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Pre-blueprint Kitchen Plan

15 years ago

I am submitting my first kitchen plans for our future retirement home. We are getting ready to start the blueprints. Actually, we had a rough plan for the kitchen, but when we looked at the layout, it did not work. All is not lost. We are going to the architect soon.

I have been tweaking what I originally wanted after being on this site. Especially helpful was the suggestion to write down where I was going to store my current kitchen cupboard by cupboard. I changed from a double oven after realizing I want a vented broiler. I will try to get a stove with double ovens. My friend has a Maytag with 2 ovens. We will have a kitchenette in the basement & put another oven there to be able to use it for the extra holiday cooking.

The ceilings will be 9 foot.

I want a raised DW. I did check out the DW drawers, but my everyday plates are too large for them. I DO want this open toward the living room/den, yet with still some clutter blocking from the den to kitchen.

I am not sure if I have enough space for a table or if I need to push the bump out from 4 foot to 5 foot. I could make the window a bay also. I am also not sure about the pantry. Do I want a cabinet one or one that is more of a walk-in? I probably could move into the area before we get into the garage.

I have thought about a coffee center to the right of the prep sink and the microwave to the left of it, but I do not want to crowd out the prep sink either. I know I do not want an OTR micro. When we remodeled the kitchen we are in now, my then 6yo son was just starting to heat his own food in the microwave. It was a blessing to have it so low.

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This is a hillside mountain house that overlooks a lake. Our main floor will have living room/dining room, kitchen, laundry, & master suite. Decks will overlook the lake. Our second floor will have 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a loft. We will have a complete basement with a 4th bedroom, a handicap accessed bathroom, office, workroom, kitchenette, storage and an elevator will join all 3 floors.

We still have 10 years or so before retirement, but have sold two of our rental properties & the time is NOW. We�re calling it 'the vacation that keeps on giving.' Actually, the house will be called Still Waters.

I�ve done my Sweeby test. We want a kitchen that is welcoming & efficient. When it is just dh & myself, we tend to both cook. I also want more prep areas for those family dinners. Since it is a resort area, we expect the kids will come to our place for holidays, long weekends, and we have been told other friends will want to spend their vacation with us! Our dining room will have a big table for big crowds, but we expect to eat more in the breakfast area or on the screened porch.

We are looking for lodge without the antlers, a more traditional feel with wood floors & natural woodwork but with painted/sheetrock walls. I have recently seen some knotty cherry; it has that traditional yet rustic look to it.

I would like to incorporate some natural split fieldstone, but not sure how practical it would be in a kitchen. We will be using it for part of the exterior.

Thank you in advance for looking at my post & getting this far!

Comments (8)

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    We are also building a future retirement home on the lake. Just getting framed. I put extra an dishwasher and sink in the walk in pantry. Hoping to keep some of the mess out of the kitchen. We'll see. Thinking of putting the extra oven in there too. Can't decide between that and a pro-style range with 2 ovens. They seem so big. We have a coverd porch with a fireplace. It's closed in on three sides and open towrd the lake. Thought about doing big nano type doors, but left them off for now. Also, friends said an ice maker is a must for the lake. ( but not in the kitchen because of the noise) Your plans sound almost like ours. Loft, bedrooms,baths upstairs. Main master and 2 bedrooms and baths downstaris. We are also putting a bonus room above the garage. We thought for extra sleeping. Good luck with. uyour plans

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    If I understand you correctly, the Breakfast Nook is the space where the Deck & Lake View are? If so, I don't think you have enough room for a table there. Your table should be at least 48" from the island if there's no seating at the island and at least 60" if there is seating at the island.

    Then, the depth of the table (36"? 39"?) then at least 32" b/w the window wall and the table.

    60" + 36" + 32" = 128" (10'8")

    You appear to have maybe eight feet b/w the island and the wall of windows...that is a wall of windows and no doors, correct? If there's a door there, then you need more than 32" b/w the table and door...more like 48" (so add another 16" to the above measurement...12'0"). [It looks like the doors are on the right wall of the BN and on the top wall of the Den, is this correct?]

    You really need to add another 2'8" to the depth of the Breakfast Room or eliminate seating on the end of the island and add 1'8" to the depth of the Breakfast Nook.

    As to a bay, I like that idea. It would give you a better view from 3 directions instead of just straight out the back.

    As to your MW & Coffee Center...if it were my kitchen, I think I'd want the Coffee Center to be left of the prep sink and the MW in the island facing the prep sink...preferably a MW drawer. This would give you a Prep Zone b/w the prep sink and refrigerator while keeping snackers from getting in the cooks way when using the MW. The MW is still near the refrigerator (for warming up leftovers or cooking frozen veggies).

    I will say this, if you're planning the main Prep Zone next to the prep sink, there's going to be a disconnect b/w it and the range...something I wouldn't want.

    If you plan the main Prep Zone to be b/w the range and cleanup sink, it will be better b/c of the proximity to the range as well as a water source. However, it will be a bit of a distance from the refrigerator, which would be an acceptable compromise to me, but YMMV.

    The Dining Room looks to be pretty far from the kitchen...are you sure you want that?

    Is the "Den" really a FR? If so, I understand the placement, but I would consider putting the door in the kitchen that leads to the hall & DR on the other side, closer to the DR...b/w the Cleanup Zone and the Cooking Zone (range). It would mean some shuffling around of appliances, but it might give you a better layout in the end. It's something to think about.


    Here's something a little different incorporating most of my suggestions plus a bit more...

    I put an 18" cab b/w the DW and the sink only b/c I thought it might be more useful having more space b/w the two different counter levels and b/c an 18" cabinet is more useful than a 15" cabinet.


    The work zones:

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Janet: I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress. Ours is on a hill facing the lake. How about yours? I wish we were in the framing stages--then again, we've had a hard winter here. This build will be 2 hours from our home here.

    Buehl: Thanks for your kind response.
    I've thought through the door closer to the dining room situation. In fact, the original kitchen plan I saw had the "L" on the same wall. We've done the design based on everyday life, not on the exception.

    My preference is to have the door for the kitchen closer to the garage for hauling groceries in. I originally had the door where you put it, but would prefer an entrance to the laundry hall and removing recyclables. It's more practical.

    The dining room would be for my long table with the 4 leaves. It's really a part of the great room. I don't have any walls between the dining and family room/living room/den...whatever you call it. I can spill into the FR's walkway and FR. I have a totally useless dining room now. Oh, it's where we put the "kids table" when I have company. And we do our taxes on that table.

    I wanted the FR to be closer to the outdoor view and back deck. The dining room will face the road--the one room where the view won't be as stunning. It will be the least-used area.

    I had begun to suspect there wasn't enough room for a table in the breakfast nook. I've just realized that the overhang on my island was only 12" instead of 15", the size everyone recommends.
    In my original plan, is it possible to use the regular sink as a prep sink unless we have company? We are very close to just the 2 of us.

    I like the 18" cabinet between the DW & sink.

    There will be no exits from the nook to the outside. One will be from the FR and one from the porch.

    Thank you for looking at my plan!

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Bump.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Thinking!

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I want to re-read this thread thoroughly this weekend...I haven't forgotten you!

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Bumping so buehl can continue thinking.
    Others are free to chime in.

  • 15 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I'll be back in March. International travel.