I guess I didn't post the links correctly. I'm trying again.

Here is a link that might be useful: Current Floor Plan

Hopefully this will work.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures of current First Floor

We did some major layout changes with the remodel of our old house. The house started out as a one room claim shack (original Kitchen) and had been added on since, for a total of 6 foundation footprints. When indoor plumbing was added they did so by excavating under the west corner of the house (about 10'x10' area)so the bathroom and kitchen were located at the far end of the house. I hated the layout, so during our remodel (ok, gut and rebuild) we moved several rooms around and relocated all doors and windows. This included many of the internal door openings too.

We also added on so we would have a basement section that was accessible from inside the house for a storm shelter and to alleviate the problem we had with frozen pipes in the winter.

Here is the original layout

The main entry was into the laundry room and you had to walk all the way through the kitchen to get anywhere else in the house (or to the bathroom from anywhere in the house).

This is basically what we ended up with, though the exact kitchen and dining room layout is different - we are not quite done with that part of the house.

This is closer to what the final layout is like, but does not include everything.

We put in a real entry way so you don't walk through the laundry room, put the main bath much closer to the bedrooms and put the kitchen central to the house. The other main change was getting rid of the suicide stairway and putting in one that you can safely walk up and down without fearing for your life.

Our house had some serious rot/structural issues so we had to rebuild several exterior walls and most of the floors. That made it real easy to move other things around. We also replaced all the electrical while we were at it - as that was also something the house was not built with.

One of the best things about this is we were only without a working kitchen for a few days. Have not had a finished kitchen in five years though, but we were able to do the bulk of the work getting the new room ready before we had to deal with removing anything in the old kitchen. Then we just cut up the cabinetry and put it in the new kitchen to make do until we got the rest of the house done.

We are finally working on getting real cabinetry for the kitchen, and I can say I have changed my kitchen layout several times while living with a mock-up of what I thought I would like. Now I know my final layout is one I can easily live with.

Cathy

It looks like a good idea if you have the budget and really want to solve the kitchen problem for the long term.

Regarding your specific concerns:

1. While you are renovating go ahead and convert the porch to use as an office. This will give you space to use when other rooms are out of commission.
2. Unused fireplaces can be removed for additional space. Or uncover it and use as a feature in the new kitchen.
3. Closet space: Take inventory and determine the type of closet/storage you need. Come up with a linear foot number for shelves and hanging space. Provide this info to the Architect to incorporate. Turning the porch into usable space can add closet space too.
4. Make sure your Architect addresses the entry issue fully. You will probably need an Interior Designer who specializes in residential space planning. Architects are not always good at this part.
5. You will have to determine your need for natural light and the room may gain light when opened up. You don't have to put the sink at the window so consider a spot that looks out at all that new, open space. I prefer an eating area with a view and rarely look out my sink window at the neighbors.

I agree w/Steff_1...

Also, be careful about having your architect plan the detailed kitchen layout; like other aspects of interior design, they usually aren't very good at kitchen designs. Architects are great with structural plans and building/architectural details, but not at designing well thought out kitchen designs for function. They're more for form ("looks") over function. IF your architect has a good Kitchen Designer on staff, you may be OK, but if not, I would not let him/her design your kitchen! (Or, if you do, post it here for an honest critique!)

Regarding the "built in" that may be hiding a fireplace...if you eliminate the built-in, you will open that nook up for better access to the view, if you like the view.

I wonder why the fireplace was closed up, it would have been great to have it! I would look into re-instating the FP in the new kitchen...if you don't want a FP per-se, consider turning it into a pizza oven or perhaps putting your range there with the brick around it (assuming it's brick!) All these ideas would, of course, be dependent on how your kitchen is ultimately designed...but they're ideas to think about/consider.

These are all great ideas and suggestions. I am still reeling from the idea of moving the kitchen so I'm having trouble visualizing the rest.

I love the idea of expanding out on to th porch but I'm not sure if it's in the budget right now. I was told although but have no concrete numbers as I'm just at the planning stages that as soon as you add exterior work the cost will really increase which makes sense. We have a total of around 25k to spend and with all of this moving of rooms etc. I'm just not sure how far the funds will go.

As for layout and aesthetics, I was thinking the same thing about getting a designer, I am really not able to visualize it and worried that if we do have a pretty big room dedicated to dining that we won't use it. I don't want wasted space which was why we've never actually used the dining room as such but we found that we weren't using the dining room as a family room either. We have always just hung out in the living room.

This house is over 100 years old so it has 4 fireplaces with three of them being hidden. I guess we'll see what's back there soon enough. A pizza oven may be a really neat addition. I'll have to think about that.

You're also right that once the space is opened up, there may be plenty of light.

I will keep you all posted on the design the architect comes up with as I would love your feedback. Is there a good way to get the floorplans on Gardenweb, that is easy for you to view them.

