This has me rethinking my plan and eliminating some travel time. I'm thnking about a galley kitchen, which is what I have now. Not all the bells and whistles of the larger plans, but much less walking. Anyone else rethinking the larger layout?

Oh, and I love a big kitchen...just not a big work area. So eating area, seating, fireplace even are all wonderful. I just want everything when I'm cooking/baking, within easier reach :)

The key, I think, is to make zones, which make each task as efficient as possible....and then coordinate zones that might share things to be adjacent to those shared elements or items.

That's why I was against the sink and stove swap in your latest plans. I could see that your travel time got greatly increased. Look at your work path with one plan, and then the other, and compare. But if the view and windows are a top priority, it might be a compromise you'll find worth it. There is no 'perfect,' but only the best balance of priorities. You should be able to say, "I know I have to give up __(x)____, but in order to have __(y)_____, the sacrifice is well worth it, and I have no regrets."

I have my fridge now, where it will remain in the finished kitchen. I have only the one sink over by the window, cooktop on peninsula still there. I have to tell you, it doesn't bother me one bit. I think it depends on your personal preference. Some people don't like to work in a kitchen unless they can twist and turn a step or two for each function. But, I've been doing this for over a year and find that it doesn't bother me. I like it. I don't feel cramped, the fridge is out of the way, I think you have to weigh your desires. Close in, or spread out.
I like to spread out.

Good luck! I like your current plan, BTW.

It's great when there's more people in the kitchen, but that doesn't happen more than a couple of times a month, in the summer...and maybe for a few holidays. The rest of the time, it's me cooking/baking with my husband making a few things. We normally do dishes before we start cooking or after we eat, so usually we're not doing both at the same time.

Actually, I'm playing around with a galley kitchen for the sink and range, but the fridge and oven/microwave would be on another wall. Still close but more counterspace. That's my problem in the current kitchen...no room for prep. I really want a couple of areas where I can have 6' or prep space, not 2' here and 3' there.

Susie- Thanks for sharing your experience. I think I'm just lazy (LOL) but I do the same thing when I garden. I have more benches and seats than anyone I know. Actually, I don't mind taking a few steps, but when I counted it out, I had 18' between my oven and range. And 14' between the fridge and range. If I switch the range and sink, then those are the dimensions between the dishwasher and the other areas of the kitchen. Great for a big family with lots of 'helpers' but more walking than I want to do, to make pasta for me and my husband :)

I'll repeat something I probably read on here: DONT plan for the holiday meal. Plan for the every-day. Sure, make sure a holiday meal is functional, but it's just not the prime use case. One of the things we tend to do for holiday meals, for instance, is use the porch (rather cold in Nov/Dec here) for dessert storage...or anything that I need OUT of the way, like oil for frying or something like that. If you want a space for more, can you design that as a separate zone that you know you wouldn't usually use? (Baking, cooking, prep, cleanup & visitors? ;))

I think you can still have room for others while retaining some efficiency for your daily tasks. You built some of that in for yourself by planning a range and a separate oven, and by having the prep sink as a triangle with the stove and fridge in that stove-at-the-top plan.

You also need to consider your kitchen vision for French country farm kitchen that suits your house and is open to your keeping room. Galley isn't the same. It seems you went down this same type of path when you tried the peninsula plans. Taking on responsibility for your 'dream kitchen' is a bit scary, and as I said there are no perfect solutions. But in this, as in anything, it's often not good to give into fear that will keep you from moving in a new direction and reaching those dreams. IF that might be the case here. This is your chance to have one of those kitchens as beautiful as your inspirations, and would hate to have you disappointed that you gave it up. Practicality and beauty can exist together.

Are you getting any closer to actually breaking ground and hammering nails for this remodel? Sometimes getting anxious to start the project makes me want to do something and I start fiddling with plans...Sometimes good and sometimes not. I found it hard to keep track of what affects each change made, and for something that gave me tiny improvement in one spot, what I was sacrificing elsewhere. So be wary of that, so you don't get an "Oops" for later. :-)

Anyway, as always on the forum, feel free to ignore whatever doesn't suit your situation and priorities. I admit I can't read your mind from across the mountains (or anywhere, of course), and I'm interested to see how you might plan your galley to meet all your dreams and needs.

