I like it! It's very similar to my layout and so far it's working out well for me. I like that my peninsula is "protecting" me from people getting in my way while I'm cooking, yet I can still chat with them. Do you have enough space between your refrig and your peninsula for the doors to open? Can't tell from your pics. I think you did a really good job, but I'm sure the real layout experts on this forum will chime in. Good luck with your kitchen. Can't wait to see the finished product!
Barb

I am not a layout expert at all (which is why I usually don't provide feedback on these), but one thing really sticks out. The faucet seems really far from the DW. Not the sink necessarily, but just the faucet itself. Might want to flip that.

And since that wall is limited on space, I see why you put the DW so far away. If it were me though, I'd stick the DW next to the sink and put trash on the other side. But I rarely use the trash when cleaning up dishes (food mostly goes in the compost crock). YMMV.

Now I'll get out of the way and let the experts chime in.

I think it looks good, but I would scoot my DW over directly beside the sink.

Oh, and I love that you have designated 'Rat Room'. LOL!

Good catch by smilingjudy...It looks like you have the trash between the sink and dishwasher, which may seem like a good idea, but I think the logistics of working with it that way would be very difficult. When doing dishes, it's helpful to be able to reach sink, trash, and dishwasher from one spot, so having the trash on the other side of the sink would be better, or, maybe, even across the aisle in the peninsula...But it's probably too far in this layout.

Will you have any cabinetry around the fridge? Can you tell us about the area at the bottom of the plan? Is that a table? What kind/how large, etc? Do you realize you'll pretty much look at the side of the fridge when you're sitting there and it will block view and light? Do you have room to sit at the table with it so close to the fridge?

wht program did you use for 3d?

Thanks for the input. I was wondering about the DW and trash placement. It does makes sense to swap them. The faucet and sink are just a place holders. We'll be using a symmetrical stainless double sink with a centered faucet. The proper one in my software has a clipping problem and looks goofy. I'm toying with putting a microwave shelf in the cabinet above the DW.

The area in the bottom will be a breakfast nook - either a corner set up or a table and two benches. Not much room for anything else. We'll have a formal dining room out the door at the bottom.

smilingjudy:
Yeah, it actually will be the "Rat Room". My wife has 15 pet rats (plus two dogs and two birds). I'm trying to build it such a way that normal people would be able to use for something, well... normal.

lynchmob723:
I'm using the Better Homes and Gardens house design software.

thanks!
Mike Peyrot

I would not like that appliance garage in between the sink and the range. That is the natural place for prep to take place (refrigerator --> sink --> prep --> stove). Can you put the appliance garage underneath the cabinets on the other side of the sink?

Not crazy about the refrigerator sitting there by its lonesome. Is there room for anything next to the fridge? If not, could you fit it in your pantry room or build a cabinet to house the fridge so that it is finished off and looks like it was placed there on purpose?

The prep area makes a lot of sense. I've never actually owned or used an appliance garage. I assumed you would have it near where the appliance would be used. I guess the toaster and the fryer would go in there. The mixer is too big.

I think if I moved it to the other side, we'd just end up not using it and leave the appliances over by the stove. Definitely worth think about tho.

As far as the fridge goes, it's been the orphan stepchild of this design. I've had it pretty much everywhere. Nothing seemed to really work till I moved it out of the cabinet line. Unfortunately, it will be in the traffic path when in use. There will be about 44 inches between the fridge and peninsula, depending on the exact model we get.

I fiddled with adding a built-in look by adding a 'fridge hutch' with cabinets above, but it looked odd all by itself. At one point I made a sort of bar style eating area with a counter coming down from the fridge location, but having everyone all lined up staring at the wall didn't seem especially appealing.

I hate to say it, but that fridge still looks like an orphan stepchild.

You could put the appliance garage on the other side of the range, so the appliances would still be near the stove (although not sure why you need your toaster next to stove?) but out of the main prep space.

do you have cubbies and other types of storage next to your back door? If not, it looks like you have a good spot for your fridge there. (Check out trailrunner's kitchen in her KIA thread -- her fridge is in an alcove that is outside of the kitchen proper and it functions very well.)

Is that a full bath or a powder room? Seems really big if it's a powder room. Any way to possibly take some space from there for the kitchen.

I'm not really sure about fitting a small table in there. Is there more than you and your wife? Maybe you could consider framing in the frig and then having a run of cabinets, maybe just lowers, at which some point it is open underneath and you could have a little area where you could put some stools. It would help the frig look like it had more of a home and also help out with the spacing in front of the door to the DR. Are you planning to eat most of your meals in the DR or in the kitchen?

I would nix the nook and instead move the range up a bit, swap the fridge and peninsula, add an overhang and have stools for eating. YouÂd get a little more decent storage space that way and the fridge would look like it belonged.

I have a Guinea Pig room. :) Actually, itÂs the formal living room but we have no formal furniture (yet) and thatÂs where they have been for over a year now. There are only 2 but I kept adding on to the cage until it just took over.

