Help needed with layout

6 years ago

I posted a few months ago and received some good feedback, and now I'm ready for round 2.

We're starting from scratch in the kitchen space, because it's where our living room is currently (the current kitchen is becoming part of the in-law suite). We don't have anything set in stone yet except for the walls and one existing window (farthest to the left of the cooktop), The living room in the pictures doesn't exist yet; that's part of the addition to make room for the in-law suite. I hope that all makes sense.

Here's some pertinent information:

- 4 kids, ages 1 to 10, so there will be several cooks in the kitchen in the future. It's started already :-)

- I like to cook and bake and we have casual get togethers with up to 20 people, but nothing formal/fancy.

Specific questions:

-I'd like to have the capacity for 2 people to use a sink at the same time, and I'm not sure how to accomplish that - prep sink plus clean up sink? And if so, where would the prep sink go? OR big sink with 2 faucets? That's what is pictured currently using a 36" sink. Is that enough space for 2 people to use the sink simultaneously?

-I definitely want 2 dishwashers because I already see how that would be super helpful, but how does that work as far as layout of trash and storage for dishes?

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Featured Answer

AFritzler

6 years ago

Lovely large kitchen you've planned. Great for baking.

My opinions on your questions.

1. For 2 people to use a sink at once yes, i would have 2 sinks, not one large with 2 faucets. My mom has a large 36" sink, not 2 faucets but it is tight for 2 people to stand there at once. I would probably take your uppers off the counter (18" is standard) and put a small prep sink right to the left of your pantry. I would also flip your island so that your sink is further towards the living room than the wall ovens. This offers 2 benefits. 1. it gives you more space in the pantry corner and it gives you more counter space to set groceries when you come home or to put baking that comes out of the oven.

2. Your dishwasher layout, based on my personal preferences i don't see a great alternative to what you have. I like them being in the island because then they are hidden from view but if you wanted to be able to have a large trash pull in your island you could put one of the dishwashers to the left of the prep sink. This is not my personal preference because i like things to be symmetrical whenever possible but the functionality may be more important to you. If you kept them both in the island you could put a small trash pull out in the smaller cabinet that you have and perhaps a larger one elsewhere, or be okay with taking out the trash more often.

Hope that was helpful

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Comments (7)

Tamara
Original Author
6 years ago
AFritzler - Thank you so much for commenting! I'd given up on getting feedback. :-)

I don't want to lose those uppers, so I think I'm willing to sacrifice an extra sink/faucet. I'm planning on getting a workstation sink and I think I like the simplicity of one sink.

As for the trash, we currently have a smaller trash can and take it out often since I have a sensitive nose, so that shouldn't be a problem. We're planning on an 18" cabinet for the trash.

I really like your idea of moving the sink over to create more counter space next to the fridge, and ovens.
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AFritzler
6 years ago
Glad it was helpful.

Another suggestion.

Since you prefer a smaller garbage pull out anyway, if you are getting custom cabinets ask your cabinet maker to create custom pull outs underneath your sink that fit under your drain. You can then put a small garbage can under there. My mom did this because she doesn't like trash in the house for more than a day. Then that 18" cabinet could be a drawer bank or other storage.
Tamara
Original Author
6 years ago
They aren't custom; we're getting J&K. But I wonder if there's a way we could figure out something....I like that idea. Does it bother your mom if someone is throwing something away while she's at the sink though? We currently have a 30" sink with the garbage underneath and that's an issue at times.
AFritzler
6 years ago
Its annoying at times, not so much now that most of us are grown and out of the house but yes it was a bit annoying when all 6 of us where living at home.

Her kitchen isn't as large as yours so the extra space for storage was worth the annoyance.

Also depends which way you do dishes (left to right or right to left) If theres a way that you could arrange for the lowest part of the plumbing (pee trap) to be on the side you stand on to do dishes at that would allow the garbage to be on the other side.
Tamara
Original Author
6 years ago
Ok, I'll have to think about this. I tend to have a minimal kitchen, so I might prefer to have the garbage in a more favorable place and sacrifice storage. On the other hand, I've realized that I need to increase the amount of stuff I have because I'm making increasingly larger amounts of food at one time.

Thank you so much! It's very helpful to have someone to discuss these issues with and my husband is fairly sick of kitchen talk.
AFritzler
6 years ago
Your most welcome.

Glad i was helpful