Do you plan on selling the house in the next 5 or 10 years? If so, consider re-sale. If not, I think you're fine. My galley kitchen will be similar in size to yours. I currently don't have a dishwasher, but plan to put an 18" one in.

just one person? I think you are fine. If you plan on reselling, then plan for a spot to add one down the road. I couldnt imagine not having a dishwasher with a family of 5.

We're a family of four and have decided to not install a dishwasher in our galley. We're putting in a 24" base cabinet with the plan that it can be removed if ever I change my mind or in the unlikely event we sell.

Do what works best for you with provisions for adding a dishwasher in the future. It'll be great.

As long as you have a spot to install a dishwasher in the future, I think that's fine.

(We did without for a year in a rental when there were three of us and again for about 18 months in this house after there were four of us. I love my dishwasher and am still routinely grateful for it after over a year of having one again. So I really, really can't imagine choosing to hand wash dishes, but if that's what you are going to do anyway, why waste the space and money on a dishwasher?)

I think it's a mistake if you: A. Think you may EVER sell your house, B. Think you may ever date, entertain, or cohabitate with a spouse of any kind. There are lots of ways to maximize storage; there's only one way to clean dishes without doing them by hand.

A dishwasher drawer is smaller than a conventional DW and may be more to your liking. It would minimize the space allotted to dishwashing, allow you to have drawer storage beneath it, and it would also be an upgrade from whatever you have now, as opposed to downgrading your functionality to store a few more items.

Post a layout and we'll be more helpful.

I don't plan on selling anytime soon. I'm 68, going on 69, it's unlikely I'll be getting married or living with someone. I will entertain occasionally, but not for a large group, maybe 6 or 8 at the most. I do cook a lot for other people, taking the food to them. I do need the space, right now I have pots n pans and other stuff piled on my stove and dining room table. When I had a family here I loved the dishwasher, but waiting to fill it for myself takes too long, so I started handwashing. When I cook for other people I have big bowls and pans to wash, so they would get handwashed either way. Here is my kitchen, there are wall cabinets, didn't draw them in.

I know I'm in the minority, but I only use my DW when we have houseguests or I'm doing a major holiday meal. I cook daily and bake often, but wash/dry & put away dishes as I go. I realize it's idiosyncratic, but I like being Done with a meal when it's over & not having to face unloading a DW in the morning or doing without my favorite utensils/pans because they're dirty sitting in the DW.

I'm an empty nester so this works for me, as in your situation it will work for you. As others advised, I'd plan around a space having the option for hook up & install of a DW, should you decide to sell. Otherwise, given your limited space, I say plan your remodel around what best suits and pleases you.

Growing up, we had a dishwasher and never used it. Even for holiday/parties, we almost always washed everything by hand. I never used one when I was single and living alone. Even now, I still wash pots and pans by hand, because a dishwasher can never scrub off all the crusty, caramelized bits from them. As long as you keep a 24" spot and hookup for later resale, I don't think you will regret it. And even if you do -- you will be able to change your mind and add it later!

I agree with the advice to use a 24" cabinet for storage, now, with option for DW later. But don't forget to put new flooring under the cabinet, instead of up against the toekick--you want to be able to remove the cabinet later.

Last summer my Mom sold her house, with no DW. There is a space for it, and it is wired, but she never had it put in.

I'm more concerned about the layout than the dishwasher, to be honest.

You're going to redo the kitchen...but leave no room for storage around the cooking area? I would recommend a SMALLER fridge that will fit over by the sink...and leave a little counter space between the two.

Then, center the range on that wall and add storage to each side. This will give you a lot more room for all your cooking supplies and no more storage on the dining room table :)

Oh, and you can always add a dishwasher later...if you decide to do so. Hope this helps!

I love seeing what people do with small kitchens.

Kitchen wizards: From a purely functional perspective...Is it better if the sink and stove are placed opposite so each has more counter space rather than putting the sink and stove on the same run like this?

I feel it would be a huge mistake to do without a dishwasher. Seniors often have issues with hand strength and flexibility as time goes on. I wouldn't want to be washing much of anything by hand. A single dish drawer will provide enough of a dishwasher for a single person and for a party.

However, I also would downsize the refrigerator -- as lavendar lass suggested. I could even see going to an under counter fridge for one person.

Additionally, I would lose the stove which is a space hog. I'd put in a 4 burner cooktop and go for induction because it turns itself off and is a safer heat source than any other. Additionally, I'd get a 24" microwave/convection (speed) oven and a Breville smart counter top oven.

