Kitchen Plans for an Experienced Eye

11 years ago

Hello all!

I've been watching and reading these forums for months as we've been planning our remodel, and I hope some experienced eyes might take a look at our kitchen plans.

A bit about the house--built in 1918 as a solid prairie style home in a Craftsman neighborhood close by an urban center. The previous owners lived in the house for over 60 years and removed many of the historic elements in the 60s-70s, but the bones of a great space remain. We don't have the budget to try to re-create the original elements, but are trying to update and refresh with care.

A bit about our household--we are a young couple and this is our first house, but hope it will be our family home for many years to come. We cook and entertain very often and want to feel a sense of pride in the space.

A bit about the kitchen itself--right now it is a mess of linoleum and bad plumbing, with a powder room right in the middle--next to the kitchen sink! We are doing a full renovation, trying to pay as close attention to use of the space as possible. There are three access points: a hallway entrance from the front door, a large (6ft) doorway to the kitchen, and a very large (8ft) sliding door that opens to the deck. One note as well--the plans say 12" depth at the island, but that will actually be 15" for counter-seating.

I hope this is enough context, the plan is attached. We would love any thoughts or input on the layout from this helpful group!

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Comments (7)

bmorepanic
11 years ago
Couple of thing to start with...

The pantry door is very small (only a 24" door at most) and will be partially blocked 100% of the time by the ref, it's doors and handles.

Figure out how the doors on the ref will swing. The hinge side of a ref needs extra clearance when its next to a tall object like the pantry.

Think about where you'll keep the dishes now. A good part of the storage cabinets are to the right of the dishwasher and a good bit of those will be unreachable when the dishwasher door is open.

I think I'd try out the pwdr room where the pantry/ref is and see what happens if the ref/pantry takes the place of the pwdr room. Partly, it would make the business side of the kitchen more efficient but also the pwdr room is kinda cramped. Might save making changes to the exterior.
deickhoff0
11 years ago
I'd reconsider the 32 inch fridge.
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deickhoff0
11 years ago
I'd reconsider the 32 inch fridge.
sjhockeyfan325
11 years ago
I don't think there's enough depth to switch the powder room with the pantry, but I'd think about switching the powder room with the hall closet (I like a buffer between the kitchen and the powder room - admittedly, a personal quirk).

Without getting into too many personal details, do you plan/expect to have children in this house? If not, I think a 32" fridge is fine; if so, it may be too small. (I have a 30" builtin now and its PLENTY big for 3 adults who live in an urban setting - that is, close to the supermarket)

Is the "eat in counter" lower than the rest of the island? If so, another personal quirk, I hate them - always feel like a kindergartner sitting at them, looking up at the teacher.

Another question - what is the distance from the coner of the island countertop to the corner of the countertop on top of the 24" base cabinet next to the fridge - it looks like it might be quite tight.
lampyear
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks, everyone!

If we could, we would absolutely swap the powder room with the closet, unfortunately the closet is under the stairs and we don't have clearance. And, indeed, we don't have enough depth to swap it with the pantry.

The fridge size is actually a big upgrade for us--we are used to apartment-scale everything--but good to think about if we possibly would want to get an even bigger one in the future . . . We are planning on a bottom mount freezer fridge with one upper door that would open with the hinges on the right.

The counter height will be consistent for all elements--lower cabs and island. I'm not a fan of the two level island as well!

The distance between the edge of the counter and the island is 32".

Hope that helps, and really appreciate the feedback and advice!
Karenseb
11 years ago
I think your powder room needs more space. Can you steal 3 feet from under the stairs to fit a toilet there? Or maybe you can take space from the front part of the closet for a vanity. That would leave dead space under the stairs, but I don't see how you can fit a sink in a space that looks to be 3 X 6 or 7 feet.
You could turn your pantry into a coat closet opening into the hall.
Your island should probably be no more than 40 in deep.
windycitylindy
11 years ago
I'll chime in with agreement that you may want to reconsider that 32" fridge. I fear it will look woefully out of scale in a kitchen with a 36" range.