Kitchen Layout- thoughts?
Amri
3 years ago
Hello,
I was wondering what you all think on this proposed kitchen design layout. We have an old farmhouse and will be knocking out the wall between dining room and kitchen to turn into peninsula seating for the kids. Unfortunately the 2k+ price for a kitchen designer isn't really in the budget right now.
Photos show views of the adjacent dining room (we use it as a homeschool room) and then living room. Pardon the mess, we're remodeling! Thank you for your help!
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Comments (10)
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Kitchen Layout Thoughts?
Comments (39)If you can't do a pocket door, you might be able to use a barn door set up -- double doors that slide to either side. Or double pocket doors. Definitely need to make sure you have room to open the fridge though. My parents bought a large 5 BR house and found it was almost impossible to put a refrigerator in it because it was next to a wall like that. They had to get a smaller fridge and cut back the countertop. Your pantry seems like one that would use a door and shelving. Cabinets seem to be called for in something like a butler's pantry, buffet or bar service area -- or if that window was a door (to the porch, a deck, a DR) and you would walk through that area. If it is working storage and not something to be seen by guests and it isn't a million plus dollar home, I wouldn't put cabinets there. Save those dollars and get some drawers in your bases, the deep cabinet above the fridge and even the micro drawer. If you really want the micro drawer, I would plan for it. Have the right space (shelf or drawer and the outlet planned in your cabinetry and you can use the spot for a small countertop model until you decide to change it out. Even if you never do, you keep the option open -- something you might regret not doing if you find a deal and want to put one in. Then it would get really expensive. This post was edited by lascatx on Mon, Jan 6, 14 at 11:55...See Morekitchen layout thoughts
Comments (25)Sorry...this is wordy. I do appreciate all the help. Still floundering I guessÂ. I've actually been thinking and rethinking this kitchen remodel for 3 years, maybe I just havenÂt been paying attention to the real details like zones and functionality. Originally (3 years ago) I had 5-6 different quotes and almost all were for the very last layout I posted or similar. My mom then had a heart attack and a 3-week hospital stay, so my mind wasn't into it and some of the budget got depleted with helping with medical expenses and travel. So we redid a master bath and haven't gotten to the kitchen yet. I guess like loves2cook4six I may be puzzle fitting...but I thought I was following a good plan and utilizing prep/cook/clean zones. I was figuring the peninsula as a landing zone, food into the pantry and into the fridge, minimal steps to take. I have counter space between the fridge and oven. Cooking zone at the cooktop area. Cleanup along the sink. Prep zone on the peninsula. I could put the DW on the peninsula. I can easily rethink the cabinets above the peninsula. Super large pantry for storage of anything and everything that doesnÂt fit in the kitchen. Mixer, break maker, crock pot, etc. Part of the problem is the kitchen has two funky wall juts (one on the deck side ~22.5 inches out and one on the garage side again ~28.5 inches) that doesn't make it quite square and dictates the space. The space along the garage includes a load bearing wall so there isn't much I can do to push a wall into the garage or make it a good idea to place the cooktop on that wall. I do not want a cooktop on the peninsula. That isn't a look I'm partial too. Just for looks I like the cooktop on the wall where it is to make it a focal point, view from the FR. I don't want to be looking at a fridge. I don't seem to have quite enough space to put in an island where I could put a sink and DW. Or utilize as a prep area. I have an island now with a cooktop and I hate it. Mainly because it is 2x7 and in the way. I seem to run around it all day long. So more than anything I know what I donÂt want. The exterior wall is brick, so it really isn't easy to move the window over the sink. And I think it is the sink and window that are driving the placement of the other items. In a perfect world, I blow out the wall at the deck and push it out 8-10 feet. This however, would entail building out the basement and the bathroom/bedroom above. Granted the bathroom above needs work and the bedroom above is the smallest and would benefit the size increase, but blowing that out would take up my entire kitchen budget plus some:)...See MoreSmall kitchen layout thoughts?
