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Design Dilemma Kitchens Building a Home

prep sink on counter vs island

3 years ago

Prep sink on island or on counter 4 feet away from range . If island corner it than blocks items from being easily placed when taken out of fridge and of course having the island clear for five kids to do homework, eat, make crafts etc is important too. Don’t want prep sink stuck in middle of island. vs prep sink in corner of kitchen(12 inches from side wall and beside false pantry door) is it comfortable to be foot away from door and wall?

Island is 116 by 54.

Kitchen is 18.7 feet( window sink to fridge wall) main sink is across the kitchen from fridge.

Where would you put prep sink ?

Lastly kitchen designer highly recommends for functionality putting fridge freezer on back
Wall. Hate the look of all that stainless and off centred hood. Is it really that much more functional ? Or with prep sink I’ll be fine?

Thank you , plans going in this week!

Featured Answer

chispa

3 years ago

If you "hate the look of all that stainless", then get fridges that can be paneled to match the cabinets. It was the best thing I did in my kitchen, for looks and maintenance. Not having to clean all that stainless is priceless!

As far as layout, you will get responses telling you what the "perfect" layout is supposed to be and the "rules", but the only layout you should care about is the one that works for you and your family.

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Comments (8)

vinmarks
3 years ago
Where do you like to prep? I prefer prepping at my island so that’s where my prep sink is. I don't want my back to everything. My island is 9ft long. My prep sink is not in the middle of the island but there is landing space next to it for things that come out of the fridge. If you prefer to prep on the island then move the prep sink down some so you have landing space for things coming out of the fridge.
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Thanks for all the great feedback! I hadn't thought about using the island as a serving buffet for parties, but I can see how that would be very useful. Also, the point about the comfort of the counter height stools vs. higher ones. My husband is tall, but I'm 5'5" and our son is only 14 months old. So probably lower seating would be more comfortable for us (and the grandparents). Right now we're not entertaining much, since we are busy chasing after the toddler, but pre-baby we entertained a lot and I'm hoping to again, once he gets a little older. I'm trying to plan for that. And I assume that down the road, he'll be doing homework in the kitchen and having friends over after school, etc. We do have a huge table in the diningroom, but that space doubles as our home office, so it's always covered with clutter (2 laptops, mail, paperwork, printing supplies, etc.). It would be nice to have an open expanse of space in the kitchen for actual kitchen projects, but I guess I'm afraid that we'll just fill that space up with clutter, too. ;) For those with the single-level island, how do you light your workspace? We were thinking of installing task lighting under the overhang from the bar to light the counter. Now we'll have to rely solely on pendant lighting, I guess. Is that sufficient? Also, do you have power outlets on the island? If we don't have a vertical surface behind the counter, it seems to limit us in terms of where we can plug in appliances.
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One Devoted Dame
3 years ago
Where do you like to prep?

Yep. This.

My husband hates prepping with his back to everyone, yet he likes to prep *facing the range,* so I plan to commit the ultimate kitchen sin and have our range on the island. :-D I'd like the prep and cleanup sinks on opposite ends of the perimeter, so the kids and I can wash/peel veggies and do cleanup without getting in his way.
User
3 years ago
Most people hate prepping with their back to the world. You’ll prep next to the sink, wherever you locate it. This is how good design affects behavior and human interaction. And how bad design affects behavior as well. .
Louise Smith
3 years ago
I have found that knife work is best done with back to audience. Permits one to focus solely on knife- reduces injuries. Washing veggies? play to the audience to your heart's content.
Fori
3 years ago
I have my prep sink between my fridge and range (cleanup/main sink is on the island--my kitchen isn't as big as yours). I find it very convenient.
cpartist
3 years ago
I have the same as Fori and it works well for me. I don’t have to carry stuff across the aisle. At 18’ long, I’d make an L shaped kitchen, not a U
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
I have 2 sinks back to back in my island , my husband does the prep and I do the cooking our fridge is on one side of the island and the range on the other this is what works for us. Design your kitchen for how you work. But you need to share that with your designer, how it looks is really not the 1 st item .BTW cleaning stainless is just the same as cleaning cabinets the only difference is the stainless tells you when you need to clean it., use a micro fiber cloth, hot water and wipe only in the direction of the grain, easy peasey . I even have some stainless cabinets in my kitchen it takes 5 minutes to all the stainless .I never put a sink directly opposite a cooking surface.

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