Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
raro_gw

for Davidrol and all - layout of unconventional kitchen

raro
12 years ago

Here is the front view and the view in plan of the kitchen. Top of the plan page is east. These are a bit outdated though. The last pull-out pantry we changed to a set of conventional cupboards that face towards the east instead of south like the rest of the pull-outs. that is where the Miele speed oven is going. Between the hutch and the range is a small bank of drawers that does not show up on this old plan view. Also, the sink is not double bowl but one large bowl.

In the front view you can see where the Karbon faucet is located.

Comments (9)

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am assuming the top elevation/section view shows the hutch out in front overlapping the rest of the range elevation.

    What is the "back" of the hutch?

    Where is the refrigerator?

    Are you okay with walking across the hearth of the kitchen fireplace? I am assuming it's non functional.

    What is all the storage to the left? It seems rather trapped behind the hutch construction.

    The hutch is oriented toward a swinging door with sidelights? Is that why the money shot of the hutch is oriented that way?

    The dining room appears like it is going to have a view of the side of a number of things that may look a bit cluttered or not too cohesive. Is that a concern?

  • raro
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I should have said that this design is already set. There were a number of difficult challenges for this kitchen. Doors entering space: main house entrance, study, living, dining, hall, master bedroom suite. Working fireplace.

    Hutch is next to range. The back of the hutch counter is an appliance garage (behind sliding glass doors). Back behind hutch is hallway. There are built in shelves on hallway side.

    Refrigerator is back to back with entryway cabinets (I think you are calling them the hutch). The entryway cabs have the small Blue Eyes granite counter with a mirror behind it. The 4'9" is a dining height built in table next to the fridge. The spacing is very, very tight but all spaces are at least the minimum recommended distance for passageways.

    Storage to the left is a coat closet, space for vacuum cleaner, then pantry pull outs and shelves.

    the swinging door is the main entrance to the house (weird location isn't it!).

    The view from the living/dining is "protected" by ledge that is topped by marble. that hides most of the kitchen business.

    Money shot, that is funny! This reno is a giant money moon shot. Or mable Mars shot.

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think the cabinet in front of the door is a good focal point then.

    Is the side of the refrigerator covered?

  • davidro1
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    yesterday in another discussion, a ledge or shelf was mentioned, for a Karbon wallmount K-6228 and spouts for filtered water. A 1771 Tapmaster ( or 1776 locking ) was to go in the kickplate space. So far so good. I see the ledge was a way to hide the view onto the sink.

    A lot of thinking went into this plan. Your big piece of apparently self-standing furniture in the middle of the space is a good idea as a view block. This barrier and the fireplace combine to block the view onto the sink. That's good too. If these entryway cabinets go all the way to the ceiling, you could easily get plumbing ("DWV vent") brought into the counter.

    I'm jealous because in several renovations I've done, I've wanted to have a back of a wall be an appliance garage behind sliding glass doors, and slip it between built in shelves on the other side. Or something similar, with a bathroom / hall combination. Kudos on your hutch counter / hallway storage.

    Kudos too over at the sink ledge. A wallmount faucet is a great way to give you loads more useable countertop space behind the sink, and this is good since it's a tight space in a corner.

    Q: Is the sink stainless steel, is it welded into the counter and backsplash, and are you welding ridges onto the sink side walls to get the advantage of being able to suspend grids colanders and cutting boards in mid-air in the middle of the sink. See Franke Orca for inspiration.

    In the images, some text is illegible. Even on photobucket, zooming in doesn't make it legible. I'm curious about the textual comments inside the cloud balloons. I can make out a fair amount, but not all.

    The hutch on the LHS of the range is kinda sorta like free standing buffet furniture, and also built in. The other possible "hutch", in the center of the room, is a bipolar personality. On the grand entrance side it's like a showy buddha alter flanked by presentation display cabinets, and on the kitchen operating side it's like a peninsula / island counter workspace. This unit could have plumbing and electrical. (According to Code, a.f.a.i.k. or remember, this peninsula counter needs outlets). The space shown for the fridge is small; a deeper fridge works well here, and costs $1000 less than a shallow "CD" fridge. Or, a 24" by 25"d fridge would work well. A second 24" fridge could go in your remote pantry. The 4'9"L counter could widen out where it's far enough from the fridge door. Next to the fridge are two box shapes, undefined: perhaps the open one is an appliance garage for the toaster and blender. What is under the 4'9" countertop?

    A DW and a fireplace side by side. Who would have thought it could look so good? I think the fireplace is two-sided, open both sides, janus-faced, with glass doors to stop cross breeze blowing ashes out. Or is it?