I would put in a large sink however. Because it's also handy for laundry and other chores.

Then there will be plenty of space left over for storage.

The other solution to the storage dilemma is to edit what you have. I've been doing that over the past 3 years and I'm continuing to do it. Our DD loved getting the china and silver, all the pots and pans we're not using and assorted other things we no longer use often. The resulting space has been terrific!

A kitchen without a DW would not be a deal breaker. A kitchen without an easily modifiable place to put a DW would. I'd at least try for an 18" wide one though.

Benjesbride- I don't know if the range can be under the window. Always better to have sink near range, when possible...especially when other people are in the kitchen.

But, in this case, I think more storage for cooking is needed...and smaller fridge will probably work with one person. It would be nice to know if that's a back door or window...and if other door is basement? If we could change/move doors, there would be more options! :)

Makes sense. Thank you for always being so helpful, LL.

lavender_lass,

thank you, I was assuming I was stuck
with the layout as is. I love the idea of a stove with counter on each side. Wondering if I could get the fridge on the other end of the counter, like this. This looks like more counter space, but how?

Door next to the stove is to basement stairs.

I like it, Kaethy! You're just redistributing the counter space :-) Refrigerators are the easiest fixture to move, too, so it should be easy to achieve the above layout unless your range utilities are too far toward the stair well wall.

If that's a window (and not the back door!) I think the fridge on that side makes perfect sense. And if you are moving it to that side, you don't have to flip the doors. I did, so it would open towards the sink, but even easier this way!

Just make sure you have room for the doors to open all the way, without bumping into the window. Glad you like the changes :)

Now we're talking! I never cease to be amazed at how GW can work miracles in small spaces!

Kaethy, I do disagree with rococogurl about the size of the sink. Since your stprage space is so limited, I'd want a smaller sink base (which is not terrific storage space), with the drain on one side so you can put a trash pullout underneath. While I usually tout drawers, the small cabinet between sink and fridge isn't big enough. It would be perfect, however, for cutting boards and cookie sheets (I have mine in a 9" cab). Give it a tall door (no drawer), and put a shelf or two at the top for long things like aluminum foil, rolling pin, etc.

I would also get a small range, to maximize the storage on either side. I think I would not split the sides evenly; if you get a 24" range, you have 48" left; I think I'd go with a 4-drawer stack 18" wide, and a 3-drawer 30" wide. That still leaves you with nice counter space.

You gain a surprising amount of storage by making your upper cabinets a few inches deeper. Make sure the uppers go to the ceiling. And don't forget to put a full-depth cabinet above the fridge! Mine has pullouts, so I can reach things from the side. I use it for things like cereal boxes, paper towels, a little-used stock pot - nothing too heavy.

With a kitchen that small i would only leave an 18" cabinet for a compact dishwasher, not a 24". I have a slightly larger galley kitchen (10' each side) and we removed an 18" cabinet next to the sink to put in an 18" dishwasher. It's plenty big enough and we are about to redo the kitchen and will keep the same dishwasher. A 24" isn't worth the loss of cabinet space.

I would personally just put one in (or a DW drawer). My last apartment had no dw and it was usually fine because it was just me washing my dishes as I used them. However, a couple times when I was sick or really busy the dishes got out of hand fast and I was wishing for a dishwasher. At the very least get a large sink so it can handle a day or 2 of dishes.

I agree even adding at least one drawer. Water in our area has become so expensive. You cant clean a sink of dishes by hand compared to the water used by dishwasher. Our full size dw only uses 5 gallon of water. The average faucet flows at 2 gallons of water per minute.

One thing I would ask you to seriously consider is purchase of a Franke Orca sink, the bottom sink grid and top right grid. I'm a wash as you go gal, as well, and do all my stacking of rinsed dishes inside the sink, on one side, with the dish water on the other side of the sink. This keeps all the water mess off the counters. The grids are stout and allow for easy standing of plates, pans, etc. on their edge. A cutting board can be placed on the upper grid for messy jobs, such as potato peeling. I use my grids constantly throughout the day when cooking. This is an expensive purchase but one you would never regret.

I think you are fine not putting in a dishwasher but instead doing a 24" cabinet so one can be installed later. I am 28 years old and have never in my life had a dishwasher!! Although we will have one in our new kitchen. There really will not be many dishes for just 1 person. And it seems like you need the storage a lot more than the dishwasher.