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Main sink placement across from range?

Fori
10 years ago

I like having a sink across from the range and that seems to be what we're ending up with. I'm doing a 5 ft aisle to accommodate two butts. (I came up with this number based on the width of my current galley.) The sink will be in an island, but it's still pretty much a galley. It'll be open to a family room and informal eating area.

Functionally, it should be okay to have the sink across from the range. Should I line them up exactly? Does it matter if they're off a little? Should they be offset completely?Should the sink be centered on the island? As far as that goes, should the range be centered on its run?

And would you put dishes to the left or right of the range? This impacts where the DW goes...

This is actually to scale.

The oven stack will house a 24" speed oven and a microwave to supplement the range oven with a small prep sink between range and oven. The tall cabinetry on the fridge wall is wrapping a chimney. There would be wall cabinets on the range side. The hood will not be a showpiece so hopefully the range needn't be centered. A lower counter is between the fridge and chimney for baking/short people work area.

I'm not sure. How bad is it? Thanks!

Comments (11)

  • Carmahaston
    10 years ago

    I would offset them completely. But that's just me. You may have one person at the sink while another is at the stove and then you would be butt to butt. Another consideration is Feng Shui. If your into that sort of thing (I am)

  • User
    10 years ago

    For that wall between the dining room and kitchen, is that load bearing? The reason I'm asking is I can see that being a perfect location for the cleanup zone with dishes stored above in a two sided cabinet accessible from either the DR or the kitchen.

    And then I'd put the prep sink on the island.

    That 18' run is pretty challenging. I'd probably try to actally cut it down by moving the wall oven inboard more and then doing some type of pantry to the right side of that. Maybe a couple of pantries. Or, pantry right and fridge left to bookend the space.

  • deedles
    10 years ago

    Hi Fori: I'd also vote to offset them if you keep the sink where it's drawn... it's not really a symmetrical space so I wouldn't worry about that too much.

    I kinda like LWO's suggestion, though. Might be worth pondering and drawing out just for fun....

  • Fori
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the input. I assume the wall is load bearing since it's an exterior wall right now (although at one point we did consider removing it so maybe it's not irreplaceable). I did sort of want a passthrough like linked below. But because I'm disregarding the good advice of spouse, mother, and architect and keeping my fireplace in the dining room, I think it would end up weird on that side. (It's going to be weird enough already.)

    But a pantry between oven and doorway is an easy one! I could also swap oven and fridge. I don't want tall things at the other side of the range run because this kitchen area is in a windowless corner and I don't want it to be too gloomy.

    Switching 24" oven with the 42" fridge might present a little nicer look for the cabinetry around the so-called "baking center". I don't really want to panel the fridge but it might look off to have a wall of wood on one side of the counter and stainless steel on the other. But if the fridge is on the range wall, it won't matter (will it?).

    I'll play around with putting the cleanup sink/dish storage on that wall though (but probably without the passthrough cabinets). Generally I like to cook close to the cleanup sink though, dishwasher open. (Works better with DW drawers.) I guess I'm having a hard time embracing the larger kitchen concept. I'm used to everything being very very close!

    I'll see how offsetting works. It seems like it makes more sense to do it that way.

    The dining room is used infrequently for dining so it needn't be that convenient. And I doubt future owners would use it for a dining room at all (or that it was originally intended to BE a dining room). Currently my 9 foot formal dining table is hosting Legos. It's more a room with a big table than a dining room.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

  • sena01
    10 years ago

    I'd have trash near the angled part of the island then sink and DW, so that will probably bring the sink across the range.

    In this layout 5' would be fine imo, but if you decide to go with LWO's suggestion I'd keep the aisle tighter. However, having sink and range on the same counter would work much better for me.

  • lavender_lass
    10 years ago

    I have 6' between my range and sink (opposite sides of galley) and it's too wide. 5' might work, but 4' would probably be better, since your traffic would be on the other side of the island.

    I'm a little confused about the prep sink and main sink being so close together. Obviously, you can do whatever suits your style of cooking :) but two sinks together and none on the other side of the kitchen....

    I like the idea of putting the clean up area over on the wall to the dining room. The upper cabinets that service both sides would be like the scullery Mama Goose posted. Very functional and then maybe prep sink on island. Would fridge work on other end of cooktop run? Where is says 30"?

    Maybe something like this? :) {{!gwi}}From Kitchen plans

    Here is a link that might be useful: Link to scullery

  • Fori
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks y'all.

    The reason for the two sinks in close proximity is that lately we've had too many cooks/kitchen workers (up to 4 adults recently and now some kids are getting interested) and I want my own sink. That does sound silly.

    The 5 foot aisle we currently have works pretty well for a busy kitchen, but there's always someone hogging the sink. So I want a spare sink near the action. I'd do the main sink on the range wall but don't want to be looking at a wall for EVERY activity. But on the other hand, I do want everything to be close together for efficiency. I figured we had counter space to stick in a decent (maybe 18"?) sink and if we didn't use it we could put a cutting board on it. But we'd use it sometimes.

    I know it seems like there's no sink on the OTHER side of the kitchen, but there actually IS no other side of the kitchen. Who are we kidding? Baking? Maybe occasionally, but not much work is actually going on over there. It's storage. :)

    I'd prefer to keep the fridge where it didn't block any sightlines from anywhere, just because it's a totally completely windowless kitchen. So the fridge has to go into the acute corner.

    I guess I want to keep small kitchen functionality with the main tasks clustered and infrequent activities relegated (baking, dining room use) to the outskirts. If I don't clean as I cook, I don't clean. So trash/sink/DW on the island like Sena suggests would work nicely. Apparently I'm trying to roughly recreate the layout of my last kitchen, but with extra storage on the ends. I tried shrinking it down to a small galley layout with large walk-in pantry to make up for lost storage but others convinced me it would negatively impact resale to have a small practical kitchen in a large addition.

    Any input on swapping fridge for oven, if I keep this basic layout? Currently I have an oven AND a fridge opening into a doorway and it's not that bad...

    And spouse wants range or dishwasher/sink on the island. I think sink works better than range there.

    That said...I'm thinking about this more. I really do appreciate the different perspectives! Thanks!

  • lavender_lass
    10 years ago

    What are 4+ people doing at the sink? Is anyone cleaning up or washing hands...or is it all prep? That might make a difference with your layout. If there are different tasks all taking place in a small area, then moving one of the sinks out of the primary work space might keep a few people out of your way :)

  • Fori
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    All of it!

    I know this won't entirely alleviate the problem, but it could help. Maybe.

    I do like the idea of a sink next to (not just across from) the range for vegetables and pasta and stuff. Right now I have to make a big announcement before draining pasta (for kids to clear the floor and adults to back away from the sink). I used to think an extra sink was superfluous but once my father in law started watching cooking shows and now COOKS in my kitchen, I realize that if you have the space, why not? I don't mind snuggling my spouse out of the way, but I draw the line at inlaws. :)

    I'm sketching out a few things right now...to be continued...

  • lavender_lass
    10 years ago

    Are you sure you don't want three sinks??? LOL