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chloe8_gw

Layout help needed for my renovation

Chloe8
11 years ago

I've been reading tons of past threads, gleaning a lot of information, and lurking - and now I'd love to get your input! My husband and I bought a new house over the summer, and I absolutely needed to redo the kitchen (for form and functionality). We had some other work done right after we bought it, before we moved in, which included tearing out the kitchen. But I haven't had time to design the new kitchen until recently. Here is some context:

- Just me & my husband for now, although we definitely want to have kids (hopefully in the near future!)

- I love to cook, and my husband does the dishes! My dream arrangement! :)

- I definitely want the kitchen to function very, very well; although I love form too, and will try to do some clever tweaks to bridge the two

- The floorplan of our first floor is fairly open, but with some divisions (eg: a full wall between the side-by-side kitchen and dining room)

- We probably aren't going to do structural changes (although my husband would love to open up the kitchen to the dining room - but I don't think that would leave us enough room for the appliances - and I'm not sure it's in the budget!)

- I'm planning to do built-in, higher end appliances (and have been reading the appliance forum a lot!); and I love panels on the dishwasher & fridge

- I'm currently thinking about a 36" range (maybe CC), mainly because of the space available in my kitchen. Although I also like the idea of a rangetop paired with a single wall oven and either an Advantium or the Miele speed oven (which I would get with the range as well).

- we have an angled wall which used to have a hutch and desk along it (see second before photo below). That wall isn't in the preliminary plans below, but I do want to have a built-in cabinet (NO DESK!!) there; I just haven't gotten around to getting a possible layout, so your ideas for that area are also welcome

- the possible layout below has a number of things that I would change (and that weren't my ideas in the first place), so I welcome your thoughts!

So, here's our blueprints from when the house was built, with the original layout:

And a couple photos of the BEFORE kitchen:

And a very preliminary set of plans that I had done by a cabinet maker:

Thanks in advance for your ideas!!!

Comments (5)

  • northcarolina
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bumping for you.

    I am no design guru but the proposed layout from the cabinetmaker looks good to me, with a nice workflow (fridge to sink to range) and drawers in the lower cabinets. You might consider switching the DW and trash so an open DW would not be in the way when you are prepping between the sink and range -- and I can't speak to clearances for fridge doors etc -- but it looks fine from where I sit. What are the things you would like to change?

    I like having a desk area near the kitchen so I am no help with your angled wall. [grin]

  • herbflavor
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    this might be a good case for a 2 tier island.... make it deeper also.[on dinette side would be the raised area obviously].consider constructing 2 posts with architectural interest rising from counter to ceiling,or right down to the floor with detailed legs as part of the posts. Everyone can appreciate your nice design and the lg sq footage of your home,however there is absence of zone creation generally in this kitchen/eating area. Your kitchen is obviously staying put,and not sure what else can be done beyond it because of the angled wall and 3 walk areas uniting[garage,outdoors and to family room]. Not sure that running peninsulas in your kitchen would have value. therefore,the island is the spot to notch it up with architectural interest and by increasing the size it will make for a different balance in terms of an element in the design.I would look at quite a few pictures on houzz or Christopher peacock kitchens,etc to find examples and get a style [which i can't really tell from your pictures]. Then the millwork, details of the island
    with posts/etc will follow along. You did place 2 chunkier legs on the island-just get a much bigger vision for the island-thicker top-in 2 materials or complex corners/edge treatment/etc. I thought of adding a 4 ft wide wall where island is-keeping the split entrance to kitchen, applying cabinets/etc on kitchen side and on dinette side laying it with stone or tile with a ledge and stools with pendant lights hanging down-mostly atmospheric but it would create a break with some visual interest in that long expanse between kitchen and patio doors. I have a hunch you wouldn't be eager to add a wall-so focus on the island would have similar effect. I would do something on the angled wall near table-just narrower depth, a different inish-maybe some posts here to tie in with island interest. Does a slightly rustic/contemporary style fit in with your ideas-I can see that in your space.

  • Chloe8
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks northcarolina - yes, I was planning to switch the dishwasher and trash pullouts, so I agree! And I absolutely want as many drawers as possible in the base cabs. As far as the desk goes, we find that we just use our laptops in the family room most of the time. But I'd like a charging station in the cabinets on the angled wall, so probably a multi-use area (maybe a pullout ledge to perch a laptop on).

    And thanks to you as well, herbflavor - I absolutely want to make the island deeper. I've never been as much of a fan of the multi-level islands, although I'll look at some more photos and think that one through. I can definitely see your point about increasing the architectural statement of the island. And you're right, I just can't see a wall there! :) I feel like that would chop up the space too much.

    Some things I'm contemplating are:
    - doing magic corner type pullouts instead of lazy susans
    - instead of pantry to left of fridge, doing narrower pantry shelves that open at the end of that run of cabinets (around the corner)
    - adding appliance garages (with barrister door?) to the base of some of the glass-front tall cabinets - we have a number of appliances (citrus juicer, vitamin blender) that we use a lot, but that I don't like to look at
    - and I need to think through the zones some more, and figure out what would be stored in the cabinets

    Again, thanks for the feedback! It's been great to get so much inspiration here. (I'm a bit obsessive about research - so I've been spending hours reading through threads!)

  • herbflavor
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    the walk between family room and dinette is wide...the wall to the left of fridge could be extended and a creative setup there would have high value-it's seen when coming around from family room/while at the table/coming in from side entrance. the fridge and full height pantry creates a boxey dead end.you could do upper and lower pull out pantry cabs that worked with angled/wrapped counter, or at least a run furthur beyond fridge.this is a good spot for the taller base cabs-hutch like-then maybe pass on the 2 tier island,if you don't care for that idea. I'd wrap wall cabs around to front wall window....if you want a change from previous,omit the doors and get finished interiors,or reduced depth flanking the window.To left of sink,keep the counter free of cabinet resting on it. off to the right of sink,in the corner might be a good spot for appliance garage....instead of the cabinet extending to counter.I think I'd do glass doors for the 2 cabinets flanking range hood-then bring up the bottoms of the next cabs beyond those so you get better counter usage-just a 3 inch drop ..or same dimension across the bottom: realize with backsplash and hood and glass doors flanking hood there is going to be a lot going on. It might be nice to carry the curve theme above the large window over to a valance application as part of trim-the window is challenging but i think it's a good feature to link.Right now the range wall competes a little-I think it's about simplification for your wall cabs around range-counters/tile backsplash/hardware...will enhance greatly.

  • bmorepanic
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is just me, but I think I would actually cut both cabinets flanking the range hood. I would make the glass front cabinet to the right of the range wider with two doors and TURN the one to the left of the range so it was on the sink wall and also was wider.

    Believe it or not, I might build a 12" by 14" drywall box in the corner so the glass front cabinet didn't extend back where I can't reach anyway. Then I might put up an open shelf or two for display up between the hood and the drywall corner. Or a pot rack. Or a plate rack or something.

    I'd likely turn the glass cabinet on the other side of the windows also and make the cabinet between the ref and the glass front cabinet wider or into two cabinets. I might kick the ref all the way down to the end of the run and do something like all 15" deep wall cabinets in between the ref and corner and run them down lower like old fashioned butlers pantry cabinets.

    Good luck - it's looking so much better than your existing!