Dilemma related to kitchen layout relative to where fireplace is
Beth deSousa
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (25)
bpath
2 years agoRelated Discussions
You Choose! - Layout Dilemma (Window/Range Thread)
Comments (19)laura, I think you need to make a big level decision before committing to a floor plan. It seems as if you are not sure how you want the southern light to affect the interior space of your house. I would commit to that decision before thinking about other issues. Do you want that for the kitchen or the family room? There is no right answer. You have to analyze your lifestyle and commit. Don't let others pursuade you to the perfect 'kitchen' design until you have committed to the light first. This seems like an exceptional house with an abudance of natural light. Natural light decision is the fundamentally the MOST important decision for your house, much more important than the kitchen decision, IMHO. The way the house interacts with natural light sets the tone for your mood and feeling immediately upon entering the house. Breakfast area is nice facing out east for obvious reasons... Another big level decision is the TV viewing and noise in general. Depending on how you will use the TV, there maybe way too much light for TV and media in the options B and C revised. My kids use the TV more for gaming than TV viewing and we have it in the basement. There are families that manage to raise their kids without any gaming consoles. My hat is truly off to them! We have made our TV room double as a guest room because we don't have guests often enough. I also don't want the noise to bleed into the rest of the house. You need to make a high level decision about the 'noise' associated with 'TV and media'. We have a completely open floor plan with a grand piano. There is no way TV and piano can compete for noise in the same open space. In my house, someone is at the piano quite often throughout the day (much like yours, it seems). Again, you have not addressed that issue. If you have multiple kids and one has a friend over playing a console game/watching a movie and the other wants to play the piano.... (Do you have a digital piano that the practice can be done with a headphone?) To me, the house has not solved the essential question of separation and togetherness; noise and quiet with many of your plans.... I am not good enough of a parent where I can limit TV/media viewing to only night time and only when it will not interfere with anything else in the house, hence the TV's banishment to the basement. I wish you the best. I have a 12 yo and a 9yo. I have TV/media room in the basement and piano on the second floor. Our LR/DR/K is on the top floor to maximize the light and view. Having said all of the above, I like the original plan the best. This is why. 1. The kitchen has the most amount of light. You will spend the mose of your time in the kitchen as a family. The breastfast island is facing East if you eat on the island. This is a nice way to eat breakfast. We see the sunrise nearly every morning with our breakfast. 2. If you will keep the TV where it is (NW interior corner), it is the most isolating of the noise. You have essentially relegated the least desirable area to the kids to watch TV and hang out. IMHO, this will create the adult zone in the formal LR/DR when you have company. When we go to people's houses and when we have families over, this is essential: separation of adults from kids. As your kids become more independent, they do not want adult interference. Basements work exceptionally well. You do not have that option.... In the absence of that, this is the best option for kid/adult separation. (can you make your guest room into the media/kid zone? That seems not to be an option for you) 3. With the original plan, I see your family using the DR regularly to eat and the banquet as the kids school work zone. You will use the DR more because it will be quite pleasant and easy to use due to the window placement and the proximity to the kitchen. IHMO, DRs are not necessarily formal rooms. It is just another room in your house. If you have it, you should use it. I only have 2 eating areas. The island and the DR which is open to the kitchen. Many families have 3 eating areas. The time that is handy is when you entertain. In your house, you put the kids meals (banquet) separate from the adults (DR). 4. The kids will sit at the island preferenctially because of the view out the garden (over the other plans where they look at the wall of cabinets.) If you were sitting, do you want to look at a wall of cabinets or out the window? In other plans the kids may prefer the banquet because of more light... Again, what you do want? Do you want the kids at the banquet or the island? Even children instinctively gravitate toward light. I like your house's abundance of natural light and easy access to the outdoors. I also like the open floor concept very much. I wish you the best....See MoreFun thread: What is your current kitchen related obsession?
Comments (74)Mine longtime kitchen obsession has been vintage cookware from the 50s or older. I have a lot of Guardian Service cookware. I love that the stuff is practically bombproof. At the thrift store the other day I found an ancient but still perfectly workable Presto 4 qt pressure cooker. The hammered texture on the lid caught my eye. It has beautiful wood handles too. I love that I can still get gaskets and overpressure plugs for it which I did because while the ones it had were serviceable they looked a little old. I also found a manual for it. Using some common sense and some internet research, it's incredibly easy to use. Since then I have experimented with making a few dishes in it. French onion soup is awesome in it and beans come out creamy textured. Presoaking gets better results though if in a hurry I can start from dry. Seasonings get right into the beans instead of staying in the broth. I am looking for a big oldie so i can use it at the next chili cook-off!...See MoreKitchen remodel/layout dilemma. Help!
Comments (25)1) I have French doors to my family room from the dining/kitchen and I love it. The kids use them a lot when they are watching TV, we do the same at night to keep noise from going up the stairs. 2) I have cooked very greasy food at high heat at a friend's in their high-end downdraft island stove and was shocked by how well it worked, something to consider if you want an island stove 3 I would not even consider not having the DW next to sink but other than that I like your new layout use the area by the stairs for floor to ceiling pantry cabinets...See MoreLayout Design Dilemma!
Comments (34)If your lot has room, the space at the top end of your drawing would be ideal for a covered patio. Entrance roughly where you drew a bay window 1. Easier kitchen layout if your patio entrance can move out of that back corner. 2. Dining furniture works better in a cross-traffic area than living room furniture does. 3. Nice traffic flow from all areas to the patio. With the entrance there, the patio is well positioned to be an extra dining and/or lounging space....See MoreBeth deSousa
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoBeth deSousa
2 years agoBeth deSousa
2 years agochispa
2 years agoanj_p
2 years agopalimpsest
2 years agodecoenthusiaste
2 years agobpath
2 years agoemilyam819
2 years agoBeth deSousa
2 years agoemilyam819
2 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
2 years agokeith Dcil
2 years ago
Related Stories
KITCHEN DESIGNDetermine the Right Appliance Layout for Your Kitchen
Kitchen work triangle got you running around in circles? Boiling over about where to put the range? This guide is for you
Full StoryKITCHEN LAYOUTSWhere to Put the Dishwasher in Your Kitchen
Use this comprehensive guide to think about the best and most practical location for this kitchen appliance
Full StoryFIREPLACESDesign Dilemma: Difficult Corner Fireplace
Where to Put the TV? Help a Houzz Reader Set Up His New Living Room
Full StoryBEFORE AND AFTERSKitchen of the Week: Bungalow Kitchen’s Historic Charm Preserved
A new design adds function and modern conveniences and fits right in with the home’s period style
Full StoryFUN HOUZZDon’t Be a Stickybeak — and Other Home-Related Lingo From Abroad
Need to hire a contractor or buy a certain piece of furniture in the U.K. or Australia? Keep this guide at hand
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGN10 Common Kitchen Layout Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Pros offer solutions to create a stylish and efficient cooking space
Full StoryINSIDE HOUZZData Watch: Top Layouts and Styles in Kitchen Renovations
Find out which kitchen style bumped traditional out of the top 3, with new data from Houzz
Full StoryBEFORE AND AFTERSKitchen Makeover: Same Layout With a Whole New Look
Budget-friendly cabinetry and new finishes brighten a 1930s kitchen in Washington, D.C.
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: Barn Wood and a Better Layout in an 1800s Georgian
A detailed renovation creates a rustic and warm Pennsylvania kitchen with personality and great flow
Full StoryHOME TECHDesign Dilemma: Where to Put the Flat-Screen TV?
TV Placement: How to Get the Focus Off Your Technology and Back On Design
Full Story
Mark Bischak, Architect