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1929spanish

Looking for your input on our Kitchen Layout

14 years ago

We got our kitchen layout back from the KD designer today and I'm super excited. Of course I made a few edits already because I'm nutty that way.

We're adding 250 square feet to our -you guessed it- 1929 Spanish bungalow. This will add a second bathroom (the blank box in the layout) and turn our original kitchen into a 3rd bedroom.

Our goal is to bring the laundry inside and put together a functional kitchen that is modernish but mostly sympathetic to the rest of the house. The new kitchen will be right off the dining room, which was added in the 1940's.

I'll follow up with a separate post on the total look, but I've included a sample board in my link. We'll be pairing that look up with a new stainless hood, stainless range & vintage-style stainless faucet. We'll then be adding some vintage items including glass pulls, back "french window" door and light fixture. I try to use vintage/salvage in every room. I plan to use the backsplash tile in the photo along with Dynasty Omega cabinets in Pesto green with 8" saltillo hex tile on the floor. We still need to choose a final counter and a "door solution" for the pantry & laundry.

So, I'd like your input on my edits to the original layout - and anything else you can think of.

Thanks in advance!

Here is a link that might be useful: Spanish's Kitchen

Comments (9)

  • 14 years ago

    Here's your original plan:

    Your new plan:

    And mood board:

  • 14 years ago

    Comments on original design:

    I would exchange the laundry equipment and the "pantry" so the laundry doors opened into a deeper area of aisle.

    I would move the pantry by exchanging it and the broom closet. It would likely get hot and possibly humid beside laundry equipment.

    I don't know enough about you, your family or your home to do anything but make wild suggestions for the ideas that they may bring. I have a "thing" about sinks in corners so I wouldn't do that plan.

    I'd do something more like this for the kitchen but perhaps add a foot or two to the width of bath/laundry area. I could steal one from the kitchen center aisle below as it seems to be about 5 feet.

  • 14 years ago

    Your drawing doesn't have any measurements, so just based on cabinet layouts and at first glance:

    - You have too many doors and ROTS in your lowers. Change them to drawers.
    - The range and sink are too close together to provide adequate prep space. Scootch the range down, minding that it doesn't interfere with the fridge.
    - The Arabesque backsplash pattern is great for your house but to my eye the white has undertones that are not playing well with the other materials and seems too harsh.

  • 14 years ago

    Sorry, I didn't intend to post and run. Thanks for the feedback. Looks like I missed a few details in my original post. We are "DINKS - mid 40's, no kids that we know of and we entertain - often buffet style.

    The total space is 14' deep and 15' wide - . The bathroom takes up 8'x5' of that actual floor space. The narrow end of the kitchen is 8'. The east wall of the laundry room is exterior, but the rest of that wall is interior.

    We don't mind laundry in the kitchen and the pantry will be used for general storage, a small wine cooler and some food - but we're not big "pantry eaters". Both areas are drywalled with outlets/laundry plumbing.

    @catbuilder: Thanks for posting the pictures.

    @bmorepanic: Our main bathroom is around 7' x 8' so we're okay with small bathrooms (the house is going from 1250 - 1500 square feet total.

    Unfortunately we can't push the garden window out on the west as we're up against setback code. Ironically, my first plan was similar to yours with an arch to the laundry/bath area but I couldn't make it work a full bath.

    @marcolo: I think ROTS are roll outs? If so, I'm going to take that to heart. Maybe convert the cabinet on the East/Fridge wall to drawers.

    I was hoping for a longer counter towards the dining room, but I'm going to talk to the kitchen designer about pushing down the range a bit.

    We're still working through the colors - we're going to look at the green in person this week. I like pure white and soft green together, but it's the counter that is throwing me off. We're too messy to manage marble, but it would be my first choice.

  • 14 years ago

    I'd go so far as to say *any* ROTS are too many. I've had doors, ROTS, and drawers. Unless you have specific plans for a door (such as a tray cabinet, or holding a mixer), get drawers.

    I agree that the range should move further from the sink.

    Since you serve buffet style frequently, where would you put out the food? Would that be to the right of the range and that's why there's space there?

