Kitchen layout questions-first time poster

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Thank you for all the expert advice here..I have learned so much! I am a first time home builder and we are planning for this to be our forever home. Construction is set to start next month. We are a family of 5: 2 adults,. 3 kids ages 8-15. We live in a rural area and prefer to grocery shop every 2 weeks. I cook most things from scratch, 2 meals a day several days a week.

Here are my questions:

Where should I place the prep sink, ice maker, and microwave?

i am struggling with choosing a refrigerator. The size can still be changed at this point.

Are there any glaring issues that I should address now, before construction begins?

Featured Answer

funkycamper

10 years ago

Wow! What an amazing kitchen that will be. I'm trying to fight the urge to kiss the image of your pantry on my monitor.

I don't understand why you have your ice maker in the cook/prep zone. It would make more sense to me to put it near where people are going to be making drinks.

I think I'd switch the fridge/freezer columns with the clean-up sink/DW placement. They would still very accessible for prepping but it's also accessible for people who just want to grab a drink or a snack without them having to cross behind someone doing clean-up and, thus, having to walk around the DWs. If someone is cooking and going to the fridge, and someone else is doing clean-up, it would create traffic jams if someone also wants to get that drink or snack. Switching fridge and clean-up will eliminate one potential person from that scenario.

I would put the MW drawer between the fridge/freezers and DW. Quite often, something out of the fridge or freezer just needs to be nuked to be eaten. If you switch clean-up and fridge/freezer as I recommended above, someone can come to the fridge, nuke something, and never enter either the clean-up or prep/cook zones.

Also, make sure there is some filler between the oven stack and the wall. You need space for the door to open without being too close to the wall. I'm not sure how much. I'm guessing 2" would work but investigate further to be sure.

I sure hope you're planning on a powerful hood, vented outside, and possibly needing make-up air, for your big cooktop.

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Comments (6)

mbairdrph45
Original Author
10 years ago
I am planning on a microwave drawer.
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sena01
10 years ago
I'm no expert so I may be understanding it all wrong, but as far as I can tell the aisles b/w the cooktop wall and the prep island and b/w the two islands seem a little tight. If you have 5'8" from the wall to the prep island your aisle would be around 41" (68-(24"+(2x1,5 o/h)) which can be fine for a single cook, but tight if there are several cooks. The other aisle 3'6" would be 39" when 1,5" o/h for both islands are deducted.

Also, for countertop height bar o/h 12" may be uncomfortable.

http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/kitchen.design.rules.htm#.VrhEtViLTWI

I like funky's suggestion to move the fridge/freezer.
mbairdrph45 thanked sena01
mbairdrph45
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the great info! I don't think I can switch the fridge and sink at this point because there is a window above the sink and it looks out on the front porch. I love the exterior of the house and do not want to change it. I totally agree that the ice maker should not be in the work area. I think that the ice maker and the prep sink could go in the other island, BUT I am worried about the noise from the ice maker.

We will check on widening that aisle between the islands.

And oh my goodness, we will definitely make the counters deeper to more comfortably eat there. That is something that is very important to us. Thank you sena01 and funky camper.
ControlfreakECS
10 years ago
How do you see yourself using the "prep" sink. The location the ice maker makes me wonder if your designer or you envision it more as a "bar" sink. Not to mention that 14" is typical for a bar sink, but very small for actual prep use. You want a prep sink to be comfortable for a colander at the minimum. That is really all I can use mine for, and it is 16" diameter, round. I don't like draining pasta in it, but fortunately my clean-up sink is just on the other side of the cooktop, so I drain things there. I'd be inclined to put the ice maker near the fridge, or create a bar area with a beverage fridge in another location altogether, for entertaining purposes. But perhaps you need large quantities of ice for something else.

I'm also a bit confused by the double island. Seems inefficient. I'd be looking at combining them.
mbairdrph45 thanked ControlfreakECS
ck_squared
10 years ago
I'd put a drawer microwave where you show the prep sink. I'd move the prep sink down to the other end of that island (but not all the to the end - you need some space on the other side of it) so you have a large expanse of prep area (I'd get a bigger sink, too). This is also close to dining for quick hand washing or grabbing a drink without getting in the way of the cook.

I'd move the ice maker to the other island which seems like it's the "entertaining" island. I don't see any trash pullouts. I'd put one near the prep sink. And I'd put another near one of the dishwashers by the cleanup sink.

I think the fridge is fine where it is but be sure that corner by the ovens isn't too cramped.

Looks like it will be beautiful!
mbairdrph45 thanked ck_squared