Is there a reason you're not using the taller upper cabinets available from IKEA? Looks like you could use the extra storage space.

No pantry?

No cabinet for garbage and recyclables?

Is there a window over your sink?

thanks beverly27!

Unfortunately, no there is no window above our sink. There is an existing bathroom on the opposite side of the wall. I would love a window sink, but I don't know how to make it work with our layout. We have a couple windows on the southern wall, but there's not enough room there to put cabinets because of the entry to the mudroom. I think that I have accepted a no window sink (with a little ughh). To compensate, I pushed the upper cabinets away from the sink to give some extra headroom around the sink. How does that look or function? I still haven't figured out what to do for a back-splash or decorative feature above the sink. Ideas?

And unfortunately, no pantry. We just don't have the room. But based on the fact that our kitchen is less than half this size now, I think that I'll be happy with just the extra cabinets. I guess I'll have to wait for our next house for a pantry :).

I was thinking about putting our recyclables in the adjacent mudroom, but maybe that would be a hassle???? And then put the trash under the sink.

As for the tall cabinets, I've thought about it and am still thinking about it. But my worries are two fold. One is budget, I think I'd rather have granite counters than tall cabinets. Two is our house is old and un-square and with the addition, I worry that getting a clean look at the ceiling would be difficult. Plus, I have an antique bottle collection that I think will look good on top of the cabinets. But thanks for the suggestion, without a pantry, maybe the tall cabinets are worth the extra money and the finishing.

Thanks again for your comments. I'm finding the planning a little daunting and having comments is extremely helpful!

where are the windows? I think I would look at this differently...rather than all perimeter for everything,use that long wall for fridge and range with better hood vented out[but need to know which wall has exterior of home on the other side].....and then proceed with an island in the foreground for sink and lots of base drawers. You have 116 in, or more, of depth....can do a lot with island design.Maybe use one of the short walls on left or right...but avoid just lining everything up along your walls.

It would be helpful to see the space adjoining the kitchen in a drawing. Doesn't have to be fany -just graph paper with the major dimensions. You'd gain a tremendous amount of storage and countertop with a peninsula between the kitchen and the DR.

Thanks for the suggestion herbflavor. I will try to play with that type of a layout in the Ikea 3-D planner tonite!

Cindy103D - Here's a quick sketch of our surrounding rooms. We only have a very short exterior wall, along the south side of the kitchen, where the two small windows are. I was toying with the idea to make this a bay window or bow window, whatever they are called.

You've got pretty good size to the kitchen, just a hard space to utilize the way it's laid out.

You're adding on the house to the right, correct? If so, do you have to end the kitchen along the DR wall line? Could you extend that wall further back to gain additional cabinets and then place the windows over them?

Hard to tell exactly where your doorways are. It appears there is one to the mudroom, one to the DR and one to the hallway. Eliminating just one of them would give you so much more space.

Instead of eliminating the wall between kitchen and DR, consider changing it to a half wall or peninsula.

lisacent. I did this layout before you provided your additional info, so I'm not sure how exact this is. A few things to consider.

I personally don't have my microwave positioned over my range, so I know that this might be an important feature for you. But if someone told me I could have a pantry for food, if I just agreed to the microwave over the range, I'd do it. So I have put this in the plan for you. Also I gave you corner cabinets. I think you need the space for storage, so I'm utilizing every inch. i have also included a cabinet for trash and recyclables next to your sink and dishwasher.

Another thing to consider if you're on a budget is that it's cheaper to get a 36" cabinet from IKEA than a 12" and a 24" cabinet.

This plan I sketched needs ALOT of refining and changes, but I hope it will just give you another perspective about your space.

You don't need to delete all those cabinets over your sink area. Here are examples of how other kitchens dealt with no window over the sink.

IKEA upper cabinets are 39" tall, so the overall height is 88". No need to worry about how your wavy ceiling will interact with the cabinets. They won't touch.

I'd find a special place for your bottle collection. Maybe inside a glass door case.

beverly27 - WOW! Thank you for all the comments, pictures and plans. Your Ikea sketch with pantry has motivated me to go back to the drawing board to move things around a bit. It's helped me to think outside of my little box. Thank you!

Agree with the pantry next to the fridge. Unless, you play around with the island idea a little bit, too! That might have some possibilities for you.

You don't have a good landing space by your fridge, as shown on west wall. The fridge door opens to cover the countertop that's next to it, effectively blocking access to that counter.

Did you already consult an architect? For me, the hardest part of my extension was designing the extended space to flow with my existing house, and keeping the new space small enough so that I could afford to do it. This is a real challenge.

I think it would be beneficial for you to post a graph paper layout of your existing house layout (main floor where kitchen is located) and where you are proposing to extend it. Do you have an outdoor space such as deck or patio? How is it accessed? Do you have a garage that connects to the mudroom?

My thinking is that since your mudroom and new bath are going to be in new space, you do not have to put the entrance to that area in the place you propose (unless a garage or plumbing access is dictating the placement). Think about aligning the entrance to that space with your hallway door to bedrooms on the opposite side. Now you can have a nice L shape of cabinets to include the windows and have a better flow for walkways and directing traffic away from the main kitchen work area.