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drhomeideas

New to Kitchen Forum - Layout help needed

drhomeideas
11 years ago

To all the wonderful layout gurus please critique the layout for our new kitchen. I do need help with the oven/refrig wall. We are a family of 3, eat most meals at home, the will use the island for breakfast/lunch, dinner in the dining area. Entertain several times throughout the year. Dimensions are not exact but pretty close to actual. Thank you.

Comments (5)

  • Kathy Rivera
    11 years ago

    That's a super tight squeeze for that island. I'm not one who thinks you need to strictly adhere to the aisle guidelines. Heck, one of my potential layouts has 36" between island and sink and 42" behind island seating - which is what your layout would have it seems. BUT, the space behind my seating is just a wall. You have the major item all people want to access in the kitchen right there - the fridge. AND the major safety issue item - the ovens. I'm not sure this can work...but I'm not a layout guru so I'll let them chime in.

    That said, if the island does work, I don't think you need the island sink at all. It's not that big a space. You have the large sink so close to the island. And you have great real estate between the main sink and the cooktop - that gives two perfect prep spots.

  • rhome410
    11 years ago

    If you do have an island sink, which will help, especially if the fridge isn't across from the stove aisle, it should be on the corner between the stove and fridge. Where you have it now will not serve you well. If you have it on the corner, as I'm suggesting, it shifts your seating down around the end of the island, which would be better for space and for conversation.

    But Kathy is right about your aisles. You have the largest aisle between island and stove, which, IMO, should be the narrowest, since you'll want to prep and turn. The aisle between the island and sink/dw should be at least 36" clear, and hopefully more. The aisle between island and fridge/oven wall should be at least 42", and that's without seating. Seating usually needs 4 ft or more.

    Most of this might not be as big a deal with only 3 of you, but will be more important if you entertain or have guests. But you never want an aisle under 36". Remember that a cabinet box is 24" deep, but then you add doors/drawer fronts, knobs, and counter overhang, all that protrude into the aisle.

  • drhomeideas
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thank you Kathy and rhome. Eliminating the island sink makes sense. I think the cooktop wall is off by 2ft. in my drawing, with that said I should have enough space around the island, correct? What configuration along the oven wall makes the most sense?

  • texasgal47
    11 years ago

    While we're waiting for the layout gurus to appear, I'll add my two cents. If possible, I would want the fridge in the area where the cooktop is located and the cooktop in the island with no sink. This would provide an efficient work triangle without all the extra walking to the pantry area where the fridge is shown now. Perhaps a prep sink could be in a base cabinet on the pantry wall.

  • Kathy Rivera
    11 years ago

    Off by 2 feet? Yes, that makes a huge difference in space planning! :) You really need to measure it and redraw so people can give you the proper help.

    As far as the suggestion of putting the cooktop in the island, I'm not a fan. The whole issue of venting is a pain in the tush. And, you really need to give more than 12" behind a cooktop for people at the island and you are tight as it is...

    For the oven wall...maybe you could do something like (moving L-R):
    Pantry, drawer bank, ovens, fridge, drawer bank/snack ctr. You could do a wall cabinet w/the micro in it above the far drawer bank (by the mud room). Then it becomes the snack center - you have the micro by the fridge where it is most needed. And if you move the sink to the cooktop side of the island, then you also have a water source close to the micro. And it keeps it out of view. AND, the fridge ends up opening into the space between island and cooktop so the island becomes less of a barrier.

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