WOw-how fortunate that you'll get to design from scratch, but I can see how that would be daunting. I'd keep a list on the counter or the fridge with a pen. I think all of us in our inner minds comment on things that drive us nuts, we wish we had, we say "if only ____". Write these down and they will help guide you. I know 1st on my list would be "This STUPID DEEP pantry! I want everything spread out and shallow so I can SEE what is in there!" Another one for me would be a place by the wall oven big enough to set down a cookie sheet so I didn't have to spin around with hot pans to set them down on the peninsula or the stove top. So maybe focus on 1 small thing at a time since you have a while. 1 week, pay attention to your prep space. Is everything at hand? Are your knives on the other side of the kitchen? How far to the sink? Next week pay attention to your sink. Then your oven area and so on. Also keep in mind things like if you entertain-is there a place for special dishes you use? Do you have to make lunches for your children, or are they grown? I'd LOVE a place dedicated to my bento box addiction. I won't need it 20 years from now, but if I were building a house NOW, I'd for sure include it as I'd use it for 10 years. Then evaluate your appliances if you are going to get new ones. Keep these lists and put them in a folder and review when you are getting ready to build. THen you'll know "I need a pantry that is wider than deep, I need a knife drawer in my prep space, an electrical outlet next to the stove, etc"

I don't really understand what you're doing or talking about, ha ha! :-)

However, let me just tell you that a good place to start is the Ikea kitchen planner (even if you don't want to use ikea cabs).

The planner first asks you to specify your room dimensions - width, height, depth. It then tells you to add your windows and doors. Then it shows you a bunch of different cabinets and appliances you can add to the room. You just click on them and it adds the stuff to your room. You can then move it around a bit, as you want. All this is done in birds-eye mode. Then you click a button to see the room in 3D.

Since you have almost unlimited options, you suffer from the dilema of choice - so many options, you cannot choose... start with the big blocks and don't worry about details yet...

Try starting the process by working out a few basic things:
what appliances do I want: Range (30, 36, 48,60?), Fridge - 30,36,42, 48, 60, built in, etc), DW, Wall ovens? speed/steam ovens? MW? Sink size and number (primary, prep, bar), sink by window? Access to back yard (french doors), other main rooms? How much counter space do you want for prep, beside the range, beside fridge, beside wall ovens, by sinks, for baking area, etc. Pantry - walk in?

Write down all these things in a spreadsheet - just a list, they are pretty standard sizes so they start to get some groupings...like a 36" sink with 36" of prep on one side, DW (24") on the other, with windows above...so in this example, you would need a 96" run of counter with a window generally centered on the run. That can be a starting point for one of your L's

You mentioned a partially separate kitchen like a pass through or pony wall, or maybe a raised island or peninsula? Search for pics with these items.

Also recognize that there are some standard clearences that should be meet - walkways between counters/islands, clearence by fridge/oven/range doors. That can give you general width/length requirements... for example 24" deep counter, 42" walk way, 36" island, 42" walk way, 24 deep counter = 14 ft. So if you want standard counters, and an island with decent walk through, have at least 14 ft wide in one dimension.

Houzz is an amazing resource, just search for ideas you like...and note the relationship of the major items (fridge/stove/ovens/traffic flows etc) and jot down what you like.

Don't worry if the first iterations are crap...I think we all went though dozens of iterations; some work, some don't but they slowly form into something that will work for you.

Start scribbling and post those scribbles, we all love to add commentary...and good luck
Caspian

Thank you, thank you, thank you! After I hit post I was most certain I'd be embarrassed to have that as my first post...that I'll never live it down. Our build will likely be our 'forever house' so I figure I've got one shot to get it right (and what an opportunity-so excited that I have got the chance to start fresh) and I do not want to screw it up - worse yet I can only blame myself then!

Bahacca-had to google bento boxes, lol. They look very cool. Might have to think about that for the kids for next fall. I will be packing lunches for YEARS to come. I have been trying to do that and I think you are right - focus on one area at a time. The thing is I do know certain things that I love/hate and have written them down but I can't figure out how to take that information and turn it into a kitchen...but I do need to know it so somewhere along the line a kitchen will form.

Pawa-I am sure there is some truth to that. I have been thinking about this kitchen thing for a couple of days and it all just spilled right out! Thanks for the IKEA tip - I am going to check that out tonight! I am very visual so having a 3D will be great for me. I like looking at layouts overhead view also but you really get a feel when you can see it in 3D.

