I like having the sink/dishwasher near the butler's pantry.

Do you plan to eat at the banquette or in the dining room primarily? It's going to be a 20 foot walk to clear the dinner dishes to the dishwasher. If the dining room is only for parties and formal occasions, consider moving the sink and dishwasher to the other window.

Fridge is not in a bad spot for food prep -- you can consider it part of a storage zone with the pantry. You can also grab a snack without bothering the person working at the cooktop.

But, once you grab those veggies, the prep sink is on the wrong side of the island. Your main sink is closer, but lacks the counter for prep space that the island has. If you move the main sink, move that island sink to the opposite end of the island as well.

Thanks, Janet. I hadn't thought of that, but my thoughts are most of our eating will occur at the island or banquette.

I moved the sink to the other side of the kitchen and moved the double oven to the wall with the fridge.

Where do you think is ideal place for everyday dish storage? Under the island?

Thanks for your thoughts! They are very much appreciated!

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I would center the range on the revised layout.
Better balance and more usable space between sink and range for prep.

Thanks! I revised it in photoshop. It is supposed to be centered as you can tell from inspiration photo; however, I think draftsman may have missed that when drawing up the plan.

Do you think maybe the DW should be moved to right side of sink (close to range)?

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I'm not sure that the dw has to move to the right of the sink, it is probably just a question of habit that it is usually on the right. Having it right next to the cooktop is possible, but if you have multiple people cooking/cleaning up in the kitchen it might get busy at that spot. Plus perhaps not really safe to have the dw open immediately next to the cooking area. But, if it is a single chef/cleaner-upper kitchen it may work. Where will your daily use plates, cutlery, glasses etc. be stored? You would want them quite close to the DW.

It is not a single chef. I was thinking everyday dish storage (with DW on left) could go in base cabinet on other side of sink and cabinet above dishwasher. Also, base cabinets of island if needed. I am 5'1" so having more base cabinets than upper cabinets is easier for me.

Where do you think would be good placement for pull out trashcan?

Hi Parislove, I love your ideas and inspiration photos, including the butler's panty and walk-in pantry. I like the idea of moving the double wall ovens next to the fridge. Just curious, how deep does your banquette area bump out? I see that it is 10' wide; but the 12' deep doesn't correspond to your plan.

Keep the DW to the left of the sink so that it will open up into an open area of floor space and not next to the island. Then put your pullout for trash immediately to the right of the sink because you will do most of your prep between sink and stove and it will be handy to have the trash pullout right next to you for sweeping debris off the counter into the trash. Try to maximize the counter space between the stove and sink - center the stove or even move it more towards the pantry.

Francoise, I don't think it is 10' - I think it is maybe 5'? I know the window on that wall is 2'. With our next meeting with drafstman I will get more drawn in there to see if we may need to bump it out more.

Donald, yes, that sounds like the place for the trash! thanks! So maybe trash between sink and range, and everyday dishes above dishwasher and below island closer to sink?

The kitchen cabinet details we will finalize at a later date. However, I'm trying to get an idea of what space we will need. I think we may have to add a foot or so to the length of the kitchen to get the range centered and ample counter space on sides of the sink and range.

Thanks for your thoughts!!

The prep will happen on the island, won't it? I'd put the pullout trash in the island but toward the end nearest the main sink. That way it's accessible from the cleanup area (like when you want to scrape plates, etc.), but also right where you're cleaning up during and after prep, so things are an easy sweep into the trash. We have ours placed similarly and it's a huge success for us.

I would really encourage you to consider something that will give your cleanup area more of the kitchen. You don't, in my opinion, have enough room planned for dish storage, and you have a lot of kitchen to the right of the stove that won't serve you very well...Just counter for the sake of centering the stove. If you cook and bake a lot, function is what you'll notice in your kitchen more than the look. I would think, for instance, about giving the cleanup area 2 windows, then recentering the range..for visual balance instead of strict symmetry.

{{!gwi}}

This is what we got done at the draftsman's yesterday. We forgot to have him move the prep sink to opp. side of island.

