Total Renovation: L-shaped Kitchen with Island
(Made my title match what my plan now is...)
I’m trying again to get some feedback on my kitchen renovation and I apologize for the length of this post. Hopefully I’m providing all the info necessary. About 10 years ago I did a complete new kitchen and had much success with this site, although I think it was GardenWeb back then? Now I’m having a harder time getting started, but I’m stubborn and feel pretty confident I’ll be able to pull it off without a kitchen designer.
I’ve been researching and reading here ad nauseam, and I hope that I’m able to present this so that I can get feedback. I’ve tried to get much of the story in pictures, but here are the facts that I need to spell out in words:
We bought this house at a decent price, knowing we would need to do a major renovation, even adding some square footage eventually. But since this a house we’re ultimately downsizing to, we don’t want to go too crazy with size. It’s currently 1,700 sf and the ultimate plan is to increase one bedroom to be our master, add a master bathroom, plus a small powder room. Our “real” house is over 3,200 sf and I’ve no desire to be in anything that big going forward.
The 862 sf “starter” retirement house we split our time between now is right next door to this new purchase, and they’re both about 1,200 miles away from our other house. Both this little house we are in and the big house will eventually be sold, but we’re working on the timing of all of this. It’s a process - both physically and emotionally.
In the 9 months that we’ve owned the new place, some things have changed and $$ is more of a concern at the moment - but we will eventually have more $$ to get stuff done. But it’s a bit of a Catch-22 because we can’t move in until we do some serious work, but we don’t have that much $$ to spend on that work until we sell this little house next door. So we’re working on making it livable. Our first step was to gut the entire house to remediate for Chinese drywall, and we now have our list of priorities (the absolute must-do’s) before we can sell this little house and move in next door.
Did all of that make sense in trying to explain where our heads are at as far as getting stuff done?
So, the kitchen is #2 on that priority list (well, maybe tied for #1 with the bathroom.) Once we sell our big house up North, we’ll continue to do more work on this house. The table side of this kitchen will get some love and attention at that time, which is why I’m not doing anything there right now. We added a really lovely full row of cabinetry in our old house in our kitchen on a wall exactly like the window wall that is currently being left bare here. That’s the plan a little later down the line.
We are empty nesters, and I am the only cook. One of my main desires is to have a kitchen where I can accommodate house guests, especially our grown children and their growing families. This house is located in a vacation spot so we host people overnight. (In the 862 sf house - where we have had many overnight guests - there is literally room for only 2 people to eat. That is a serious issue for me.)
Things I’ve learned from kitchen’s past, including the 2 mentioned above and things I’ve learned from my hours and hours of research on this site:
We are 100% fine with aisles that are a little more narrow than recommended - between my refrigerator and a counter, I currently have 32”, and between the dishwasher and a counter, I have 37”. Never once has it been a problem. (Cross my heart.)
I’m a little obsessive and try to leave absolutely nothing on my countertops. I will be fine with the two 24”+ areas on each side of the sink. Our electric perc coffee maker will go there, a paper towel holder, a decorative pedestal cake plate, and maybe a utensil holder. That’s it. I want an undermount sink to leave as much counter space as possible there.
The 8’ island will be my major work area.
I know we need to “trench?” electric to the island through our slab (Never had a house without a basement before.)
I don’t want my microwave above the range - I hate it there. It will live (along with things like a toaster, Kitchenaid mixer, etc.) on the mud porch, which I’m going to outfit with plenty of storage to be used as a sort of a pantry. That porch is the reason I know I’ll be able to keep my countertops clear.
I want to put a door between the kitchen and the mudroom so that I can close it off when I want to. I want to be able to hide any mess in the mud room and also have an area where I can contain pets if necessary.
I’m hoping to do white or cream cabinets, with black granite on the appliance wall, and butcher block on the island. I’d like a beadboard backsplash.
And yes, I really want that island. There - I said it!
Ultimately, what’s most important to me is being able to seat people for meals, and being happy with how my kitchen looks. I don't want an open floor plan. I’m not terribly concerned with resale because I’m pretty sure that will be on our kids. (Sorry kids.) Making me happy with the house is my priority. I think I’ve hit all of the highlights. Here are the details in pictures:
#1 - Here the basic layout now:
#2 - I came across this "official" layout and I got excited:
#3 & #4 - Views from the front and back to what I'm planning:
#5 - Cabinet sizes:
#6 - Aisle distances:
#7 & #8 - Color inspiration
#9 - Backsplash idea
#10 - One type of mud porch storage
Hopefully you can tell that I've put a lot of thought into this. I'm looking for feedback on anything that would be structurally or physically impossible or dangerous, or anything that I'm missing or not taking into consideration.