I have a friend with an enormous kitchen - turn-of-the-century-mansion huge. She has her work area with all major appliances clustered down at one end, with another sink and the microwave farther down the island in a separate zone. It's almost as though she stuck a sort of U-shaped galley kitchen at the end of the room, with the end of her large island making up one side of the galley.

Can you consolidate the major stuff?

We ended up defining more than one work triangle. DH's triangle is from the microwave to the fridge to the prep sink as that's how he makes his meals. My triangle is the prep sink, the fridge and the cooktop/oven as that's where I work. (one requirement was at least 2' of counter on each side of the cooktop as I am a "chop and drop" cook.) One of my requirements was to NOT have to circle the island to get to the fridge....I didn't want to need roller skates when I was cooking. Then another area is for clean up with the sink and dishwasher on the far wall, which works great as when I'm cooking, he's cleaning, but not at all in my way. The cabinet to the left of the sink has become the coffee/tea station where the mugs, tea, hot shot, coffee pot all located near the main sink for water. On the other side of the kitchen is the bar area which has glassware above, bottles below and easy access to the ice in the fridge. That space is also just inside the doorway to the library and dining room so becomes a serving space when we do formal dining.

Prep sink, cooktop, fridge all nearby....across from cooktop in the island is an oven.

Along the wall on the right, left to right, is bar area, microwave behind doors, oven below and then desk area. Corner of the island is visible on the right, fridge is to the left.

Between the fridge and the bar/desk area is the aisle way that goes to the dining room and library

Desk area is opposite the end of the island with the bookcase full of cook books.

Clean-up area....with coffee station to the left, sink and dishwasher out of the cook's way.

Megan- Great point! I think I'm getting too centered on cooking with others...and then when I think about making the average dinner...I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Do I really need all this space? Will I feel like the equivalent of sitting at a large formal dining table, when it's only the two of us?

Yikes! So much to plan and Rhome, I did have some dish storage by the dishwasher...but it meant losing more windows. So then, the dishes were going by the wall oven, no where near the dishwasher. Then, I moved the sink closer and the range was too far.

Anyway...this got me thinking, what if I just did something totally different and tried the Laura Calder kitchen, in my room? Not a perfect fit, but it brought everything much closer together. And, unlike the peninsula plans, I don't feel so 'boxed in' since the galley is open on both sides.

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

And in the overall plan...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Ginny- LOL! Now, I'm going to be thinking about how much floor I have to wash :)

Annie- I like your kitchen layout. It's a beautiful kitchen and very well planned! Thanks for posting the pictures, too. It's so much easier to see how everything fits together, with pictures!

Remember to draw your oven and fridge to accurate scale, so you see how much baking counter you have. I think you might be 6" short on both, so you'll have only 3 ft of counter instead of 4'.

This is an average, doable kitchen... with walk-through traffic, and mostly a one-person space.

With this, you try to eliminate path length to walk back and forth across wider aisles, and work around any extra helpers on those special occasions. It's not particularly kid friendly, and the stove on the island may make it less so. Do you actually reduce your path length? The room is still the same width. Just much less kitchen, in terms of flexibility and workspace options... And not your farmy, French country look.

And, I now can access a porch off the back (best view for the entire house) if I can figure out these roof lines! Now, the side porch can also be great place to start all the baby veggies...that don't grow well here, with our 2 1/2 month frost free season.

The kids can sit at the stools or work in the prep space with me. It's going to feel huge after our current kitchen. And I hope it will look very french country, depending on what we use for finishes :)

Still like a pot rack/light, over the range...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Table in front of the fireplace...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Backsplash...I think I'm one of the only people who knows what backsplash I want...it's everything else that has been a challenge! LOL

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

French accent pieces...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

But 2.5 mo growing season? Are you in Canada? Or Greenland?

