Help! Smart L-Shaped Kitchen Layout Needed
Hello! We are finalizing the layout of our kitchen for our new build. The kitchen is 12" by 17" and an L-shape with a 10-foot island. Drawer bases, etc. can change, but we need to have the general layout with plumbing, gas lines, etc. decided now.
We are a family of four. We cook sometimes but are not gourmet cooks by any means.
I appreciate all feedback!
PLAN:
-10 ft by 4 ft island, from top to bottom: MOVE the DW up to top of island, then 36” sink and under counter trash. Prep zone area located at the bottom of counter nearest fridge.
-Dishes stored in cabinets behind dishwasher for putting dishes away easily.
-Clean-up zone top of island closest to dining room located above kitchen.
-Prep zone between fridge/stove/sink.
-where should I put built-in microwave? We use it A LOT.
-6 x 6 pantry located through the hallway at the bottom of the kitchen, near the back door where we'll enter with groceries. This location is set in stone and can’t change.
-No prep sink if possible.
Thank you!
Comments (17)
AFritzler
3 years ago
mama goose_gw zn6OH
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoI love the changes you made to the layout, since I am a fan of the clean-up zone on the edge of the prep triangle, where helpers can unload the DW and gather dishes to set the table without interfering with prep/cooking tasks. I'd put the trash on the end of the island, where it can easily be shared with all zones. Agree that MW should go beside fridge, but could be in an upper cabinet.
Whatever the depth of the island, make sure the seating overhang is at least 15"--the minimum recommended by the NKBA for comfort at counter height. You'll need to account for a front overhang and back cover panel, too.
Kyla S. thanked mama goose_gw zn6OHRelated Discussions
Layout advice, please - L-shaped kitchen with island
Comments (24)I'd really keep the corner pantry as a closet -- Much more usable shelf space, and a significant cost savings over a cabinetry version. (Doesn't hurt to ask your builder though, since if your cabinets are site-built, that might not be true.) If possible, have adjustable-height shelves on ALL of the available wall space, even though some would be narrow. In a pantry, even 6" deep shelves are VERY useful. For your pantry doors, I'd go with two narrow 'French doors' rather than the larger single. It's more gracious, more interesting, and IMO, a bit more practical since it won't block aisles. The fridge aisle has been covered -- necessary change. Either shring the aisle or scoot the island into the nook. And don't worry too much about lining up your sink and range. The only time the offset would show is when you were standing dead-on straight to the range and obsessing about it. And setting your faucet to one side would effectively camoflauge any offset anyway. I'd agree with the idea to expand your kitchen into the nook, because the existing kitchen space just seems too small for the rest of the house. Maybe a nice hutch-style piece with dish storage and serving pieces on top, linens and ugly stuff down below? Then a really cute but comfortable 'bistro' table and two chairs in front. Someting cozy and intimate. Keep your decorating style the same in both rooms and make it a gracious eat-in kitchen instead of a separate breakfast room. For your dining room, I totally agree about ditching the angle and squaring it off. It'll be so much more furniture friendly, and it's not a large room to begin with......See MoreLayout/Flow advice: Broken L or L Shaped Kitchen with Island
Comments (12)I would not close off the current entrance. There have been many threads on this forum from people trying to figure out what to do with their corners. If you decide to go with the 'L', I would not angle anything in the corner, as it is a huge waste of space. I think that the 'L' also makes the kitchen look smaller than it really is with the tall items crowding the range. I like the entrance there as it allows the kitchen to breathe. Functionally, I think it makes more sense to 'zone' your kitchen and put food storage together on the shorter wall to the right of your entrance. I would flank the refrigerator with pantries or pullouts and place a MW drawer across the aisle on the short end of island. Although it sounds like a great idea to have the frig near the dining space, it is not necessary. I had that in my previous kitchen, and there was just too much going on in the same space with my cooktop. Snackers can then get to the refrigerator and MW without traipsing through your cooking zone. It's also less steps when putting groceries away. I would use a range and as many drawers as possible on the long wall for all of your cooking needs. By eliminating the refrigerator and double ovens you would have a very spacious look and a tremendous amount of storage and prep space. Dirty plates will be coming from your dining space, so I like the DW on that end of the island, with dish and cutlery storage either across from or next to the DW, making it easy for someone to set the table without getting in your way at the range. I would also extend the island and make it as long as the range wall....See MoreL-shaped kitchen layout