Thanks much.
Comments (9)
Susan W
2 years agoSigh....I wrote a novel and still managed to not say some of the things I should have.
I live with an electric range right next to a wall in this little house. I also lived with an electric cooktop directly next to a wall for about 15 years before we did our kitchen remodel in our other house. I can honestly say that it is something that does not bother me. l agree that it's not ideal, but it's not a dealbreaker (for me.)
I was aware of the NKBA recommendation when I did the layout. I'm not sure on the local code but I doubt it's an issue because the little house I'm in had the kitchen done within the last 10 years and as I said above, the range is next to a wall.
However, because I don't want to get my heart set on something and then have no back-up plan, I did a quick rendering with the range around the corner - as an "L" shape. While most people might prefer this layout, I still like the "one-wall" version better. I'm not sure why, but I do.
But this gives me another option and something to discuss with the GC.
I put a 15" cabinet to the open side...Obviously I could go bigger.
Related Discussions
Which way to orient my island in my L shaped kitchen
Comments (9)Hi Annie, Remodelfl and Rhome! Annie, Sorry to confuse you by not having the appliances drawn correctly yet. I just had the architect flip the island just to get a visual without spending time on planning where functional things should be. But I'm with you, I love the idea of facing the view when I prep but because it's open to the living room, I was concerned about seeing the side of the island too. Funny you gave me that suggestion (and thanks for taking the time to post the pic) because when she heard I love booths, she suggested the island facing south with a big booth connected to it facing the view. The ideas seem similar. It partially solved the problem of looking at the side of the island because you were just seeing one big mass, but there were a couple of things that concerned me. I was mainly worried that it would be too much of a reach for me to try to clean the far side of the island on a daily basis without walking around. To create a separation from the living area, you'll see she also drew a big buffet that would also help to create a visual barrier like an island facing the living room, I supposed. But it would still be low so I'm not sure if that works in practice? I think the buffet would be fantastic to serve on when having a dinner party. My concern was that with the south side of the island taken up by the booth and the buffet on the side, then everyone would be squeezed between the buffet and island if they wanted to talk to me. That isn't a bad thing, but I was thinking, and please tell me if my thinking is wrong, if I'm going to have the very open plan, creating little aisles and things to have to walk around and not having big open places for guests to stand seemed to defeat the purpose. Am I wrong on this? I Here is the pic of that idea. Hi Remodelfla, Great question. This house will be in northern CA so we will be able to be outside a lot of the time. I'll tell you what outdoor areas we have to see what you think. That porch you see at the end of the living room is a screened in porch that can be accessed next to the fireplace. I was thinking that location was good because it's blocked by the fireplace and it's central to the living area and bedroom. I can see hanging out there quite a bit. But, your point about how far to take things is excellent. The other spots, so far... we have a big entry courtyard and I picture having some furniture there because it's very windy where we are and sometimes it might be nice to be outside but protected. I like how we will be able to peak througn the front door and out the back entrance to see some view too. All the doors aren't drawn in yet. And then we currently have a screened in porch left of the entry door on the south side. I'm thinking we don't need two screened porches and we can just make that an outdoor area with the grill. There is a door to get there from the kitchen at the bottom of the page. Does it seem better knowing we'll have multiple spots now? Rhome, thanks! When you say keeping tasks separate, I'm interpreting that to mean you think it's okay to have the short side of the island facing the living room so it's not as a part of the main room. That is a relief. To the right of the kitchen is the dining and living room. To the left of the kitchen is an outdoor space. I'm also soooo glad you commented on which side to have the cooktop in relation to the cleanup sink. I've been spending weeks and weeks trying to go through this in my head to decide which is most beneficial (currently my cleanup sink is not near either ... don't get me started!). I was never quite sure but I was starting to think exactly what you advised. A friend told me you have a great kitchen and fantastic organizational sense so to know that you wish yours was oriented differently carries a lot of weight. I had actually looked up your kitchen and saw your cooktop wasn't on the long side of your island so I thought, oh, I guess it doesn't matter! :) So thanks for mentioning that....See MoreNew Construction - L shaped kitchen with island questions
