Seeking Advice for Modernizing a 1930's Kitchen Layout
anamoc
2 months ago
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Paul F.
2 months agoJAN MOYER
2 months agolast modified: 2 months agoRelated Discussions
Could you (would you!) rescue this 1930s kitchen?
Comments (36)I waited almost 5 years, only half intentionally, and my plans changed and solidified, and I saved up money. It was the best thing I could have done. Waiting a little might is not a bad thing at all. My 40s cabinets are like that too. I don't know how well they'd move, since there's nothing to keep them "square" while they're being taken down and moved around. But that's a question for a carpenter. You need to find one who is really invested in giving you what YOU want: informing you of the likely outcomes, good and bad, giving you his honest opinion, that you feel you can trust. I'm lucky that I have that with my contractor. Most of the time he knows I'd prefer to fix something old, even if it may not look perfect, or might be too fragile for some of the families on this site. But he will tell me if something is a bad idea, and when he does, I definitely listen. But some workers just want things easy, or don't have the knowledge to deal with an old house, or know they're going to slave for hours at their craft making something fit and then the homeowner is going to come home and say "But it's 1/8th of an inch off! That's totally unacceptable! Just put in a new one!" I think, for you, it starts with figuring out what you really WANT, and I get the feeling you're not quite there yet. As I see it: You can restore the salvageable 30s kitchen (little reconfiguration, cheapest option), recreate the 30s look with all/mostly modern components (some reconfiguration, middle cost, may exceed budget), start fresh with a new design with the very best of the 30s elements (some reconfiguration/more cost, likely to exceed $10K budget). Or another solution. In the end, the only opinion that matters is your own. Trust your gut....See MoreSeeking Kitchen Layout Advice
Comments (5)Sorry for the lack of clarity. Yes, the refrigerator is where "refrig" is. I've posted a rescaled drawing to show the relationship of the kitchen to the adjacent family room & dining area. Hope that helps. Also a pix of the removal of the wall between the kitchen & family room (and concurrent creation of the cubby area for the refrig). I do take your point about the path from fridge to sink and stove. Since removing the wall between the kitchen and family room just moved the refrigerator about 3' closer to the door and back 2', we're not much worse off than we have been for 12 years. You are also quite right that there's not a huge advantage over the current layout. My motivation is to find a way to use more of that granite that we just wrote a big check for! I don't really see the granite top as an eating area -- just a larger expanse of granite and more countertop space. The door by the fridge is the one we primarily use for our daily comings and goings, so we try to keep the pathway clear. We just don't want to do this moving around and then later smack our foreheads and cry, "What were we thinking?!" So we very much appreciate your thoughts about doing this. Here's the rescaled drawing to show kitchen's relationship to adjoining rooms. From Kitchen Reno Here's a picture of the wall being removed that shows the refrig cubby. Please excuse the construction mess. From Kitchen Reno Thanks again for the advice....See MoreAnother Newbie Seeking Kitchen Layout Advice
Comments (2)capegirl - Thanks! The picture is incorrect as I couldn't show a "hollow" cabinet of the bar area. There would be nothing underneath the 18" bar top (save for an angled support brace). Good question on the room size and supports. Most of that room already exists. We are adding about 3 feet in the Southern direction and about 6 feet in the Western direction. But it's a good question for me to speak with the architect about. He is busy trying to figure out how the roof line will work and how it will tie into the existing house....See MoreKeep kitchen layout or make changes? Seeking advice!
Comments (2)Your current layout has a lot going for it. I like the L-shaped prep path (yellow lines), with the DW just outside. You might consider squaring the island, and keeping dishes in drawers across from the DW. Incoming groceries can be placed on the island, for loading to the fridge and pantry (green line), and the fridge is a straight shot from the living areas (blue line). I do like the idea of a prep sink on the island--when you have guests now, and someday when your child might be sharing cooking tasks (red lines). If Your problem area: if you can slide the fridge to the right a bit, you could have a MW built into the upper cabinet, with a coffee center below, near the buffet service....See MoreShadyWillowFarm
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