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krkahn

Kitchen Layout Help - Pics & Cabinet Layout Supplied

krkahn
12 years ago

We have been working on our kitchen for a few weeks and have posted a few times for suggestions already. Thanks to all who have helped us! I think we are pretty set on the following plan but want to see if there is anything we can do to make the design better. Below is the floor plan along with the pictures the KD sent our way. We have heard the pantry seems a bit large for the space and have considered making it smaller but still want to have plenty of space for all of our needs. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated. Let me know if you need any more information. The cabinet "codes" may be a bit off (ie i put 16B and it might actually be a 15B but overall the codes are just the dimension sizes.

Additional info:

- we are considering opening up the wall another 1-2' in the foyer / living room to make the access from the foyer / downstairs area easier to reach the kitchen

- we are considering opening the wall another 12 - 16" between the living room / dining room to allow for the dining room table to fit through it for holiday parties.

- the pantry depth is 13"

- there is approx 50" between the peninsula and the pantry

- we are considering a counter depth fridge to get rid of the fridge bump out.

- we are going with a 36" Range (most likely the Electrolux Induction cook top w/ convection range).

- the 24" cabinet on the peninsula is for a microwave drawer

- there is going to be a 13" overhang on the peninsula area to allow for seating.

1st Floor Layout:

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Kitchen Designer Screen Shots:



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Comments (11)

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago

    Oh, I just said I liked option 1...are you set on this plan? The other one seemed a bit nicer, but maybe it was the upgraded cabintry and appliances. The cooktop with undercounter range, the glass uppers, the baking area...

  • krkahn
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Yes, we are pretty set on this one. The rendering is definitely much fancier on the first one (from my old post) but the cabinets /appliances will all be of the same quality (Brookhaven or Holliday Kitchens). In the end we like this one the best as it has extra prep space around the range, 4 additional cabinets and a bigger peninsula area for seating. I realize the pantry is a bit large for the space so we were thinking of making it 1 30" and 1 15" instead of 2 30" cabinets. If you have any other suggestions let me know.

    Thanks!

  • taggie
    12 years ago

    I like the layout and the flow of appliances. I would try to add more glass cabs to break up the look of a lot of wood on all sides.

    I wonder about the pantry location encroaching so far into your dining room space. It looks a little like an afterthought, having the cabinets go out so far past the kitchen. Only because they are so imposing (floor to ceiling).

    It would be tempting to make that into a buffet and hutch with glass uppers to store your pretty china and stemware. It would seem to fit the transitional space between kitchen and dining room better that way.

    I realize that leaves you without pantry room however. Would it be feasible to put a reach-in pantry into the corner by the fridge? You could perhaps keep the full-depth fridge that way and possibly match the depth of the fridge to your pantry. It doesn't leave a *whole* lot of room to the right of the range, but prep would be left of the range anyway, and it would give you a more useful single cabinet opening away from the range hood on that right hand side.

    That's just a couple of quick thoughts. Not sure how feasible it is really ... I don't have a reach-in pantry myself so not sure how big it needs to be to be useful. And I realize it doesn't leave you with a landing space right beside the fridge. Personally I'd take that trade off for a pretty buffet and hutch, but your mileage may vary.

    Good luck with your new kitchen!

  • badgergal
    12 years ago

    I like the proposed swap but I would make the two side cabinets into 2 door cabinets and have the lower doors the same height as the center doors.
    The rest of your plan looks great.

  • rhome410
    12 years ago

    Do you like all the diagonal-front corner cabinets? In comparison to 90 degree front cabinets, they have smaller doors and, therefore, tougher access into deeper cabinets. On the base cabs they infringe on floor space and reduce the counter frontage on each wall's run, and create deep counter corners. They infringe on head space over counters for uppers...making the room feel smaller. It may be personal opinion, but they also seem dated in your nice, new kitchen.

    Now I see, though, that even though the plan shows all diagonal fronts on the corner cabs, the renderings show only part of them in diagonals. Seems like you'd want consistency, whichever type you choose?

    I like the pantry as it is, unless you need the counterspace for serving or display. In my house it might just be a clutter collection spot.

  • desertsteph
    12 years ago

    I don't usually see the need to swap out a fridge for a CD model. If it sticks out and cuts into a walk way I'd do it if I could financially. I would allow extra inches around it (even if a filler is needed) in case a future fridge is wider.

    the corners - I agree with rhome on being consistent with whichever type you use. I do think the diagonal corners cut into your space - makes it much more difficult to reach into those corners! The upper diagonals put the cab door smack in your face and give too deep of storage- where things are lost in the back.

    alternate upper corner cabinet -

    the pantry - I think it's fine and space like that can always be used. you can use the different doors/shelf areas to separate types of items - like canned goods in one, breakfast and other dry goods in another, 1 for baking supplies, 1 for snack items/juice/soda and /or water bottles. Unless you have a definite need for a counter space closer to the dining area I'd keep it as is. I don't think it's too big.

    doorways - foyer - I don't see the need for a wider doorway there (am I missing something?). will there be a closet in the foyer?

