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lenarufus

trying to visualise layout for kitchen/dining room

10 years ago

I'm looking for opinions on whether this kitchen layout allows for
enough 'sitting' room near the garden. I really want the kitchen to be
near the garden, and in one row. We have another living room. I've made a
couple of layouts, with furniture arranged differently in each, so there us a little bit of flexibility. There
are two of us but have the odd party.

Also, I'm not sure whether to swop the dishwasher/sink and the washing machine.Would appreciate your comments

Comments (19)

  • 10 years ago

    I should have given equivalents to the metric measurements ... here are some rough ones from a quick google
    5100mm = 200" - 16'
    4800mm = 188" - 15'
    1200mm = 47" - 4'
    3800mm = 149"' - 12'
    900mm = 35" - 3'
    1500mm = 59" - 5'
    3500mm = 137" - 11'
    1100mm = 43" - 3'
    6250mm = 246" - 20'
    2100mm = 82" - 6'
    3700mm = 145" - 12'
    700mm = 27" - 2'
    10000mm = 393" - 32'


  • 10 years ago

    It's so hard for my brain to wrap around metric on floor plans. In the meantime... read this post as to why your appliances should go Fridge-Sink-Range: Ice.Water.Stone.Fire

  • 10 years ago

    I'm no help because they would all work for me as long as there is enough walking around space so there's no traffic congestion. I guess the question you would need to answer is do you want to sit on a couch/comfortable seating when looking out at the garden or at a table? The answer to that should give you your answer. For me, I'd rather have the comfy seating nearest the garden view because during a meal shared with friends/family, the focus is usually on the food and conversation but not the view.

    Where is your fridge?

    Your dishwasher should be to the right of the sink to keep it out of the prep zone.

    Have you considered a clean-up sink and DW in the island so you can use a smaller sink next to the cooktop for prepping without sink congestion?

  • 10 years ago

    Fridge is to the left of the wall oven, the dw is to the right of the sink already, there are labels above. I don't want anything in the island, just a timber top with drawers under, waste bins and book shelves on the other side for recipe books.

    With this layout it would be easy to move things around but we have a plan that was done for us which puts the kitchen on the far left next to the bathroom, on 2 walls, so there can be extra sitting room near the garden. I'm arguing that with the above layout there can still be some sitting room, but my partner doesn't agree. As I'm determined to have the kitchen where I envisage it, I'm desperately trying to garner support!

  • 10 years ago

    I've been playing around with your floor plan. I logged in to post what I'd do and just read your message above. Sorry! I think this is the direction I'd go--as long as I could have a door from the kitchen to the side deck...


  • 10 years ago

    Benjesbride that would be ok except the kitchen doesn't fit into that space, the plan done for us had it here too but with the rest of the kitchen along the adjacent wall. And I really wanted the kitchen beside the garden .. If it wasn't for that, it would be a good solution

  • 10 years ago

    What's the reason for having the kitchen on that side of the garden?

  • 10 years ago

    Oh, MY! You must like to walk a lot with your fridge so far from your sink/prep area. Please read the link to Ice-Water-Stone-Fire posted above. You are creating a very inefficient kitchen.

    Most of the time in the kitchen is spent prepping meals. If you put your kitchen where benjesbride is suggesting and then put a prep space in the island, you will spend most of the time in your kitchen looking toward your garden. With your current plan, I don't see how you'll be able to enjoy looking at the garden as you will always be sideways to it with your back and side to the doors.

  • 10 years ago

    Benjesbride I suppose the main reason was so I could have the kitchen in a long run, I hate kitchen corners. And also that side can't have windows as its a boundary wall, and the other side would have windows looking out to the small garden and pond along the side, so we couldn't have the kitchen on that side.

    But maybe that plan would work, except I would not want the tall cabinets (fridge wall oven and broom cupboard) to be at the entrance as you come in from the living room, would rather the low cabinets were there so it was more open. But that would put the fridge down in the corner where it wouldn't be as accessible.

    But it could work ... The table and sofa could be swopped around for a change. Would have to shorten the kitchen a bit. But I have an aversion to sinks or cooktops in the island bench, I just want a solid piece of timber .. I imagine in both my plan and yours I would spend half my cooking time chopping things up on the island bench and half fiddling with things on the cooktop so both plans would be similar in that respect, I would still be facing the wall half the time.