You'll need a lot of eaux de vie to keep you warm. Make sure you put room in the kitchen.

We're in eastern Washington, but live on a farm, in a valley, with a creek...and have frost until early June...and then frost again around August 23. Tomatoes are such a challenge, well the red ones at least!

I wanted to post another point of view on my plan...because this is one reason I started thinking about a change. The view from the kitchen and the walking! This lines up so much better with the table and the front window, which are centered on the room, after accounting for the fireplace. And, I'm working around these existing features.

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Roof lines, if not an obvious or easy addition, usually require the help of an experienced person. They get very complex, visually and structurally. Not that pros always do them nicely either. But bad roof lines can cause water problems and ruin the style/look of the house.

I think only you can decide what you will like best. Either plan will work. I think the prep sink is the key to making a bigger space function well.

Babushka cat- That's kind of our situation...it's just me and my husband 95% of the time, so I'm rethinking the larger layout in favor of a more compact layout for every day. And we have a few more cats, too...counting the outdoor barn kitties :)

Gbsim- Good point about the seating and I'm sure my plan would be very different if we actually had kids. We have nieces/nephews and friends' kids, who like to come out to visit, but they color at the table or even in the living room at the coffee table...not at the counter. It is an existing house, with the fireplace and front window already there. And, the front wall in the dining room is brick, so not moving anywhere...we definitely have to work around it.

Dilly- Your kitchen is beautiful! I really like it and I know it's going to be a great fit for you and your family. You have two dining areas, so it makes a lot of sense to have the fridge accessible to both. And, I agree about the prep sink...how's your project going? Any new pictures?

My newer kitchen is the L shape with one run being about 6' (the inner part of it - where'd I'd be walking) by 8.5' (that includes 2' for the fridge). I'm really thrilled to have 3' of counter space that will be usable in the new place. That's plenty for me - and i won't have a big distance between any major needed 'appliance'. The stove is about 2 steps to the left from the sink and the fridge is about 2 steps to the right from it . There are many kitchens out there set up the same way turning out family sized meals on a regular basis. It's also very usable to make meals for just 1 or 2 people. I won't be making any of those family meals, but I could easily if I wanted to or needed to.

The copy of your prev LO that I still have on my computer doesn't show the measurements of it so I can't really tell but couldn't you adjust a few things to make it easier on you for the majority of the time? Maybe a 30" depth counter for the stove, move the sink a ft closer to the stove, fridge also? Put the ovens in alignment with the island. you might even have space then to the left of the fridge to put a door to the outside.

The kitchen for my new build will be done this week and I LOVE it. I designed it without an interior designer or kitchen desigher, but with lots of help from this forum. The advice I got here really helped me sort through my priorities and helped me choose the right design for my family. I made a couple of choices that went against the grain and I worried that I'd made the wrong choice until the cabinets went in. But I love my kitchen and it really works (even with a few unpleasant surprises that forced me to move the microwave from its chosen location).

So I say, go with your gut to create the kitchen of your dreams. Then, do your best to create the most efficient design that you can that stays true to your vision.

One question - in the BHG photo that you posted recently of a white kitchen with a table attached to the island, the range was in the corner. Might that work in your island kitchen design if you place the refrigerator/freezer where the range is now? I'm not sure if there is enough space, but it's a thought.

I did put all of the baking "stuff" on the fridge run (KA mixer now sits next to the toaster), but extended the counter depth here to provide ample prep space so I wouldn't need to run back to the island. The only thing missing is a little prep sink here, but it's certainly not an impediment to baking.

Mklee- Honestly, the fact that the sink and cooktop/range (still debating) now line up with the big front window is a huge plus, to me. And, there's so much less walking, which is another big plus. So I guess, that's what I think about over the lack of storage and extra items. I like the bigger plan, but I want to scale down and just use what I really need/love, so maybe this plan will encourage me to do that!

Hlove- Your kitchen is just wonderful! It's one of my favorites on the forum and I could so easily see visiting at the island or on the porch, with a cup of tea. And you have a great baking area, too. Definitely a lovely and functional space!

