HELP! Kitchen redesign thoughts?

3 years ago

We are currently in the final stages of finalizing construction plans for a major house renovation... We are having a lot of trouble with the kitchen and would LOVE some thoughts on the layout. Issues we are having currently:

1) We think we may want to move the main sink with flanking dishwashers to the main island

2) Main Ref/Fry is unfortunately pretty far away from the cooking area and the ‘cooking triangle’ does not exist. Currently designer is worried about having a wall of appliances on the “bottom” part of the design.

3) Where would you put the microwave?

4) Thoughts on a main range/oven and a separate oven vs a cooktop and then a double oven elsewhere?

3) Any additional thoughts on the layout? Given the money we are sinking in to this redesign, we want to think things through as best that we can. No design is perfect, but something just doesn’t feel right about this

THANK YOU!

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Comments (6)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
IMO a rework is in order , why 2 F/F s what an eating nook when the DR is so close and you plan stools too. I think this could be a lot better but I need some info as to the reason for the 2 f/f s I run a catering biz from my home and I don’t requre 2 .What is the little room at the bottom that looks like it has chairs at a counter Is this an actual kitchen designer or a cabinet salesperson? The placement odd iether of those F/F is poor and too far from any prep sink. IMO a kitchen design starts after you have decided appliances and can’t be done without knowing their sizes. You choose appliance for how you cook and please donot get sucked in to all of them form one maker. Stick with plain old stainless then they all will work together and only you know if you need double wall ovens or if a range works for how you cook. Do you need 2 DWs I only have one and sometimes it does 8 loads aday when I am busy it is a Bosch with a quick wash cycle and works. A good KD will sit down with you and design a kitchen that is functional first and then the bells and whistles.
PRO
Sabrina Alfin Interiors
3 years ago
I think the main refrigerator/freezer is too far from the range and sink. You'll regret having to walk around that island every time you need to grab eggs or milk. Instead of banquette seating for the breakfast area, I would put the fridge on the pocket door wall with additional cabinets next to it, then make your island a tad smaller and put in a table height surface attached to the work island for breakfast seating.

Here's what I mean for the island:

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I'll give this some thought for you. Could you add the layout of the living room or some details about how you use the room? Is there any other living room or den or anything else that serves a similar function in the house? I see there is a lower level. Immediate thoughts: 1) Consider putting the carport door where the pantry is. Both the sliding door and the carport need space in front of them for walkways, and this way they can share the same space. This also eliminates the issue of not having room for standard depth counter/cabinets between the sliding door and the wall. 2) I think you will dislike the monolithic fridge wall section thing in person. It'll just be this gigantic thing standing there in the middle of the room. You won't have good sight lines to the dining room because of it, and it will seem in the way. I assume the purpose of it was so you couldn't immediately see the kitchen from the front door? You might consider elongating the closet in the entryway instead. You get a longer, more defined foyer that you have to walk through before you see the kitchen. 3) Can you maybe find a picture or two of an open kitchen that is situated in a way you like relative to the entry? I feel like this is a different thing from everybody, so it'd be helpful to have a picture or two to go on. We put a very large archway between our foyer and our kitchen (instead of leaving it totally open) and that arch gave me that open-but-separate feeling that I wanted, but my husband didn't see the difference at all.
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It would be nice to have accurate measurements, especially for that stairway entry/landing area and just outside it. Until we know more accurately, I just offer a small riff on Lisa's great plan. A 33" fridge allows the Hoosier cabinet to be enjoyed from the dining room. I really like the idea of a door from the office. One can work in the office and keep an eye on items cooking If kids are in the future, the office can become a playroom and one can cook and keep an eye on the kids. A 12" deep pantry cab next to the DW with the one Lisa put across the aisle will be more than enough storage for everyday dishes and glasses. I would install a drawer in the middle of each for utensils. I think I'd do glass doors on top with solid on the bottom. About the two tall dish pantries, something like this for the drawer placement. And the pink represents where I would consider putting windows on the sides instead of a solid panel. You could do it just on the one side facing the kitchen. Or on both sides. If done on both sides, the light from the window on the stair landing would filter through contributing to keeping the kitchen light and airy. Not knowing what they intend to use the basement for, I've wondered about the wisdom of closing off that exterior door. It seems like there would be times when it would be so convenient to have it like if something big needs to be hauled to or from the basement. It gives a nice straight shot instead of having to somehow squeeze it around tight corners. And safety issues. Also, what if you're cooking and burn something? Even with a good hood, the more windows and doors you can open to eliminate the smoke, the better. I simply wouldn't want to lose the close exterior access point just so I could have a table and chairs right outside that door to enjoy my coffee on a summer morning, eat lunch or dinner, or sit outside with a book while waiting for dinner to be ready, whatever. Or what about when you want to BBQ? Nice to have outside access right next to the kitchen for that. I just like outside! And I don't see any reason to lose that access point. Also, if there is an emergency, like a fire or an intruder, the more you have outside access locations, the better. That's another reason why I would also like to see the pocket door for the office on that landing. No, I don't live in Paranoia Land but, rather, by the Scout motto. I think when you're remodeling it's good to consider these kinds of issues and plan for escape routes for worst case scenario situations if it can be done at reasonable cost and effort.
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Nice rendering! It's generally recommended that the DW not be in the prep area between the sink and cooktop/hob, so that you can open it easily to deposit dirty vessels and utensils, while you are prepping for the meal. Also, if you have a helper, he can load the DW from the sink, after you've moved on to cooking. Sometimes that isn't practical, though, and in my case, I couldn't move my DW--it's between my sink and range, and I've adjusted my prepping/cooking methods. It helps that I prefer cooking alone, and that I have a large sink to stow utensils until after I finish prepping. So, I left your DW between the sink and hob, and moved the sink against the corner susan to give you a llittle more prep space. The island is between the fridge and sink, but it's a short jog around, and with the laundry against the wall you wont need a filler to permit the fridge door to open past 90°. If you don't mind the trade off, I think it will be fine. Having said that, I prefer the L shaped plan. As I said before, I like the laundry at the end, m/l out of sight, but the laundry and ovens could be switched in that plan, too, as in Sena's plan, which would keep all the kitchen functions on one side of the walkway, and the cart could still be pulled out for folding. The fridge is closer to the sink in the L, forming a tighter work triangle, and your main prep space would be in front of the window, plus there is landing space beside the fridge. Disadvantage is no seating. Sena's plan is similar, prepping in front of the window, but keeping the cooking functions closer together, with the hob/hood on the exterior wall--maybe more of a focal point when you walk into the kitchen. Another variation, with the sink in front of the window, and the DW on the perpendicular wall. Good luck!
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I would put the fridge on the corner by the dining area. If there is not quite enough space to the left of the window trim, a stub wall could be built out (red block) to match the bump-in on the other side of the dining room. Then center the sink between the windows, with the DW to the right. You might be able to run the drain under the toe-kick, which is what one GW member did (link at end). The range would stay in m/l the same area. I drew the island at 50" (depth of two 24" base cabinets plus 1" overhang on each side) to accommodate two seats on the short side, and two seats on that end. The work aisle would be reduced to 48". You could make the island all one level, and no one would be seated directly across from the cooktop. (I don't care for a cooktop in an island, especially an island with seating, but I also understand not wanting to move the 220v line on a slab.) You now have two work zones--an efficient prep and cooking zone, and a separate clean-up/dish storage zone, so that helpers can load or unload the DW, or gather dishes to set the table, without interfering with prep tasks. That leaves the wall at the top, which could house a wall oven (more expense if a 220v line is installed, and more expense if using a separate cooktop), and/or a tall pantry, or a coffee/snacks center for the living area, or a combination of those options. Mathteachr toe-kick drain line
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lhutch13
3 years ago
^^I had all the same questions.
AJ C
Original Author
3 years ago
Patricia,

To answer your questions:

1). We have a large family and likely will have parents living with us soon. We currently have a 2 F/F setup... If we were super organized, yes 1 would do... but we are being realistic and know we need essentially 1.5 as it is now - so we go with two and never have an issue

2). The room ‘below’ the kitchen with the desk is our office, so not part of the kitchen

3) We completely agree, F/F location is poor. That is why we are here to get a sense of a better layout would be =)

4) We plan on 2 DW - essentially one will used as a drying rack to get clutter off the counter and be useable when we have a large number of guests over.

5) This is a prelim design.. the problem is its not as functional as would want - so we are brainstorming ways to re-arrange locations of applicances

Thank you!
AJ C
Original Author
3 years ago
Sabrina,

We were hoping to take advantage of some beautiful Mountain View’s out back– hence where the breakfast ‘nook’ was located.. but that is an interesting thought.
PRO
Sabrina Alfin Interiors
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Yeah, to me with a family that size, function wins every time. It would mean losing the window on the pocket door wall, but I think it's worth it. Is this a one-story house or a two-story? If one, you could add skylights for added an added outdoorsy feel.

HELP! Kitchen redesign thoughts?

Comments (6)

Patricia Colwell Consulting

Sabrina Alfin Interiors

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lhutch13

AJ C
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HELP! Kitchen redesign thoughts?

Comments (6)

Patricia Colwell Consulting

Sabrina Alfin Interiors

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lhutch13

AJ COriginal Author

AJ COriginal Author

Sabrina Alfin Interiors

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AJ C
Original Author

AJ C
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