Please help me figure this out - opening to dining

7 years ago

This is the most recent floorplan I have on my computer. The space I am looking at is the wall shared by kitchen and living and the opening from dining to living.

The wall of cabinets (fridge wall) totals 13' of cabinet, so right up to the edge of the opening to living room. I want to have some space there for light switches. I am debating on making a cabinet smaller and/or extending the length of that wall - thus making the dining opening smaller. wwyd?

The current set up of that wall of cabinets is: lazy susan in corner, 15" 3 drawer cabinet, 27" 4 drawer cabinet, 66" space for all fridge and all freezer, then a 12" broom closet facing the dining area. My plan for the 27" drawer set is things like measuring spoons, cups, spatulas, zip locks, alum foil, parchment paper, cling wrap type stuff. I'm not sure about the 15' drawer set. I didn't have that in my original plan and had to switch it out. Maybe blender accessories, small food processor??

I don't think I want to make the 15" drawer cabinet smaller. So I was considering making the 27" into a 24". Then I would still need to extend the wall another 6" or so right? The current opening from dining to living is 11' wide. Our current table is 4' wide by 10' long. I figure the table will be about 2-3' away from the dining wall. So that would leave about 4' of walkway with the 11' opening as is.

wwyd?

1. leave cabinets as is and extend the wall by 9" making the dining opening 10'3" which gives us a little over 3' walkway between table and wall edge and almost 4' to kitchen cabinets..

2. Make 27" cabinet into 24" cabinet, extend wall by 6" making dining opening 10'6" which gives us about 3.5' walkway between table and wall edge and just over 4' between table and cabinets.

3. something I haven't thought of

Check my math. I could be wrong on those measurements. fwiw the island and the opposite (large sink) wall of cabinets are currently 3" shorter than the fridge wall, so they are not as close to the table.

Featured Answer

User

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

You could put it on the other side. I have a similar layout. My pantry extends to the edge of the wall and there was no room, and I didn't want to give up any wall space so our solution was to put it on the livingroom wall before entering the kitchen/dining. I actually like it there better. These two switches operate the pendent over the dining table and the recessed lights in the kitchen/dining. I also have switches to operate these in the kitchen near our slider.

Maybe this would work for you? Instead of reconfiguring cabinet sizes?

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Comments (7)

User
7 years ago
Your photo is showing sideways for me, so I'm reposting it :)
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cpartist
7 years ago
Post your kitchen in the kitchen forum. If it were me, I wouldn't do the U shape because the island will be a barrier. I would do an L shape and turn the island. I would put the fridge at the top next to the dw, so you have from right to left, fridge, dw, sink. I'd put the oven to the left of the stove if that's a separate oven next to the fridge.

This now gives you only one useless corner and puts your appliances in the most efficient order. We take food from our fridge, bring it to the sink to wash, prep between sink and stove, and then cook the food on the stove.

Additionally you can make the wall where you had the fridge into between the studs pantry storage like those below. And you have space for your light switches.
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tammyte
Original Author
7 years ago
I like the kitchen. Thanks though. Just checking on this dining opening.

Good idea on other side of the wall. That might work.
cpartist
7 years ago
The problem with your kitchen is every time you get food out of the fridge, it means you have to cross your cooking zone, and you have the island as a barrier to get to the sink. It means extra steps, and the barrier between the fridge and the sink. I'm sorry but it's not the best design wise. Please check in the kitchen forum.
One Devoted Dame
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I like the idea of having the switches on the living/kitchen wall, too. :-)

And I know you didn't ask, lol, but I'm totally with Miss Artist. Have you ever had a truly well designed kitchen? I've always had dysfunctional ones (fridge --> stove --> sink), and it's such a pain. My in-laws had a really big/nice kitchen that I told my husband you couldn't pay me to have (U shaped, with island in middle, and work order going sink --> fridge --> stove, so yes, to drain pasta, it was easier to place the hot pot on the island, slide it two feet, walk around the island, and drag the pot the remaining two feet, then pick up and drain the water in the sink).

Having things in "the right order" -- and islands out of the way -- makes kitchen work less work and more fun!

Edited to add: I just reread your other thread, where you talked about being happy with your kitchen layout, so please accept my apologies for bringing it up yet again. ;-)
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Anglophilia
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
It all depends on how and what one cooks. I don't find the island a barrier to my refrig as I always wash any fresh produce when I bring it home from the store. After washing, I can put it on the island and put it away next time I'm on that side of the kitchen, which is usually as I'm leaving the kitchen after doing this chore. I would not want a "barrier island" between stove and sink, however. Kitchens often involve compromise for any number of reasons.