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PLEASE help us with our kitchen layout/design!
Shortly after the purchase of our home late last year, my boyfriend and I dove head first into making this house our home. Though the house screamed "built in the 70's" we've managed to create the beginnings of what we hope to be a more comfortable, modern, and open design.
We’ve now encountered the “piece de resistance”: the kitchen. In its current (original) state, the kitchen is small and lacks functionality. It’s a far cry from the chef’s kitchen that we’d love. It will be completely gutted and rebuilt. The dropped ceiling will be removed and vaulted to match the rest of the house. The wall separating the kitchen from the dining area/sitting area (shown in photo) will be removed. This will leave us with approximately 15.5’x10’ to work with.
Our dilemma lies in finding a layout that has functionality as well as style. We’d like a something that will flow with the rest of our open floor plan. I’d categorize our style as somewhere between mid-century modern, polished casual, and/or transitional. I’m torn between a one wall kitchen with a large island (9-feet), an L-shaped kitchen with a smaller island, or a U-shaped kitchen (no island). We’ve gone back and forth with this decision for months now and just can’t decide on the best fit for the space. Obviously there are many factors to consider including appliances, work areas, storage (number of cabinets), natural lighting (keep window or use wall for more storage?). We are also torn between using tiles in the kitchen or continuing our Brazillian Tigerwood flooring throughout. We’d love to opinions on all of the above. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
We’ve now encountered the “piece de resistance”: the kitchen. In its current (original) state, the kitchen is small and lacks functionality. It’s a far cry from the chef’s kitchen that we’d love. It will be completely gutted and rebuilt. The dropped ceiling will be removed and vaulted to match the rest of the house. The wall separating the kitchen from the dining area/sitting area (shown in photo) will be removed. This will leave us with approximately 15.5’x10’ to work with.
Our dilemma lies in finding a layout that has functionality as well as style. We’d like a something that will flow with the rest of our open floor plan. I’d categorize our style as somewhere between mid-century modern, polished casual, and/or transitional. I’m torn between a one wall kitchen with a large island (9-feet), an L-shaped kitchen with a smaller island, or a U-shaped kitchen (no island). We’ve gone back and forth with this decision for months now and just can’t decide on the best fit for the space. Obviously there are many factors to consider including appliances, work areas, storage (number of cabinets), natural lighting (keep window or use wall for more storage?). We are also torn between using tiles in the kitchen or continuing our Brazillian Tigerwood flooring throughout. We’d love to opinions on all of the above. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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Even a 6 foot island would be plenty of working and storage area. I'd suggest you measure and tape the design on the floor and see if this works for you.
Good Luck.
Happy decorating!
If I am understanding the revised space, I have generated this suggestion. A 180" back wall landing the ref, oven, and cooktop. The sink holds position under the window and the island is all storage, except trash-can nearest the sink in base cabinet.
@macandme, not sure what's behind the fireplace wall, could you fit a full height pantry at that spot ?
If you can't find someone independent, do the leg work, and go to as many different cabinet places, and talk to as many different kitchen planners you can find. Everyone has a different perspective. A male designer thinks differently than an older woman, and that's different from someone with kids. All of those different planners helped me.
If your house is in a neighborhood where they built houses like yours, start asking around, and see if you can find some kitchens that have already been done. If there all in the 70s, I bet a bunch have already been done. Have fun!
I was just wondering if you need 2 dining spaces now that you've decided to combine the rooms. Perhaps you could add on a pantry unit at the end of the kitchen (ie: next to the wall oven in Monarch's rendering ?)
For the cabinets, you can either do a bulkhead like this.
Seattle Kitchen Addition
Or a custome angled cabinetry which is quite unique.
A Ranch Re-dressing Hanover NH
Thanks for the input so far. We're getting closer to a decision. I'm considering the following layout where the micro-wave and wall oven combination sit next to the patio slider and the sink sits in the island. This still leaves room for a 4' window facing the backyard. The sink in the island might allow me to interact with people in the sitting area next to the slider. Does this make sense? Still unsure about whether to frame the kitchen out with a partial wall (shown in image) to separate it a little from the rest of the open living space. Also still considering different options for above the wall cabinets...soffet with down lighting maybe? Though it's not shown in the image i generated, out ceiling is actually vaulted (kinda like the kitchen in the image that Dytecture found). Also, we'd like to make the kitchen feel a little more modern than it comes across in the photo.
Thanks for your input. I agree that the wall microwave-oven combo breaks up what could be a pretty clean line in the kitchen. Unfortunately, placing it there also makes it so that we can't fit the sink and dishwasher in that area....that's why the sink might end up in the island. The window shrinks, but we also have a 10' (or 12') slider to the left of that oven cabinet, so it makes it less difficult to sacrifice a little on the window. This layout also allows us to fit a pantry next to the fridge, which Monarch's design didn't. You're right...the island will be smaller probably and have seating on the backside instead of flush cabinets. Difficult decision....but I'm taking all comments into consideration. Thanks! BTW, also considering a narrow prep sink next to wall oven (plumbing is already there).