Are you willing to move walls or are you just working within this existing L (kitchen/dining) area?

Yes it was part of the addition renovation. The living room was originally a living/dining room, but the fireplace is centered on the wall. It is floor to ceiling fieldstone, and not my favorite part of the house, but a big job to remove. It does makes the living room a bit awkward though.

Not sure about moving walls other than the one between living and dining room, its outside the scope and probably budget, but would definitely give more options. My husband just re-insulated the living room exterior walls, but hasn't repainted, yet...

Welcome Rebecca!

We would love to help you with your design. It sounds like you do understand about Kitchen design (e.g., you mentioned protecting the range & Cooking Zone - most people don't know that!)

However, I'll be honest -- your new design is still a one-person kitchen design. There's really only one useful Prep Zone in the design -- the space b/w the range and sink. I think it can be better. So, to help you get the best design, we need a bit more:

First, it really helps us to have a fully measured layout of the space being remodeled. We need a layout with measurements written on it for the widths of each window/wall/door/doorway and the distances between each window/wall/door/doorway. See an example at the end of this post.

Other things...

A sketch of the entire floor the Kitchen is on. This helps us see how the Kitchen relates to the rest of the home and how traffic flows in, around, and through the Kitchen. [Edited to add: You included the floor layout -- sorry about that...habit, I guess!]

Where are you flexible? Can windows be changed? Can interior doors/doorways be changed? Can exterior doors/doorways be changed?

The following Kitchens Forum FAQ describes the above and other information that would helpful:

How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include?
http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information-should-i-include

Other useful FAQs:

Kitchen work zones, what are they?

• http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767031/kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they

Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and other design considerations

• http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767035/aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-and-landing-space-an

How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where?

• http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767036/how-do-i-plan-for-storage-types-of-storage-what-to-store-where

Ice. Water. Stone. Fire (Looking for layout help? Memorize this first)

• http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first

As promised....sample layout:

Select/Click on the image to enlarge it.

Hmmm...I think I missed the second sink -- that is a second sink on the far right, correct? If so, then I retract my "one-worker" Kitchen statement, it is a two- or more worker Kitchen!

IMO if you want some help post a detailed floor plan of the space as it will be.

Why is there a new wall to contain the fridge in the new layout? After dealing with all kinds of fridge spacing issues, I'd be quite leery of building a wall to conceal the side of a fridge - I'd be much more likely to just do that with a cabinet panel, as that's a lot easier to remove if you need to change your fridge size.

Thank you Buehl for all the informational links; I had seen some before and will eventually go through all of them. Yes that is a second sink in the corner :)

Here is a drawing of the current layout with measurements for the kitchen and dining room. I don't think we can easily move or resize any windows since the exterior is brick.

Thanks PirateFoxy for the tip about using a cabinet panel to hide the fridge; we will keep it in mind.

That wall is load bearing and will require structural alterations to the home in order to support the load correctly. That will include footings below the posts to take the weight of the beam that will be required.

You need to up your budget and up your Professional involvement. This type of redo is a lot more complex than the casual weekend DIY person has the knowledge or skill to accomplish. Unless your husband is a GC with an engineering degree?

Hi Rebecca,

I don't know how Sophie knows which walls are load bearing. Obviously you should get an expert opinion on that before tearing walls down.

Here is what I would suggest:

-Shallower pantry cabinets to relieve tight squeeze past the couch in the living room.

-0ne sink, below the window.

Here's a CRUDE sketch of what I think would be an improved version of your layout. The refrigerator creates a bump in the living room, which I would mirror on the other side. The dot/dash line is the centerline of the dining room window.

Totally agree with Weil. It's impossible to determine load bearing from a sketch. However, if it IS load bearing, then your budget will be inadequate. Get an expert to determine, then a structural engineer if needed to design the beam and supports.

Weil's sketch layout is a vast improvement over your proposed plan.

I don't like range directly opposite fridge in Weil's sketch. For a multi-cook kitchen that seems like a traffic flow/safety issue if you have someone cooking at the range and someone else wanting to get in the fridge.

Split floor plan. Addition. Enough said. It’s load bearing. Guaranteed. Unless there is already a major beam from the outside wall to the Center hall wall.

Sophie, you are right. We are aware that it the wall is load bearing, and that we will therefore need posts and a a beam. We hoped to put the posts on the existing footing. We will consult a professional for the specifications. If our budget is not enough we could borrow money; we'll just have to decide whether we want to.

Weil, thank you for your ideas and the sketch. I'm intrigued by the modification to the living room. I considered moving the whole wall to make the living room rectangular but couldn't figure out what to do with the fridge. What would you put in the mirroring bump opposite the fridge? Also, the fireplace would no longer be centered on its wall; do you think it would look odd? For the stove and sink locations in the kitchen, I'm not sure how it is an improvement. I'd prefer to have the prep zone at the window and keep the dirty dishes out of the dining room if I can. Thanks again!

Yes, you have a good point about the symmetry on the fireplace wall. Maybe the wall behind the pantry and refrigerator doesn't move quite so much, and comes straight across. I think you could get away with 78" from mudroom door to wall, where you now have 96". This would open up a lot of possibilities for that wall. The stove could even move to that wall, with the refrigerator staying next to the mudroom door.

The reasoning behind my placement of the sink and stove was to create some symmetry and not have choppy uneven upper cabinets. You really need to look at it in elevation. BTW I think IKEA is great. We have done some IKEA kitchens (see photo) I think they will help you with the design too!