Is this a build or remodel? Your windows limit appliance placement, especially fridge.

I'd shrink that island a bit, your clearances are snug. Particularly at range. No point it seems , to a 48 copper hood, with nearly same tone in upper cabinetry, either., or are they vanilla as picture on perimeter? .

The walkway is too tight IMO especially by the stove . It seems to be around 40 - 41 " and it should be closer to 48 in front of the stove. You will may find it far to go roughly 13 ft from the stove to the ref. plus running around the island like shown above. This is something that you either get used to or you are ok with. In a layout like this there really isn't another option for the ref.

If all your appliances are going to be where they are, then reconfigure that island to have much larger walkways and reconfigure the seating.

Love the copper hood! Just make sure there is a space 6" bigger for it...

As far as drawers and such, you need to figure out what sorts of things you have and need storage for. Determine what would be best - a drawer, just adjustable shelves, or a roll out. Don't forget about drawer organizers, spice racks etc...Take a look at a site called Rev-a-shelf. There you can see alot of specialty items that go inside kitchen cabinets - they may give you some inspiration for your needs...

I think you have good suggestions from Jan and Mamma Goose..

Good luck!

Great thoughts everyone thanks! It’s a remodel, not new build. Limits an island prep sink idea as we will refinish the floors but likely need to keep island footprint. I’m glad you all commented on the walkway space! I knew it was supposed to be larger and then forgot! I’ll have to see in the demo what’s under the island...! So appreciate your comments!

There is a large side hutch that is a darker cherry with coffee stain to break up the cabinet color too. This is on the same wall side as the range. Eat in dining table in front of the hutch. No pic of it all laid out.

Is 3” space on either side of the copper hood enough “breathing” space? Hood is 48” and range 48”, space between uppers 54”.

Walkway must just look tight in picture as it’s the same as my existing footprint, and it’s 40” currently (cabinet to cabinet, not Edge of countertop to edge of countertop.) Is that standard?

Standard is 42 inches, with a PRO 48 inch range? I'd want a full four feet to an island top

I'd TURN the island, have only two stools and make it five feet x seven feet.

In other words, more surface prep space behind the range, and more clearance on both fridge aisle and range aisle.

Dear Elsa,

You can tell everything about your kitchen’s performance, esthetically and functionally, just by analyzing its layout.

Observations:

Your work triangle is as large as you can make it. To get from your ref to your range is 13’ if you could travel in a straight line, but you can’t. You’ll have to go around your island, so you’ll waste a lot of time traveling across this kitchen.

Ref/f

Your ref/f functional requirements aren’t met. If your ref/f is a side by side, the big door is always on the right. So you’ll open the ref door and it blocks access to the counter on the right. To load items into the ref you’ll have to take items from the counter or island, walk passed the door, open it and put items in. You won’t be able to carry much because you have to open the ref door.

Taking items out you have to open the door, get what you can carry, back up, and kick the door shut so you can get passed it to get to the island or counter to the right of your ref door. If it’s a French door you’ll have a similar problem when you have to open the right door.

The cabinet above the ref/f would be a good place to install removable tray dividers so you can take advantage of that deep wall cabinet for tray storage. However because it appears to be about 12” in height it will be relatively useless for storage the interior height will only be about 10 ½” high.

Esthetically if you want a truly custom look, make sure your ref/f enclosure is deep enough to stop your counter top (26 ¼” deep, cabinet 24” + door = 25” + 1” overhang = 26”)

Also the face of cabinet doors on the cabinet above your ref/f should be flush with the end panels.

Also verify that when your ref/f is installed it doesn’t stick way out and look like it’s too big for the enclosure. Your kitchen designer should have a finalized appliance list from you and all of the appliance specifications.

You may want to eliminate the wall cabinet above your ref because the doors look odd being so wide compared to their height. You may want to replace that cabinet with a valence to match the paneling on the ref/f.

Also the tall fully exposed end panel on your ref is a plain panel and should be a wains panel to match the rest of the kitchen.

Main sink

Your main sink appliance requirements are met. You should have at least 30” of counter to the right and left of your main sink you have more (more is better). So you have enough counter to stage what you’ll be clearing from your island and dining table and this will make the task of clean up much easier and less time consuming.

You have enough room for your dishwasher and trash pull out bins, and your wall cabinets over 27” wide so you have room for dish and glassware.

Esthetically I’m not a fan of the angled corner wall cabinets. They say stock cabinetry to me. Also they are very deep and with one door you see what’s in front and what’s behind is buried. Unless you’re tall or back up you can’t really see what’s on the shelves above the bottom shelf.

So for me they do hold a lot of stuff but it’s not easily accessible even with a susan. To get what’s stored in these cabinets you’ll need to stand on a chair or ladder, and then take what’s upfront out to get to what is stored in the back. If you can remember what’s even back there.

Also your wall cabinet end panels should be deep enough to be flush with the face of the doors.

Range

Your cook top has plenty of counter to the left and right for staging items and prep while cooking. You have room for base cabinetry under and adjacent to your cook top to store all of your items you’ll need and use there. Active pantry storage in your wall cabinetry adjacent to your cook top as well.

