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drhomeideas

Kitchen layout help need...

drhomeideas
10 years ago

We are breaking ground tomorrow on a major home remodel/addition. Yeah! The kitchen will be relocated so I am working with a blank slate. The attached picture is a rough layout of the space. A little about us - currently 3 adults and 1 child, we eat most meals at home and dinner time is family time. We entertain several times a year but usually less that 15 people. Any help on the layout would be greatly appreciated.

Comments (11)

  • drhomeideas
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Okay I realized I left out some major details. Appliances have all been selected - 30' double ovens, counter depth refrigerator, 36" cooktop, microwave drawer and dishwasher. The sink is pictured as a double bowl but I am more inclined to install a single bowl. My initial thoughts were to have the cooktop on the L, double ovens and refrigerator on the wall opposite the sink, prep sink and microwave drawer on the island. Sitting for at least 3 but prefer 4 on the island. Thank you for taking the time to make suggestions.

  • lisa_a
    10 years ago

    What are the dimensions of your space? I clicked on your plan and enlarged it but the numbers aren't clear enough for me to read with certainty. I can't tell if the distance between the exterior door and the powder room wall is 13'2", 15'2" or 18'2". Additionally, that includes the width of one exterior wall and it doesn't tell me what the length of the perimeter run on the opposite wall.

    I can guess at the width based on island size and aisle widths (I'm assuming that the 51" markings are for aisle widths) but I'd like to know if 201" or 16' 9" is correct (aisle widths (51 x 2) + perimeter cab depths (25.5 x 2) + island width (48)).

    Do all 3 adults cook at the same time? Does the child cook? In other words, is this a one-cook, two-cook or more-cook kitchen? Have you read the Net to Kitchens thread? If not, please do to see what else we should know.

    Here is a link that might be useful: New To Kitchens? Posting Pics? Read Me!

  • akcorcoran
    10 years ago

    Hi there -

    Your kitchen will look a lot like mine if you flipped the stovetop and the sink. We got a lot of recommendations to do that, but we have an exterior window that I wanted over the sink.

    Our island is the depth of two cabinets plus the overhang so roughly 51" and then it's only 63" long (a 27" cabinet for the microwave, a 24" cabinet and then an 12" overhang. Your island is much longer than ours, so that's great!

    Can't exactly tell where your ovens are?

    Anyway, there are some differences, but ours is below. I don't know about you but I had such anxiety that our island was not the traditional layout and size (people on Houzz or here sometimes have such glorious long islands that are parallel to the long kitchen counter and not perpendicular!) I really was nervous about it.

    Well, tell you what - I love it. Folks can work on all three sides of the island AND someone can sit at stools on the end. We tend to prep for cooking on the one side of the island near the cooktop and then prep cold dishes or a salad on the other. Both have access to the prep sink since it's not too far away.

    Not sure if you're having a table nearby - ours is a round table across from the island and we put all our dinner on the end of the island to serve. Great for everyday and especially great for when we have folks over.

    Oh, also, I then moved to agonizing about lighting b/c of that different direction issue. You have room for two pendants - or a multiple pendant fixture that only mounts to the ceiling in the center. I was just sort of perplexed by the idea that someone would only see the SIDE of the two lights, because when you look here or on Houzz, those gorgeous pendants are always horizontally across an island. This was my own quirk and you may not care, but I ended up going with the round light because of that. I also have four spot cans on the edges of the island for drama. But, lighting kind of hung me up too so you may have a plan already. :-)

    Let me know if you have any specific questions, but here's a visual. And, good luck - how exciting to get started!

    (This was before stools!)

  • drhomeideas
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Lisa thank you for taking a look. Hopefully this picture is more clear. It did chop off the pantry/service area, (10' x 5') space that leads to the dining room,which will be flanked by china hutch style cabinets.

