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Design Dilemma Kitchens

Need help with floorplan redesign in kitchen remodel

2 years ago

Hello! We are finalizing our kitchen remodel floor plans and I am torn. Should the range be centered with the island or the remaining wall space? We had a beautiful design initially, with the idea we were going to build a pantry in the hallway that runs behind the fridge wall. However, my husband was not keen on this, as the hallway is only 39" or so and contains a HVAC return that would need to be placed elsewhere. Because of this, I have requested to have the design updated for a 60" X 30" corner pantry as shown in the photo. Please help me decide the best look. I am not opposed to decreasing the width from 60" to something that makes the look look better. The first 2 pics show the dimensions based on placing the pantry in the hallway and the related design. The remaining 3 pics show the new design with the pantry in the corner. Also, we hope to be able to have the load bearing column shown on the right side of the island removed with the addition of an LVL, hence the lack of columns in the first design. However, in the event that the removal costs too much, an additional column was placed on the other side for symmetry, the columns as shown in the pantry design. On the fridge side, the doorway on the right leads from the dining room and the doorway on the left of the fridge leads from the foyer. The hallway runs behind the fridge wall and connects the two doorways and leads back to our master BR. Thanks in advance everyone for your help!

Comments (5)

PRO
Debbi Washburn
2 years ago
I think you need to do a combination. I don't care for the pantry and how it looks. It is too wide for the plan. That said, you don't need to have uppers and lowers all the way down that wall either. Put a cabinet pantry at the left end of the wall then reposition the stove. That's the biggest problem with the plan with the closet - the stove is left in the same place.

The island does not need to be centered on the stove. It does, however, need to be made smaller. 41" in front of a ref is a little tight. It should be 40 - 45" on the sink side and about 45 - 48" in front of the ref. Of course people do make smaller walkways , but you want to strive to have comfort moving around the space especially because you have seating there! The walkways should be a minimum of 48" .

Also , I would switch the dishwasher to the other side. It really should not be in your work zone - sink to stove.

Not a fan of the prep sink being directly opposite the stove either. It is not conducive to more than one person cooking/prepping .

The island should be pushed back a little - you really should have about 48" in front of a range and especially since you have the prep sink in the island .

I think the plan is close, just tweak a few things and watch out for function of the space and you should be all set!

