Kitchen layout - Finally!! Looking for design advice.

13 years ago

I've been lurking here for months as we work on other portions of our remodel but the time has come to get serious about kitchen design.

We started the remodel three years ago and are probably setting the record for the slowest remodel ever. We both work full-time with long hours, so do carpentry work on the weekends. We also have "while we're at it" disease, so our project has grown and grown and grown.

On to the kitchen! We are Craig's list addicts and have already purchased many of our appliances and wood from there. We have a new dishwasher, microwave, apron sink, granite and a slightly used stove already purchased. We also have a big stack of mahogany that we're planning to turn into cabinets. Ambitious or foolish, we haven't decided yet.

I've attached a portion of the floor plan that shows the kitchen, plus an idea of how we're thinking of laying out the cabinets. Would love some input on design, particularly:

1. Should the 48" stove be centered in the wall? Or should we move the stove closer to the fridge and the sink/dishwasher further the other way so they are not across from each other?

2. We're planning on all drawers other than the trash pull-out. Each unit will appear to be 4 drawers, although a couple of them will actually have 2 of the drawers hooked together fronting a tall drawer for cookie sheets, etc. Will it look strange to have that many drawers in a kitchen this long and narrow?

3. There will be a pass-through bar between the kitchen and the sunroom, probably with a 15" overhang. We're also thinking of a taller cabinet in the living room side of the kitchen that will be a serving area when we have company and will hide the kitchen mess every day. These two gar areas would be the same height on different walls. Two much?

4. Any other areas that seem odd - please let me know.

Thank you in advance for your input. This site rocks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Floor plan

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Comments (11)

Cindy103d
Original Author
13 years ago
Having a difficult time with posting the files and getting them dark enough to see. Here is the draft kitchen layout.

How do some people get the picture to show up in their actual post?

Here is a link that might be useful: Draft kitchen layout
dilly_ny
13 years ago
I can't see your layout. The link just goes to google. The easiest way to add pictures is to upload to photobucket then copy the HTML code and paste to GW.
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Buehl
13 years ago
Have you had a chance to read the "Read Me" thread? It has a "Posting Pictures" topic that explains step-by-step how to post pictures.

There's also a "Layout Help" topic that describes the information we need to help you get the best design.

See the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: New To Kitchens? Posting Pics? Read Me!
nancymark111
13 years ago
Hijack: Does any one have a good program to do the floor plan and layout? I have to redo my kitchen soon.Thank you.
seattlecraftsman
13 years ago
You didn't have a lot of overall dimensions, so I threw something together full of my guesses to help visualize it:

You lost me on the later half of your third point.

Overall, seems like it would work nicely. Views from sink, lots of workspace. As for having drawers exclusively, I like heavily drawer'd kitchens. Some like to have a cabinet or two, like for a mixer, but with a pantry - which you did indicate having - you can skip them.

*edited - links to Fickr broke, fixing*

This post was edited by seattleCraftsman on Thu, Apr 18, 13 at 17:38
Cindy103d
Original Author
13 years ago
The layouts are in autocad, so don't fit with the how to post pictures thread. I couldn't find anything on how to post drawings and I couldn't figure out how to get drawings to post to online photo programs. .

Buehl - than k you for the reminder about the elements to include in the question. I read that months ago and then totally forgot about it in my excitement of actually posting something!

Seattlecraftsman- your drawing is amazingly close to what we have in mind. Hopefully others can use that as a starting point.
Cindy103d
Original Author
13 years ago
We are a couple of empty nesters with kids far away. We frequently entertain with small groups of less than ten. Family is small, so even holidays do not bring a big crowd.

Working in the kitchen - one of us is the prep cook, moving between fridge and sink area, then to countertop next to sink for chopping. The other is the cook, moving between the chopped food and the stove. We could most days of the week and every weekend. Our friends do not work in the kitchen, but like to hang out close by. We expect them to hang out in the new sunroom adjacent and open to the kitchen.

Layout - water and gas can be moved fairly easily. Moving the sewer could be done, but would be a major headache. We cannot move the walls, windows or doors. Tiny walk-in pantry at far end.

Appliances - 48" stove and hood, French door fridge set into alcove to appear as counter depth, standard DW, 30" apron sink, MW behind cabinet door.

Goal - we've lived with chaos so long, simply having a real kitchen again is my goal. Definitely going with function as the main driver. Want to minimize the clutter left on the countertops.

Other - would like to hide the coffee pot, but can't figure out a space that is close to the fridge and the sink to do so. (Heavy coffee drinker wants a spot of cream in his coffee.)
debrak_2008
13 years ago
In Buehl's "new to kitchens" thread it tells you how to post photos and layouts.
buildinva
13 years ago
Seattlecraftsman--That is amazing!!! What software did you use? I'd love to have images of my kitchen like that!
kateskouros
13 years ago
i would leave the range centered, with countertop space on both sides. and just by a very limited first glance, you may want to rethink your microwave placement, to be positioned closer to the range and fridge. think about how it needs to work for you. i need it to reheat things coming out of fridge and oftentimes to thaw something headed for the range top.

if you really want to hide your coffee pot, you can simply house it up inside your cabinet (between fridge and range) or extend the cabinet down to include an appliance garage. you might also be able keep your microwave in there depending on the dimensions. but the micro could also be stored inside upper cabs, to retain the crucial counter space next to the fridge.

This post was edited by kateskouros on Thu, Apr 18, 13 at 8:45
seattlecraftsman
13 years ago
buildinva - those are just quick mock-ups from Chief Architect. PM me and I'd be happy to put some together for your kitchen. Good practice for me. :-)