Caspian - YES that's it! I do not do well with unlimited options, haha! I can answer those questions that you posed. I have never tried houzz - will check that out tonight too. I've been 'clipping' kitchens that I like visually but a lot of times it's bits and pieces or I don't really know how big it is and I can't get that crazy with the size nor do I really want to.

I am going to get to work with what I know...and hopefully it will turn into something good. I so appreciate the commentary. I think I've read so much that all of that information is swimming in my head too.

Off to work on my preliminary kitchen stuff.

I'm working on a remodel now, but I have read so much here that I also have a parallel List for the next, hopefully forever, kitchen.

Definitely check out the thread titled something like " if it hadn't been for garden web", which is full of good things people discovered or learned here all in one place. Probably a few pages back by now, but it was pretty recent.

I am definitely in a state of decision paralysis with just my little kitchen with many restrictions, I can't imagine what a completely blank slate would be like.

How exciting to be planning a new home! I hope you enjoy the process.

I think I drew something like 30 or so layouts before I got something I liked. Then I posted here and got a better one! So, as Caspian pointed out, you know there will be some poor ones initially, but keep at it! In fact, to get you started (and over the hump), you could draw an intentionally poor one, perhaps one with the range deliberately too close to the fridge, for example. This will free you to draw one without trying to make it perfect. Try anything!

Thanks Williamsem. I have started a collection of inspiration pics but I find that usually it's the aesthetics I'm looking at and not necessarily the layout/function - have to retrain myself for a bit.

Angie (we also DIY a lot) :) I do feel better, thanks for sharing that it took many tries. I tinkered with the IKEA and I do have a ways to go before I'd dare share what I made (the first one was so bad I didn't even save it). I think I might get myself some good old fashioned graph paper.

My new question:
I think one of my hangups is orientation. My current kitchen the window faces the side of the house and the dining room (eat in kitchen really) faces the back. So I can stand at the peninsula and look out the back and turn my head to the left and look outside the sink window also. The house layouts we are drawn to have split bedrooms with the kitchen in the middle of the house but in the front. So the window faces out the front and the eating area would face out the back. I am thinking I'd have my back to the window nearly all the time. Is it completely ridiculous to NOT put the sink by the window when you actually have a window in the kitchen? I've searched and have seen pics from others but most of them are for kitchens that don't have a window at all. Would that be crazy to not put the sink there? What do you think? ???

I like numbersjunkie's kitchen but I can't see all of it so I don't know if she has a window or not.

Here is a link that might be useful: Numbersjunkie's Kitchen

Hi, Autumn. There's actually been a lot of discussion here about where the kitchen sink can go. Although in front of a window has been traditional, these days a lot more time is spent prepping/cooking than cleaning and a lot of people feel that should be done in the most pleasant place to work--as a kindness to the cook. :) In front of a window, facing your family as they play and relax, or wherever. YOUR choice, wide open!

Also, sinks do NOT need to be centered when they are in front of a window for the kitchen to look good. If room space allows, a sink counter can be deepened so the wall's farther away and it feels extra comfortable working there.

Also, I'll point out that peripheral views out a window that's to one side are vastly underestimated, actually never mentioned at all, even though our eyes and heads are made to swivel freely. Deliberately putting a sink or other important work area to one side of a window can be a way of capitalizing on views to right or left of a window that would otherwise go unnoticed. Just one of those many subtle little details that can make one home more rich and satisfying than another.

The swiveling eye potential might be especially worth noting for you since it sounds like you'd prefer neither prep/cooking or cleanup on the window counter since you'd have your back to the living room. You could plan to enjoy a pleasant street view simply via casual glances to the side and directly when you're moving about the kitchen.

I got sidetracked, though. What I wanted to suggest was starting your kitchen design through analysis of how YOU work and what YOU want.

Leave the computer to begin with and come back to it later. You don't cook on a screen. Start instead with a nice open area, bigger than your kitchen will be, out in the yard maybe. Get some good-sized boxes of the right height and some boards. Forget any official guidelines you've read at this point. Right now all constraints are removed so you can concentrate on how it feels to you.

