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lmsscs_gw

Please review my layout

lmsscs
10 years ago

Thank you to all the posts on this forum I have learned so much. I've worked with my layout for a number of months, but I'm hoping to get an outsiders view on it to make sure I have missed something.

I currently have a galley kitchen (7'9"W x 22' L) + eat in area of (12'6"W x 10'L) that just doesn't work for an active, young family. It is way too hard to cook and have others in the kitchen the way things are now.

I am looking at putting back the original mudroom at the end of the kitchen that will take up 11'L of the current kitchen area. Eliminating the eat in area and incorporating that into the island followed by eliminating a half bath that exists between the family room and kitchen which adds another 5'2" to the kitchen area.

See my proposed plan below. The round end of the island (~5' diameter to sit 4 people on a regular basis and potential to expand to 6) becomes my eat in area in the new kitchen. We are adding a door + window to the exterior (where a window currently exists). The door will give us easier access for outdoor cooking. There will also be a pantry across from the island for added storage. I'm hoping the pantry wall will help to draw a line between the family room area and the kitchen space. The kitchen windows face north so we are doing our best to keep it as light as possible.

Perimeter cabinets will be Brookhaven Edgemont Recessed in Nordic White (color is still under consideration). The island will be Brookhaven Edgemont Raised in Cherry with the fireside stain with black glaze. I'm still working on countertops they will be some kind of rock, maybe quartzite.

More details:
Fridge: CYE23TSDSS, counter depth, GE Cafe SS
Double Ovens: ZET2PMSS, GE Monogram SS Convection ovens
Cooktop: ZGU385NSMSS, GE Monogram 36" SS Gas
Dishwasher: KUDE70FXPA, Kitchenaid w/Cabinet panel
Sink: Silgranit II BLANCO PERFORMA 1-3/4 Medium Bowl
Prep Sink: 15" round stainless (still reviewing)

The house is a fairly traditional colonial built in the mid-60's in upstate NY. Let me know if you need more details. Thank you for the input.

Comments (12)

  • Buehl
    10 years ago

    Do you have a layout of:

    (1) The entire first floor - including the restored Mudroom

    (2) What it looks like now (with the bathroom, etc.)

  • seattlecraftsman
    10 years ago

    Agreed, those would both help provide context and we can see if any other new-to-you options might also work.

    As is, I'd move the island inline with the cabs on the south wall toward the mudroom - looks close to range as you have it drawn.
    I'd flip the patio door direction, so that you can reach in and grab something off the counter easier.

  • lmsscs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Sorry for the delay, I had a horrible time getting it into a jpg format. Here is the current and the proposed floor plans for the 1st floor.

    Current:

    Proposed (insert my original plan into the kitchen area that is blank:

  • lmsscs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    seattleCraftsman, I love the pictures you did. Thank you.

    Do you think having the island in line with the cabinets on the south side is a better choice over providing the suggested 3 feet on each side of the island? I figured the end around by the fridge would be the main traffic pattern whereas the section by the stove was my space.

  • tracie.erin
    10 years ago

    These are not to scale at all, but might generate some ideas for you. Either option keeps your table.

    A bigger option in case you can steal some space from the garage:

    edit - removed request for measurements as I see you did provide them. In the second layout I provided, nix the 12"D Pantries - there's not enough room for them. Also I failed to notice that you have DOs & cooktop instead of range - in my second option you have room to move everything on the bottom wall to the right and fit the ovens in the end, but I do not see a way to fit them into the first option - sorry.

    This post was edited by tracie.erin on Thu, Jun 6, 13 at 18:04

  • lmsscs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    tracie.erin, Thank you for the ideas. We thought about going into the garage, but then we would have to add on to the front of the garage, it is just barely a 2 car as is. I'm trying to stay within my walls as this is already a costly project.

  • Valerie Noronha
    10 years ago

    I would group the mudroom, laundry and half bath all to the right as suggested above and group the kitchen and eating area to the left. If space is limited consider incorporating a banquette into your plan or perhaps open up the kitchen to the formal DR or doing wrap around cabinets. I would not remove the half bath without replacing it elsewhere as imagine it'll affect your resale value down the road.

  • lmsscs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    valinsv,

    I'm not sure if you missed it or not in my second post, but I am moving the half bath to a part of the living room area and expanding it to a full bath. Laundry is on the second floor so that isn't an issue. Thanks for your post.

  • tracie.erin
    10 years ago

    lmsccs - This came to me. It gives you a separate scullery/bakery area between the kitchen main and the mudroom. It's really the only way I can figure out how to fit your cooktop/ovens combo instead of a range as well as account for adequate aisle spacing plus all the doors you have in your space.

    It does separate some of the functions from the main area. The ovens are easily accessible from the main area, but cleanup is a few steps further. Perhaps you can plan cleanup time for when any young kids are being watched by someone else. Also, it's nice in that it keeps the cleanup and any baking center messes out of view from the main area :) Again, it's a rough draft.

    To help you visualize this somewhat, cotohele has a separate bakery setup that is very cool. I've linked a thread discussing baking centers that includes hers - among others' - but here is a sneak peak:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Baking Center Thread - Cotohele 3/4way down

  • tracie.erin
    10 years ago

    Bump! :)

  • herbflavor
    10 years ago

    when coming in from garage to mudroom then to narrow area, I would make a change. this is off your first plan from june 5...place the door from mudroom into kitchen at the lower end of wall [a move to the left] with a walkway that will be wider as the cabinets will be removed on left side..... the main work surface will be the window wall and order this setup at increased depth which is better for"baking", anyway. You will have one deeper run of counter and storage and a wider walkway behind. A family friend did a reno with such layout and the kitchen itself went into a long rectangular space that used to have a small table...it worked-it was cozy-this was their complete workingarea of kitchen mind you, BUT, there was no passage of traffic thru the space to other side to enter/exit. That is my concern with what you show-a lot of criss crossing with 2 walls of storage and work surfaces-a kitchen person or 2, and a "travelling through" person down the middle on this narrow aisle. With deeper storage you may still need to compensate some, so i would flank storage furthur down the wall around hood. The aisle wall that gets a clearance could have some shallow depth shelves between studs-not imposing on the walk aisle -can be done later with local carpenter.Is the island all you want it to be-the circle and all? I wouldn't segment your kitchen up anymore-keep as open as possible, and I wouldn't go into garage. You have separated rooms-as in formal dining/living/family room/etc so as open as the kitchen can be as in your 1st plan is how i would try to do it. Nice move with bath features yet set back thru a bit of passage-sustainable living for "getting mature" phase of life. Not sure about laundry upstairs tho-never lived with that. I need a lot of "piling and folding" space and drip dry/etc.It's in the basement.

  • lmsscs
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Tracie.erin, Thank you for continuing to think about my plan. I would prefer not to put in a dividing wall. I do like the island, but I'm worried about the functions being too far apart.

    herbflavor,
    You hit on an idea I originally had that my contractor tried to turn me away from, just having 1 side of cabinets down the narrow side of the kitchen. The walkway between the main part of the house and the kitchen is sizeable even though it is centered on those cabinets. It is 24" depth cabinets - 48" walkway - 21" depth cabinets (I proposed 18" and the KD didn't think that was necessary). That short wall of cabinets I see serving as a coffee area, potential snack storage area for the kids and additional storage. If I went back to the one wall I would need to be more efficient with my storage that would be for sure. What is the recommended baking counter depth?

    I love having a 2nd floor laundry, the clothes are already up their so no lugging baskets up and down the stairs. We have a good size room, but I haven't gotten the folding/drying isolated to the laundry room, it migrates to my room these days. I'm hoping to change that shortly.