Deb- Here's the link :)

Oh, try 'french canisters' under an image search. I saw some other pretty ones...let me see if I can find them, again.

Chiefly- Thanks for the picture! That's a very pretty marble table...and I like the plate rack, too. I'd still like to use marble in the kitchen...maybe between the fridge and ovens. I was thinking of wood for the cooktop counters, but this does look nice...and I like the raised backsplash, although I'd probably use some of my tile!

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

I do like this picture, although it will block a bit of the window over the sink. But, it would give me more venting than a downdraft...and we will have electric burners, not gas. I'd just like to know how far up I can have it, since I'm tall and want to be able to see under the hood.

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

I like the copper hood, but maybe I've been watching too much "Ratatouille" with my nephew :)

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

I really like things to be easy to reach and see, which explains the plate racks, open shelves, and glass uppers. Things have to be cleaned/dusted more often, but easier to use...and it looks good, too :)

Looks like I need to do more research. Maybe I'll see if any of the appliance stores actually have working models of the downdraft, to see how effective they are.

hlove - love your kitchen and the view from the sink and stove.

Chiefly has me thinking about the marble table (again) so I thought I'd try one other idea. This has the cooktop/range (still deciding) with a backsplash behind it, making kind of a half wall...probably with beadboard on the back...and marble table pushed up to it. I'm thinking the marble table should be tall enough that it's just a little lower than the backsplash.

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

If this works, then it would look something like this...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Or this...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Downdrafts are not very efficient for the simple reason they have to work much harder to go against nature. Steam rises and unless your downdraft is very tall, it's not going to work well with anything higher than a frypan or small pot. They are better than nothing, and with gas burners do get some of the pollutants that gas puts out, but I wouldn't bother using one with an electric or induction cooktop.

Both dh and I are tall. I'm 5' 8" and he's over 6'. When we initially installed our hood over induction we had it at the recommend 36" above the cooktop. It really blocked the view and dh has a few scars from hitting his head on the corners. So we moved it up. I'd have to check but I think it's around 42" to 44" above the cooktop now and it still works fine for our cooking style which includes tons of stir frys. We also enjoy the view now too :)

With respect to walking around too much... our space is much larger than the old kitchen and yes there's more walking but... remember, it's good for you! I love my zones and find efficiency provided by them more than compensates for some add'l walking. Fridge is off to one side and pantry to another; 10 steps round trip between prep area and fridge and 14 between prep area and pantry. When I prep, I gather ingredients and then work.

If anything, the downside to more countertop space/separate prep zones/cleanup zones is more cleanup. I am a messy cook :) Good luck!

Oldbat2b- LOL! I'm sure it is good for me, but last night (after working on the horse fence for 4 hours) I kept thinking how glad I was to not walk too much, while heating up dinner. (I knew we'd be doing this, so I had leftovers all ready from the night before.) Thanks...I'm glad you like the photos! It really helps me 'see' what the space will be like, or at least what I hope it will look like.

Rosie asked me about making the wing walls a bit smaller (on the Building a Home forum) so I've made them 2' wide, instead of 3'. And, I thought I'd try a narrow 18" pantry next to the cooktop (against the wall) with a larger pantry on the rest of that wall. Any thoughts?

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

And, if I flip it over, this is what it would look like, when working in the kitchen and looking towards the dining room/keeping room.

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

My mom says it's better 'feng shui' to have the windows (light and views) lined up. I can see that and it feels more balanced. We have to work around the fireplace (which I love) but it does make everything a little off center. The fridge/oven wall helps make the kitchen more balanced with the other spaces :)

I just love your hearth room! It is so cozy and can't wait to see how you decorate it.

The things that concern me on your current plan - the O/M and the Refridge in the doorways. How will you get items out of the oven - does the MW open to the side or drop down.

How about moving the DW to the other side of the sink?

I know your windows, etc would prevent you from using our plan (and your design will be so much prettier when finished!)

