Please critique my proposed kitchen layout
Hello, kitchen geniuses. I posted something similar a while back, but we got sticker shock at the ballpark estimates we got back and decided to move. That is proving too difficult with the current market, so we are biting the bullet and moving ahead with a kitchen addition/renovation. We are a family of 4 (1 tween, 1 teen) with dogs and a cat. 2 cooks in the kitchen is not uncommon.
Attached is a plan we got from the architect. I have tweaked it a bit (I added a larger prep sink and a second trash can by the clean up sink, plus I labeled rooms and spaces). The item at the far right of the work aisle labeled "CAB" is a tall cabinet where I planned to keep everyday dishes, glasses, flatware, cloth napkins and dish towels. I guess prep would be stored in the island and pots and pans to the left of the 48" stove/range. The architect only gave us a 40" aisle, but I am wondering if we could just make the island a few inches narrower without impacting function in order to get more room. Unfortunately, the exterior basement steps limit our ability to make the space deeper.
I'm not married to any of the ideas shown except that our mudroom has to have direct access to the backyard (as it does) because we have big, messy dogs coming in and out. My goal is to make this a very thoughtfully planned, efficient kitchen and would love some folks to nitpick this with me. For example, if the tall CAB breaks up the counter so it is not continuous, will I be sad that I can't slide dirty dishes from the peninsula over to the clean-up sink (I am currently having back trouble)? Are the dishwashers and trash areas optimally placed? Where should the microwave go? What about hiding the coffee maker and toasters (I have a gluten allergy, so we have 2 toasters)? Is the space between the sink and stove big enough for plating dishes for 4 on a nightly basis (I generally plate from the stove, not transferring food into serving dishes for just the 4 of us)? Won't I want more windows in that clean-up sink area, even though the view is not very pretty (parking court and neighbor's house)? Is it weird to have a window into the mudroom, as the architect has proposed? Do we need that peninsula (we planned to make it a mini-beverage station since the current bar is the only source of ice in the house and it is so far from the casual eating space)?
I am just going in circles in my own head, trashing drawing after drawing, and would love some of you experts and helpful commenters to weigh in. Thank you SO much!!
Comments (10)
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoI think you can get by with one trash pull-out if you put it to the left of the prep sink. The island can go down to 42" deep with no loss of function, and the extra space added to the work aisle, as you suggested. If you choose not to enclose the seating area of the island, you can get another seat on the short side--for more social interaction while eating.
A drawer MW should just fit between the freezer drawers and range, with a cabinet to the left of the range, which matches the width of the cab to the right. Coffee, and a toaster could go in an appliance pull-out above the freezer drawers. Or, put the fridge next to the MW and the appliance pantry/freezer stack to the left., since it would be more convenient to have landing space to the right of the fridge.
I think I'd skip the tall dish cab and use that counter space for the other toaster, and/or coffee. Maybe make the uppers deeper than standard for a bit more storage, or make it match the appliance pantry beside the fridge, and keep the toaster at counter level. Personally, I'd skip the peninsula and extend the uppers and base cabs (red rectangles), but if a chronic condition makes having a peninsula easier for you, then do whatever works.
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4 years ago- 4 years ago
4 years ago- 4 years ago
- 4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
If you haven't come across the New to Kitchens thread, I'd suggest reading the section on storage (I'd suggest reading the whole thread, plus the NKBA guidelines, if you want to know the science behind the 'rules' we all want to bend on occasion ;). Then make a list and prioritize. Aside from cutting boards and knives, what do you use most for prep? Keep those items in the prep zone. Do you always use a colander for draining rinsed fruit and veg? Large salad bowl in use every day? Same for pots and pans--can the stockpot move to a spot a little more distant? Although in this kitchen, nothing is more than a step or two away--which is going to be great when you get everything organized.
As lucky998877 mentioned, you could move the prep zone trash to an undersink pull-out, and use the narrow cab next to the prep sink for knife and utensil storage--unless you like a knife block on the counter. I don't know your style of cooking and prepping, or your family's needs. I do a lot of baking, so if this were my kitchen, I'd keep dishes in the uppers and drawers to the right of the DW. Mixing bowls and baking dishes could fill any unassigned space, according to use and frequency of use--casseroles, cake pans, roasters, etc.
I would dedicate most of the kitchen space to prepping/cooking items, and keep foodstuffs in the pantry, but if your family members make a lot of toast or sandwiches, keep bread and peanut butter in a drawer to the right of the fridge, or in the appliance pantry to the left of the fridge, if that's where their toaster will be kept. If they eat cold cereal, make space for it there, too. Spices, oils, and vinegars in drawers to the right of the fridge--near the prep zone and range, but not next to the heat. If the MW is not used often, or you don't need a drawer model, put it in the appliance pantry or the WI pantry--or skip the extra seat on the short side of the island, and put the MW drawer there, facing the WI pantry, to keep users out of the prep triangle.
I would look into drawer dividers, to keep everything organized--you can check with the cabinet supplier, or search for kits to customize for your needs (I made my own with some wood scraps).
Take your time and do your research--it's apparent that you've already done a lot, and that you know what you want to achieve.
New to Kitchens? Read me first.
- 4 years ago
3onthetree