Start by setting up a counter and make a play dinner, something you often make. Start with a little counter, maybe 30", and see how well prep progresses with that space. I suggest starting small because a lot of people come here with beautiful plans that actually only have small work areas--this is when you find out if that'll work nicely for you, or how much more you do want. Add in other items, sink, stove, food storage, etc., as you continue playing, putting each where and how far away you think you would like to have it. If you decide you want more main work space, enlarge it incrementally, 36", 42", etc.

Add in more details/considerations as you go. Need a little more room to the other side of the sink? Pull the boards and boxes over a bit. Where will you set trays of cookies to cool, or whatever? Will you want room for others to work in the kitchen? Doing what? A separate counter area for making lunch, getting their own cereal and toast, coffee? Where should all that go? Washing dishes--do you need to move the sink so that someone unloading the dishwasher's not in your way as you stir the oatmeal? Measure your dishwasher and oven doors when they're open to see how much room will be needed to walk by when they're open and shift the boxes accordingly. Can others get to the fridge without coming between a pot of boiling noodles and the sink? And so on.

THEN, try what you're learning out with some constraints, like dimensions and doorways of plans you're considering. Draw what you know you want so far on the computer and start considering tradeoffs to design in as much of it as you can.

Have fun playing around.

I did this for myself and guarantee that if you do it the panic will be gone completely and permanently. You're feeling out of control not because you don't know enough about kitchens yet but because you don't know enough about what you really want for yourselves. After you do this, you'll sneer outright at 3/4 of the plans you see and stop while here to post your own advice to others.

(BTW, on the same track, are you sure you do want a split plan? Do you know WHY you like them more? Their active living areas are great for those who want an introverted home, a shelter from the world, and extra privacy for mom and dad in the bedroom. Good for people who are gone all day most days anyway and home when the lights have to be on. They feel nice and cozy, warm and shady by season, are protected from outside noise and other bothers by the flanking rooms, and can be less expensive to heat and cool. OTOH, they give all 4 corners, especially valuable home space with their potential sunshine and views, to bedrooms and garage, so they are typically low on natural light and limited in their relationship to the outdoors (especially with front windows covered for privacy) and can feel smaller than other homes of the same square footage.)

If you are looking 2 years down the road you are starting the planning process at the perfect time. I probably drew 50-60 floorplans over the space of 18 months (we were doing a whole house reno and had the chance to move walls and move the kitchen - like you, too many choices)

When you have an idea of what you think will work, post your suggestions here, with measurements, along with the plans for the whole house and let the layout experts have a go.

Thank you Rosie and blfenton!

Rosie-good point. I will have to def. lay it out somewhere other than my current space - no room for that! I think if I could 'move about' the pretend space that would ease a lot of my fears. As for the split plan - the main reason is that dh works odd shifts and is coming and going in the middle of the night sometimes. We were hoping that a split would keep the kids side of the house peaceful - no walking down the hall in the middle of the night, showers going, some lights on, etc.. We were also thinking that once they are grown (7 and 9 right now) and out of the house it would be nice to have them separate for guests...although I hear that they never leave right, lol! I am still a little bit on the fence but for those reasons I think it would be nice to have them on one side away from our room, the kitchen and the garage.

blfenton - that is a LOT of plans - now I don't feel so bad. I kept wondering why it was so stinkin hard to just put things down in an arrangement! I did take an inventory of our current space already and have been thinking about what I'd want different in terms of appliances, cupboards, etc.. That is helpful too. I will be sure to post my 'designs', I am sure that with everyone's help here I'll end up with something perfect for us.

Thanks again.

Autumn

Rosie gave you some very good suggestion. When I started laying out my kitchen, I started drawing bubble drawings drawn on tracing paper. Buy a roll. It will be the first investment in you new home.

The first bubble I drew was labeled cooking. To the right of Cooking was labeled Food Prep. The sink was next, then the dishwasher and the Fridge and pantry. I just kept unrolling more tracing paper until everything I needed or wanted in a kitchen was labeled within a bubble right down to the trash can. There was even a bubbles for walkways and standing. I had unrolled about 3 feet of paper. Only problem, I didn't want a 'line kitchen' so i cut the roll and started arranging the bubbles.

Then it was an easy job to work out the space needed for each task and how each relate to eachother. The CC range needed 48''. Some work areas overlaped or served two tasks ie food prep/landing area for dirty dinner dishes. I didn't like that so I added a dirty dish landing between the sink and food prep.

Only then did I fire up the CAD program.

Bill