Main L shape run - includes cook zone, clean zone, prep/serving zone

Second run - bake zone - note the fridge is close to both the prep/serving as well as the bake zone

And as you probably remember - the sunroom connects to the kitchen - but is open with the bench and the his/her cave

Thank you for the comment and you're right about the doorways. It would also make a lot more sense to just screen the back porch (no glass) but that means the doorway would have to swing into the kitchen. So, with your observation about the fridge, this is the other idea I'd been playing around with...it means a little less prep space around the range, but there's more by the fridge and the door can open in, without hitting the ovens. What do you think?

Sorry, this is getting a bit messy...I should start over but I'm heading back out to the garden in a few minutes. Maybe tonight!

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

We had red Boston lettuce, sugar snap peas, basil, and sorrel from our garden tonight.
I planted sugar snap peas - but have 3 different varieties from the same seeds.... And our garden is microscopic but intense...
Can't wait to see you updates...

Here's a (hopefully) clearer plan. I've had to give up on gardening...it's just too windy and cold, today. I'm glad your garden is doing so well! Later this week it's supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny, so hopefully I'll get the garden beds looking better, over the next few weeks :)

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Also, Gemini- I really like your ovens. Is that an oven/microwave or two ovens?

Then, the oven/microwave, plate rack and pantry area would all be 7' cabinets (fridge pantry, too) so that there would be a little display above. Mostly plants (I know...dust catchers LOL) but that would make them different that the full height wing walls.

So, what do you think?

Oh, also...I'm debating about having steps from kitchen door down to the screened porch area. Usually all one level is nice, but this will really help with the roof lines and the steps will be more enclosed. Also, no steps between table and BBQ out on the patio (not shown). Thanks for checking back :)

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Overall plan...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

And I really like this rug, from the cover of Country Living magazine. The blue and green would look great with the brick fireplace...but wood furniture (not painted). Although I could see painting the bench or maybe the desk.

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

The rug would look great in your hearth room! Love the colors - subtle but there!

Would you believe our ovens are 2 different manufacturers - so 2 ovens - The top one is a GE Advantium 240 and the lower one is a Wolf E series

Now on to your kitchen -
I see you managed to get the fridge and oven out of the doorways - The fridge was less of a problem than the oven - what is the "P" - I am sure it is obvious, but must be tired. Maybe Pantry - is it a pull out

Where will your plates, flat wear, and glasses live? Can you post any elevations? Something is bugging me, just can't figure it out...

I am not an expert (far from it if you saw all of my posts!) - so others pop in to help our friend Lavender!!

Work is quite busy - so might be a few days til I am back...

Thanks!

Your ovens look so good! I would never have guessed they're different manufacturers.

"P" is a pull out pantry! Good guess...and the other side has a larger cabinet style pantry (between the oven/microwave and the wall).

The glasses, bowls, etc. will be in the 36" upper cabinets by the sink (left side) and the plate rack will be by the range...against the oven/microwave. It will be about 30" wide. I'm hoping any extra dishes and maybe glass containers with flours, oats, corn meal, etc. will be in the glass uppers by the fridge.

I'm guessing silverware will be on the left side of the sink (maybe garbage under sink) and then I'll have lots of pull out shelves, behind doors, for the other lower cabients. Probably some drawers (top only) by the fridge area and a crock with utensils, by the range.

I like open storage and drawers are at a minimum with our mice problem. Don't get me wrong...our barn kitties make it almost impossible for one to get in the house, but when they do, they get into the drawers, not the cabinets.

I'm glad you like the rug! I love the blues and greens. Such a nice contrast to the brick fireplace and soft yellow/gold walls. Thanks, again, for checking back :)

One thing that I did before finalizing - I put stickies around the kitchen and then practiced "baking", "prepping", "cooking" and "cleaning" and tweaked until it all worked!

Did you see the post of our pull out pantry? Loving it! I really need to take updated pictures - the refrigerator is in its home and the pantry is packed - but this is the our pantry (and we now have hardware to open it!)

