here is a place to start, it looks like the only place a fridge would fit would be between your two back wall windows.

there are a number of options for sink and cook-top, on the peninsula return you can drop part of the counter to table height to accommodate two chairs.

I have really enjoyed your photos - what a beautiful garden you have, I'll bet with the city location you enjoy a warmer micro-climate there. I always enjoy looking at green photos during our dark winters.

Thank you, detroit_burb!

I wonder if I'd still be able to get easily in & out of the basement door with the peninsula/chairs there? Would the chairs be outside the kitchen, facing in, I assume?

I'd really, really like to be looking out a window while washing dishes, and maybe while eating, too! I really like the u-shape you've put in here.

Thank you so much!

I would look at doing a u in the other direction and keep fridge and pantry where it and the current stove is. Replace the 33" window with a full glass door. Put stove where sink is, add window where existing door is. Put sink in middle of u (sorry didn't check dimensions, assume it is fine). Add a window over the sink. Then wrap counter over, although you could leave it open too.

Lyfia - another good suggestions. One thing I'm running in to, with ideas of adding and removing & switching doors & windows is that I really have no idea what that will do to my (supposed?) budget...

What does wrapping a counter over mean?

Carrie- I love to garden and have cats, too! :)

Here's a quick idea and I thought I'd post one of your beautiful garden photos. Such a lovely space! {{gwi:1604321}}From Kitchen plans
{{gwi:1604322}}From Kitchen plans

Thanks, Lavender_lass!

So, your proposal is kind of what lyfia's is, right? Move door to where the window is, ad a window & the sink to look over the garden. Do you have the existing door being closed off completely?

reframing a door into a window is not a huge expense because the header is already in there, you will need a mason to fill in below.

opening the brick for a new door will require some investigation to make sure nothing is in the wall, and will need a header to be put in prior to framing. Whatever brick is removed needs to be salvaged, and can be used to fill in the area from the door that becomes a window. You will need to interview and ask lots of questions to find a builder who is willing to gently remove the existing door and trim and reuse it, and gently remove brick to make whatever changes you do appear to be vintage - which I think is important in a home like yours. You can get estimates for this work on your own before bidding out the kitchen. 30K for a very small space should be plenty, unless you want subzero/wolf appliances.

based on my experience having this kind of work done on my various homes, reworking an existing opening to make it a window, and making a new opening for a door using existing door and trim should be 3K-5K.

here's another rough try at the drawing for you...

this one has the cooktop in the correct place

edited to fix the picture

This post was edited by detroit_burb on Mon, Jan 20, 14 at 22:58

Thank you, detroit_burb!

So, the existing door cost me $200 at Lowe's - so, while I do like that it is glass in the middle it isn't a door that necessarily needs salvaging. If I end up going with the layout similar to the one you proposed, above, I may put in French doors (opening out) on the wall w/ the peninsula, OR, if I do re-purpose (or use another normal sized door, maybe I'd add a window over there as well. I'm a bit window-happy. Philly rowhouses tend to be pretty dark...

Oh, and I'm thinking I will go with IKEA cabinets, wood floors, and I really want the recycled paper countertops (Richlite, probably) and definitely not high end appliances - I don't cook much, and I'd rather my appliances just blended in - they will not be my kitchen's centerpieces.

I'm debating a few things: since I don't cook (much) KD suggested getting a convection microwave (above range) and a gas cooktop for cooking - I'm thinking about it. I don't currently have a DW, and really haven't wanted one, but getting one might get me to limit the dish-clutter that is always on my drainboard.

I think I'm going to go with a colorful tile backsplash - maybe Mexican tile.

Ah, thanks for the updated plan. I could also switch your cooktop & sink & install a window over the sink. I think I'm crazy.

Oh, and ps: maybe it's obvious, but each square on the graph paper is 10" (except in the places that I fudged, but those are more or less close-ish.)

if you are not going high end, my experience with buying appliances is that a decent range is not much more than a cooktop, and may actually be less.. you may even be able to find something that someone is discarding to do a higher end remodel.

the second kitchen reno I did (my first IKEA kitchen), I found a used jenn air range for $270 that a guy got rid of when he gutted his kitchen. I loved it so much that I bought another jenn air new for my third kitchen. my fourth kitchen -current - has a cooktop, but the cost of just the cooktop was as much as a full range, and this is not even in the high end, though it is a good one. I saved no money doing this.

The third kitchen had this kind of G shape and was in a tiny house, fit in a 9x12 space. it was very efficient, and two people could fit in it. It had lots of storage. you can have the corner base cabinets on the "open" side face towards the living room and can use it for non-kitchen things.

and about the door - just because you "only" spent 200 on it, doesn't mean it looks shabby! That said, French doors will really add light to this space, and bring your garden indoors.

you started out asking about contiguous counter space....

I think the KD was thinking in terms of space saving. I could get a 30" new gas range, and a new (regular) microwave, but I rarely use my stove, so it's taking up a decent amount of space in a small kitchen and it's not really being used much at all. So, more of a space-saving measure than anything else.

If I do end up re-purposing the door (plastic - and the "glass" might actually be plexi) you know that means I'll probably want a window...!

You have been so helpful, detroit_burb. I hope you'll be around for a while!

and I figured out the 10" thing based on the window measurements you put in.

FYI,

when I was doing this exercise on kitchen #3, I found that with Pella triple glazed windows with blinds between the glass (the priciest window on the market - yeah, I had to have em), each new opening (cottage size) cost me about 3-4K finished. Had I gone with the mid-priced Anderson wood with aluminum cladding (home depot carries this line), it would have been more like 2-2.5K.

Here are current views out the kitchen window, back door & bay window (bay window view is looking toward the back/kitchen area.) It looks a lot different in May.

Kitchen window:

Kitchen door:

Bay window: