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kcorn

Finalizing cabinet sizes - any last input?

kcorn
10 years ago

Thank you to everyone who has helped us get this far with multiple changes to our layout!

We are firming up the cabinet sizes this week and I wanted to see if anyone had any final thoughts / suggestions for us.

(*Note - the cabinet next to the fridge is a 24" wide x 12" deep tall pantry w adjustable shelves that faces out - it was hard to read on this photo)

Any final thoughts? Thank you!

Comments (16)

  • Kathy Rivera
    10 years ago

    I haven't caught up on your various threads/plans/etc but I just want to ask...are you sure you want to put your DW on that left wall?? It will be hellish to load.

    You could switch the trash to a 15" to the left of the sink and move your BBC to the wall where the DW is. Put the DW to the R of the sink and an 18" cab/drawer between DW and stove (so wall would be BBC filler, trash, sink, DW, cab, stove, cab). Having your trash a step away from your prep space is a much better sacrifice than having your DW door open behind you while you clean off the dishes. And yes, that puts DW in prep space, but mine is too and it really is no big deal - certainly better than turning around and loading it behind me. The DW is never open when I'm prepping. If someone wants to load it then, tough luck, wait til after the meal when all the dishes are ready!

    My other question would be - where do you plan to store the pots/pans? You don't have anywhere close to your stove to do that. You have two nice 36" stacks - but they are across the room so not conducive. If you do switch the DW to the sink wall, you could actually close off the corner and do a 36" stack on one side and the 15" trash cab on the other side. Still not as close as I'd like to see a pot drawer, but better than walking across the kitchen's main walkway.

    Sorry, I know you've been working on this plan a while, but it just doesn't seem to function the best it can, IMO. But like I said, I haven't seen all the threads so I don't know your rationale for things.

  • kcorn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    KathyNY76 - No apologies necessary and thank you for your comments. I realize I have "overstayed my welcome" here with so many iterations of our plan and I greatly appreciate the help.

    DH and I have been discussing some of those same concerns tonight. We came up with an option to put a 33" base next to the range for pots/pans along with a 9" tray divider between the 33" base and the sink. We also switched the trash / DW so the DW is on the end of the peninsula run. I am not sure if that works, but I need to look at your suggestions as another option. Thank you!

  • Kathy Rivera
    10 years ago

    Oh no, you make as many threads as you want!!! 100 if it means you are getting a great, workable, new kitchen!!! :) Lord knows I had about 573 I think! I just know that sometimes people would come in and say "well, you should do X, Y and Z" And while they may have been fine ideas, they had already been addressed in other threads about why I couldn't/didn't want to do them.

    Take your time! I know you want to get moving, but I'm so happy it took me forever as I got such a functional layout and it's just a pleasure to work in! Good luck!

  • User
    10 years ago

    I think you might get more replies if it could be read. People are using mobile devices more and more and I couldn't see it on my tablet. It's not much better on my laptop.

  • debrak2008
    10 years ago

    I also can't read the layout. Can you go in with a fine point sharpie?

  • kcorn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Sorry for the hard to read layout. Here is an updated version and I will post some 3d pictures too.

  • kcorn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    View from family room.

    Note - I was not able to show the pantry next to the fridge facing out so it doesn't look right in this view.

  • kcorn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    sink run and left side of range

  • kcorn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Fridge wall

    (note: I couldn't get the microwave in here, but it would be in the bottom middle lower cabinet that shows 2 drawersâ¦the microwave would be in the first drawer space)

  • Kathy Rivera
    10 years ago

    Is it a 30" sink base or a 33"? You wrote 33 but only drew 30?

  • annkh_nd
    10 years ago

    Your sink/DW/trash placement is similar to mine, and I don't have a problem with it at all. Will the dishes be stored on the fridge wall? If so, the DW makes even more sense as drawn. I would much rather have the DW adjacent to the sink than in the prep zone.

    We don't pre-wash our dishes, so unless there is a lot on the plate that needs rinsing, they go directly from table to DW. In your case, I see dishes carried from table to peninsula, with most dishes going directly to DW. Someone can clean up at the sink while someone else loads the DW. In our kitchen, we deal with leftovers away from the DW, and in your kitchen I see that happening near the fridge. The middle drawer next to the fridge would be my storage container space.

    This is going to be a lovely kitchen!

    PS - put a shelf in your little tray cabinet. I have one the same size, with a drawer above, but I wish I had a shelf instead. I'd use it for a rolling pin, or aluminum foil-sized stuff, or trash bags, or paper towels, none of which fit in my drawer.