So far, we have kept the mice to the basement - and hoping they never figure out there is another level....
I am also hopeful that the new siding is keeping them at bay - we made it all winter without any critters in the basement.

I'll be watching your plan develop.

What do you think?

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

That's a prep sink on the island, with a bookcase facing the dining table. Great place for cookbooks and the fridge is near the range! Everything is easy to reach, but the baking area and I don't mind that being in its own area.

Here it is with the overall plan...and it gets rid of that long 'hallway effect' which I've never liked, with the old kitchen entrance.

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

It is hard to tell on your diagram, but it is possible the island could be even larger if you needed it to be.

I also recently remembered a bar stool my great grandmother used to have that solved this problem, it had a fold down step ladder on the front. I found a similar one online and posted the link below.

You might consider swapping the pantry cupboard and oven to the other end of the baking center so you have the prettier counter area more central and on view to the room. But maybe you want the baking counter bordered by the tall cabinets? I can't remember if you use your microwave much. It's usually handier to have it near the fridge, and I do things like thaw meats, and melt butter, so I like it near the stove. It all depends on how you use yours.

Mostly for this plan, you'll just have to consider if the longer route from your living room and bedroom, plus the other end of the house will be worth it. For example, will you be doing laundry while working in the kitchen and have to run back and forth? It's a long run. ;-)

Baking area is also the same, and I like being able to pivot and wash my hands. Looks as if you'd need to take a small step, but I think this will work well. The baking counter and ovens are also close enough to the island to line up cooky trays and cooling racks there.

Laura12, my grandmother had the same type of stool!

I know the other plan was less than idea, but it lined up well with the windows in the dining room. Now, I still have that...but with a better layout.

Laura- The island is 6' x 3.5' and it could probably be bigger...but I want to keep it on the kitchen side of the beam, if possible. Cool stool, too!

Rhome- I kept the panty and ovens on that end, so they wouldn't be behind the door to the screened porch, when it's open. I figured it would be safer (less chance of glass breaking on the door) if the oven handles were on the other end of the cabinets.

Mama Goose- I'm so glad you like the plan! I love your kitchen and it makes me very happy that this is similar to yours. Good point about the baking area :)

Quiltgirl- Summerfield helped me with my plan (a great deal) but it was a long process. I'd always wanted the fireplace in the kitchen/keeping room, but until Summerfield thought to put the master bedroom in the front of the house...we couldn't find a layout that really worked.

At first, I wasn't so sure, but once I thought about the light, views, gardens, etc. it really made sense. The roses/flowers are outside the bedroom and bath, while the 'rustic' landscape (horses, trees, pasture) is out the back. Each goes better with the rooms and how I want them decorated/designed...so it's a great fit.

Oh, square footage is about 2,000 without the porches and mudroom...a little more with them. Cabinetry...probably white cabinets (cottage/traditional) for the L and wood for the baking area. The island might end up green. The countertops...marble for the baking area, wood for the island and blue ceramic tiles for the L...I like color! LOL

Inspiration pictures (already posted, but a long way back on the thread)

First...earlier version with great beams.

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Wood and green cabinets...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Pot rack over island...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Bunny backsplash...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

An idea for blue tiles (maybe just a bit more gray) to match the flowers on bunny tiles...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Colors for dining room...

From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Megan- We could access the porch from the living room, but I don't think we will. It will be easier with the roof lines to have the porch on ground level...and we really don't want two sets of steps. And, it messes up the furniture arrangement of the living room. With the new kitchen layout, I like that people don't have to go through the main work area to access the porch or the greenhouse :)

My house is TOO open right now, so I guess I'm looking forward to a little more separation! I wish I could get a better close up of the plan. It's 21' from one long side of the living room to the other and about 9' from the dining room opening to the back hall...and another 4' to the living room.

I have 40' now, from the bedrooms to the office and I don't even think of it as long, but it's all open and can be very noisy. When we have a lot of people over, it's almost too much...so I'm looking forward to all these french doors! Let's the light in, but blocks a bit of the noise :)