Kitchen layout help: where to put the table???

11 years ago

Hi all, I am once again picking up my kitchen remodel after a change in contractors from this spring. I currently have a 1995 builder grade maple kitchen that is just under 10x10. It is offset from the eat in kitchen and family room due to the location of the powder bathroom, which cannot be moved. There is an entry door from the garage that is within this space as well. I am wanting to get rid of the peninsula to open things up, but I am concerned about where have seating for four. Currently I have two seats at the peninsula, four at a table, and storage on both opposite walls. I feel suffocated and cramped all the time. Help!

We are a family of four with two children, ages 6 and 11, and will likely be in this house until my youngest finishes highschool according to the hubs. I am kinda freaking out at the thought of being here so long as this house is only 1700sqft. But, we are in an outstanding school district and we already have decent equity, as we have owned for the last 8 yrs. So, no plans to move directly, but it does need to function for us.

I have no pantry right now, so I want to put a tall, shallow one on the wall by the patio slider. I also want to put some storage on the wall bordering the half bath. I do realize in a space that is roughly 12.5 ' wide, I can't put things on both walls and in the center and have any chance if not feeling claustrophobic.

My choices are, building a banquette similar to the one shown here that will jut out from the bath wall, creating a walkway that is not direct when coming from either the garage entry door as well as from around the corner. I set this up and liked it but the room did feel lopsided, since the bathroom juts out already, with seating and a table even more so.

The next option is a 4' round table centered in the leftover space from doing a bank of uppers and lowers with countertop on the bath wall, pantry on the corner wall and nothing on the slider wall. The walkways on all sides of the table are between 39" and 42", measured from the table edge not counting chairs. I set it up and it feels tight, but maybe I'll get used to it?

The other idea I am toying with is doing something with the corner and making a banquette there, I would have to replace the slider with maybe a single French door or possibly make a new opening in the exterior wall for a door. I am willing to do that IF it really would work, but otherwise we would keep the slider since there is nothing wrong with it. I am having a hard time setting this up more accurately, but put various chairs and cushions to mimic a corner bench. A corner bench is not as easy as a straight bench, and I am considering both.

Oh yeah, I'm definitely that girl who wants to have her cake AND eat it!

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Comments (3)

lyfia
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
How about a bench on both sides? Then a rectangular table. That would give you more seating I would think sine with a round table and a bench you still only have one spot where you have good table access.

Do you have dining elsewhere?

Also I think with a rectangular table you can have walking space along the slider an powder room without worrying about having chairs in the way like you do with a round table. That is if you don't do a bench. Might want to look at that as an option too. Worst case you could also use it to seat people at the ends. Would be more cramped in the walking aisles, but could seat some friends of the kiddos.
williamsem
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I don't have any suggestions yet about the table, but trying to get it all means lots of thinking and drafts. I would suggest getting a new piece of graph paper and draw on very neatly all the walls and windows and dimensions, but no cabinets or appliances. Just the details of the space. Then make about 50 photocopies to draft on. It is so much easier to grab a pencil and a blank copy and go to town than cutting out pieces of paper and covering things up. I think I was up to about 60 drafts at last count, but have a semifinal layout now that should only have a few cabinet depths up in the air.

By draft 5 or 6 you shoul be able to whip a line accross where th cabinets go and put in all the dividers for individual cabinets in about a minute. Plus I found that if I was out and happened to stop somewhere on a whim and needed a draft of the kitchen, I could crank out a drawing from memory very quickly.
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juliekcmo
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I like your first new layout the best.

Here are some thoughts to consider.

My advice is to design the space for 4 adults. In a few years there will be 4 sets of car keys, wallets, phones, bags, etc. in your world. Make sure you have enough "mudroom" function for everyone's personal items, including lots of plugs for chargers. If you don't think this through, all the daily stuff will wind up on the table or the most convenient counterspace.

That being made a priority, if you do the layout in the first drawing...you could add on one or both end sides of the banquette structure as small "hutch" type of setup with drawers, double doors, a counter, and outlets. This would make a great spot for the wallets and keys, and you could keep the phone there and have a lower cabinet with a trash can for junk mail recycling. Keeping all that stuff out of the kitchen is a big help.

The sewing area in that layout is what is causing problems for me. It seems to ruin the flow. I suggest a sewing storage area where the "hutch" would be on the other end side of the banquette.

When selecting a table, if you get a round one with several leaves you would have the space to expand it and seat 10-12 for a holiday if you wanted to.