Kitchen Layout Clean Slate with New Addition-Please help with Ideas!!

last year

To all you creative people reading this,

I am moving to a midcentury ranch when renovations are complete. Groundbreaking will begin soon. There will be a 16 X 25 kitchen with the addition. I previously asked for kitchen layout help but my room has changed drastically so I am posting again. My sketch shows surrounding rooms and is drawn as close to scale as I could. Any ideas, help, layout, etc. would be VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

Notes:

All water (sink and dishwasher) need to be in the original section, in front of the dotted line. (I do not need a prep sink).
I am open to either a cooktop and single wall oven OR a range
I would like a microwave located at chest level, not over range or on countertop.
I would like a counter-depth refrigerator (I like the wider, shallower shelves).
I would like a minimum of three 36" upper cabinets for glasses, mugs and dishes.
I will have a pantry at the back of the mudroom.
Groceries will be brought into the house from the garage, up the basement stairs.

Again, many thanks for any help you can offer.

Marliztay

Featured Answer

Lisa Dipiro

last year

One thing I will say is make the mud room door a pocket door. Takes up way too much space
Tk have swinging

Comments (14)

gardengrl66 z5
last year
I think you will get the most help if you provide a bit more information. I can't really visualize where the "kitchen" starts and ends, and the two "sliders to the porch" labels are confusing - are there two sets of slider doors to the porch? a whole house plan might help with that.

Also there are instructions in this forum about the kind of info that is helpful - how many are in your household, whether you like to cook etc. that I will not repeat here, but would be really good for folks to know before opining.
marliztay thanked gardengrl66 z5
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marliztay
Original Author
last year
I am posting further details and additional photo of whole floor plan. Thank you to gardengrl66 for your questions.
- The kitchen is part of an open floor plan. It's separated from the living room by the fireplace and from the dining room only by the fact that there is a wall there currently that I am having taken out to open things up. I like things open, light and bright. The "dining room" will be informal with an expandable table for when we have more than 6 people. Otherwise the eat-in kitchen will be sufficient. It is part of the family room which will have a TV and seating at the end away from the kitchen.
- Yes, there are two sliders from the porch. One to the kitchen and one to the dining room. The dining room one was added for providing light and a view from the living room out to the back instead of looking at a wall. (See the whole house plan).
- There are only two retired persons in our household. We like to cook minimally. Short, easy recipes but good eating. We're looking for a streamlined, practically designed kitchen. We entertain informally and usually in summer. I would like room for two stools. I have two grandchildren living nearby.
- The ceilings are only 8 ft. high. I believe the sketch I posted shows the traffic flow but I'll be more specific. We'll need to have flow to the bedroom hallway, to the living room, the basement stairs and the dining room, as well as to the mudroom in the back.
- The reason for keeping the plumbing in the old part of the house is that there is a full basement below. The addition will be over a crawl space.
- I'd prefer not having the sink facing a wall and I do not need separate baking, beverage or snack areas.
- I will probably have a small sized range hood over the range or cooktop.
I hope these are helpful additions. THANK YOU!!!

Marliztay
mama goose_gw zn6OH
last year
last modified: last year
I might be totally confused about how you want this laid out, but here goes. Sorry I couldn't find space for 36" uppers, although with just the two of you, everyday dishes could be kept in the uppers and drawers across from the DW (or you could flip the island configuration--however I like the DW out of the prep path).

It looks as if you would have space on both perimeter runs for extra deep cabinets, and if cabs are custom, deeper drawers would provide more storage space.

The fridge run could move to the right, if you don't think it would crowd the basement entry:

NKBA guidelines

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marliztay thanked mama goose_gw zn6OH
marliztay
Original Author
last year
Thank you so much Mama Goose. I didn't think of this layout as I was trying to figure out an island running parallel to the long wall. But this layout has possibilities. I have to research electric ranges with downdraft exhaust in order to have it in that location. I so appreciate you time and efforts.

Marliztay
mama goose_gw zn6OH
last year
last modified: last year
You're welcome, Marliztay. The reason I didn't orient an island with the long wall is that all the traffic to and from the mudroom would pass through the work spaces--although it probably would be easier to vent the hood through the new addition roof.

With a narrower island you could have the clean-up zone against the FP, to get it out of the crush, but you'd need a prep sink, since ap 24" isn't wide enough for efficient prep--and the island prep/cooking zones would still be in the main traffic aisle:
marliztay
Original Author
last year
Well, you’re right about the traffic flow Mama Goose. But that seems to be a factor in any of the configurations.
mama goose_gw zn6OH
last year
last modified: last year
True--but if you look at the first plan I posted, only the fridge is in the traffic aisle. How much time do you spend taking items from the fridge and pantry compared to prepping and cooking those items, or loading and unloading the DW? All the prep, cooking, and clean-up is done in the non-traffic aisle.

If I had to have appliances in a traffic aisle it wouldn't be the range/cooktop or ovens, due to safety issues, but with only you and your husband in residence that might not be an issue--compared to a family with young children.

ETA, a version with the traffic aisle behind the island, but you don't have as much counter space or storage space. The venting and plumbing are on the edge of the old kitchen/new addition:

Maybe you could squeeze in a row of shallow pantry cabinets (12"-14" deep) on the long wall.
marliztay thanked mama goose_gw zn6OH
mcarroll16
last year
What if you mamagoose's second idea, island running parallel with the long wall, but had two stools at the short end, across from the kitchen table. No seating on the long side of the island. That might give you better traffic flow--hopefully non-cooks would take a few extra steps to walk around that side of the island. You could use the backside for 24" cabinets with drawers, for better storage. And you could use the island more effectively for informal buffet service.
marliztay thanked mcarroll16
marliztay
Original Author
last year
Thank you again Mama Goose. And thank you mcarroll16. My husband and I have been considering your ideas. We think we'd rather have the stools away from the table and chairs. And we think that the traffic flow to the family room and to the bedrooms is more important than the flow from the mudroom. We think we'd like to go with using a 12 foot length along the right hand wall with an island that is separated from it by 4 feet and then runs 10 or 11 feet in length. There would be room for some cabinetry on the wall to the left of the slider. This plan is not ideal. The two major issues for me are: 1) not enough countertop space near the range and fridge and 2) not having enough upper cabinets. As for that, however, maybe it will be easier than I think to get used to having dishes in lowers. I am attaching my sketch. Any critiques, or additional ideas always gratefully appreciated.

Marliztay
mcarroll16
last year
That looks like a pretty good layout for the space you have. Maybe consider extending the range countertop another foot towards the pantry/mudroom. The countertop gains, for me, would strongly outweigh any symmetry concerns with the island.
marliztay thanked mcarroll16
marliztay
Original Author
last year
Mcarroll16, yes, I think you're right. That would help. And as it is along the wall it wouldn't interfere with the table and chairs.
mama goose_gw zn6OH
last year
last modified: last year
It's good to consider all the options, so if you're set on the island parallel with the long wall, you might keep the side-loading pantry to the right of the fridge and return to the idea of a separate cooktop and wall oven, which would be easier to use as you age. The oven could go to the left of the cooktop if you extend the cabinetry as mcarrol suggested.

Since there is extra space behind the island seats, I'd suggest making the work aisle wider, so traffic can easily pass behind anyone working at the range/cooktop, or sink/DW.
marliztay
Original Author
last year
Good ideas MG. I think I would extend the cabinetry even further, since it’s just the side wall. Maybe a cabinet that holds a microwave and single wall oven will work. Thanks.