Esthetically your range hood should be 6” wider than your range otherwise the hood will appear to be too small. Also you may need that space to get your wall cabinetry far enough away from your range to pass fire inspection. You’ll need to check the range manufacturer’s specs.

Island

Your island is very deep for its width it looks like its about 72”w x 60”l. It will be hard to reach across to clear. You will probably have to walk around it to clear it. Is that island cabinetry necessary?

Esthetically it looks like a big box in the middle of the kitchen it is not a pleasing shape and will appear huge (6’ x 5’) and dominate your kitchen space. You can see this if your look at your perspective drawings. The island appears to be huge but it’s only 6’ wide in reality.

Also, your island back panel appears to go to the floor but the cabinetry behind it has a recessed toe kick. If the island back goes to the floor the island sides also have to go to the floor or it will look like an obvious mistake.

The easiest fix is to hold the island back panel off of the floor and install a recessed toe to match the side cabinetry. So the island toe kick is recessed equally all the way around. And the island end and back panels should also be flush the the faces of the doors and drawer heads.

Caution: Solid wood tops are beautiful, look great, and expensive. If scratches are going to bother you, in the wood top in the center of your kitchen, you may want to avoid wood or you’ll regret doing it.

Almost everything in your kitchen that comes into contact with your wood top is harder than wood. So it will definitely get scratched or gauged. Getting a distressed wood top will help hide these. Also, resurfacing your wood top in your home is not going to be convenient, clean, cheap, or easy.

I don’t see a pantry at all for back up storage.

I’m curious why are you designing your kitchen like it is apart from your home instead of a part of it. You should design your kitchen to serve its purpose, which is to provide food and beverage service for your home, kitchen, breakfast room, dining room, family room, outdoor space, etc.

Because you’re not showing all of the adjacent spaces that this kitchen will serve I can’t tell how it fits in. Or how well this kitchen will perform service for you day to day and when you entertain.

As far as cabinetry configurations and accessory locations go. Using your kitchen item inventory checklist, your layout, and interior elevations you can locate all of your kitchen items that you’re bringing to this new kitchen.

If you need help you can find a DIY solution by using the following link. https://www.kitchendesignco.com/new-kitchen-doesnt-work/

Hope this has been helpful.

Joe Brandao

Kitchen Design Company

Since you are remodeling the existing space, is this how your kitchen is laid out now? Are you ok with the appliances being where they are? We may all be telling you to change things that you are ok with?

Thanks for all the great comments. I'm sorry I'm tardy on my reply.

Wish I could get to that 42" walkway, but unless I redo all the HW floors.... sticking with current layout is the way to go. One designer had the same idea as you to turn the island, but when we looked at the entire room (with a large table next to the island), it seemed like a duplication. I'll have to send more pics so you can see the rest of the room.

Kitchen Design Company - Wow to your response!! THANKS!. Very kind of you. Good observation on the ref too. It originally was on the right side of the kitchen, but the range has to stay on that side (gas line, no way to run to other side easily), and thus the ref had to jump to the left. I'll post some before (now) pics too. Fridge isn't integrated but it should be pretty darn close to flush with measurements.

The front of the island does have the toekick, the drawing just doesn't show it. Cannot do a sink in the Island as again, would tear up hw floors and these floors run through the entire 4K of 1st floor...

I know the hood should be 6" larger..but with my space that would mean my copper hood would sit flush on the cabinets. I really wanted that breathing space in between the two. Do you think this is a big mistake? I think I have seen a fair amount of 48" hoods over 48" ranges, despite this not being the ideal option....

I'm prepared for the wood island top but I appreciate the warning. I thought very long, and very hard about it. So, to balance it, I chose a very hard, very forgiving stone for my U-perimeter. It's Victoria Falls Quartzite, and I tested the heck out of it and it's foolproof. I'm okay with some scratches on the wood too. I thought about Soapstone..but that was where I drew the line on scratches! :-)

If I tear into wood floors, and then have to match wood floors.... I have total freedom to do whatever period. Perhaps I am restricting myself in my head and I shouldn't. The island is big, but we have always liked the bigness of it. I love the comments/thoughts/ideas.

In addition to this kitchen I have a 9'x14' pantry, a 9'x13' second kitchen (another 48" fridge, 30" induction, mw, dw, 30" sink), and more storage than I could ever use. The space is so large, I almost struggle with WHAT to do with it all. (Small kitchen people please don't hate that comment from me! We all deal with what we have). Thanks again for your thoughtfullness everyone!

You have a large kitchen...do two dishwashers, one on either side of the sink. Best thing ever if you have the space!!!

Thanks Heather! I do hear that a lot! The pantry and the 2nd kitchen both have dishwashers already, so a 4th seems like overkill. I know that sounds crazy too. The people that built this house had housekeepers/servants that worked in those rooms. I just have me and my three kids (7,5,1) but I'll be training them to be good servants HAHA.

Honestly, I don't think a 4th would be overkill because they serve different purposes - 2 in kitchen for alternating everyday use, butler's pantry for entertaining (probably for glassware?) and 2nd kitchen for when you use that kitchen. If you had two in the kitchen and only used the second one when entertaining, then that would be a different story.