Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
britwooten_gw

Please, please, please review our new build kitchen!

britwooten
9 years ago

We have already started construction and just cannot finalize our kitchen layout. This is the best layout we have come up with so far, but it does leave 10 feet between the sink and range. I am thinking with the way I work (wash everything, layout out island, then move everything to range), this may not be so terrible. Any feedback would be GREATLY appreciated!

I posted the entire floor plan (as well as the close up of the kitchen) so you can see how the hallway/butlers pantry will be in proximity to the kitchen. Also, you can see where the kitchen appliances were re-arranged with power point. Sorry! They are to scale.

A few notes:
As of right now, there is an 18" single cabinet door, full height pantry to the right of the fridge. They had planned to build it in with the fridge to make it look kind of like one unit. I was thinking about making that at least 24" inches and shifting everything down on that wall (so the row of cabinets would be 6" longer).

We had planned on installing a built-in microwave in an upper cabinet. See picture below for similar microwave. Would this be okay to the immediate left of the fridge?

And a few details that might help:
We will have a standard 30" range with cabinet style hood above, counter depth fridge, and there is a dishwasher to the right of the sink. There is also a pull out trash bin to the left of the sink (on the very end of the row of cabinets). We will put three barstool on the long end, and one of the short end of the island. The sink will be bumped out a bit.

As far as style goes, alabaster white inset cabinets with lightly distressed brass hardware. Possibly doing a few glass front cabinets above sink to help make it a focal point.

Any feedback, good or bad, would be WONDERFUL! We have a very short period of time to get this nailed down, and I just cannot wrap my head around it.

Happy Holidays!

Comments (25)

  • lazy_gardens
    9 years ago

    I'm more concerned by the position of the refrigerator.

    A child getting ice, or someone putting condiments on the table, will have to walk through the cooking and prep zones.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    I'm confused - where is the range going and where is the sink going?

    Are there children in the house? If so, a microwave in an upper cabinet is not a good idea (it's bad enough for a short adult)

    I only see the closeup of the kitchen, not an "entire floor plan"

  • GreenDesigns
    9 years ago

    Too many crossing workzones. And dangerous traffic routes. This would keep the through traffic out of the cook's way.

  • britwooten
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sorry! Here is the whole floor plan!

  • britwooten
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    To clarify: In the original layout I posted, the sink would be centered with the island. The range is on the wall by itself. The notes on the floor plan read differently because we were shifting appliances around. Sorry for the confusion!

    GreenDesigns: That is very close to our original design! The original design is in the whole floor plan that I posted above. The biggest problem is that the only place for the dishwasher to go would be to the right of the sink, which means it opens up in the doorway to the hall/butlers pantry. By the time you center the range on the wall (which will be visible from the living room, so I feel this is important), there is not enough space to the left of the sink (it would be right next to range). I don't love the idea of the range and sink being next to each other (aesthetically speaking), as there would be two bump ups, etc., but if it were a much better layout, I could live with that. But I really feel like that dishwasher would constantly be an issue. Is that a prep sink you added? That makes a ton of sense!

  • britwooten
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    And yes, we do have little ones. But would an upper cabinet microwave be any different than an over the range one? We had one over our stove at our last house, and it seemed to be fine... and I am not even 5'2" :) But I guess I am just used to it! We could put it in a lower cabinet (maybe in the island?) but would it have to be a drawer microwave to do that?

  • PRO
    Precision Carpentry
    9 years ago

    I'm new here and don't want to step on any toes.I owned a custom cabinet shop for 14 years and did this daily.I really think it is a bad layout.Your idea of making the pantry 24" is a good one 18" is tight for a pantry and a 24" pantry would give you a lot more option for hardware that would make it more useful.
    I can't read the dimensions on you're drawings but don't know why you would place the stove so far from the sink.
    Try to look at your work area as a triangle keeping the stove,sink and frig configured as such.This makes for a good flow while cooking and everything is at hand.