  • 14 years ago

    @bethohio3: Thanks. We do plan to put the food to the right of the range and the bar on the opposite counter.

  • 14 years ago

    It's just that its so tiny where the w/d is. I'm looking at that aisle space and the 2 foot counter over the dw and thinking door swings and appliance door swings and where the laundry basket will go...

    Plus our w/d raises the humidity in the whole basement - they are newish lg front loaders - 2 yrs old? I don't think the drywall partition will help with that.

    The entrance path makes the kitchen into a hip bumper at the outside door and the shelves - right where you'll be carrying laundry.

    I'm a little afraid of that sink positioning too. It's a long way to go through to dump out a cup - particularly if someone is cooking. Or to set the table or clean up dishes. It can also be completely blocked by a single user.

    I'm being a little pushy cause I know it's a lot of money to build this. You likely also want to get started! I want you to get the best possible for that cash.

    The cutting board note for the cabinet beside the ref? I think you'll find that the ref doors will hit it when its extended. People almost always open both doors of a french door ref - its something to think about.

    If you keep this general layout, you might drift the range more towards the window - like have 2 - 36" 4 drawer cabs, then the range, then either a 30"+ 9" or 24" + 15". You can put baking sheets on edge over the ref. That would help a little with creating counter between the corner and the range. You'd have a 40" run plus a the corner.

    Generally speaking, using fewer, bigger cabinets is less expensive and more flexible.

    Are you planing on trash under the sink (don't see it anywhere else)?

  • 14 years ago

    Thanks for more input bmorepanic and I don't mind pushy. I don't always listen because I'm stubborn. : )

    I had laundry in a closet off the kitchen in a condo I was in for 12 years and never had a humidity issue. Is your washer one of those steam jobs? Mine was a simple stackable from 20 years ago. My "new" ones are still 10+ years old and were also installed in that condo prior to my move. I tend to stay away from lots of extras that I won't use when purchasing appliances.

    As for "travel time", it's funny you mention that. Right now our dining room is in the position you see it in these plans, but the kitchen is through another room and to the right. We walk through the original dining room to get to the new one. In any case, while I take that to heart I really want the sink looking at the yard and not the fence (with a 5' setback). The single user is a good point, but I think if we move the range it will be better.

    Good point about the cutting board. Neither of our current ones are near the fridge. I also need to think about trash. Prior to adding the lower bookshelf, I was planning to put it at the end of that counter run. It's in a similar location now (also in a walkway) and it doesn't bug us. Hmmm....trash....

    I was trying to think how I can use retractable doors on the laundry, or even a barn-type sliding door to "clean up" the traffic zone. I'm still stumped on my options here.

    And I really appreciate the specifics on cabinet sizes to move the range. I want to see if I can move the "baking sheet" cabinet to the 6" space next to the sink where the KD put drawers. I don't bake and I don't have little things to put in 6" drawers - except junk!

    Thanks again for the input - you've given us good discussion points. I'm going to take some pictures of our current 1990's Handyman Special Kitchen for some laughs. We have things like a drawer front with 30% cut and stuck on the cabinet fronts while the remaining 60% acts like a drawer. Good times...

  • 14 years ago

    laughing
    When we moved here 13 years ago, there were 30 year old formica walnut cabinets. The PO was short, so there was stuff glued onto the uppers that would not come off - even with cleanser AND tsp. It was a "spare" kitchen PO bought from an apartment complex, so only 8 x 8. All of the appliances died within two months. I blame myself for inducing cardiac arrest in the range by cleaning its oven :)

    just brain storming...
    Can they make a 42" sink base? You could channel all the plumbing to one side and use one door as the front of a pullout.

    Can you live with a 30" sink? A goodly number of those can be crammed into a 30" sink base giving you a 12" cabinet for cutting boards, trays or small drawers. People have turned 12" cabinets into trash pullouts with a type of can called a slim jim + aftermarket rot + door for cabinet. You ask if you can get the door loose without drillings and the cabinet as an open base.

    Can you move the sink window over towards the door a little? Panel, then dw, then sink base, then 9" cabinet then corner? If you can "stand the cram" using a 30" base, you could fit a 15" drawer base instead of the 9". It's also "usually" an available trash pullout size.

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