    Now I'm away from my computer for a month so can't fiddle with your ideas till I get back, very frustrating

    Funky camper, yes I read that, I can see the fridge is a bit too far from the sink, I was thinking I should swop the washing machine and dishwasher/ sink.

    So in my plan that would go - (tall cabinets)- broom closet, fridge, wall oven/drawers

    Then

    (Short cabinets) - dishwasher/workspace, sink/drawers, drawers/workspace, cooktop/drawers, washing machine/workspace

    That might be better

  • 10 years ago

    Anything that gets the washing machine away from the cooktop is a good thing. Laundry and cooking don't mix, IMO!

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Another way to look at having tall cabinets at the end near the bathroom door is that it creates a small hall and adds some privacy. It's not clear from your drawing that there is any advantage to keeping that area open.

    Do you have to have a wall oven? It may be customary to have a cooktop separate from the oven where you live. It looks to me like unless you put the sink or the cooktop in the island, you don't have enough room for a wall oven. If you have a range (cooktop+oven) instead, I think it can all fit. If you must have a wall oven, it should be at the far end on the wall common with the shower. You don't want a wall oven creating an obstacle between your refrigerator and your sink.

    I hope you have a great month!

  • 10 years ago

    One more thing... To free up kitchen space, you could put the broom closet next to the linen closet and your cat pole over near the window. Your cat would probably enjoy the view :-)

  • 10 years ago

    Haha that's actually a great idea, and it's logical to have the broom cupboard (also for stepladder, vac cleaner, ironing board) near the linen cupboard. That would make it easier fitting the kitchen in that space.

    Yes, I'd like a wall oven, easier than stooping down. They are quite common here (Australia)

    I'm going to have a go with pencil and paper and come back ...

    Nancyjwb, the front loader (we don't use a dryer) washing machine will be in a cupboard. We keep the laundry basket in the bedroom so there won't be dirty washing around, and it only gets used once a week (wouldn't be used at the same time we would be cooking) so I'm quite ok with it being near the cooktop ... It will just be another surface to work on (the lower cabinets will all be under a stainless steel bench top)

    Thanks everyone

  • 10 years ago

    Lena - I'm glad you're presenting an Australian kitchen. I think it's difficult for many Americans to consider a washing machine in the kitchen. Many of us want our washing machines to have their very own rooms. And no dryer? Ha! I don't know any American who would choose to not have a dryer in the house. Thanks for sharing your project here.

  • 10 years ago

    I've had a go with benjesbride's idea, I think I can fit everything in, the kitchen itself is a lot smaller but there are a lot more ways to place furniture so it's more flexible I think. The fridge could be recessed a bit into the linen and broom closet, I suppose that's possible. (?)

    I'd use the island for chopping veg etc and have a chute into a compost bin.

    I think there's enough working space, ie the area on top of the washing machine is 70cm (27 1/2 inches) for a set down area and the dishwasher top is 60cm (23 1/2 inches) plus the sink (28 inches) will only take up part of the 39 1/2 inches surface there.

    Plus the 220cm (86 inches) on the island bench. And the base cabinets are deeper than normal, 70 cm (27 1/2 inches). We don't use a microwave or toaster so the only things kept on the bench would be a magi mix and an electric jug and teapot.

    What do you think? !


  • 10 years ago

    I know you dislike corners, but I think the perimeter would be very tight in your layout. You can void the corner and have wide drawers next to the sink and a norrow pullout next to the cooktop. Something like this?



  • 10 years ago

    Hi, yes my partner likes that but he also suggested narrowing the entrance from the living room which would give the kitchen more space, and making the door to the deck open outwards, He thought the area near the door was a dead area but I like it open. I really don't like corner cabinets!

    So with this extra space I think it wouldn't be so tight .. What do you think. Have made the drawers under the cooktop less wide, and added 2 x 60cm wide drawers, it gives more surface area.




  • 10 years ago

    Whoops I just realised I forgot the dishwasher in the last picture ...


  • 10 years ago

    I think this is better. Cabs add up to 5 M (197"). I believe there'd be some fillers/side panels (guessing a total of 10-12 cm). That'll leave you with 1-1,10 M for the entry which is fine IMO since it's just a few steps and you'd immediately see the garden ahead of you.

    Just another idea. If you can have the oven cab next to the fridge you may not need a wall b/w those and the cabs on the bathroom side. This is what we did in our summer house.