Comments (13)Sometimes, compromises are needed. In your case, b/c of space limitations I recommend, first, that you get a range, not a cooktop + oven. Ovens installed under the counter are much lower to the floor than those in a range, so it's better to have a range than an under counter oven. Second, the distance b/w the refrigerator and sink would not be that bad given the smaller size of your Kitchen, so, for me, it would be an acceptable compromise to get a better layout overall. Putting the sink wall under the window allows for deeper cabinets as well as more space behind the sink -- translating to more storage space. Upper cabinets are all 15" deep. Since there is no oven cabinet, you will have more drawer storage -and- a Kitchen with a more open and airy feel as a base + upper are not as massive as a tall oven cabinet. Hang the MW from the upper cabinet to the left of the range. Create a Coffee/Tea Center to the right of the sink. Both the MW and Coffee/Tea Center are out of the way of the normal work in a Kitchen -- prepping, cooking, and cleaning up. Shift the table so you have at least 48" b/w it and the counters and refrigerators. I don't know what that item along the left wall is, but shift it down so it doesn't block the hallway as it is now. (On the left wall in my layout, the bottom wall in your layout. I rotated the layout when I worked on it.) This is what I suggest: Note: Measurements are in the "English" system of inches, not metric, but you will get the idea. Work Zones:...See MoreHelp needed for L shaped Kitchen Layout
Comments (12)Not to be negative, but this is a huge undertaking so trying to make a hasty decision on where mechanicals should go could be a problem. Make your decision about the plumbing if you must but ask if something comes up can it be moved, then find yourself a kitchen designer right away because next you are going to be asked about where your appliances are going and what sort of lighting you are doing etc. Personally I would not do the main sink in the island. My sink often has a bunch of dishes in it if I am doing a lot of cooking and who wants to see all that! Put the prep in the island. Make sure with the prep sink that you have room for the "dirty side" and then the clean side - many people put them at the end of the island and then you are just putting clean food back onto a place the had it before it was washed. I know others will disagree, but I like a corner sink - when it is just for dishes and I like the picture you posted showing that. Also make sure you look at 24" wall ovens - they are very small! The standard is 30". My only other question is: do you like to open everything up for fresh air and breezes frequently? Quite often when I work on waterfront properties, I do no do painted cabinets because of the humidity. Sounds like a great home! Good luck...See More
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
3 years agomama goose_gw zn6OH
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIf you want more pantry storage in the kitchen, you could include a tall
cabinet with ROTS in the corner left of the range, with a corresponding dish hutch on the other end near the DR. Base cabinets to left of fridge could be pulled out to the same depth as the fridge box, to make a standard-depth fridge look more built-in (with fridge surround and full-depth cabinet above).
Kyla S. thanked mama goose_gw zn6OHKyla S.
3 years agoKyla S.
3 years agoKyla S.
3 years agotsjmjh
3 years agoIgnore any dirt, mess, etc. Heat proof roll out board completely disappears when not in use. (Yes, that Thermador surround kit is too large for the microwave; another installation issue I don't want to discuss, lol.)
Kyla S. thanked tsjmjh
claire larece
3 years agoAnnKH
3 years agoKyla S.
3 years agomojomom
3 years agoMy kitchen is very similar in size and basic layout as yours and I find it a dream to work in. Like you I eschewed a prep sink and went with a double bowl as I tend to prep and clean at the same time. As mama goose suggests, I went with tall pantry cabs on each end. The one on the end with the refrigerator is for food storage and is very convenient. Although my microwave placement is different (microwave drawer in the island closest to the refrigerator) I do have my coffee maker on the cabinet beside the refrigerator and added a bar sink there out of the way of the working part of the kitchen. It’s very handy for the coffee maker and keeps those just wanting a glass of water out of my workspace. I don’t have a great picture of that area but you can see the idea below. The door beside the refrigerator leads to the ‘pantry’ with an extra fridge (aka the beer fridge) and extra storage.
Kyla S. thanked mojomomKyla S.
3 years ago
Kyla S.Original Author