is the primary cook in a wheelchair? my first impression is that I would move the DW to the left, so there could be drawers by the prep sink, for easy access to prep items., since ,from a wheelchair, those things can't be reached above.

Looks great to me!

Nancy

Hi Nancy,
Before he was injured he was the primary cook. He won't be the primary cook, but he is wanting to be able to cook again (he loves cooking)so we want the kitchen as accessible as possible for him. I didn't even think about that with the DW. I appreciate your bringing that to my attention.

Well, if he can no longer be the primary cook, then I would suggest moving that prep sink and accessible drawers to the other side of the main sink and leaving the DW where it is. I'm envisioning a wheelchair in that spot as he preps the salad, while the primary cook is heading to the main sink to drain a pot of boiling water? Or even just standing at the stove and then needing to turn and grab something from the pantry - I just worry it might get too congested in that corner near the stove.

I agree with you about not having an island. It can be an obstacle and the peninsula offers many of the same advantages.

My husband is in a wheelchair right now, too...so I tried to visualize how he would want to use the space. Since you plan on having two sinks, having easy access to the range for both of you seems to be the first priority. If it were me, I'd have a larger (36"?) range with ovens under that are hinged on the side, rather than the bottom. I moved the range to the center of the U and put a window on each side.

How you use these spaces will determine the best way for your setup, but I thought having the glass upper cabinets on the back wall would be easier for dish storage. I put the other sink on the peninsula and opened up the space to the dining room. The 'prep' sink (maybe with a garbage underneath?) has easy access to the fridge area and the peninsula/prep area, which would be at the lower height.

It might be nice to have the entire peninsula at the same height, so that it will be wheelchair accessible from both sides. It's easy to find stools at almost any height...and it's also easier for everyone (including kids and older relatives) to access the lower stools.

The undercounter microwave can either be right next to the fridge/freezer, or you could have it on the end...depending on whether you need a space for the wheelchair to access the countertop, by the fridge.

I can't see the entire floorplan, but I'd try to move the hall bathroom forward a bit, maybe taking up some space in the utility room, if possible, This would allow you to have a nice pantry on that wall, opposite the stairs. If that's not possible, maybe switch the hall bath and storm shelter...could that double as a walk-in pantry? Just a few ideas :) {{gwi:1574241}}From Cottage house plans

Thanks Nancy, Kathy and Lavender :-) Yall have great ideas. I wish I had posted sooner. They started on the plumbing already...not alot can change now. They said they can adjust some but not a whole lot.

As far as the sinks being located on that outside wall..the dotted line is the existing house/slab and so we didn't want to cut through the slab for drains. Our old sink is pretty close to where the new sink will be in the new addition. It costs so much more to move plumbing hence the sinks on that outside wall...

I had no idea they make ovens that open to the side. I think that would be great but he says a regular oven is fine for him as long as he can get beside it on the left because he is right handed and the controls on his power chair are on the left. He pulls up alongside our old double wall oven (it's at the end of the kitchen with open space beside it) and opens the oven door that way.

I had hoped to find a slide in type gas cooktop because that would have knobs on the front and the burners would be bumped out closer to the edge of the counter, but I'm starting to figure out you can't put an oven underneath most of those.
The ranges I've found with ovens are standard height...
Probably a regular cooktop will work.

Lavender, I think that would be a good place for the microwave underneath the countertop. I am concerned about going from a double oven down to just one oven. We considered putting one in beside that pull-out pantry with a microwave underneath it with a pull out shelf below so the microwave door could be opened and then the hot food slid out and set down on the pullout shelf. But that would close in the kitchen leaving that one way through. But it is 4 1/2' wide so maybe it isn't as big a deal as I think...It's hard for me to envision.

I was wanting to have some type of upper cabinet come all the way down like a hutch for dishes so he could easily reach some plates and bowls but not sure how this is all going to fit in. This new kitchen is way bigger than our old one, but alot of it is roll under counter. Maybe glass upper cabinets on both sides of the main sink that come down to the countertop for dish storage...I think the DW should be on the left side of main sink so he can access things in pullout drawers by his sink.
I definately see how the stove and prep and main sink may end up crowded and how the range position where the main sink is would be way better spacewise, but budgetwise we needed to put the sinks out there.

I really appreciate yall brainstorming. We have been planning on this for years. I just want it to be as accessible as possible for him. He used to be the cook and now it's like I am his sous chef lol...I'm not a good cook at all but he is...he has to give me instructions most of the time :-)
I appreciate all of you for helping.

This is something kind of what I had in mind for the panty pullouts... 2 or 3 of those maybe 12" wide and 24" deep... I wonder if they are heavy to pullout though

Here is a link that might be useful: pantry pullouts

This post was edited by spacechallenged on Wed, Jan 23, 13 at 0:23

The plan shows a 30" dropin range but we would like a 36" with a 5 burner configuration. The free standing ranges I've found with legs are standard height. I know very little about appliances other than we don't want an electric cooktop and we want an electric oven. I'm going to have to do more research. If anyone has ideas please chime in! :-) editing to update...I just talked to our builder. He agrees we probably won't be able to fit an oven underneath a cooktop with the lowered counter height. I will keep searching. Alternatives are closing up that serving area or using the space beside the refrigerator...He said we could put a hutch type cabinet beside a couple of pullout pantries where it would be close to the Dishwasher, but then we still need to figure out what to do about the cooktop/oven situation. The window is going to be 42" ...it's noted on his plan not mine. I'm confused as much now as before. For my husband to access a pull down door oven he has to be able to get beside it on the left...that means it has to be on an end or have roll under counter to the left. It's going to be a challenge to figure out and I figure we will have to give up something, but hopefully all will work out

This post was edited by spacechallenged on Wed, Jan 23, 13 at 12:34

I searched and searched ...I found there is no way we can lower that counter height unless we have just a cooktop there and put the oven somewhere else. They don't make ranges in ADA height at all and by the time you put any cooktop with any oven and allow for a toe kick it ends up 35"...unless I have missed something...but I don't think I did.

I found one possible alternative. This range has legs that look to be about 4 or 5 inches high. At the lowest adjustable setting it's still too high with the legs, but I'm going to email the company and talk to our cabinet maker. I wonder if the legs can not be used, and instead, a platform built and then trimmed out with a piece of stainless steel. That way we could get the height down to 32 or 33".

I know it seems extreme for 2 to 3 inches, but when a person is sitting down trying to stir a pot, and can't lean forward, those inches really would make a difference. We don't have kids, and if we were to sell later, someone could easily put in a standard height range there and even go up with that entire side of lowered counter if they wanted to. Something like this range would be perfect with the double oven and 5 burners and it wouldn't make us go over our budget. I'm crossing my fingers :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Verona dual fuel double oven range