Lots of great tips. SWMBO has nixed moving the appliance garage or the fridge. I worked up a couple different layouts but she's done. So, we're probably pretty much set. All in all , I prefer the fridge where it's at compared to everywhere else I've tried.

I have re-jiggered the cabinets around the sink moving the DW next to the sink with the trash on the other side of the sink. We like that much better - great tips!

Thanks a bunch for all your suggestions.

Mike

Two different concepts. For me, the basic problem is that the dinette is squashed in and has no view because of the ref and the very small window very far away AND the peninsula in in your way to-ing and fro-ing with groceries or to a grill outside (we cook supper on the back porch every chance we get).
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

Bmore - you never cease to amaze me. Love the 2nd layout! The 1st one could work as well. Terrific!

I LOVE the 2nd layout--because we have that same pantry, wall cabs, peninsula, entry setup in our lower level kitchen and it works great! However, I would not want the fridge in the pantry inaccessible to everyone unless they came through my working space-HELP!

We have the French door fridge all the way to the left on the wall of cabinets. I'd put the range/cooktop to the right of the window, and the sink in the peninsula. That's how our previous galley kitchen was, and I liked it enough to lay out the above-mentioned kitchen the same way.

The peninsula is a great working space from both sides, and IMO much better than the nook in this layout.

If you want more storage cabinets, you could shorten the peninsula as needed and put another 12" deep tall cabinet to the right of the desk. IMO that depth is much more convenient than the 24" deep for a lot of things.

With the pantry closed off from the back entry, you could put a bench on the outside wall (and add a window?) with hooks on the opposite wall.

If your wife is resisting some of the excellent suggestions here (and if you agree with some of them), you might want to wait a little before proceeding. Many of us had initial plans that seemed fine to us, but that as we learned more, figured out their (our) limitations.

Anne

I love that second layout, bmore. What about putting the fridge on the end of the window wall closest to the rat room? That would make it more accessible, and still leave a landing space between the fridge and the window.

Oh my! Both of those are great layouts. Now I have to start thinking again.

Can I redesign again without the wife taking my life? That's the question.

I better go buy some beer...

Yes, sarschlos_remodeler, and he sure could put the ref there and it is a better location.

If it were me, I'd go straight to margaritaville.... or maybe the pet store?

Good luck,
jill

mdpeyrot: if it makes you feel any better, I've been trying to come up with a layout so long that my DH calls it "doodling."

Ok. Beer definitely helps. I was pretty sure it would.

Here's some more info that's probably fairly important. We have a 10' ceiling in the kitchen and 8' in the entry and pantry. And we already have purchased a 30" range. Probably shouldn't have, but felt it was too good a deal to pass up. Also, we're not big on bar-style eating areas.

I also have the option of opening up the wall between the kitchen and pantry all the way. Bmore's 2nd layout actually shows the pantry door where it's currently located. I was going to move it to give a free corner.
The ceiling heights would be different, of course, and I'm sure I'd have to but a big header across, lower the opening even further.

I like the concept of the stove in the peninsula, but I'm worried that venting it there would be prohibitively expensive. I assume the dashed line denotes a height difference? The range being lower than the surrounding area?

In bmore's second layout, you could still do the corner banquette and eliminate the desk.

There are people on this forum who have put ranges into an island setting. Not my ideal because I'm a nervous nelly, but certainly doable.

I wouldn't open up that wall unless you are able to raise the entry/pantry ceiling to the same height as the current kitchen.

Ok. Using elements of the previous designs and tips, I've come up with this.

I'm not sure of the dimensions of the standard corner sink bases so it's approximate.

{{!gwi}}

Where is your stove currently? I would swap the refrigerator and stove so that the oven won't be opened into the doorway. I would also eliminate the peninsula and go with a small island in the work zone. Maybe an open-cart type with a butcher block or SS top. I'm not crazy about the peninsula there, where it forces traffic to pass through the work zone from the back door. A small work island would give you a bit of storage and counterspace without impeding walk ways.

Well, It's all pretty much moot. My wife likes the original layout so that's what we'll being going with.

Mike, your wife is decisive. I like that -- I'm hoping that by reading your thread, some of that decisiveness will rub off on me! Good luck with the kitchen!

Ok, just when I was resigned...

What about this? We were browsing at Nebraska Furniture Mart *drools* today and we saw a kitchen display with the fridge hanging off the end. All my thinking had the fridge enclosure with plain ends which led me to think it would just look dopey, but this one had panels. My wife really liked the look. Question is, can we do this on both sides or do we just make a giant tower in the middle of nowhere? Again, moving the fridge somewhere else or changing the layout is a total non-starter with my wife.

I also slid the fridge and doorway up by reducing the size of the rat room, so the breakfast nook is a little less crowded. It also gives a little more butt room when using the freezer.

Added the Microwave drawer too. SWMBO saw one today and loved it.