Awkward dining room wall and kitchen layout help

2 years ago

Designing my kitchen layout for a new build. (see picture) Kitchen opens to the great room. Dining room walls are 12'6" X 7' (without the awkward inset). Kitchen cabinetry back wall is 15'; cabinetry side wall is 9'6"; island is 4' x 8'. Island is spaced 4' from back wall cabinets and 5' from side wall cabinets.

Questions:

1. Dining room: Do I put in kitchen cabinetry with countertop to fill in that awkward dining room inset? Leave it empty to put furniture there? Or give that space back to the screened porch and even up the wall, leaving my dining room 12'6" long? I want to pull the dining room table out further from the windows as I know that is too tight. I could make cabinetry closest to the dining room a dining room type with some glass in the doors if I give up that inset.

2. Kitchen: I don't like my work triangle. Refrigerator is too far away. I thought I wanted a wall oven and cooktop, but I am thinking it is too hard to manage all that. Here is my current thought:

a. On the back wall, put in a range and refrigerator with a microwave drawer.

b. Make the side wall counter/cabinetry more shallow (like 18-20"?) for pantry cabinets and open shelves, landing zone, etc.

c. If I did those things, how would I balance and make a focal point on the back wall?

Thank you for any ideas!

Featured Answer

Jenny

2 years ago

I would not put kitchen cabinetry in the dining room, it will look like kitchen cabinetry in the dining room. A lovely sideboard would be great there if you decide to keep that space in the dining room (which I would suggest).

You have a cramped dining room and a laundry that is nearly as big as the dining room. Can you shift the kitchen to the right, or are your exterior walls firm?

You have a traffic path into the kitchen from the "north" right past the oven. I see that as a safety issue. If you keep a wall oven, perhaps move it to the left end. The benefits to your fridge being where it is: it's four feet from the island and your sink, an easy reach and yet when the snackmonsters come in to raid the fridge it is out of your main cooking zone. If you move it to the "north" wall then placing it at the right end of that cabinetry would achieve the same purpose.

You have your cooktop and sink directly across from each other. If you have two workers in the kitchen you will be running into each other. If you make the cooktop into the range you will have the added problem of opening the oven when someone is at the sink. If you move your range to the left, you would minimize that problem.

My attitude is get the function down pat, then figure out the appearance. A pretty kitchen that is a pain to work in is a fail for me.

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Comments (6)

Diane
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you for your comments! The "north" door from the kitchen is a guest wing hallway with pocket door, so you are right, I should make sure not to put the oven right there.

I am looking at ways of moving my island to the right to give the dining room more width. I have 5' right now between the side wall cabinetry and island, so I can give the dining room another foot there.

Do you think it would be a good idea if I moved the refrigerator onto the back wall where the oven is and make that side wall 18-20 inch depth pantry cabinets, open shelves with landing zone? Then that even opens up that space a bit more. I like the idea of the refrigerator on the back wall with a range shifted over to the left. Then the only thing I have to cross the side aisle for is to get into the pantry.
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Diane
Original Author
2 years ago
Would it be better to take down that cased opening wall along with the short wall that creates the awkward inset in the dining room? That way, the dining room is partially open to the living room on that end. Would that look right?
PRO
JAN MOYER
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
The entire plan is not good. Please add feet and inches to every wall, every window , doorway and passage on the plan you posted above.

It's a new build? SHOW the entire living floor for this......what leads to what?! Garage, deck, patio etc.

In other words? Provide a full context.
Diane thanked JAN MOYER
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 years ago
We need a to scale floor plan of the whole space . Every window , doorway and where those lead every room named. Every measurement in feet and inches clearly marked Use graph paper it makes it easier to do scale drawings . Post here in jpeg format in a comment DO NOT start another post . Only the floor plan nothing in it except show where plumbing is if already to late to change .
Diane thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Diane
Original Author
2 years ago
Thank you for your help. It is a one story house with primary

BR on one side and 2 BRs on the other side of the main living space. Here is the main living area with labels. House has not been started yet. There is a water view out the back.