUL! I like #1 and #4!

THANK YOU!

I think the microwave spot is marked "MW drawer"

If it's b/w #1 and #4...

In #1, the long side of the island faces the Cooking Zone. That's actually the ideal orientation of an island. An island, even with a prep sink, really isn't as useful for prepping if it faces the Cleanup Zone. While #4 would work, #1 would work much better.

I like #1. Better spacial relations.

So... this house hasn’t been built yet? Don’t understand why the kitchen is squashed in the middle with no access to outside walls, I don’t know if I’m crazy, but couldn’t you get rid of the secondary entrance, and give the kitchen a window, a source of ventilation at the least.