  • britwooten
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    No worries about stepping on my toes! I really have not had much feedback from the cabinet maker on layout. They do great work as far as quality and style, but I feel like they really just want to build whatever I want and not give a lot of feedback with layout. They did mention that they were concerned with the dishwasher in the doorway on the first layout and that 10 feet is a little over the recommendation they give between the sink and range (they recommend no more than 9 feet) but they didn't think 1 foot would make a huge difference.

    Do you have any suggestions? We really do not want a sink in our island (although a small prep sink at one end would work as it would not disrupt the big work space), so that is kind of limiting to the work triangle.

    We use our island ALOT. I make iced sugar cookies (hundreds at a time), my boys do their homework, we eat, etc, at our island so we really use it a lot and do not want to put a sink or stove top on it to interrupt the work space. I feel like that would be very detrimental to how we use our kitchen.

    DO you think the original layout (I posted a close up below) is any better? Any ideas on the dishwasher?

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    Have you considered making it a galley kitchen, without the redundant walkway to the family room?

  • SparklingWater
    9 years ago

    You have a lovely house in the making, with such light! I wonder what direction the eating area door and window faces? Is your island position based partially on view?

    I see one door into the kitchen (by the DW) and another from the porch in the eating area. Am I correct that the family room and eating area connected?

    I think the kitchen is a tad small proportionally to the eating area and family room, although don't see measurements which help design experts with proportions. You do mention 10 feet from range to sink, so perhaps I'm wrong on proportions.

    I've been wondering if you could use some of the eating area for kitchen as well as flip your island 90 degrees. For the kids, having a refrigerator near to both the eating area as well as the family room is pretty essential, as well as a small sink for a quick hand wash or spill clean up. Both of these perhaps could go on/under the island.

    I'm concerned about the range being what is first crossed behind from the eating area: could it be swapped with the refrigerator for reasons mentioned above if island not turned? I'd put the dishwasher on the other side of the sink (as well as add a small island sink and electric socket) if possible so no one walks into the open DW from the hall.

    I'm sure others will soon come buy with great suggestions. These are just a few based on my experience.

  • szruns
    9 years ago

    Hmmm. I'm not able to read the details on your image, so I can't see exactly what all that "flex" and "butler's pantry" space amounts to . . . but my instinct is to make the kitchen awesome, then worry about a butler's pantry or flex space, or whatever that is. 24" wide pantry seems PUNY to me if you have kids and cook. My new walk in pantry is 5x7 feet and I plan to maximize every square inch . . . (shelving going in this weekend). So, in general, I'd say re-consider your space plan with a focus on maximizing the kitchen space and quality, and perhaps drop some of the less-critical things such as the butler's pantry, etc. (What exactly is a butler's pantry vs a regular pantry? I thought a butler's pantry divided kitchen from dining, but yours is not there, is it?)

    Could the eating and kitchen areas be swapped? That'd eliminate the need for that through-way in the kitchen to that hall area . . . So you could do a more traditional U or L shaped kitchen lay out with an island . . . and probably tuck a decent size pantry back in the corner, too?

    Sorry I am not much help. I'm sure others here will be more effective in offering good solutions, but I hope I was at least a little helpful. :)

  • practigal
    9 years ago

    If I understand the plan correctly, there is a doorway from the hallway into the kitchen next to the refrigerator. If I had a choice I would keep the doorway on the same wall, but move It over such that somebody walking into the kitchen doesn't have to walk through any of the space used for cooking. They would walk past the other side of the island not through the kitchen. This would also give you an L-shaped kitchen. You could then put the refrigerator on one end or the other of the L so that if someone wants to get a glass of milk out of the fridge they can do so without interrupting your cooking activities.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    9 years ago

    We had one over our stove at our last house, and it seemed to be fine... and I am not even 5'2" :)

    I'm also 5'2" and I NEVER got used to having the microwave over my head -- I actually think it's dangerous to be taking out hot items at that angle. Also, to stir anything, you have to remove it first. I do have a drawer microwave now, and I like it so much more.

  • huango
    9 years ago

    In your 2nd layout, I would switch the range and sink.
    So fridge on short L and then range, trash, then sink, and DW (on long L).
    Because I would hate people walking past me (as I cook on the hot range) from the dining room table to get to the sink or trash.

