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cleverfield1

Do you think this kitchen layout is a problem?

8 years ago

I'm renovating a house for a rental. Unfortunately, when planning out the kitchen I didn't think about centering the sink under the window. Therefore, it's a few inches right of center. Do you think it's worth trying to return the already installed cabinets, and exchanging them? Right now the set-up is (from left to right) a 12" base, dishwasher, 30" sink base, 24" base. The only way to reconfigure would be to do a 9" base, dishwasher, 30" sink base, 27" base. Is it worth re-doing this? How bad do you think it will look once the granite is installed?


It's a problem, re-do the base cabinets
It's quirky, but not worth spending the money to do over
Looks fine to me

Comments (31)

  • 8 years ago

    My answer would depend on the $ it costs to redo...

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    You can probably minimize the effect by, say, using a smaller sink and shifting it leftward, and then centering the faucet to the window. But best would be to get cabinets that let you center the sink base. Mainly, I'd worry that potential tenants would wonder what else was wonky with the place.

  • 8 years ago

    One other consideration is that the kitchen is very small and has minimal storage. There are only 3 base cabinets plus the sink base in the whole kitchen. A 9" cabinet doesn't have a drawer, so if I switched the 12" to a 9" I'd lose a drawer, plus 9" cabinets are not very useful.

  • 8 years ago

    As someone who rented most of my adult life, I would be ok with this, but maybe you could consider staging/getting a sink with a dish drying area over the side gap, so it appears more centered?

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    It's a rental, fix it with the decor later. Add a dish rack, large soap dispenser / sponge holder to the left to balance it out. Is your plumbing / faucet centered to the sink?
    sometimes being centered is overrated, make it work ; )

  • 8 years ago

    You could use a 30/70 farm sink. The faucet will be centered on the window. Use two pendants if you're thinking along those lines rather than one, so there isn't an obviously un-centered line of cupboard doors/faucet/pendant.

  • 8 years ago

    a 9" cabinet for storing cookie sheets, etc is not a bad idea if there is no other storage for big long items like that. If you do the switch I would make the 27" have two drawers for pans.

  • 8 years ago

    If I was renting, it wouldn't bother me at all. If the rest of the unit was functional and tasteful, I probably would not notice an off-center sink.

  • 8 years ago

    They make dishwashers that are 18" wide. That would solve your problem.

  • 8 years ago

    If this wall is the entire kitchen storage, whoever rents it will not have enough dishes to need a dishwasher. What size is the house?

  • 8 years ago

    Quite frankly, it wouldn't be just the issue of the sink but the doors of the cabinets below the window, they just don't match up in center of window. Redo it since it is an investment, in the sense you will rent it so you want to encourage renters.


  • 8 years ago

    It would drive me nuts, as the owner or renter. Probably more so as the owner knowing I could of fixed the issues with some effort.

  • 8 years ago

    In my powder room i deliberately had the sink off center over the mirror to give more counter space on the one side. It's a rental, not a deal breaker as far as i'm concerned.

  • 8 years ago

    Interesting how many people think, that when it is for renters, one shouldn't bother. As if people who rent don't have good taste.

    Well, maybe some don't. But many do!

    I'd fix it now, when it is still easy to fix and get it centered. Do not be self-centered as to not want to spend a buck to make it work. Maybe that kitchen stays there for the next 25 years. Those are a lot of days to look at something that is somehow off.

    Why don't you yourself try to live for a month with a painting, that is not hanging completely in the middle first. And if it doesn't bother you, then do not change this kitchen either...

    And for those who are afraid their whole profit might go down the drain: ask 50 cents rent more per month and you'll have a profit.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Don't put custom cut granite on top of an easily fixed mistake. Order the new 27 inch base cabinet with all drawers, too.

  • 8 years ago

    Maria Privat: I agree with some of your point, but not strictly about taste. I believe that the way renters treat the property is directly influenced by the way the property looks and functions. Landlords who provide slap-dash apartments have a higher chance of ending up with tenants who don't take care of the place. And why should they if the landlord doesn't appear to care?