You can't see dimensions too much, but the wall on the right of banquette turned out to be 5'3". We think it is a good amount of space. The kitchen is on the large side and we wanted the banquette to be part of the kitchen vs. seperate.

We are still thinking about the "unused" counterspace. I don't think it will really be unused since I like to bake so it would be nice if I could bake and husband could cook at the same time. I am thinking that area would be more of a baker's area. We are thinking of sticking the microwave and something like appliance garage in that area.

Dish storage above the dishwasher and island near main sink does not seem like enough? We also have the butler's pantry for finer dish storage.

Thanks for your comments!

I saw that you planned dishes above the dw and on the other side of the sink, but missed that you'll also have them in th island. I admit that I think of the island as prep area, and dish storage seems odd there...and I guess I don't know that I'd like it broken up instead of something more cohesive in such a grand kitchen space. In the island toward that end is where I'd want the trash pullout. :-)

That will be a great baking area in front of the window.

Said gingerly, hoping not to hurt feelings or rock the boat too much: Your inspiration photo shows a major range and even more major hood...But your plan seems to show a 30" range and hood. Will that give you the look you want? Has your designer/architect/draftsperson made you any 3D drawings so that you'll know what you have in mind is what you have in the plans?

This is latest kitchen sketch up. Our range is 36." Our drafstman does think the hood we are liking will fit the area. There is almost 7ft between the 2 windows.

I am thinking trash in middle somewhere? So it is near prep sink and main sink?

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Sounds good (range and hood). Did you move the oven because of door conflict with the fridge? Does it bother you that it will open across a doorway, which is slightly dangerous and maybe a problem for getting through to the dining room?

I would put a pullout trash between the sink and the stove.

And that nook looks like it will be to die for!

I moved the oven because there wasn't any counter space near it to place hot things quick out of the oven. I hadn't realized I moved it to a doorway. Yikes!

Would anyone else mind the distance from the refrigerator to the nook? On another post the OP says she plans to start a family.

My dishdrawers open opposite my island just fine; 46" aisle.

I wouldn't want to be bending to access undercounter dish storage. Couldn't the OP hang wall cabinets where she *can* reach them? I've even seen 'upper' cabinets that rise directly from the countertop.

Can our OP reach the center of this large island? What is its function?

How/when will the butler's pantry be used? Might the space be more useful incorporated into the kitchen?

Would anyone else mind the distance from the refrigerator to the nook?
The distance from the fridge to the nook wouldn't bother me, I don't think. It just can't be close to the dining room, the cooking area, and the nook. I'd worry less about carrying milk and some condiments to the nook than having it too far away from the cooking area...But that's me.

I, too, worry about dish storage only under the counter, but a lot of people seem to have it that way. There used to be upper storage to the left of the sink...Did it disappear for good?

I moved the oven because there wasn't any counter space near it to place hot things quick out of the oven.
Wouldn't the island be a good enough/close enough landing space for the oven and fridge? I'd prefer that to the doorway position.

Maybe put the oven on the kitchen side of the fridge (swapping them on the plan that had them side by side), so the fridge is more accessible to nook and island, and so the door can hinge on the side opposite the oven for no handle conflicts.

Dish storage in the island is fine if you have drawers. Then you can just reach in from above instead of bending down to access a cupboard. And some people prefer them because it is then easy for children to help set the table or put away the dishes: train them early, I say!

We have both...dish storage in drawers and glassware/serveware storage above. I love my plates and bowls in drawers, but never got used to the idea of glasses there...and the bottom-most drawer is pretty low for things you want to get often. So, in this kitchen plan I am concerned whether there will be enough total storage in the cleanup area to fit the dishes of a possibly expanding family.

I'm not at all liking the 1'11" between the cooktop and cleanup sink, especially with a dominating hood treatment like the inspiration picture. Minimum work space either side of a cleanup sink should be 2', and a cooktop needs another 1' either side. Those spots and the prep run are the hardest working and arguably the most critical counters in the whole kitchen. You are way short of 3' there, and I fear cooking and cleanup tasks will collide badly in that 1'11".

