Inspiration kitchens:

Current floor plan (each square is a sq. ft.)

Proposed remodel keeping current layout:

Proposed remodel combining formal dining and kitchen:(will be 20x13 ft)

I definitely like the proposed layout better than the current, but I want cabinets on the blank wall....it is 13 ft. wide and 8 ft. tall (- the pantry cabinet)

Can't see the snapfish album without signing up. (or at least I can't figure it out).

ETA: Thanks for posting direct.

This post was edited by cal_quail on Sat, Aug 16, 14 at 13:21

Thanks for your post cal_quail, I think I have it figured out! Ignore the Snapfish link....it isn't helpful!

here's 1 idea:

Amanda
You can use the Dining table for buffeting during parties.
Table = great for kids to do homework, boy scout meeting,
etc. like the hub of the house.

It'll flow like this:

What do you do with the dining and living rooms now? How long have you been in your house? (Just trying to think if you've adapted to your space or are still figuring it out.) I would definitely either take the space from the dining room or the dine-in kitchen area. With the proposed layout combining the formal dining and kitchen, what will you do in the dine-in kitchen area?

When you say "I feel like the proposed plan needs cabinets on the outside wall (possibly include something like a built-in hutch/buffet, utility closet, office area,etc.) but I want the island to sit at least 4" you mean the wall to the left of the drawings? (just confirming).

Without knowing anything else about your family and use, I'd not put an office-area in the kitchen proper, but I'd think about using the formal LR as an office/HW type space.

If the wall behind your fridge isn't moving in the proposed plan, maybe you could build a bigger pantry/utility area into that wall and into the formal LR? (ETA: meaning cut a door into that wall and build it back like a closet.)

This post was edited by cal_quail on Sat, Aug 16, 14 at 13:31

I removed the snapfish link.

Huango: I like the flow of your ideas! The picture you added at the end would be exactly how I would want it, but contractor and cabinet guy said an island wouldn't be possible based on width of kitchen (13 ft) unless we removed all cabinets from the one wall.... creating an L kitchen, which makes me think we should take down the wall going into formal living. At that point, we would switch the formal living into a family room, and use the room with a fire place as a "formal" living room.

cal_quail: We have lived here for 12 years and we have no plans to move.

Formal living is currently used as dance floor and playroom (NOT intentionally but youngest 2 are girls)....or wasted space. And more often than not, dining table ends up being used as a dumping zone for kids.

Yes, I think the wall next to pantry needs cabinets but my guy said that won't allow enough space for a large island.

We like the idea of removing the wall behind the fridge (adding a beam for support) but keeping the 1/2 bath in the entryway.

I was saying this with pantry. (I don't know why the writing is blurry). I'm saying keep the wall and cut the pantry/cabinet/closet into the living room. Build it out like they build closets.

This post was edited by cal_quail on Sat, Aug 16, 14 at 14:29

cal_quail: Let me know if I understand your idea....blank wall with a door to access the pantry?

I would recommend keeping fridge and range on top wall, but moving the sink and DW to the left wall for an L shaped kitchen. In that case, the island would get a prep sink somewhere along the side facing the range/fridge. Or, you can put range and fridge on left wall, sink on top wall, and again prep sink on island facing range/fridge. I don't recommend the latter though, as it would be rather tight. It's better to give the range and fridge the longer wall.

Your contractors are right that you shouldn't have cabinetry on the wall shared with the formal living room. Here is the math:
13" wide = 156"
-25.5" perimeter cabinets (24" cabinets, 1.5" counter overhang)
-40.5" island (1.5" counter overhang, 24" cabinets, 15" counter overhang for seating)
=90" left over for aisles, or approximately 45" per aisle. 48" is the recommended minimum for a work aisle in a kitchen with multiple cooks, and is also tight for traffic flowing behind anyone seated at the island. Google "NKBA Kitchen Guidelines." Now, if you REALLY, REALLY want cabinets on the other wall - which I don't recommend - you can have a 7 or 8" deep pantry. If you can go into the studs for some of it, even better. Here is a picture of a 7" deep pantry set into the studs. See link for more pictures and details.

How attached are you to that corner fireplace? I feel as though you're going in the wrong direction here. It's not the dining room you should be taking over, it's the family room. That's your entry from the garage. Windows on two sides, nice big space. Take that end of the house to be the kitchen. The old kitchen/dining/living can be repurposed to be your new family etc.

I was thinking of something like what schicksal and (I think) marcojohnson have. They both have (will have) sliding doors, but I think it could be done with cabinet doors too. In that case it would look like what tracie.erin posted. But if they built out into the LR, they could be deeper.

I have no idea if this is structurally possible or how much it would cost. But there's that alcove in the LR and since it's a room you didn't seem too fond of, I thought you might like to steal some of it's space.

The designer sucked up the space in this kitchen with that island. If you don't need a 12 foot island, you can reduce it to 10-feet, close that door (to LR) up, and run cabinets along that 13 foot wall. That increases your dedicated counter space significantly, and your cabinets by more than half.

First things first - if the table is currently a dumping ground (I can relate), a prime consideration should be to create a convenient, functional space for the things that end up on the table. That was one of the goals of my kitchen remodel.