    DR/LR doorway - that might be a good idea to check out. make sure your table will fit thru the doorway w/seating also. or you might just set up another table in the LR lined up with the doorway. We did that at my sister's for holidays - there was a large archway between her eating area and her LR so we put another table in her LR running up to the archway so both tables were close together. It was a 'T' arrangement.

    base cabinets - drawers, drawers and more drawers!! why so few drawers?

    it looks like it'll be a big, beautiful kitchen with lots of cabinets and counter space! I'd put in more lower drawers tho.

  • taggie
    12 years ago

    I wouldn't change the pantry to a counter, or to a counter with pantry cabs flanking it either.

    If it were me I'd change to a buffet & hutch something like this style (not a counter space which could end up being a dumping place for mail & stuff).

    [traditional kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by san francisco kitchen and bath KBCabinets

    or like this:

    [eclectic kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2104) by los angeles design-build HartmanBaldwin Design/Build

    I just think that a 5-foot floor-to-ceiling pantry wall extending out 3 feet past your kitchen will be (a) imposing-looking and (b) awkward to use. You'll have to walk back and forth past 2 doorway or entry points to get to your pantry and back to prep zone.

    Other people will often be in your way (personally that would drive me crazy, I remodeled a whole kitchen for that very reason). Mind you I'm not always the world's most patient person when I'm making dinner after a long day at work, so you can take that with a grain of salt if you're made of sunnier stuff.

    To me, that corner by the fridge is a better pantry space. You could put a pocket door that slides back toward the range wall so that you have just enough room for a one-step-in pantry with 4-5 feet of floor to ceiling shelving. Then move the range a few inches over to the right so you have 2 x 24" cabs on either base side (or get a 36" range even).

  • aloha2009
    12 years ago

    I didn't catch any responses to your question regarding the livingroom/foyer opening.

    With the stairs being on the side of the kitchen, walking around 4.5' would seem awkward IMO. I would make a much larger opening where you have only a 1' or better yet 0' to walk around. With the stairs being right next to the wall, it would seem unnatural to have what would be a "barracade" to get into the livingroom. With your house as it currently is, I'd block off the kitchen entry from the foyer and walk around to where your new kitchen door will go and ask yourself if you want a wall and if so how much of a walkaround.

    It sound like your fairly certain about moving the kitchen opening into the foyer so when it's time to build the wall you can play with it since it's a fairly easy wall to install.

    It's really looking good. The "pantry" wall could possibly have a countertop instead of floor to ceiling cabinets. This could provide a spot to place have a buffet style gatherings. It does look a bit heavy but very useful. Perhaps you can find another option that works really good for your family.

  • krkahn
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    @desertsteph - the widening of the foyer / living room area would be to make it easier for us to get into the kitchen from the downstairs. We are so used to coming up the steps and walking into the kitchen from the foyer and now we would have to come up the steps, go around a wall and then make a sharp right into the new door for the kitchen.

    @aloha2009 - We are pretty set about closing off the kitchen door in the foyer as it adds so much extra counter top space and cabinet space to our kitchen.

    At this point we are going to look over the kitchen layout with the 4 door pantry vs a pantry / buffet style unit similarly to what I proposed above. Ultimately we are trying to balance aesthetics with function and want to make the most of our space.

    Our 2 options we are debating for the foyer living room are:
    1 - move the opening down as far as possible, make it a 4' opening with pocket doors (full glass / prairie style grilles). This would require us to have at least 24" of wall to hide the door but would allow us to close off the dining room and possible use it more often by putting a TV in the room. Our house is a split and we currently can hear a pin drop practically from anywhere in the house.

    2 - move the opening down as far as possible, keep it a 6' opening. This would allow us easy access to the living room / kitchen from the stairs / front door.

    3 - move the opening down a few feet on one side only (ie take down an extra 2-3 so the opening would actually be 8-9' wide.

    Any suggestions on this one? I appreciate all the feedback and can't wait to get this started.

  • powergirl
    12 years ago

    I agree that the pantry creeps into the dining space too much. I like the suggestion of making it a buffet, or have you thought of a beverage center? I know this takes away from your pantry space but you could make some cabinets glass front and put all your wine/decorative glasses in it. Adding a small wine/beverage refrigerator to the lower cabinetry may give it more purpose for being in the dining area?

    This may be picky but is your dishwasher to far under your window? Look at making your sink base wider and moving your dishwasher over to the left. I know this will change your whole layout but it does not seem symetrical.

    Good luck with everything and I would love to see pictures when you are done!!