    Continuous multioutlet electrical in a horizontal line.
    It is good visually because it looks like a backsplash shelf from a distance.
    Something is sliding glass, above the horizontal electrical line.
    In the hutch area, it is the appliance garage.
    What is it in the sink ledge? This must be a small storage area.
    Will there be thin tube fluorescents inside these sliding glass spaces?

    Here is a savings of $1000 : in the 12" space under the counter between the hutch and the range, put open shelves instead of a bank of 10"w drawers. It's also more practical. Or, pullouts without high fronts to hide the stuff they hold. It helps continuity with the nine drawers of the hutch. You can hang a flat textile/ fabric over the 12"width when you truly need to hide its contents when guests arrive. For inspiration see "roman blinds" because these can look deceptively rigid, not floppy like anything drape-y would normally look. (Since the counter is 12" you don't need to have a complete new circuit and outlet on the backsplash above that piece of counter, btw., and I see that in the images. But, it breaks the visual continuity of your horizontal lines.)

    The LR and DR are defined, but that means the other doorways lead to something else undefined. Bedrooms, storage space, garage access, TV room, study, hallway, whatever. All the "east" and "north" areas are undefined.

    New version (not shown) with cupboards facing east (not south) for a Miele speed oven = = means you give a view of an oven "hole" to all those who are out in that other area far away, far far East. With a 24" fridge you would have room for a 24" oven in the center built area.
    If you don't install all the electrical outlets per code, then far in the future you can declare to potential buyers that it is what it is and they can get used to it. Code is a lot of overkill, as far as electrical outlets are concerned. After all, how many small appliances are all plugged in and being operated at the same time?

    If the plugmold strip of outlets is glued to the wall not recessed, you could also glue a piece of frosted tempered glass 3" by (full-length)" on top. (gluing is shorthand to mean any method of affixing). In the countertop area to the RHS of the range and around the sink it may not be ideal, from a Building Code point of view, because of the requirement to have two (double) 20A circuits in one outlet box within 24" of any counter surface larger than a 12" piece. This means you need six 20A circuits, in three boxes. ((...don't quote me or use my words as a reference; double check this and provide a gentle correction if it can be written more accurately...)). Now, here is the rub: in a linear strip configuration it can be difficult or impossible to "know" which pairs or three's of the multiple outlets are connected to which of the six circuits. So, it is possible to blow a fuse, pop a breaker. hey, no big deal, go reset it and start again.

    Appliance garages are great in a couple of ways: they let you (per Code) put any electrical you wish, as you wish, to suit your fancy. Secondly, they let you hide the machines you want not to see in your normal everyday visual field. This kitchen is so "tight" that it forces you to live like a European or Asian, who must consciously choose what NOT to have in their house. Machines objects and thingies are all entities that need a dedicated space of their own to call home. Worse than pets. I threw away a wonderfully powerful (230V!!) microwave oven because it hogged countertop surface area. I backlit all my new kitchen (shelves, ledges, walls). I now have a large kitchen inside a small surface / footprint. YOUR space reminds me of mine in each of the paragraphs above, and in many more ways also!

    After entering the house and turning right to go towards the LR, you have a rectangle. An undefined cabinet. It blocks view and it forces people to walk towards the fireplace first before going farther into the LR space. Hmmm. It creates an apparent pinch point even though the space is nominally right-sized. I might make it smaller by half, or eliminate it. I might put something on the fireplace side, and make it openfaced, openbacked (so the fireplace is still visible), and of a footprint that is halfround or halfoval or even slenderer, so there are no sharp corners. Or two facing halfovals, one on each wall, framing the entrance to the LR.

    Since you have a remote pantry, it appears you have a lot of storage.

    Are these images provided by your architect?

    I'm sure I've missed a lot because I couldn't read much of the comments in the images.

    Hth

    Here is a link that might be useful: Two 24 in. fridges = more versatile

  • raro
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Fridge is covered on three sides. Here is the view looking over the ledge from the hall by the living room. The red ladder is in front of the hole where the fridge goes. there will be a mirror facing the entry door on the back side of the fridge. I guess what I have is a refrigerator island instead of the usual sink or cooktop island.

    Things look pretty crazy and jumbled up from this view with all the cardboard and all.

  • Fori
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Refrigerator island.

    I can use that.

    :)

  • palimpsest
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You have actually solved the only real visual issue I had which was the side of that large refrigerator enclosure. I think it is going to look good.

  • detroit_burb
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    WOW! This is incredible so far! I hope you will leave the exposed beam, it is so interesting next to the antique fireplace. I read some of your earlier posts about this project, and this is amazing! Let me know if you ever plan to sell so I can look for a job wherever this house is...

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I like it.

    I'm really jealous of your "refrigerator island". I think it is one of the few really "out of the box" ideas i've seen.