Good luck
april29will
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you for the response Debbi! Great point about the dishwasher. It is currently on the right side of the sink now, but due to the support column and proximity of island to sink area currently, we have a bottleneck when the DW door is open. I currently have a cabinet pantry now and do not like it, hence the closet pantry. What size do you think I should reduce the pantry down to? 48”? Also, I am considering changing the island from a rectangle to an jnverse T shape to add more room in front of the fridge and sink areas. The prep sink would be moved to the other side as shown in the below pic. Thoughts on this?
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I totally agree with Mama Goose's changes. I say that a lot. :) I like it for the reasons she stated but also because I think the fridge in the middle of the kitchen is way too big of a space hog, both functionally and aesthetically. In your plan, it's just a big block in the middle of a beautiful kitchen. If you like the idea of that wall becoming a baking center, you really do need a sink in it to make it function well. In a kitchen that big, I don't think three sinks are overkill if they all serve a functional purpose. And, in this case, they would serve a function. However, the bar sink isn't too-too far away if you chose to use that while baking instead. Not as convenient but workable. I guess it depends on how often you bake. Although, with a sink, it could serve as a tertiary prep center as well (with the island being the secondary prep space). Your plans are gorgeous. It is going to be a grand space. A real show-stopper. I usually don't love curved arches but I love yours as drawn in both the entry and the window. And the columns! Just grand. Oh, last comment, because I'm a window person. Do you have a good view? You have so many cabinets. I think taking out a few to have more windows would be wonderful. Even if you view is only OK it would be great to get more natural light in there. I think all those cabinets are amazing but almost too many so the windows, I think, would lighten things up. I'm just concerned that so many cabinets going up so high and across windows might feel a bit dark and overbearing. If you're not as into windows as I am, YMMV.
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Hi, all – thank you for all the feedback and apologies for taking a few days to get back to you. To address the comments made since I last checked in: The overhang on the island is currently 12”. I agree that the seating near the stairs will be a pinch point going to the dining room, even though it gives us more room than we have now (without someone seated there). I really like your idea of adding/shifting another seat to the end of the island, mama goose. And shifting the island towards the living room. Thank you so much for doing up the layout like you did. I’m not sure if we can shorten the half wall by the stairs, as it might make the top stair awkward with entrance from two sides? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that? Unfortuantely I can’t move the cabinet-corner next to the stairs, or put the ovens there (to the right of the dishwasher when you look at it) because of the stairs to the basement (floor isn't flat and it slopes upward under/behind those cabinets). Even though our fridge is shallow, I’m going to see about recessing it in the wall – thanks for that tip, mama goose! Strob06 – thank you for your input about the pantry! I appreciate hearing about your experience. We currently have two 18” cabinets, but they each only have two pullouts in the bottom, and the rest is fixed shelves. To be honest, we don’t use them to capacity because things just get lost in them! If they were pullouts top to bottom, they’d be so much more usable. We also have a second pantry/linen closet in the hall, where bigger or less-used items go as well. Oh, I forget who mentioned it but we aren’t using corner angled cabinets (those are showing incorrectly in the plan views) but instead we’re putting in open shelving (as shown in the elevations). Thanks for the explanation on the cabinet face layout, dan1888 - I haven’t had a chance to check out sinks yet, but I think I’ll take my biggest sheet pan and see how a 24” would work. We do have a utility sink in the basement, but I’d hate to get down on my knees and use my bathtub to do my big pans! I am really stuck on getting away from a range and moving to wall ovens to save my back. I was back at the appliance store today and checking out the miele induction range really solidified my desire for wall ovens – it is just SO low to the ground! Salex – I’m going to check out the 24” sinks, because you’re right that I’ve been using such a small one to date that 24 will seem huge! Backyardfeast – you’re right about us having an issue with dishes in proximity to the dishwasher. Our dishes are currently in the uppers to the right of the range (about where the cooktop will be) and it’s not the most convenient, but it’s not awful. But we really can’t do any better (or any worse) because there isn’t anywhere else to put the dishwasher. Thank you again to everyone for their feedback – I’m going to get some changes made and come back for some more advice and feedback (probably MUCH more) once it’s revised.
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Why I like my version: I like that the DW is next to the dining room making it easy for cleanup. I like that there's a nice work triangle between prep sink, fridge and stove and that the cleanup sink acts as a secondary prep area. I like that there is lots and lots of counter space for working. I like that the pantry is right next to the fridge and that both are close to the garage so when taking in groceries, it's easy to put them away and you're not walking back and forth across the kitchen to put some stuff in the pantry and some in the fridge. I like the L shaped layout as it makes it easy to move around. Like in Mama's plan, i like that there's plenty of room in the island for both a drawer microwave and a trash pullout.
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PRO
Debbi Washburn
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
So I guess I would have to ask what you don't like about a cabinet pantry closet. I find they are much easier to organize and seem to fit the space better than a closet. I had a closet pantry and hated it - I felt like I was always digging for something and it was just too big ( it was 4ft ) , but that is just me.

Not a fan of that T island - its a little odd..

Do you have dimensions of where those posts are going to be?? It's hard to suggest anything without some specifics.
sarahachevalier
2 years ago
I like cabinets on the range wall. I would put the pantry next to the fridge instead — with pull out pantries.
HU-187528210
2 years ago
I like the range centered on the wall. And the island slightly larger.
My priority would be having those beams removed. Even if it means choosing a less expensive countertop or less expensive cabinet style to give you that buffer. The pantry is in a funny location. But if you do the door in a cabinet finish it won’t look so off.
The other idea for the pantry would be to use that door to outside and create a little mud room/ pantry extension. I wonder how much itd cost.
Also, you have a sink under the window. Can you move the prep sink from the island to the bar area instead?

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