is the stove on the 'south' wall of the kitchen?

what are the 2 brownish rectangles in the middle of the kitchen?

Hi Steph,

The range is on the East wall. The L-shaped cabinet run (the only area with uppers) starts on the South wall and wrap around to the West wall. The banquette/eating area is North. The fridge/trash/sink/d/w is on the East wall, then double doors then more lower cabinets and open counter. There is a walk in pantry to the South as well.

The rectangles on the floorplan are:

1 A "general store counter" style island, open on one side with shelves, in the "L area"
2 A work table, between the sink and range. This will prob be on wheels and will be thin and light so as to take less visual space. Restoration Hardware makes a great distressed wood console with thin metal legs which I might copy.

Thanks so much for looking ... and sorry everyone that I didnt have a better title --- didnt notice until it was sent.

Unique! I'm not sure I have a good handle on it, but there are some neat things. I also have concerns: You will have to go around the work table to get to the sink from the stove and vice versa. Could be tricky with a pot of boiling water to drain. Looks like you will have lots of walking to gather all you need to make a meal and make it happen. Are the aisle widths marked? How deep is your work table? Looks less than 2 ft, which seems like it'll be tricky to work much on it and keep things from landing on the floor?

Yes, it's unique! In good and bad ways, : )

The sizing and placement of the work table will be left until the end of the project. It will probably be just about 2'. Ok but not great. I may not even use one. The range (not the one shown) has a hob, 4 burners, and a stainless work surface. The sink will have wood on either side.

I almost feel like I will do most of the work in one half of the kitchen. The other side will be more for storage, display, setting up buffets, etc.

My constraint is I am working with a very long relatively narrow room. Originally it has an 18' island, which contained a cooktop, sink, d/w. Talk about a lot of walking!

now I'm really confused - lol!

your fridge, sink would be on the 'north' wall.

so, what's on the 'south' wall of your drawing - west wall to you...it sticks out and has a strange looking side/line to it on the side facing the center of kitchen.

Desertsteph, I think that shape is the stove, known as a "LaCanche".

The design has a luxurious amount of storage!

It looks like you are going for an older look.... is that why the microwave is behind doors? I would think carefully on that. Perhaps a pull-up appliance garage instead? Then it could stay open while you are working, and you could have a bit of landing space in front and/or to the side of the microwave.

The work table needs a sink. Really! It needs a little more width too - like 6 to 12" and to be pushed closer to the range. I'd consider making it just a little longer or stick a "freestanding" sink like that kohler farm sink in a cradle next to it.

The country store island could be smaller and better placed so it didn't stick out in front of doorway #1.

I would move the ref into the country store area, on the same side with the range just to increase the convenience - near whatever is marked #4. Let the counter opposite the range have a drinks ref, possibly ice maker if you need it for parties and migrate the cabinet run into a breakfast/coffee/drinks bar.

Definitely different, very pretty and please post pictures when you're done.

Deer steph and bmo and eastbay,

Yes, sorry, i can imagine its confusing! The drawings are not oriented as they would be on a map. When I refer to the direction of a wall, its the direction in real life. So the top of the elevation is East, the bottom is West, the left side is North, and the right side is South. Its like a map turned ninety degrees counterclockwise.

The south wall has a range (its LaCanche Citeaux, but my KD doesn't have that in CAD/Cam so this one is about the same size). The wall it is on is the back our family room fpl, either side of the range is a 5' opening to the family room.

Yes, definitely going for older, unfitted, farmhouse-y feel. The floors will be wide plank pine. Counters will be wood and zinc, with white marble on our "general store counter" island. I didnt want any functions in the island because it will look like (and will be) a piece of furniture. It will be stained, as will the worktable and the fridge (with ice box hardware)

I have a wonderful husband but he is not a cook --- this is a one cook kitchen! I dont have two sinks now and dont really desire one .... the one I am getting is enormous though, oversized, think it might be 36" wide

Where to hide the m/w is the bane of my existence. I dont like the drawer ones. I have had mine behind doors now for 8 years, works fine. They are pocket doors. I tend to close them when I clean up the kitchen at night and when we have guests.

The size and placement of the worktable will wait till the end. We may not even have one ... hard to know now. The island size mimics one end of the L.
Good catch though, the island is not supposed to stick into any doorways (wide tho they may be). Its supposed to scoot back. Gotta remind KD!

Number 4 is an opening to the dining room. I like the fridge right next to trash and sink. ANd I didnt want to interrupt the "L". These are painted cabinets, maybe slightly distressed, with sliding glass doors and painted beadboard in back. Zinc landing counters. I want an apothecary look....

We are down to the studs and it will certainly be Fall before I have any pics, but rest assured you will see them here. GW is indispenable for advice!

Thanks all.

I almost feel like I will do most of the work in one half of the kitchen. The other side will be more for storage, display, setting up buffets, etc.

I can see that as the plan, but figured accessing the pantry area (L storage?) into my concern about too much walking. I am also concerned that you have no storage immediately handy to your stove for flour, spices, oils, etc...Things you want to keep at arm's length while you're cooking. Removing the work table means you have a LONG way to the fridge and sink from the stove. Maybe too far, but I'm still a bit unclear on actual dimensions between things.

Do you bake? Where will be mixer, baking ingredients, and the workspace for that?

What is to the top of the kitchen on the plan? I thought it was possibly dining, but now I see the table to the left and the dining off the bottom. Your 'buffet' area seems far from either.

I understand the look you're after in the kitchen and in regard to the island, but if it can't also serve you well, the look won't be worth it when you're cooking. I think you can still have a utility- or furniture-looking table with a sink in it.

I was thinking about your saying you might eliminate the work table as I was baking today's batch of granola, so have to add...You also don't have any counterspace near the stove except for that table. Think of plating or loading serving dishes...or anything you want to set out of your way. You don't want it all crowded on the limited work surface on the stovetop.

I understand that you have 1 sink and work well with it now, but how close is it to the stove and your prep area? Now that I have a prep sink, I wouldn't want to do without even if I worked alone in the kitchen every day. So nice to have dishes and food separate, and a sink handy to the stove/prep/baking area.

Hi rhome,

Thanks for giving my kitchen so much thought! Especially as it is quite confusing, even to me and I have been looking at it it for weeks now.

In all likelihood, there will be a work table, but I want it to be portable. There is also stainless work surface on the right side of the range, and of course countertop on either side of the sink.

The pantry area is not in the L-shaped cabinet run. The pantry isnt part of the floorplan you see in the first image. The last three photos show the pantry. It would be all the way to the right if it were on the floorplan, The pantry is for Costco type stuff, rarely used appliances, linens, candles, cleanings stuff, etc.

The items used every day to cook will be either on a shelf above the range, in the m/w cabinet to the right of the range, or it the cabinet to the start of the L to the left of the range. I don't use many dried spices, in fact I threw out all my spices and I buy small amounts, fresh, as needed, or use herbs.

I don't bake much, only for company. I envision doing that on the marble.

The area to the left side on the floorplan is a banquette for casual eating (we took out a wall to create this. On "top" of the kitchen on the floorplan is the existing dining room original to the house. It is sort of a dining room/green room, almost all windows, beamed ceiling, slate floor and stone corner fpl. The two large windows you see in the elevation actually look into the DR, which then has a pond view. The DR is a step down and set off by bifold french doors.

Thanks, again!