    This post was edited by annkh on Tue, Mar 18, 14 at 12:57

  • kcorn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    KathyNY76 - the sink base is 33". I am sorry for the drawing inconsistency. I have confirmed the measurements with the KD and cabinet sizes are correct for the space. 33" sink will be properly centered under the window with a 43" blind on the left and other cabinets to the right.

    annkh - thank you for your feedback! Based on the upper cabinet sizes and placement in this design, yes, I think the dishes will be on the fridge wall. I agree about the clean up / left over process. That is the same for us in our current situation and I can see our storage containers on the fridge wall, too. I just started researching the tray cabinet setup and I love your idea. I had not had a smaller tray cabinet until this plan came about and I can see how that would be useful. I just checked out your lovely kitchen and I can see how there is a similar orientation of sink/dw/trash and I am so glad to hear that it works for you!

  • User
    10 years ago

    My knowledge of layouts is limited, but there's a few things I'd look at again. If possible, I would switch the bar sink and wine fridge so that you have a landing counter for groceries going into the pantry. Especially handy if groceries come in through that doorway.

    I wouldn't want to walk glasses and silverware across the aisle to the fridge wall, so I think I'd prefer the DW between the sink and stove. Like Kathy, I have no problem prepping over a DW. I don't load as I go. I put dirty prep tools in the sink to be rinsed first. Then plates and silverware can go in the peninsula drawers for ease in setting the table. That 21" corner upper would probably be the best place for glassware. You'll want to make it a single door--that right-side door will open in your face. I also notice that your left stove cab opens toward the sink. I would switch it to open while standing at the range since those wall cabs will probably hold your oils and spices.

    A small base cab used for tray storage can become easily jumbled and things can disappear to the back. I had a 12" one, so I know a 9" won't hold much. If you don't move the DW there, it would be good for a few cutting boards, being right by your prep. But I'd try to use a bigger drawer or sink base rather than put in a filler cab. If inches matter, those dish towel pull-outs cabs are cute. I've been trying to find a spot to hang my towel for two years. Now we have a kitten who pulls it off the drawer or stove handle and sits on it. I guess tile floors are cold!

  • kcorn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    may_flowers - thanks for the feedback! We originally had the bar sink and wine fridge swapped but changed it because we couldn't get the symmetry we wanted under the uppers. However, I think you have a great point and I didn't think about putting things away into the pantry or even pulling things out. I will definitely be looking at how to make that work.

    Re: the dishwasher and trash placement - I have no issue moving those into the prep space. However, this creates an issue with not having wide enough drawer space near the range for pots and pans. I could consider simply swapping the 9"/33" bases with the trash and DW and that would allow me to still utilize the 33" base for the pots and pans. But then, I need to consider where I would put my dishes.

    Here's another option - if I go with a cooktop (vs range), plus two drawers underneath for pots/pans, I can move the trash and dw between sink and cooktop, have 27" + 15" base in peninsula (between those + the 21" upper to left of sink = enough storage for dishes/glasses). Then, on the fridge wall, I would need to have 30" combo microwave/oven setup next to fridge, leaving me with 42" base/uppers plus countertop space.

    Thoughts on these changes?

  • kcorn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here's what the fridge wall would look like...

  • User
    10 years ago

    I like the plan to use a cooktop and drawers. That should be enough counter space for the microwave and wall oven, so I don't see a conflict there.

    So back to the sink and stove wall. I would prefer the trash and DW separated, with the trash on the left of the sink. Could you get away with a smaller trash cabinet if you had another at the bar sink? It seems trash or recycling would be nice there.

    So fitting in trash made me think about the DR peninsula. Do you need it? If your cabs ended at the half wall, you'd have dish storage and a trash pull-out instead of a blind corner. It seems kind of silly to block 42" of straight-run cabinet just to add it to a peninsula. I can see how the peninsula would be useful for buffets, but you could put a buffet server in the DR. It doesn't seem worth configuring the kitchen for one person to sit on the other side of the peninsula, far away from the cook. So I'm not sure why it's there. Is it for symmetry with the other end? Imo, you have symmetry out the wazoo so it won't hurt to open up the DR end.

    One of my favorite things about my peninsula is the depth for prep, though I mainly prep between the sink and stove. Without your little peninsula, you could make all your base cabs a few inches deeper, which would give you more room for rolling out doughs and plating food.