    13' x 16'6" is more accurate

    51"aisle (2) + 48" island + 24 counters (2) does not include countertops = 198
    aisle width 51" (three side of island), counters in the drawings measure at 24"
    4' pocket door to mudroom

    No uppers on the window wall. Thinking 36" chimney style hood over cooktop.

    1 cook, 1 cleaning while I cook. My daughter likes to bake.

  • drhomeideas
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    akcorcoran - thank you the visual is very helpful. How long is your sink run?

  • drhomeideas
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    akcorcoran - thank you the visual is very helpful. How long is your sink run?

  • rosie
    10 years ago

    Congratulations, erdr669. That's some nice space.

    One thing that strikes me, though, is that you seem to have created a wide, handsome doorway/transition from dining room to kitchen/family but a destination view hasn't been designed.

    That is, what you look AT in that direction is a wall that ends in the middle of it, a piece of another wall to its left, and part of a door to what looks like the back yard on its right. A permanent deficit being created since it can't be "decorated" away if left like this.

    A doorway is like a frame on a piece of art. A handsome frame itself isn't enough; what's being shown off within it matters. Creating an important doorway creates a need for an artistic view to fill it. That might be favorite art over a favorite old chest, a second handsome doorway framing a view to the garden, a wall of books (for those who love them :), or...

    It won't destroy your house if it can't be fixed, but this is one of those architectural details that matters since it's an important transition, not part of a back hall. I'd give it the same priority you're probably giving your entry hall and front elevation. Get it right, and looking and walking through that doorway will give you continual pleasure and enhance all the rooms associated with it.

  • drhomeideas
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Rosie, I think I understand what you are saying. Are you talking about the space between the pantry/serv to the door to the outside and the island and family room? If so what would be a fix? I am unable to visual a solution. Ugh!

  • akcorcoran
    10 years ago

    Our sink run wall is 13' 2" -

    I see what Rosie's saying... we have the window on that side with the arch. If you are planning a gorgeous backsplash, then that would be something to look at.

    Mine may not be your taste, but it was planned for a visual focal point in mind (you face it when you enter our kitchen from our wet bar and formal dining room.

    On that door, you probably use it all the time if it's coming from your mudroom? We put in a sliding door there but a swinging door (with a hinge that locks in place at a certain point) is another idea? At least then you wouldn't be looking at an open door into the mudroom?

    Again, ours is similar to yours - door right there next to the end of the cabinets. This is where our slider is (we have historic 5 panel doors) and we put beadboard and bluestone in the mudroom so that it's a nice transition.

    This isn't our view from our archway / open area though, it's only from a side entrance. The window wall is what we see from the family room.

    Below the first is the same view but our sliding door is pulled closed (which I do when we're entertaining...) - and it's a different time of day, so lighting is different. :-)

    You could also consider a split door? Sometimes those are architecturally interesting?

    Hmmmm...

  • drhomeideas
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you. Okay I understand. We plan I on a pocket door to the mudroom in order to block that view. The window over the sink will be 9' creating a focal point outside. With that in mind uld place the cooktop and Hood on the short L with a focal point under the Hood. Refrigerator and double ovens on the wall opposite the nk. I will redraw and re-post.

  • akcorcoran
    10 years ago

    Hi - I have another question for you - I see that you have a whole extra bank of cabinets on the other side of the island, but with a 9' window, do you have enough cabinets on the sink side?

    If your dw is there, then you need to really have your cup cabinet and I would think your everyday plates, etc.? That's two-full 24" cabinets? I see maybe room for one half of a cabinet set to the left of the sink, but not two full 24" cabinets.

    Your cabinets next to the hood of your stovetop will most likely be filled with your cooking items (oils, spices, baking ingredients)

    I don't think you're going to want to walk to the side of the island to get or put away your cups and plates?

    Maybe I have that wrong from your drawing...?

    P.S. I would definitely put your double ovens on that far wall on the other side of the island. That doesn't need to be right next to you when you are at sink or stovetop. Set it and forget it! :)

    This post was edited by akcorcoran on Wed, Sep 4, 13 at 18:07

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