Where will you prep?

Hi, there. Are you sure you don't want your trashcan to the left of the sink? Usually it is dishwasher on one side, trash on the other. It seems far sitting in your island.

My prep area is the island. I wanted my trash can near my prep area. It is on the island but pulls out toward the sink.

I am concerned about the door into your pantry.

even if it is a 28" door, that only leaves you about 2 inches on each side for trim.

The pantry door will likely be 24".

If you would consider a prep sink on the island, your prep layout would be so much better, and your separate clean-up zone would be much more efficient, too.

A helper could easily load or unload the DW, or gather dishes to set the table, while you are prepping and cooking, without interfering with your tasks. I would make the dish drawers to the left of the sink wider--don't worry about symmetry because no one can see that whole run exposed at the same time.

Trash pull-out on the corner of the island is convenient to all zones. You can have an intergrated cutting board made to fit over the prep sink, flush with the counter top, to return it to temporary counter space.

(Make sure the fridge/freezer door will open against the wall--red line.)

Is the dish drawer too far away from the dishwasher?

I think it's in a convenient location. Think about reaching into the DW drainer, picking up an item, or a stack of items, then transferring them to the open drawer for storage. Try it in person. Does it seem/feel comfortable to you?

ETA, I just tried my advice with my 33" sink, and I think 41" is too wide for just turning and placing dishes. You'd need to take a step, and that's if the dish storage drawers are beside the sink, where I had them drawn. 60" seems too far. If the aisle between the DW and island was 48"--60" I'd suggest turning the cabinet on the end to face the DW, but 86" seems too wide for comfort there, too.

@rebunky we have thought about off centering the sink. I hadn’t thought of doing it so drastically. I kinda like it.

My prep area is the island. I wanted my trash can near my prep area. It is on the island but pulls out toward the sink.

Are you putting a water source on the island so you can wash and prep at the same time? Or are you planning on making triple the work for yourself by washing at the sink, bringing it to the island to prep and then carrying it across the island to the cooktop to cook?

Mama's idea is a good one.

The pantry door will likely be 24".

That's fine if you're a child, but not for a normal adult. I wouldn't do under a 30" door.

I like doing triple the work...keeps me trim so I can fit into a 24” door.

I can relate to doing triple work, sow cow, da kine, or whatever you want to call it. Ok, here is what I do. I have the typical L shape with island. Goes basically fridge, dw, corner, range. Island.

I take all my stuff from the fridge and set it directly across onto my island. You would do that too most likely in your layout. Then I figure out what needs washing. I take it to the sink behind me on the perimeter from the island, same side as my fridge. Your sink is a little far out of the triangle for me, but you’ll have to work with it. From my sink I then go back to my island with washed things in a big bowl or tray. Oh goodness the horror! I then chop and dice as I look to my fabulous view and my family room. Then when I’m ready, I bring it to my range on the other side of the L perimeter. About a step or so from my island. Yours would be behind you. I can see it working. It is not the ideal again!!!

Here’s the thing...I can’t have it all. So in redoing our kitchen we are trying to figure out what makes the most sense for us and how we will use the space based on how we use our current space.

We live in a 1960s split level where every bathroom and closet door is 24” and it hasn’t been a problem for anyone in the 10 years we have been here. We are actually completely moving our kitchen from a different space that doesn’t work and we couldn’t make it work. Compared to what I have now this will be awesome.

We have considered getting a prep sink. I think there are uses for it. It could be helpful. We have decided against getting one, and will suffer through having to do “triple” work.

My main concerns with this layout is the dish drawers being far from the dishwasher (and how to address that). And then my other random concern is, is it better to have two 18” set of drawers or one big 36” set of drawers.

I love the big window over your sink.

As others have mentioned I do think the addition of a small prep sink on your island would reduce steps in prepping for meals. I have a prep sink on my island directly in front of my larger sink on my kitchen perimeter. Even with the two sinks being so close together it saves me crossing the aisle many times during meal prep (and moving out of the way when my kids want to wash their hands for dinner). That being said, while the majority of my dishes get put away a step from my dishwasher there are a few items that need to get put away on the other side of my kitchen (and my kitchen is only a year old).

You learn to live with certain quirks or dysfunction. No kitchen is perfect and it depends highly on what the user is willing to live with or trade, you just have to figure that part out for yourself. There were certain things I was not willing to trade because I didn't like how it looked. Good luck!

@Amy McNay - The above posted when your response posted. So excuse the reiteration of "pro prep sink post."

As usual, I agree with cpartist. :) But, if you are determined not to have a prep sink, then rebunky's idea of offsetting the sink is good. However, I'd bite the bullet and center the sink under the left window. I think you will be tempted to do a lot of the prep work beside the sink, especially quick tasks, so I'd skip the cabinets on the counter, in favor of clear prep space.

In this configuration you have wide drawers to the right of the DW, for dishes, and narrower drawers to the left of the sink, for cutlery, linens, utensils, etc.

If you use the triple window, you can adjust the position of the faucet in relation to the window--it doesn't have to be centered on the sink.

... is it better to have two 18” set of drawers or one big 36” set of drawers.

For dishes, pots and pans, bakeware, etc, the wider drawers are better. For cutlery, flatware, linens, utensils, 18" is fine.

@blueberry no worries. This group sure does love their prep sinks.

The group likes function and efficiency, but ultimately, it's the homeowner's kitchen, and we'd like to help make it as functional as possible, within the homeowner's comfort zone.

I think it was dodge66 who used to say that he would never have an island, because it was excellent exercise to walk across the kitchen. ;)

I admit, I watch too much HGTV. But I find it interesting that so many people obsess about having two sinks in the master bathroom, but yet it's considered to be a major extravagance in the kitchen. That said, my remodeled kitchen only has one sink, so I understand the tradeoffs.

"This group sure does love their prep sinks."

Ami, you might enjoy this thread for some balanced perspectives.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3698692/why-dont-you-want-a-second-sink?n=59

"If you build it, they will come." - Mrs. Pete LOL.

The pantry door will likely be 24".

That's fine if you're a child, but not for a normal adult. I wouldn't do under a 30" door.

This is absolute nonsense! What normal adult can't fit through a 24" door?

Thanks llucy. A most excellent read, and lists many of the reasons we are not adding what is essentially a 3rd sink. We will muddle through without it.

Glad you liked the read Ami. I remembered that thread because to me it was a good illustration of how "functional" vs. "dysfunctional" is determined more by lifestyle, rather than a particular element, space, or expenditure.

People who go with *less popular* designs are not the most vocal on this forum. That topic brought some of them of out. ;)

Oh for sure go for a 36” drawer for the dishes if you can. I like mamagoose’s mock-up. Here are a few examples of sinks not centered. This first two show how you can center the faucet to the window, but not the cabinet. None of these bother my “ocd” at all. I’ve been cured! Haha!