Calling kitchen enthusiasts: HELP! Which layout? What to consider?

3 years ago

Hello! Houzzers have given me great advice so far...

Building our new construction "forever" home. Have only lived in apartments in my adult years, so don't have luxury of experience to help design our kitchen.

Wondering what you think of two potential layouts..

We are not big cookers, and admittedly more passionate about ensuring a nice aesthetic, so probably missing some big things here..

Current plan #1 shows kitchen with an L-shape layout. But now that the space is framed and I'm walking through it, I worry it looks a little weird that our main hallway into the open kitchen/family room space is *right* next to the entryway from kitchen to the dining room. The dining room does also have it's own main opening/entrance from hall.

Plan #2 is my rudimentary attempt at moving the entryway from kitchen to dining room further into the rooms.. Kitchen designer said we can make more of a galley kitchen with the other wall having a fridge and big reach in pantry all built in with cabinetry etc. He said plan #2 means a little less counter space, but I actually don't think it's much difference.. it's either a corner with a lazy susan below or it extends straight to the dining room wall..

The microwave, dishwasher and sole sink will be in 9 ft island. I don't totally love the sink in island, but I am at peace with it. I really want an eat in breakfast table that I know we'll use daily with young kiddos. And I am a sucker for symmetry. The stove, sink in island and fireplace will all align, so that will dictate some of the layout of the cabinetry around the stove..

Plans show windows along cabinetry wall, but think we're doing away with them and will have a lot of windows in breakfast nook and family room.

Any opinions on layout? Any other thoughts on design? Considerations?

Thank you in advance!!

Some kitchens I love:

Cove Remodel · More Info

Class Romantic Ranch · More Info

Western Springs Transitional · More Info

Libbit · More Info

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Comments (15)

lucky998877
3 years ago
Don't eliminate your windows! Your inspo pics show nice, bright kitchens...because there was plenty of artificial lighting used when the pics were taken. You already don't cook a lot...my guess is that you will spend even less time in a kitchen that relies on light from other rooms. Make it inviting, let the light flood in.
aziline
3 years ago
#2. has straight shot into the dining room and eliminates a corner in the kitchen cabinetry. I agree that the counter space looks about the same since you can use what would be in the corner on #1.
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I basically have your layout A with a few small differences: 1) the Sink/DW/Ovens are scootched over the left (basically, Sink is in line with the island, also I have double wall ovens); 2) I have a full-depth Fridge but recessed it into the wall so it only sticks out 3-6" past the cabinets, not 9-12." This is very important for your aisle widths. 3) MW is in an upper next to the fridge; 4) My Pantry is located elsewhere. I love my layout. It works very well even with one sink because I set it up so the island would not be a barrier, which it is in yours. It's really nice to have the long side of the island facing the Cooktop and Fridge. My remodel is still ongoing because my DH is building our cabinets, so we may put a prep sink in the island, but I would NOT want a big cleanup sink and DW in the island. I want my counter and storage space in the island to be for prepwork and prep storage, NOT the sink/DW/dish rack/dish storage cutting it all up. That said, I would use Layout A but suggest the following: 1. move the Sink (and DW & Trash) to the left. The Sink should be centered on or line up with the left edge of the island. 2. Recess the Fridge into the wall so it only sticks out 3-6" past the cabinets, not 9-12." As previous, this is very important for your aisle widths. I would say this is the most important element to making this layout work. 3. Optional: Since most things that go into the MW come out of the Fridge, put MW next to the Fridge. Put a normal MW on a shelf in an upper or use a drawer MW in a base cabinet. You could then consider switching to double wall ovens if you wanted/budge allows. 4. Optional: If it didn't make the interior or exterior look weird (window size on the elevations, etc) I would also move the Wall Oven to the left and then make the Pantry larger. 5. Optional: One of my huuuuuge regrets is rushing my window installation and choosing a small window, so I would DEFINITELY go for a huge, counter-height window over your sink. Search for erikanh's kitchen to see her stunning window. 6. Optional: I might also widen your island (left to right) so the side facing the Sink/DW can more easily act as a second prep area. I'm not sure if you have the space for that or not since maybe there's a kitchen table or some item that needs to go nearby.
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Continuing to beat the dead horse. Whack! Whack! I'm sorry about this, if the realities of the house structure means this layout simply isn't possible then just ignore me. It is just that I think there is the possibility of a kitchen that is far more functional than the current plan. If you're going to live with this kitchen for many years, the $600 cost of replacing the refrigerator (appx price for 30'' wide Frigidaire left-hinge top-freezer) or the $2,000 (?) cost of modifying the basement stairs (assuming a basic rough carpentry stair run, not a finacy finished stairwell) seems money well spent, in order to double the useful workspace and get well-defined, separate work zones. The wash zone is to the left of the sink, where a full-size dishwasher lives. Dish storage can be across the aisle, if the lower and upper cabinets are deep enough. Dirty dishes go immediately to the wash zone, without even passing through the rest of the kitchen. The dishwasher door might block traffic, if so you could consider dish drawers which still stick out but are easy to slide in and out. The prep zone is to the right of the sink, something like 80 inches of unbroken counter. Room for a trash pull-out, drawer storage for prep tools and supplies, and then some drawer storage for food staples. If the upper cabinets are used for food too, that lower-right corner functions as a sort of pantry. If the refrigerator sticks out, a sort of blind-corner cabinet arrangement may be needed. The refrigerator is adjacent to the prep zone, so that the prepping cook has everything in reach. Some people like to have the microwave in the prep zone. The cook zone is across the aisle. One person can be cooking and two others washing and prepping, without crowding each other. Plenty of landing space on either side of the range. The lower-left corner could be small appliance storage, home for a microwave or toaster oven, maybe a baking center since the counter can be decently deep. I think the kitchen will also ''feel'' more spacious since you won't have a big refrigerator looming right in the center of it, cutting apart one counter and blocking the sightline.
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Aw, those shelves are cute, Lavender. The first place we lived after we married had shelves like that. I loved them! I remember putting some tea pots and plants on them. They were very happy. : ) I drew up your sketch. I'm not sure how to "zone" it. Baking to the right of the sink? Or would that be the snack and sandwich center? I should mention that at 5' 4", I can walk under the landing of the stairs. If I was any taller, I don't think I could do it without hitting my head. Should I extend the pantry all the way under the landing, even if only for less frequently used stuff? The thing I'm hesitating about with this plan is that it's a lot of work of moving the heat run for a gain of an opening of the same size that we would have had if we did a layout similar to what Lyfia drew (without having to move the heat run at all.) Here are a couple of inspiration shots. The first one is similar to Lyfia's which is similar to what we had drawn up earlier. Where the windows are to the left of the stove would be a shallow pantry along the 6' wall. [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/crocus-hill-kitchen-craftsman-kitchen-minneapolis-phvw-vp~3317777) [Craftsman Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/craftsman-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2116) by Minneapolis General Contractors Full Circle Construction Inc. I laughed when I saw my description of what I liked under this picture in my houzz album: "Everything." (Although the curtains are a bit more formal than I care to be.) This is similar to the layout that I felt was so balanced above. Just put the fridge where the double ovens are located. But...no entry connection... [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-island-traditional-kitchen-phvw-vp~1788863) [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Princeton Design-Build Firms Lasley Brahaney Architecture + Construction Lastly, Catmom's kitchen dimensions are nearly identical to ours, so I've played around with her layout too. I hope she'll be ok with me sharing her picture. I've dissected her photos trying to get a feel for how this layout would work for our lives. Hmmm...where is her entry in relation to the kitchen? (It's a split level, right...how does that change the game?) I find Chinese Grandma's old kitchen inspiring, too. I like her pantry setup pretty well. Um, I kinda like the whole place, actually. ; ) Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Grandma's kitchen from 2010
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MBAK
Original Author
3 years ago
@lucky998877 There will be a wall of windows in family room and kitchen nook... But, like all the inspo pics, to ensure enough cabinetry, I am going to lose the windows on that stove wall.
anj_p
3 years ago
If you don't cook much why do you need so much storage??? I agree with @lucky998877. DO NOT remove your windows. TBH, once I started cooking a ton, the amount of stuff I needed drastically reduced. I would get rid of stuff before I would ever lose windows in the kitchen.

