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Need help with a kitchen layout: 2nd attempt!

ntredway
11 years ago

I have been working with a kitchen designer and this is the second version of the layout. We are building an addition to our current home. The addition includes an extended kitchen which will be open to the family room.
I like this layout much better than our first attempt, see link below.
I have already purchased double ovens, so any plan will need to incorporate those. I like to cook and have been a bit limited due to the lack of storage/flow in the existing kitchen. We are a family of 4 with two active little boys. There are typically two people in the kitchen, but during holidays/special occasions I can have up to 5 helpers. Thanks in advance for any advice!

P.S. Long wall is 29' long. Short wall with cabs is 12' long. The exterior wall in breakfast area is 15' and the short wall is 5', making the area more open to the family room.

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous Post

Comments (11)

  • remodelfla
    11 years ago

    For such a huge renovation, I strongly suggest you change all your bottom doors out for drawers. Is the small sink intended as a prep sink? Or more as a snack, wash hands, get a quick drink sink? I'm hoping not a prep sink cause I don't think it's placement is optimal for that.

  • live_wire_oak
    11 years ago

    I'm never a fan of breaking up the countertop with a tall object. I'd much rather see your cleanup sink where the refrigerator is located, and the prep sink on the island. Then the fridge, pantries, and the wall oven can be the tall objects that finish off the cabinet run on the left. I wouldn't do a bar area there at all. If you want a bar area, then locate it closer to the entertaining zone like the family room. Also, what is going on the left half of the room? Some type of seating? Seems cramped for that, but overly long for a kitchen. Something in the proportions is off.

  • ntredway
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Remodel: I think the the KD was looking at it as a prep sink, but I was thinking it would be a good area for the kids to wash hands and such to keep them out of the main prep area.

    Live wire: I'm not sure about having the sink face a wall. Don't know if the lack of view would bother me. I see what your saying with moving the refrigerator, but I was concerned that moving it would affect the flow of traffic. Right now it seems easy for people in the family room and dining room (other side of refrigerator wall) to access. As for the seating, again that was the KD idea. I like the idea of seating on that side of the room, but was thinking of moving it to the longer wall. I think it would make more sense there and do away with that awkward feeling. Removing that section at the end might do a lot to help with the proportions. Thoughts?

  • popl9425
    11 years ago

    Looks like the same layout problem I am having... My long wall is going to be 24' long and the shorter wall is going to be 12'. I am having a hard time figuring out where I want my sink, frig, and stove to be... Was thinking about putting the stove where you have it and the sink on the island like you also have, but I think I would rather have the whole island as a prep station and put the main sink where you have your frig, moving the frig to where your double ovens are (I'm not going to have double ovens, just a 48" range); but then I have the same concern as you, having the main sink face a wall and not have a view :(

  • liriodendron
    11 years ago

    I see that you may plan to use the second little sink as a hand-washing station.

    Good idea because as a prep sink, its current position is not ideal: first, because it's not in the logical prep zone between cooker and fridge/food storage areas and secondly, plunked where it is out of the main area it divides an otherwise useful counter into two less-useful shorter sections.

    I don't kow that I'd want to give up valuable kitchen working area just to have a hand-washing place for kids. (that sounds like an existing feature you used as-is until you could change it out in a future remodel.) In a few years they'll be able to find and use the bathroom/powder rooms on their own and you'll be stuck with special-purpose (even if unintended) sink in an awkward place.

    The design does get kudos for avoiding having the clean-up sink in the island butt-to-butt across the aisle from the cooker. But you don't need to have the island sink plunked in the dead center and you might find adjusting the position of the rangetop, the prep" sink and the oven stack can be improved if you move away from the center postion for the island sink.

    Ideally the the prep zone could be bookended on one end by the height of the fridge and on the other by the wall-oven stack. In between have a clean run with just the prep sink and cook top interrupting the counters. Place the clean-up sink (again, not directly across from the cooker position) where it works out, naturally.

    HTH

    L.

  • ntredway
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    L: Where do you think I should put the prep sink? Closer to the fridge and then move the cleanup sink down toward the other end of the island? Also, are you saying I should move the ovens to the end of the long run?

  • ntredway
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    nicole: I know what you mean about layout issues. I don't like to do the dishes as it is and facing a wall would make it that much worse! I do like L's idea of moving the cleanup sink to one end, thus freeing up more prep space.

  • herbflavor
    11 years ago

    remove the pantry that is on the right of the fridge....skooch the fridge to the right as the last item there. Place a narrow pantry to the left of fridge and oven stack to the left of that. then over by small sink, place 2nd pantry near the end of that run. If the 2nd sink doesn't work there because of the pantry ,put a 2nd sink in the corner over on the right.The pantry with a 2nd sink on that left side would be a good spot for kids grabbing what they needinterms of snacks from a dedicated shelf in the pantry and rinsing glasses,dropping off utensils/plates/etc. Don't people wash hands before meals or coming in from outside in lavatories anymore? We didn't get a separate handwashing sink in the kitchen as kids.....but I can see other reasons for a 2nd sink. On the 12 ft wall there should be ample room for the large fridge/one pantry and oven stack and counter into the corner. That would free the run behind the island basically and a pantry off to the left would be fabulous with 2nd sink.

  • a2gemini
    11 years ago

    Both KDs put our bench on the long run - I thought it left people in left field - so I moved the bench to the wall with windows(in your plan) and put a small pop up table in front.
    I felt that if peeps were sitting there, they should be part of the kitchen and not a wall flower. - In our case, I banked the banquette with 2 towers - but you wouldn't have to do that.

    I don't have a great picture from the kitchen into the sunroom - but love that when folks visit - they are not on the long wall - our short wall is 11 feet across, so a bit less than yours.

  • ntredway
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Gemini: that is what I was considering. I agree that having people sit on the long wall is awkward. I like it better on the wall with the Windows. I think it also opens the possibility of having a small table there.

    Herb: moving.the small sink to the right corner might work well. It would certainly work better as a prep sink there.

  • ntredway
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Gemini: that is what I was considering. I agree that having people sit on the long wall is awkward. I like it better on the wall with the Windows. I think it also opens the possibility of having a small table there.

    Herb: moving.the small sink to the right corner might work well. It would certainly work better as a prep sink there.