Please help me decide between two kitchen designs!
I am working with a new kitchen designer as I had to move on from the last company I was working with due to too many issues with their cabinets (they came in damaged, different color shades etc.). The new kitchen designer came up with a design that was a bit different than my original. I’m torn between aesthetics and functionality. Could you please help me choose between the two designs? I’m open to changes! Thank you!
Pros of new design:
The cabinets extend all the way to my sliding glass doors
It has a larger base cabinet which can now fit a bigger sink.
Microwave drawer cabinet
Double trash barrels in cabinet
Cons:
The two upper cabinets on the sides of the oven hood are different sizes
Oven is no longer centered on the wall (designer preferred more counter space on the right of the oven)
Old design pros:
All cabinets aligned
Oven centered
Cons:
Smaller sink
Cabinets did not go to sliding glass doors and had empty space
Upper microwave cabinet
9 inch spice racks for filler that I would not necessarily need
New design:
Old design:
Comments (10)
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Comments (79)You know, I agree with you that the island perpendicular to the window wall doesn't feel as right as the island parallel to the window wall. Interesting. I stopped and thought about why that would be. My first thought was that, with the island perpendicular to the window wall, the end of the island closest to the living room now feels as if it's intruding into the walkway between the kitchen and living room. Even though the island ends in line with the side of the fridge closest to the living room, the island still feels as if it's intruding. However, when I look at the island parallel to the window, I also think the end of the island closest to the dining room feels as if it is intruding into the dining room. Even though the island ends in line with the side of the perimeter cabinet closest to the dining room, the island still feels as if it's intruding. So when you're standing in the living room, you like the perpendicular-to-the-window-wall island orientation less (because the island feels as if it's intruding towards you). And when you're standing in the dining room, you'll like the parallel-to-the-window-wall island orientation less (because the island feels as if it's intruding towards you). Given all that, I actually think this shape island (posted earlier upthread) feels the best from both perspectives: That is because the island is completely and clearly inside the invisible borders of the kitchen as delineated by the side of the fridge closest to the living room and the side of the perimeter cabinet closest to the dining room. A square (ish) island doesn't even touch the borders -- it's well inside them by a foot or two, making it impossible for the island to feel as if it's intruding into another room. This home layout is so open that it lacks some of the normal cues (walls/doorways/floor changes) marking where the kitchen ends and another room begins. So in this island's case, a setback from the technical kitchen border helps to clarify things. The island's definitely in the kitchen and only in the kitchen. Here is an edited version that stops the island a foot or two short of the borders in both directions: I'd recommend having seating just on the living room side of the island. Seating on the dining room side puts those chairs back to back with dining room chairs, and I always think that looks/functions a bit oddly....See MoreNeed help deciding between all white and two-tone kitchen cabinets
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Buehl
3 years agoBuehl
3 years agoIn the meantime, I did work up another idea. It follows Kitchen workflow:
Refrigerator ==> Sink ==> Prep Workspace ==> Range (or MW)
Or, Ice.Water.Stone.Fire
The most useful and most used workspace is between the range and sink (the prep workspace)...in both of your above layouts there is hardly any room b/w them. That's why I moved things around.
That most used space is now also in front of the window. Work/time spend in the Kitchen:
- 70% or more of the time spent and work done in the Kitchen is done in the Prep Zone
- 20% or less is spent cleaning up; and that includes clearing and wiping down table & counters, sweeping up, loading/unloading the DW (you should no longer be rinsing dishes, just scrape and load into the DW)
- 10% is spent cooking -- adding ingredients, stirring
The range is on an exterior wall for ease of venting to the outside. (I don't know if the right wall is an exterior wall, there's no information on your layout).The sink counters and cabinets are all 3" deeper than standard. These extra 3" add quite a bit of storage and provides room behind the sink for the faucet, etc., as well as provides a bit more "face" room.
- Counters are 28.5" deep
- Base cabinets are 27" deep
- Upper cabinets are 15" deep
- The Plate Rack is raised higher than the other upper cabinets
- If you cannot get deeper base cabinets, simply pull them out from the wall 3" when installing them. 15"D upper cabinets have become fairly common, so they shouldn't be a problem.
The corner is voided out to give you more useful cabinet space.
This layout also gives you space for more than one person working in the Kitchen. While I don't show it in the Work Zone picture, you could also have someone prepping to the left of the sink when the DW isn't running. (It's not pleasant working over a running DW.)
Just a word of caution...don't crowd the doorways in the upper right. If that space is too tight, it can become an issue. I show a 45" wide aisle, I would not make it any narrower b/c there are two doorways in that corner. (Where do the lead?)
Work Zones:
butterflyjlv thanked Buehlbutterflyjlv
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoThank you so much Buehl! Unfortunately, the only measurements I have are from the first photos on the new design. They came out to measure the kitchen as we had many issues with measurements on old design. I can certainly try to take them myself! I will include photos of the kitchen. We are a family of four - two adults, two kids. The appliance specs are as follows.
Stove:
30 Inch
Dishwasher:
(rough cabinet opening)
24 x 24 x 34.5 H
Microwave:
(Drawer Microwave for base)
Depth 23.4
Height 16
Width 23.6
* This microwave can also be purchased in a 30 inch. The microwave itself remains the same but comes with a trim kit.
Refrigerator:
Depth without door: 24
Depth with handles: 30.75
Depth excluding handles: 28.25
Height to top of refrigerator: 70.25
Width: 35.75
Apron front Koehler farmhouse sink (I have a 30“ inch but would like to get a 33” which would fit in a 33” base)
View when you enter the home. Standing in living room area, looking into kitchen.
Oven was placed on wall near the door, sink beneath the window (which we are open to moving, but prefer not to if possible. Hubby did say he would move it if need be lol)
Refrigerator placement
butterflyjlv
3 years agoI agree, Patricia, but on the new design if I added drawers, I would not have a place for the trash bins, which are on the side of the dishwasher. She added another option if I wanted to add drawers to the right. I thought it looked a little funky that way.
mama goose_gw zn6OH
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoBefore I read the thread replies, or even looked at the old plan, I came up with the same plan as Buehl, except for the fridge wall. But I think it would be nice to keep the hood as a focal point from the dining area (I assume is off to the left). If the sink is not going to be under the window, it can go to the right of the window (as one faces it), to provide a nice wide prep area. You might need a small filler (1" or so) on each side of the range, to make it come out even with the upper cabinets. DW and sink are closer to the dining area, so helpers can gather dishes to set the table, without crossing the prep and cooing zones.
I included an 18" trash pull-out and 39" wide drawers, with a narrow slot or pull-out, but the widths of those cabinets could all be adjusted to your specific needs or available cabinet sizes.
The tall pantry was omitted and the fridge moved left, to provide wider cabinets to the right. The upper could include a MW (which I don't consider a con--from your list), or base could be MW drawer. You would lose cabinet space, but you'd have a nice landing space to pour a drink or make a sandwich.
butterflyjlv thanked mama goose_gw zn6OHbutterflyjlv
3 years ago
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