Regarding 1 or 2 - there are pros and cons to both. I don't see it being a huge difference, but more of a personal preference. I like protected kitchens (L-shape), but I also agree that the shorter distance to the dining is nice. The only thing I'd change is offsetting your sink the other way so you have more counter to the left of it, as that should be your main prep space...but you probably lined it up for symmetry so form over function? Also I might move your fridge closer to the range, especially if you change the opening location.
cd7733
3 years ago
I like two over one. Like mentioned above, two eliminates the awkward corner cabinets and has better flow to the dining room. It also gets rid of the two side by side door ways (hall and dining). I think that would look odd in real life.
MBAK
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Thanks @anj_p I will re-consider the windows : ) I mean we're not big fancy cookers. But, we have two young children, so I mean, we cook and we need storage... But I don't think either layout has that much storage at all. I don't have any other pantry space. So, it's approx 15 ft for cabinetry and stove on that wall. The other wall is fridge and a reach in pantry of approx same dimensions as fridge that will be all our pantry storage. That doesn't seem like much to me to eliminate two of the four wall cabinets for windows?? The kitchen nook will have a wall with three windows and one window on right wall. The family room will have a large sliding glass door flanked by panel of floor to ceiling windows on either side, and windows on either side of the fireplace.. And it's a fairly narrow house, 30 ft wide, with only about 15 feet from neighbors on either side..
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Mark Bischak, Architect
3 years ago
What are your favorite dishes to cook? Have you threatened to injure anyone with a knife in your kitchen in the past six months? How tall are you?
emilyam819
3 years ago
I like 2. But are you sure a kitchen table will fit in the nook?
cpartist
3 years ago
Can you show the whole floor plan and how it all relates to the kitchen?
MBAK
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Yes @emilyam819 the nook was built out a bit more since this plans version - so will be 10' wide x 14' long
MBAK
Original Author
3 years ago
@Mark Bischak, Architect

Tonight I made mac and cheese.. the powdered kind

I have never threated anyone with a knife in kitchen or elsewhere.. but I do use threats against my husband regularly, so we will have very wide aisles around island and a large basement for him to retire to

5'4"
MBAK
Original Author
3 years ago
@cpartist Yes, I had zoomed in to be able to see a bit clearer, but here is first floor:
cd7733
3 years ago
Two is still my choice! If you add some pocket doors, you could turn your formal dining into a multipurpose space since you extended the kitchen eating area.
chispa
3 years ago
I'm all for multiple dining areas when you have a large home and can spare the space. In your case the house isn't huge, so I would eliminate one of the dining areas and give that space to your living areas.
MBAK
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks @chispa We are coming from apartment living so this is plenty big for us! Will be 3500 sq feet plus full basement and attic. We are set on the two eating spaces. I know many don't think necessary. But I'd like a formal dining room and eat in table in kitchen area for my young children. Just trying to figure out which kitchen layout - entry to dining room - might be more attractive..

Calling kitchen enthusiasts: HELP! Which layout? What to consider?

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lucky998877

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Calling kitchen enthusiasts: HELP! Which layout? What to consider?

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