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kateish

Kitchen layout for new build - advice, por favor

6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

Hi.

We are getting close to finalizing our plans, and would love opinions on our kitchen layout. House will be mountain modern in style. A few notes: 1. the "bar" is supposed to be a coffee bar, and we'd like a smaller sink than shown, off to one side. Cabinetry below and above. 2. We have tried various configurations of the island, and aren't quite sure where to land. We do know we want the seating there to be conversational (vs. all seats in one straight line). Thanks in advance for any thoughts!


Edited to add: we posted an earlier draft of this layout a month or two ago (can't quite recall), so it may be familiar to some of you.

Comments (12)

  • 6 years ago

    The pass-through and outdoor kitchen look familiar. I'd like to see some landing space beside the ovens. In order to make up for lost shelf space in the pantry, you could reclaim stud bay space for canned goods and small boxes. Do you object to entering the pantry/laundry from the LR? If not, you could put the door in the bottom wall, and use the kitchen entry area for a full height pantry cabinet. (Second plan.)


    K Richardson thanked mama goose_gw zn6OH
  • 6 years ago
    I really dislike the location of the wall ovens. If this is a holiday home, I'd consider skipping them and just putting in a range. If it's a permanent home, I'd relocate them.

    As to the island, a lot depends on age and lifestyle, but no one ever sits at ours - theyd rather sit, chat and eat at the dining table.
    K Richardson thanked jmm1837
  • 6 years ago

    I would move the refrigerator over to the end of the sink run nearest the dining room and put the ovens in the current fridge location. That improves work flow (take things from refrigerator, wash/prep, then cook/bake), makes it more convenient to access the refrigerator from the dining room, and would allow you to put windows on each side of the range if you wanted to get even more light into the kitchen.

  • 6 years ago

    Although I like having the DW outside of the work triangle, cpartist and Kristin A have a point--fridge next to DR and wall ovens on the range wall will be better, especially the location of the ovens. You have such a large window over the sink, it won't matter that the fridge blocks light from the sliders.

    K Richardson thanked mama goose_gw zn6OH
  • 6 years ago

    Welcome back - great to see you're making progress =)

    Since you have the pass through and the doors to the deck just outside the kitchen area, thoughts on removing that door along the upper wall? As others have mentioned, the ovens are not in a great spot, so by removing that door, the ovens can be turned and the fridge moved over - maximizing your prep space between it and the stove

    - The seats drawn for the island appear to be way too small (tho it's a bit hard to tell without more complete dimensions)

    - Below, there is conversational-seating for 5 at the island with 2' space allocated for each (including unshared knee space and some planning for support structures for that big counter top (also, set of cabinets for storing infrequently used things)

    - Add a sink to the island to keep the prep space separate from the clean-up space

    - Enlarge the 'office' and re-locate the W/D there (doesn't make sense to have it in the pantry if you can avoid it). Enlarge the window to make it bright and nice =)

    - Coffee bar can be relocated to the bottom end of the clean-up sink area (this means you wouldn't need a sink there b/c there's already the clean-up sink handy). This keeps the coffee bar accessible without having to enter the prep space (alternatively, maybe space could be made for it in the pantry?)

    K Richardson thanked damiarain
  • 6 years ago

    I've never had an island. Our family eats all our meals at the table - I can't see seating 8 people at an island, when you have a table for 8 just a few steps away. Plan for the island to seat the kids, and use the table for the whole family.

  • 6 years ago

    Damiarain where you have the oven, there is nowhere to put hot food when it comes out.

    Additionally now where is the door to the outdoors?

    However, I do like what you did with the pantry, office, island and coffee area.

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    New island...it's doubtful you will be able to access the storage under the island b/c (1) the overhang is too deep over it and (2) you have walls (assuming those are support walls) on either side further restricting access.

    Maybe if you have a small child who can crawl under the island, but not a full-size adult or even a teen.

    BTW...those walls are limiting your storage options as well in the island. Stick with standalone legs, corbels or other types of support that do not require any kind of wall. (E.g., see the CounterBalance system in the Stone Advice FAQ (http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2558824/stone-information-and-advice-and-checklists))

    I do like Damiarain's pantry & laundry room changes. Combining a laundry room and a pantry is not a good idea. A pantry needs to be cool, dry, and dark for food storage. Laundry rooms are warm (heat from dryer) and somewhat humid (from the washer). Ditto for refrigerators and freezers in a pantry.

    I also would not want a window in the pantry for the same reasons, especially if the window is facing south or west. Heat can build up during the summer even through walls (experience speaking here) and a window is going to make it even worse --- as well as let light in unless you have very good widow treatments to keep the light out...but then, what's the point of the window.Oh, and it's wasting an outside wall on a room that has no need and for it.


    I wonder if moving the pantry into the inside would be better. I know that when we build again, my pantry will definitely NOT be on an outside wall again!

  • 6 years ago

    Is the refrigerator going to be a true built-in or will it be a counter-depth or standard-depth? I'm asking b/c if the refrigerator is not a true built-in, then you will need to have the doors sticking out past the walls so they can be opened fully for full access to the interior of the refrigerator and/or for removing bins for cleaning.

  • 6 years ago

    I have laundry in my office now. I would not do it given a choice. Too much noise and right off your living room. I noticed your overall layout on another post and I think you might be able to fit a laundry in the hall bath with the shower.

    The bedroom next to the hall bath is 11 feet by about 8 feet?

    If you want the hall bath to be bigger, you could relocate the master closet next to the master bath and move the bottom bedroom next to the master and put the bath/laundry across from where you originally had it. Then the bath/laundry would be about 8 by 12 feet

    K Richardson thanked Karenseb
  • 6 years ago

    Thanks so much for all of the input. I think we are landing on having the fridge (it is a true built-in, to answer buehl's question) to the right of the sink, at end of counter, and putting the wall ovens where fridge currently is. In addition, I love Damiarain's pantry and laundry suggestions. I also am exploring whether it's possible to get the laundry over to the bedroom wing, as Karenseb suggested. Big remaining question for me is how best to create the island and its seating. I think I need to consider various shapes. If anyone has thoughts specifically on that (given the changes I just listed), I'd be grateful.