Thank you again for all of your ideas and suggestions. Macybaby, I would love to see pics of your place. That's a lot of relocating. Did you live there the whole time?

We relocated our kitchen, and we love it. The entire 9 years we had lived here, I had tried to envision a new kitchen in the old kitchen's space, and it just never worked. Moving the kitchen ended up being a no-brainer for us, it just fixed every problem we had with it in the old space. But we still made sure to live in the old house for a while with the idea in our heads before we knocked out the walls.

We had to remove a fireplace as well, because it was in the old family room (which became the kitchen). It would have been lovely to leave it, or some of it, but it was a big awkward corner fireplace that backed up to one of the walls we took down.

As for light, we had a big window in the room already, but we added a couple of high dormers that have been wonderful. If you don't have a great view, or wall room due to cabinets, high windows might be the answer. Transoms or dormers like ours, perhaps.

We did all of ours in the original footprint of the house, but our original plans called for bumping out the living room space a couple of feet. It was going to cost us from $15K to $30K more, due to foundation and roofline and exterior enhancements ... and it wasn't going to be worth that. But everyone's situation is different; you just need some concrete numbers with and without expansion. I'm guessing $25K won't cover that, but I don't really know.

Thanks for the comment Segbrown, our situations sound similar. I don't think we'll expand out right now because of the additional cost. That 25K will be gone pretty quick I'm sure. Lucky for us, we have access to an outlet for cabinets which will save us $$$$, I did a really large kitchen in a previous home for under $5000 and got quality cherry cabinets. I am hoping to repeat that for this house. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I need the money to go along way :)

I do think that we will need to put some kind of high windows in the new kitchen for light.

If anyone has a chance to look at my current floor plan and has any ideas for the corner of what will be the new kitchen where the window is, I would really appreciate it. It's the area by the hidden fireplace and I'm really stumped with it.

Thanks for all that you have posted so far, it's been great!

There are several possibilities for that area such as a low counter, but without a lot more information it would be difficult to make a definite suggestion now. We do need to know some details such as measurements like width of the space, height to the sill, and so on to help you out here.

You are just getting into the idea of moving your kitchen and it might be best to focus on the big picture first and place the larger, more important items and consider how you will work in the kitchen. As you work through all your decisions, a use for that space may work out as well.

Regarding getting your floor plan posted here:

You have several options...

1. Take the plan that you have in the first link of your original post and annotate it with measurements...the walls/windows/doors...the entire length of a wall as well as the distances b/w the windows/doors and surrounding walls.

   Instead of posting the link, though, post the picture itself. I don't exactly know how to do it using the "Floor Planner" software you're using, but if you can create a jpeg file (usually w/a "jpg" extension), then you can post it here using the following (taken from the "Read Me" thread):

• Copy the following into the "Message" box where you want the picture to be:
  {{gwi:1467847}}

• Next, replace the http://www.XXX/image.jpg with the address of the image.

• When you "preview" the message, you should see the picture

2. Using graph paper, draw out your kitchen to-scale

• Label the walls, etc. (like I mentioned above)

• Take a digital picture of it.

• Upload it to your photo hosting site (in your case, Flickr)

• Post it here (I don't know the exact steps for Flickr, but there should be a place to get the html code that looks something like the example above)

You can get free graph paper online. Search for "graph paper". Using the free online graph paper I mentioned above, take a screenshot of it

• • PC: use the "Alt" + "Print Screen" keys if you have XP or earlier or the "Snipit" tool if you have Vista or Windows 7)

• Mac: I don't know!

• Paste it into a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation (or similar software)

• Using rectangles, boxes, lines, etc., draw up your kitchen space.

• Using text boxes, label the walls, etc. (like I mentioned above)

• Save it as a "JPEG File Interchange Format (*.jpg)"

• Upload it to your photo hosting site (in your case, Flickr)

• Post it here

Hi Everyone,

Well the next step is done. The architect just left and he gave us three plans to consider and I would love to have your thoughts so I have tried to include the plans in the post but I may not have done a good job, so worst case scenario there should be a link to a pdf.

The architect stated that the drawing is in standard scale what ever that means but if it helps for reference the long wall of the new kitchen should be about 13ft.

The house currently ends at the end of the new dining area and he has added on a few choices on the side behind the new kitchen leading out to a new garage in the back of the house. We currently don't have a garage and although that would be nice, I don't think it's in the budget. The first plan is the most cost effective and could be done without building out but I'm not sure if the kitchen is functional. So I thought I would get your opinions and ideas.

I am excited to get started on this process but also very afraid of making mistakes as I have never done a remodel before.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Here is a link that might be useful: Architect's Drawings

First Drawing:

Second:

Third:

I think I finally figured out how to post to the site but now I'm not sure if anyone will be able to read it.

Here is a link that might be useful: 1st Layout Option

{{gwi:2109927}}

In this layout, we would be forced to add on but would get a much larger kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: 2nd Choice