Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
carsonheim_gw

What would you change about this kitchen??

carsonheim
11 years ago

Howdy folks!

I'm building a new home and got back the first draft from architect. I wanted to get some input from y'all about the kitchen. What works, and what doesn't? Any glaring deficiencies with this? What would you change, and how?

Oh, the windows are not there yet, so ignore that it is windowless except over the sink.

Thanks so so much!

Here is a link that might be useful: Link might offer better view

Comments (6)

  • debrak_2008
    11 years ago

    Please read the "new to kitchens..." thread posted by buehl that is usually on page 1 or 2. It will gives you tons of info on planning a kitchen. It will also tell you what you need to post to get help for your layout. For example, who will be using your kitchen? how many cooks? etc.

  • differentdreamer
    11 years ago

    Is that an island in the middle?

    Without knowing all of the details my first thoughts are the stove is not convenient to the stove or the sink, and if that is an island, it's even more inconvenient. (Think about hauling a large pot of water from the sink to the stove, or needing to stage everything you'd need near the stove before starting to cook.) If the stove were on moved the outside wall with the sink, it might be positioned little better, and it could (possibly) vent directly outside.

    I'd consider a prep sink for that size of kitchen also.

  • grlwprls
    11 years ago

    Ah, all the crazy kitchen plans I have gotten from architects.

    I'm right there with debrak (tell us how and who uses your kitchen and what you want this kitchen to "say" and do) and DifferentDreamer in saying that you have almost no good work flow.

  • live_wire_oak
    11 years ago

    There's a LOT of awkward duplicate and wasted space there with that rabbit warren of extra pantry and bar areas, so it's kinda funny that the kitchen proper is so small except for the island itself. That's a continent, not an island, and it's in the way of everything. We need more dimensions of everything, but at only 14' 1", the kitchen is too small to have something like that taking up all of the room and blocking all of the work. It would work much better to have a peninsula from the family room side in that space rather than the island. I'm also not liking the route into the dining room from the kitchen, or the butler's pantry, pantry, and bar excess. With that route, it will be a very little used room, and when you do use it, you'll hate on it because it's so difficult to serve to there.

  • kaismom
    11 years ago

    Unfortunately, it is not just the kitchen but the rest of the house shows many choke points.

    You have choked the flow of traffic down in the mudroom to accommodate a frig. Was that necessary?

    You have to get through 2 doors to get to the pantry, including a door that you have to turn sideways to get through. Why?

    Pantry should have an easy access from either the kitchen or the pathway from the garage. My guess is the mudroom is how you will enter the house. This has neither.

    You have a bar area plus the butler's pantry from the dining room yet you have a terrible access to the pantry... You need to prioritize better. What do you need more: whiskey and soda or potatoes for dinner?

    You have given the outside wall to the butler's pantry without windows. You need to use that prime real estate for more exciting things like windows and view from the kitchen or dining room. That is like using the street front of a department store as the storage area. Not a good place.

    The kitchen itself can sort out after you have sorted out the room configurations.

  • robo (z6a)
    11 years ago

    First thought -- I wouldn't want to take a turkey through that pantry to the dining room!

    I'd switch the pantry and butler's pantry to make a straight shot from kitchen to dining -- keeping at least 3' wide doorway. Cabinetry only one side of butler's pantry. Door to pantry on other side either open or pocket door.

    That switch moves the stove to form an L to the sink wall. I would also take 2' from the pantry to make that "L" -- this provides a good opportunity for a wall of windows to counter height all along that side, which would be really nice.

    Your island is too big for the kitchen - reduce to 3' wide and make sure you have good clearance around. Consider moving cleanup (main sink and DW) on to island. Consider a small prep sink on the window wall. Consider making the oven wall a 'wall of tall' with pantry and small appliance storage, this might provide opportunity to expand into at least one of the pantries.

    If you consider moving fridge, put it where oven is.

    At 14' wide, if my math is correct, I personally feel your kitchen is only big enough to accommodate a 3' wide island and that is with less than luxurious aisles at 41". Consider adding at least 2 feet on to the width of the kitchen to accommodate better traffic paths if you want seating at the island and full cabinetry on both sides of room. (24-30" for back wall of wall + 54" for passing behind seated people at stools+15"stool overhang + 26" cabinetry and counter overhang on island + 42"-48" between island and stove + 26" cabinetry and overhang on stove wall = 16-16.5 feet wide).

    Otherwise consider ditching the cabinetry on the back wall and the bumpout from family room and making it work in some other way. IF you want seating at the island.

    Edit: I snuck a peek at your whole-house plan and that entire corner (dining room bar/kitchen/pantry corner) strikes me as really awkward. I can see why the architect included those passthrough areas vis a vis the staircase, and I know not everyone wants a super open floor plan but...I think it could be better.

    This post was edited by robotropolis on Thu, Mar 7, 13 at 14:43