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kitchen remodel thoughts

last month

Remodeling the kitchen from a 1970 small dark kitchen to a larger one took out a wall and raise the ceiling) with white and walnut cabinets with a modern euro vibe.

FYI The design render has the island a little darker than reality

Still deciding on counters and backsplash.

What do people think?

The red table pic is the before.

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Comments (10)

herbflavor
last month
is the island countertop in place already ?
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Robert Kenyon
Original Author
last month
Nope, still in progress.
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L: thank you for your thoughts! i think contemplating tasks is a very important step. i totally hear what you're saying about a landing zone near the oven, and thus understand your reconfiguration. i think it makes a lot of sense. i also liked this configuration because when i think of coming into the kitchen (entrance -> storage, as you stated), which is from that side (see picture), i can quickly set everything down on the island and put it all easily in the pantry and fridge. i think you and Ginny20 bring up the good point of what's around here, because that might lend itself to other configurations. i've included an image below. the left hand side of the image is south, and that's where all the light is coming in from two very big windows in the great room, which is just down a short set of stairs (open concept). to the right of the image (north) is a bedroom, and going further back my bathroom, laundry and guest room. on the west side (where the fridge is now) there is a condo hallway. to the east side there is another unit. you'll notice in this pic i've shown an area which i've labelled desk area. one kitchen designer strongly encouraged me to put some wall units there, but i really really don't want to. i want a work desk there. the light is fantastic in the great room and the kitchen, but as you go farther back into the unit (it goes a ways) it gets quite dark. i so love light and so i only want to be back there for sleep and for bathroom, laundry, guest room etc.. it's important for me to have a nice desk space to sit and work on stuff in this sunny area, and that's the current placement idea. another idea is to use the wall that's on the hallway run. i don't like this idea because i like the long long hallway that leads from the entrance (not shown) all the way through the kitchen down to the great room. but another designer suggested putting something on that wall. perhaps.. one thing i am scared of is my kitchen taking over. it's central in the space, and hence it should be redone and really make a statement. but i don't want it to encroach, though me and some designers have different opinions on what is encroachment, and what is tolerable. o
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Wendy, I love your graph paper and notebook! I saw your design on the other thread, and I love the pillar there! One thing I've learned from the gw forums is to check and recheck everybody else's work, especially the KD's! On one of the kitchen forum's "how to ask for layout help," it specifically says that overhead 2D plans are more helpful than the 3D views, so I will do that. But for me, I really need to visualize something to understand it, and the 3D views, like the IKEA planner makes, or those above that you revised from your KD's plans that had the mistakes, are way more helpful for me to understand how things will look. I also really like notebooks and/or folders! i know this is "low tech," but I'm going to print out some inspiration pics and pics of the actual appliances and things I've picked out, and make a scrapbook. It will cover all the rooms in the house, have the "before" pictures I'm shooting on Saturday, and then pictures of what I want in each room from the floor to the lighting, including walls, and pretty much everything. Then I'm going to take a lot of pictures throughout the whole process, and finally, the "reveal" pictures. I'll have it all on my computer too, but sometimes it's nice to flip through a physical hard copy folder/notebook, and it can be handy when you don't want to whip out your phone or tablet on site.
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I would at least rehang the wall cabinets on the right side of the sink. Move them to the left an inch or so to mirror the right side. I would remove the crown molding because it seems out of sync with the cabinet style. Cabinets are contemporary and that style of crown is traditional. Then I would work on how to get the sink centered under the window. Looks as though there is enough space to be able to center the sink and still have the dishwasher, though it would result in losing the lazy susan cabinet. Would have to use some fillers or a combo of fillers and an open cabinet, custom sized. Narrow open base cabs work nicely for stashing cutting boards (trays, cookie sheets, etc.) With a shelf in the open cabinet at drawer bottom height. (Great for a rolling pin and rolled up silicone mats.) A larger sink, stainless steel, because that one looks dinky. Then, you would have to deal with the base cabinets on the refrigerator wall, the result of removing the lazy susan. Probably a combination of reconfiguring them and using fillers or another narrow open base cabinet. (Or cutting down the lazy susan cabinet...) The open base cabinets are an easy build if you have any DIY skills. Don't have to worry about sourcing doors (that match). Trim out the front with solid hardwood which should be easy to get a good close match to the natural maple finish that is on the other cabinets. Possibly ripping the trim from the unused lazy susan doors? I like the current backsplash OK but would think about replacing it with a more contemporary look or even just removing it and painting the splash area.
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ffpalms
last month
My immediate thought is to cut two feet from the island in order to have space to pull the dining set away from the windows, then add wiring for a chandelier over the center of the table. I think this would allow a more natural traffic from the Mudroom door to the opposite side of the island.
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anj_p
last month
If you can change things I might consider moving the mudroom door by the entry and flipping the whole thing.
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Robert Kenyon
Original Author
last month
Chopping the island by 24” is one of the things we’re considering. I’ve got the floor taped where the island will be and it is a bit of a trek around the end.
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PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last month
The island is too long and skinny, and it’s a barrier. I also would not want the mud room door between the main work zone and the wall oven. I would swap the cooktop for a range, then the wall oven becomes backup. Shorten the island. Is there any possibility to remove a portion of the family room wall? The island would look a lot better and function better if it were deeper. A 2’ deep island always looks awkward to me, especially with a sink. Re your materials, it’s hard to make any suggestions if you don’t show the items you’ve already chosen.
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Robert Kenyon
Original Author
last month
We want to keep the great room and kitchen areas separate- so taking a wall out between isn’t what we’re looking for (it was discussed).