    That's a small kitchen, so I think that fitting an 18" dishwasher in there would be perfectly acceptable exchange for a bit more storage space. I know people who own their homes who have 18" dishwashers and narrow fridges simply to save space. As long as the appliances function properly it's not a downside.


  • 8 years ago

    It's not about taste at all, it's about attitude. It's only natural that when someone rents an apartment they don't take care of it as well as they would if it was their own property. Just ask any Landlord. Charging a higher price doesn't necessarily deter this attitude, there are slobs at all levels of income.

  • 8 years ago

    50 Cents is hardly a higher price. It is sad though, isn't it, that some people who rent have never learned to appreciate what is in front of them. I've been taught, that if something is not my own, I am to take even better care of it.

    Not all landlords have bad experiences, but still way too many do.

    I just don't think that being disregarding at front - even before one knows who is going to rent there - helps make the world a nicer place to live in.

    It is a rather easily performed kindness to make this kitchen work. And I would recommend making the most out of it.

    It is lovely, isn't it. The cabinets are well picked. They match with the window. Some love has already gone in to it.

  • 8 years ago

    I don't think this is an apartment; OP says its a rental house. I am also a landlord of rental houses and have been very fortunate with all of my wonderful tenants. I purchase starter homes in an area with excellent schools. This is an area with a rental shortage and high rents. They tend to be older homes with 3 or 4 bedrooms, less than 2,000 sq ft. I only buy houses with 2-car garages and small yards. I fix them up with medium grade finishes but they look great when I'm done. I get top rent and long term tenants who treat the homes and yards as if they were their own. Some tenants have also done upgrades to the landscaping on their own. I expect normal wear and tear, especially with young kids. I have sold several of the homes eventually to the existing tenants and I have other tenants who want to buy theirs, but I need them as rentals. These are good people who want their young children in these schools and who bond with classmates and neighbors. Its all about mutual respect.

  • 8 years ago

    I'm just wondering why a dishwasher is needed? I would rather have the extra storage space. But as others have stated, do the 18" DW and get a larger sink base, or move that one over and get a spice pull out or fabricate some open cubby holes to fill in the narrow spot.

  • 8 years ago

    I would ditch the dishwasher for more cabinet space and center the sink under the window.

  • 8 years ago

    No dishwasher would be a deal breaker for me, especially if it's a house. Keep the dishwasher and center the sink.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I think your best bet is to center the sink, go to an 18" dishwasher, keep the 12" base and add a 27" drawer base in place of the current 24" base. Adjust your fillers as necessary. The 12" looks too close to the wall and looks as though it could use a filler on the left anyway.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    An "easily performed kindness". What a beautiful choice of words!

    I'm going to use that sometime soon, Maria.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Thank you all the advice! I think I'm going to take katinparadise's advice and use a 27" cabinet, and 18" dishwasher, so I can line it up with the window.

  • 8 years ago

    I can't take credit for the 18" dishwasher idea. It originally came from tatts, but I'm glad that's the direction you decided to take. I think it will be fine for the size of the kitchen. And please do use a drawer base instead of a cabinet base if it's possible. It will really greatly increase the storage in a small kitchen. Good luck with your project and please post pics when it's completed!

  • 8 years ago

    It appears that you need some spacers on the wall side of those end cabinets if you want the doors to open properly. (They look too close to the walls.) you don't need much, maybe 1 1/2" each.

  • 8 years ago

    18" dishwashers are more expensive then 24" like triple the price I had the same delima and chose not to center the sink. It doesn't bother me at all and I thought it would.

  • 8 years ago
    Is the empty space for a full sized dishwasher? If so change to a small size dishwasher to be able to center the cabinet under the window. The money is in the details, If you decide to sell your investment people will wonder what other corners you cut that they can't see.
  • 8 years ago

    Easiest and cheapest way to go forward to me is to remove the 12 in cabinet. You already have filler on the right. The dishwasher on the left plus filler then sink under window and leave other cabinet as is, with a larger filler to accommodate accordingly. I hope that helps.