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cko123

Layout Issue

CKO123
9 years ago

I have been lurking on this forum for a few months and it has been helpful as I have started thinking about cabinets, counters, etc. We have not done anything to the kitchen since we moved in a couple of years ago. This is a picture of our kitchen as it is now.

Our kitchen only measures 13x9 and the aisles on two sides of the island are only 27". I feel like I am always having to walk around the island. Even if we did away with the seating edge of the island, the aisles would only be 33" and I think I would still feel the island is in the way. So the island is going. The basic plan of the kitchen is staying the same but we are wanting to add a peninsula perpendicular to the sink/window wall.

To the left of the sink is the dishwasher and to the left of the dishwasher there is just a 12" cabinet. Then the wall juts out 16"; there is 15" of wall to a set of sliders, 15" on the other side of the slider and then the wall juts in 16" into the family room. So the sliders are in the center of their own wall.

These sliders are in a critical place. You walk straight in the front door, through an entry area into the area in front of the sliders. The sliders and jut out is the area that is causing trouble in deciding what to do with the peninsula.

To the left of the sliders is the family room which my husband and I are using as a reading/eating room. We have two chairs facing the fireplace, have a long buffet along the wall and an eating table near the window. The likely spot for an eating table, however, is in front of the sliders. In fact, that is where the past owners had a table. However, we have a dog and bird feeders and we use the sliders a lot. And we do not want to always be walking around the table to get to the sliders.

Right now there is a ceiling fan (that has lights we have not attached yet because of pending construction) smack dab in the center of the sliders. I do not know if my husband and I would use counter seats. We like to sit at the table in the family room and face out to the deck and the bird feeders. But a family with kids would probably configure the family room differently and may appreciate having an area centered in front of the sliders for eating and thus I am hesitant to impinge on the space in front of the sliders too much.

Here are all the possible options I have come up with. In all we are eliminating the 12" cabinet next to the dishwasher and beginning the peninsula at the dishwasher.

Options 1: Avoid the jut out completely. Go with 12" lower cabinets in the peninsula and make the countertop wide enough to accommodate seating. The countertop would start at the kitchen wall. This would help retain the symmetry of the sliders. I saw a picture of narrow cabinets (12") with a countertop for seating that gives the appearance that it is bigger than it is by using 24" cabinet end panels. Cabinet space for my husband and I is not an issue. We are getting rid of a desk area in the kitchen and putting in a 30" pantry. But for a larger family the 24" cabinets might be a plus. End result: countertop extends 12" beyond end of kitchen wall plus space for chairs.

Option 2: Go for 24" lower cabinets in the peninsula, put a 12" lower cabinet and a 12" upper cabinet (facing the family room) in the jut out. (The 12" upper cabinet would fill in the space because it would have filler and an end panel facing into the kitchen). The countertop in the jut out would be 12" deep but would widen to 24". No seating in this option. End result: Cabinets and countertop extend 12" beyond kitchen wall.

Option 3: Go for the 24" lower cabinets in the peninsula, 12" lower and 12" upper cabinet in the jut out. Countertop in jut out is 12" deep but create curve and add 12" of additional countertop for seating at end furthest from the sink. End result: Countertop extends 24" beyond kitchen wall plus chair space.

Option 4: Go for the lower 24" cabinets, put in a 12" lower cabinet in the jut out but not put in an upper cabinet. This would maintain the symmetry of the sliders, at least down until the countertop. At least you could do some sort of drapery along the top of the sliders and keep a sense of symmetry. End result: Countertop extends 12" beyond kitchen wall. No seating.

Neither I nor my husband are really into kitchens. We want something functional and nice looking. But we do not want to do anything that will hurt resale in 5-10 years.

What do you think is the best option or do you have other ideas?

Comments (6)

  • Catharine442
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi CKO,

    I think you are so right to get rid of the island. That was the main impetus to my kitchen remodel. Some kitchens are just too small (or too crowded with people) to have islands.
    As far as the peninsula ideas go, I like Options 1 and 4.
    I think it is good to consider the symmetry of the jut out even though you are not TKO, as they say : )

  • scrappy25
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Definitely prefer no uppers in the jut out . The uppers will intrude into the sight line a lot more than the lowers.

    What is that wall to the left of the jut out? If that was painted the same color as the jut out , that would decrease the aassymmetrical effect of placing some 12 inch base cabinets in the jutout. Another option is to put a small decorative base cabinet or stand in the left corner of the cutout on the left to balance the 12" island cabinets in occupying the right side of the cutout.

  • ControlfreakECS
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Why move into the jut out at all? I think I would just put the peninsula straight out from the current cabs. Lay it out so that the corner can be accessed from the other side. No seating, just a 24" deep cab with a finish panel on the back. You'll need to move the DW to the peninsula, but that's not so bad.

    The space in front of the slider is designed to hold a small, probably 4 person round or square dinette set. Even if you don't use it that way, I would not want to remove that function, especially if you can see yourselves moving in 5 yrs.

  • Gracie
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My peninsula separates my DR from my kitchen. Originally it had an overhang for seating. We never used it as such as the DR chairs would literally collide with the bar chairs. So I see no advantage to adding seating at your peninsula for a future buyer with children. If your kitchen, eating area, and LR is the full extent of the first floor living areas, I don't think a future buyer with children would be interested in your home without adding on, so I wouldn't design for them. Our first floor has three rooms and a powder room, and even though it's a three bedroom house, it's really not meant for a typical family based on the first floor space. And our dining room is bigger than yours. In our neighborhood, most of the couples/ young families move out as the the family grows.

    So I would design the peninsula to make it functional for you. You will probably prefer to prep there most of the time. It must be awful trying to prep in your corner, especially with that diagonal cabinet in your face. Your kitchen is such a typical kitchen design from the 80s. What were they thinking??

    Love the little glowing eyes in your photos! It was like playing Where's Waldo?

  • Kathy Rivera
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You will get a lot more response if you draw up your suggested layouts into floor plans so people can easily see what you are talking about. My mind starts to wander as I read the various options and I can't focus on the differences.

    Graph paper and a sharpie are fine tools for floorplans (and a phone/camera to take and upload the picture). Or I liked to use tables in Word and drew in the lines with the editing options.

  • blfenton
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What is the jut out for? Is there something in it or is it a "jut-in" on the outside of the house?