As for the long skinny island - we had one like this at our last house (not quite as long) and it also had a wider seating area towards the end opposite the sink. In 22 years at that house people sat at it exactly 3 times. So having an island with seating is at the bottom of our needs / wish list. This kitchen is wider than my last so we have room to have spacious walkways on both sides - the old kitchen couldn’t have two people walk past each other without rubbing body parts. So the wider walk ways are more functional to me than a wider island. This config makes me think of a galley kitchen in function.

With that said, the length is too long. I was thinking the oven needed a landing spot directly in front of it, but I think chopping the island by 24” would still be close enough and would make it less of a barrier from the mudroom to the other side of the island to get to the rest of the house without walking through the work space.

Say more about the oven on the other side of the mudroom door? It’s not like one stands at the oven to work - it’s a put in or take out thing. It may hinder traffic for a moment or two but that seems trivial. What am I missing?
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Val B
last month
I’d cut the island in half. If people come in through the mudroom, to get to their rooms, they’ll either walk through the main work zone of the kitchen or need to walk all the way around the island. I’d also rather not have the kitchen table pushed against the wall like that.
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Buehl
last month
last modified: last month
I'd consider this:
- Move the Mudroom door that leads to the rest of the home to the far left
- Move the Kitchen to where you have the table (which will not fit in the space shown if you also have those blue cabinets)
- Move the table to the far left where the kitchen used to be
If you can't or aren't willing to switch the table & Kitchen, then I would increase your aisle to at least 54" b/c you will now have a lot of traffic going through that aisle b/w the range and the island, which means someone cooking/prepping/cleaning up will have to dodge people coming/going from/to the Mudroom and, I assume, the basement. (People will likely try to go through the main working area of the Kitchen to get to the bedrooms b/c it's the shortest distance -- people tend to take the shortest distance b/w two points, regardless of how inconvenient it might be for others!)

Honestly? I'm sorry, but this is not a good layout.

FYI...right now, dirty dishes/messes will be on display to the Great Room b/c they're in the island in front of the door to the Great Room. They will also be on display somewhat to anyone entering your home from the Foyer. Switching the table space and Kitchen would eliminate the "view" from the Great Room and minimize it from the Foyer.
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Buehl
last month
last modified: last month
Just saw that Anj_p also suggested the switch.

Also, cutting 2' off the island isn't enough if your goal is to prevent disruptive traffic through the main working part of the Kitchen.

Additionally, you have no landing space for the ovens that isn't across a potentially busy walkway/aisle.
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