You have a large fabulous space there to work with...maybe rethink the window placement? The windows seem to be driving the appliance placement when I'm not sure symmetry from the corners is all that important...notice how the oven stack would undo that symmetry anyway.

Me again.

I see in the last draft you have added a broom closet. Can you rework that area where the fridge is now to make a 7' cleanup run (sink, DW, dish storage)? Then on the long run, place fridge nearest the nook and broom closet nearest DR. THEN center your range/hood in the remaining space. THEN the windows.

I installed Rev a shelf drawer pull outs on our lower cabinets a couple months ago and that is where all the non drinking dishes are. I like it much better than having dishes in upper cabinets. It is MUCH easier to get & put away dishes.

The cabinet for glasses is still above the dishwasher. The function of the island is mostly prep and place to sit and eat/talk. Husband likes the island for free prep space which is why we didn't put main sink or cooktop there.

I am unsure about the butler's pantry. We mostly just put it their at the builder's suggestion. It isnt anything I'm excited about, but unsure how to use the space so we still have walkway to dining. We are VERY excited about walk in pantry.

I am considering repocating the windows to have a more functional kitchen. I've been looking at pictures of kitchens to find something else that I can LOVE! I did find this and thought maybe three arch windows in a row along the exterior wall would look just as nice.

I also found an inspiration picture similar to my inspiration picture!!

Isn't it gorgeous?? Oh, we are planning on having dark cabinets/white walls, which is another reason why we are looking for lots of sunlight in the kithcen (plus, I LOVE natural light in my living space).

Lots to think about!!

Okay, so I decided to change the layout so the windows centered around the sink instead of the range hood, so the window is now the focal point instead of the range hood. I am thinking maybe a big arch window in the middle, or 3 small arch windows? This was my inspiration.

To the left of the double oven is sort of a wall pantry for everyday pantry things (cereal, oatmeal, etc) and the microwave. I also did some very sketchy 3d drawings with homestyler.com. I couldn't get the shape of the island or put the prep sink in. The hood is smaller - 42 inch. I think this should be sufficient dish storage, yes?

Oh, please ignore the measurements on rights side of kitchen. They are from original & I didn't photoshop them out.

{{!gwi}}

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Will your house have other windows that are arched? Are any doorways arched? If not, I'd stick with rectangular windows. Also, you'll have an easier time adding window treatments if they aren't arched. We have an arched window over our entry (it matches the arch of the brick covered entry. It's not easy to find stock options and custom is expensive.

I like this latest lay-out.

I like the latest drawing...but I couldn't tell for sure...is the island centered on the windows? I think it needs to be if it isn't.

Sorry, this one has big problems, at least for how I like things, and how work paths usually travel. Prep sink and fridge go with stove... Think of that cooking work path. Retrieve things from fridge, then to wash and prep, then from there to stove. That's where I feel like the age-old triangle is still a part of kitchen design.

I would still want the fridge down by the oven, and the prep sink at the stove end of the island. I'd make a wonderful, all-in-one spot dish storage where you have the fridge.

But WAIT...Your stove is now almost in the walkway to the dining room, so that anyone standing at the stove is blocking the path... Also, the stove is no longer oriented to the island to use the island as a good prep area... You don't need it behind the sink, but it will be helpful behind you when you're using the stove. Instead of moving the fridge, if you swap the sink and stove in this one, I'd prefer it. You'd be back to the first plan, but with the fridge handy to the nook and cooking areas.

There is a run of cabinets to the right of the nook...what are those? They are partially blocking the doorway to the bedroom.

Sorry to not love it. I do love that you're open to the process and willing to make changes to get it the best you can.

I tried doing the original layout with the fridge on top right wall near nook; however, I really didn't like how that looked. I put a built in microwave on bottom right corner.

The house will probably have some transom windows with arches. Window placements & types are still being worked on.

The run of cabinets in the back were something I added in to show my drafstman where I wanted more cabinets or space created for a desk. He hasn't sent me a real layout of it yet.

{{!gwi}}

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