    I like the fridge on the short L: people from familyroom or (even DR can walk around the island) to get the ketchup or juice from the fridge w/out being near me at the range.

    I prep/cook between range and sink, so I would make the space between nice and big.

    next iteration.
    Good luck,
    Amanda

  • glitter_and_guns
    9 years ago

    Does the door into the hall need to be there? Even if you need it, does it need to be in the work area or could you move it over so that it isn't people coming right into the work space? If you could either get rid of it all together or move it all the way to the end of the wall, it would make more sense.

    Good luck.

  • Liz
    9 years ago

    Yes, move to door from kitchen to hallway, further to the left. Give yourself a good L-shaped working area.

  • lavender_lass
    9 years ago

    Just a quick idea...I'm at work :)
    {{gwi:2142001}}From Kitchen plans

  • autumn.4
    9 years ago

    I have a very similar space and tried and tried as you are to locate the sink and stove on the same run and it just couldn't happen without cramping and majorly sacrificing function.

    We ended up with our main and only sink in the island. I was hesitant I really was but it really has allowed effecient use of space and keeps the auxiliary traffic out. We have 2 boys and use our island all the time for all sorts of things - snacks, wrapping presents, homework. Having the sink in there has not impeded any of those things. I know you said you really didn't want to do that but to sacrifice functionality to avoid it you might want to really think hard on it before you get too far. On the other hand if you can squeeze more length in maybe you can do it - but then I'd want a prep sink on the island, a water source there somewhere even if it's a smaller one.

    Our island is 9' long and has room for 4 stools on the long end and one on the short side. It houses the sink, dw, trash and a 4 drawer stack. We have a decent over hang, about 16" which makes seating comfortable.

    I like green designs - our MW is right by the fridge and that works well and usually those 2 appliances are used right in succession - no crossing zones to get to them.

    Good luck! It is so tough to get everything just so! If only I'd have analyzed the rest of the house as much as the kitchen! ;O

  • funkycamper
    9 years ago

    I really think you need to eliminate the door to the hallway in the kitchen. Either move it to the other end of that same wall or just not have a door at all. It doesn't look like it would be a big deal to walk around the family room to get to that hallway. Not having the door eliminates a traffic corridor through the kitchen and opens up a lot of possibilities for improved prep, cook and clean-up areas.

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    Could you do this? As others suggested I eliminated the door directly into the kitchen work path, giving an L-shape.

    I moved the range down to the bottom of the L. You get a small work triangle from fridge to counter or island to cooktop; often when I cook, I don't need to use the sink, I'm adding something directly from fridge into the pan, like liquids, or veggies I prepped earlier.

    Then I put the sink is where the range was. This puts the dishes and dishwasher closer to where they are used most often, and gives a nice big prep space between sink and cooktop.

    Some will question the fridge right across the from island. My mom's is like this, and it's actually quite convenient. Once in a blue moon someone wants to go past while the door is open, but rarely, and besides, they can go around the island if it's that urgent. It's not that far.

    In the end, you still have a nice, clear island, and no traffic through the work area. If that corner cabinet bothers you and you don't want a super-susan or the like, you could give it access from the other side.

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    and this is how it might look in the context of the whole house.

  • function_first
    9 years ago

    I like how the kitchen works with the doorway closed off. If you did this, you could incorporate a pass thru doorway under the cabinet at the end of the run to simplify getting groceries into the house.

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    Good idea, function_first. They could also omit the wall behind cabinet on the left of the refrigerator, like a peninsula, to ease the transition to the kitchen and to provide an easy pass-thru to the dining room if that's what the flex room will become.

  • lavender_lass
    9 years ago

    As Marcolo said: Ice, water, stone, fire...try to make sure your plan has this flow.

  • _sophiewheeler
    9 years ago

    The biggest problem with the kitchen is the location of the garage. It forces the long hallway for ccess to the bedroom that wouldn't be needed were the garage pulled to the front and the bedroom to the rear. And that hall is a LOT of square footage to be able to be recouped into living space.