Comments (10)AnnKH, thank you for sharing how you set things up. This gives me a great starting place. Like you, and others I've read on various posts, I'm wondering about that lost corner. I need to invent something that can pop up from thecorner - like a raised shelf that hides beneath the counter - a hidden compartment that can use that no mans land corner space. In our previous house we had a super susan at about a 45 degree angle in a sort of corner. It worked really well. We kept things like strainers, vegetable steamer basket, cheesecake pans etc. there but I liked my drawers so much that, like you, I'm really considering the drawers instead. In my head I have a plan for drawers and stand up dividers for things like baking dishes, muffin tins, etc. This is sort of scary and yet SO exciting at the same time. Mama Goose - Ohhh I'm drooling once again. I often think of chalk board back door and that sign, too. That was SO cool. I have photos of her kitchen saved on my phone I like it so much. I also like 2 fishies kitchen! Those are my 2 favs! I've seen other kitchens with baskets but I've never stopped thinking about HER baskets in the island. So, that's on my want list! I'm off to make tarter sauce for blackened catfish. Who wants to join us for dinner? Sunny...See MoreL shaped kitchen with island from Ikea - feedback on design
Comments (19)Dear Rosebloom2, Having not interviewed you I have no idea what you’re trying to accomplish. I have reviewed your kitchen design with this in mind. A kitchen’s purpose is to provide food and beverage service. If you design your kitchen well it should last 50 years and remain current and valuable regardless of changes in design trends. Being a simple machine with the only moving part being whoever is working in it. It should perform its purpose as efficiently as possible and look great while doing it forever (50 years). I believe you should buy your kitchen once, use it, enjoy it, and reap the benefits of owning a kitchen that doesn’t need to be replaced in 8 to 12 years when your appliances start to fail. If it’s designed to meet the latest trendy, new, and wow, and most are. The Impact You Expect your kitchen project to have could be extremely short lived. And you’ll quickly find you own a kitchen much like the one you so desperately wanted to replace. My Review: You have no pantry (could be a huge problem). Having all the mass (weight) of the refrigerator and broom closet on the one short wall makes your kitchen composition unbalanced (lopsided). Having the broom closet doors open to the left make the sides of those cabinets, in context, look out of place adjacent to your refrigerator enclosure. The inside corner wall cabinet is a waste (in my opinion). Sure you can fill it with lots of stuff but you can’t reach the back of that cabinet from the bottom shelf of it, and as you go higher it gets even less accessible. You could install a wall lazy susan but the results aren’t great because it leaves a lot of cabinet space unusable. What is in the front you see and what is behind that consider it lost because you’ll have to take everything in front out to get to it. continued.......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 More
dan1888
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoSusan W
2 years agoI’m definitely getting more comfortable embracing the “L” shape instead of the “one-wall.” There are certain things I’m ready to let go on (“one wall” layout) and then there are things that are very important to me (I want a decent size island - for many reasons.)
The counter space is now 24” on the side of the range.
I just got done measuring different aisle widths in this current house - to be sure I’m considering what I have and what I will have in the new kitchen next door. I’m 110% fine with all distances on this “L” layout.
And once again, apologies to my children, but I am not at all concerned with resale on this house.
Thoughts?
Thanks -Susan W
2 years agoAs demolition and remediation continue, I have time to think, tinker and research.
Due to budgetary concerns, I’ve gotten comfortable with abandoning the island with seating, opting instead for a work table or island that can be moved. Not necessarily on wheels, but maybe a piece of furniture. I'm open on that issue. It really is the work area I want and need, not the seating nor the storage. Between the size of the kitchen and the fact that it's on a slab, I've decided it's not worth it to me to go for the traditional island.
I’m embracing what I consider the idea of a true eat-in kitchen with table. One that is big enough (or can be expanded) to accommodate visits from family. To that end I’m thinking of totally eliminating the entire wall between the current two rooms. Part of my original thinking was to combine the rooms, but still have a working area and a separate eating area, so I was leaving a bit of the wall.
I’m not adverse to someday (when we sell a house) extending the cabinetry fully down the back wall. I saw an idea for a window seat with drawers underneath that I would love. I also would consider adding cabinets on the living rooms wall at some point.
But for now, I truly do have to keep it to a minimum. The key word here is “livable” as we can’t sell anything else until we can move in to this. And considering this is what it looks like right now, we’ve got our work cut out for us.
What I’m trying to do is have a solid idea of what I’m going to be asking of a contractor so that I can get accurate estimates. I don’t need to nail it down to each specific cabinet, but I need to have an idea of layout and scope.
My biggest concern with this layout is its lack of symmetry because of the 2 differing windows. But window replacement and total siding of the house is also part of a future phase of this project, so the dining room window can be changed at that time.
Note: This entire house is gutted, so the kitchen is but one part of this project. To me, it's the most important and obviously always the most expensive, so it's what I'm focusing on.
Thanks to anyone who has something to offer.
mama goose_gw zn6OH
2 years ago
Susan WOriginal Author