1912 farmhouse/working farm. Kitchen layout struggle.

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

This farmhouse has been passed from generation to generation with updates and strange additions along the way. Now we work to recreate what once was. We want to restore, not just remodel. Our family is that of 7 and the layout of kitchen/dining is poor. Most days are spent in the kitchen.

We want to achieve a flow between kitchen and dining, an entry that accommodates the shoes, boots and snow clothes for Minnesota winters. We like to entertain but the layout doesn’t allow us an organized way of doing it. The space is there, but the layout is awkward. We want to achieve a welcoming entrance into the home. Like most we gather in the kitchen. Life happens there.

That door is the main entrance. Tiny mud room. Door to the right is master bedroom/drop zone. Main floor includes 4 seperate rooms; kitchen, bedroom, living room, dining room. With an addition of a sunroom. Also a back porch laundry.

Walkway to the living room and bathroom And back porch/laundry.

Walkway to dining room. Feels very distant from kitchen.

Narrow walkway.

Here is a thought we had. Does that flow well? Note: I don’t really like the idea of having a bedroom in the middle of the house and putting a wall in.

This is what I have for dimensions with one way we we had drawn up with dining moved to bedroom, bedroom moved to living room, living room moved to dining room. There is full basement acess under all EXCEPT the 6’ entry/pantry/bedroom additions. Basement is not nice and used for freezers.

Balloon framed.

This is the main entrance. Faces west.

Kitchen sink is south facing. Will be replacing existing refrigerator and would like a 36” range. We have large gardens and preserve a lot. But I know that space is limited.

Let me know what other info you might need. Any ideas welcome.

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Comments (3)

PRO
PPF.
3 years ago
Someone will need an accurate, dimensioned plan (dimensions need to be readable) of what's there now.

Also a clear idea of what you want to achieve.

Pictures of the exterior will also help.

And you really need someone local to work with. So many things that no one here will know, and things you may not know as well.
Ripka thanked PPF.
Buehl
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Please post a fully-measured layout of the space under consideration and a sketch of the entire floor. Both can be either hand-drawn, computer generated, or drawn up with computer/app tools.

By "fully-measured", I mean a layout with the widths of each wall/window/door/doorway and the distances between each wall/window/door/doorway labeled. See a sample below. If something cannot be moved or changed, label it precisely on your layout (see post in sample) and tell us why it cannot be moved/changed -- we may have some ideas for you.

The sketch of the entire floor lets us see how the Kitchen relates to the rest of the home. It doesn't have to be to-scale, but it should accurately show how the rooms relate to each other and should include all interior & exterior doors. In addition, it will help us see how traffic flows in, around, and through the Kitchen. Label the front entry and family entry. The family entry is usually a garage or side entry, but it might not be. It's helpful to know which door you use to bring in groceries.

Regardless of how you draw it up (by hand, computer, etc.), please be sure all measurements are labeled. (Note: Computer generated layouts often lack key measurements and, sometimes, measure to/from things like the middle of a wall or the middle of a window. Neither are useful. Measure each item and the distances between each item.)

Other questions...
- What appliances (& their sizes) do you plan to have?
- Where are you flexible? Can walls/windows/doors/doorways change (move, change size, add, delete)?
- Do you have a basement under the Kitchen or are you on a slab?
The above and more are discussed in the Layout Help FAQ.
- Layout Help FAQ: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5500789/faq-how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-what-information-should-i-include
- Ice.Water.Stone.Fire, a humorous discussion of Kitchen design: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first
Ripka thanked Buehl
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mama goose_gw zn6OH
3 years ago
Can you remove the wall between the kitchen and mudroom? If it's a load-bearing wall, maybe a post could be incorporated into an island. You would not have much space between the sink and range, so I'd also suggest 30" range, and you can use the island for large prep/canning projects.

1912 farmhouse/working farm. Kitchen layout struggle.

Comments (3)

PPF.

Buehl

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mama goose_gw zn6OH

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