Comments (16)I have to agree with rhome410. I like pocket doors and I will make very sure that they are good ones. You can't see it on what I posted but there is an entryway that would be the spot the coats go. The is also storage under the stairs and there will be storage in the benches in the dining room, under some built in seating in the living room and bookshelves in the wall behind the sofa in the living room. igloochic - the pantry is that big because we will use a pantry that big, also the plan is to use it not just for food storage but also the broom closet and such. bmropanic - I haven't tried trading the two but I the kitchen would end up a bit cramped since it would be occupying a smaller L than before. I am not sure where the dishes will be stored. I will have to think about that. The laundry is in the bathroom already (stack W/D in the corner). We won't be having a basement because our building site is almost perfectly flat but we do plan on having a separate root cellar. napagirl - that fridge will most likely be a normal depth fridge unless we end up with solar power then it will be a wider counter depth sunfrost....See MoreOpen Kitchen layout thoughts
Comments (5)I think you're off to a great start with this plan. I spent about 9 months on my kitchen plan, and it took me about 6 months to get used to the idea of an open plan. Being totally open was just scary to me, but I really like it now that I'm living in it. I also have the dining room in front of the island and the living room to the side. It works out really well for me. Like dan1888, I'd suggest that the raised counter isn't necessary. I just moved from a raised peninsula to a one-level island, and the difference is astounding to me. It is just SO much more functional and I feel less closed in. In my old kitchen I had a double sink, and I'll admit that there were a lot of dishes on the counter, but the raised peninsula didn't really hide them. Now with my large single sink you don't really see them at all, and dan1888 is right about putting them right in the dishwasher. Trust me, when you get into the new kitchen with all the great storage space, you won't have anything you're trying to hide. If dirty dishes are really a concern, consider two dishwashers. I respectfully disagree with some of EAM44's minuses. Your family doesn't have to walk through the zones to get to the refrigerator - there is another route and your aisles are nice and wide anyway. You should check to make sure your fridge doors will open, but many would in that situation. My standard bottom-freezer refrigerator in the basement will open fully against a wall. Even with a french door refrigerator, you just have to stick the doors out into the aisle a couple inches. My brother and sister-in-law have an island your size and didn't have a problem finding granite slabs to cover it. Good point, though, about the 24" wide cabinets. You may have just been sticking anything in there to get the general layout, but don't worry about symmetry for your base cabinets. You won't really notice it. Instead of 2 24" base cabinets I would perhaps use a 36" 3-drawer base and a 12" tray storage. In general, drawers are a lot more functional than cabinets with doors. Think about how much seating you want at your island. If you extend the cabinets around in a u-shape with a 12" deep base cabinet on each side you would lose seating for one, but you'd gain a lot of great storage and give your countertop extra support. Good luck with your plan!...See MoreAmri
3 years ago
mama goose_gw zn6OH
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIt looks as if the sink would fit under the other window. If it's not exactly on center, the faucet can be centered on the window to disguise the asymmetry. The corner would be tight, but it looks as there's enough space to stand to load dishes to the cupboards, and both bases will be accessible.
I'd put a prep sink on the peninsula, if the budget permits. You don't have to use it when the kids are doing homework, but it will be more pleasant prepping facing the living areas than against the wall, even with the amazing windows. You can use an integrated cutting board over the sink cut-out, when the sink isn't being used, and when the kids are old enough to help out, you'll have two nice, functional prep areas. The helpers can also unload the DW or gather dishes to set the table without interfering in the prep or cooking tasks.
The shelves on each side of the hood wouldn't be as wide, but the extra drawer base beside the corner susan would be great. If you think the corner cupboard is too tight for dish storage, you could keep dishes in the drawer base perpendicular to the clean-up sink, which wouldn't interfere with prep if you are using the prep sink on the peninsula.Amri
3 years agomama goose_gw zn6OH
3 years agoAmri
3 years ago
acm
3 years agoAmri
3 years ago
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