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charles_g_katz

Kitchen Layout Dilemma.

25 days ago

Hi, I am about to break ground on a major renovation and wanted advise on the kitchen layout I currently have planned. I still have time to make adjustments since the windows and doors have not been ordered. Let me know your thoughts! Also, I'm in search of someone who could do cabinet layout/design. :-)






Comments (16)

  • 25 days ago

    I would install a 2nd sink somewhere.....there is movement into kitchen from all directions around when you look at family room/ dining room / living room locations . maybe rework the fridge left side wall of this kitchen and put a sink there . or sink on island perhaps on living room side [close to cooking area also] why is the island 62 inches deep ? if you dont want a 2nd sink all traffic will head to the main sink and the aisle is not generous enough.

    charlie thanked herbflavor
  • 25 days ago

    We are planning to make the island more narrow. Any suggestions on width if we want to have at least one stool adjacent to the length of the island? This is great feedback- Thank you!


  • 25 days ago

    @herbflavor What are your thoughts on a sink on the island opposite the fridge? Thinking if there is flow from den/mudroom or for rinsing produce, this could be a good location. I was thinking the counter on left side of fridge would be a good coffee area, so sink on that side of island could be helpful as well...

  • 25 days ago

    i might place either the fridge or oven to far left of main sink on back wall. the 96 in island is a generous pivot area to use so placing one appliance on long back wall is not a hindrance in any sense. Then do more along the lines of coffee bar/ w sink on the left [island or wall] as per your comment. ...that would be fine. Your 3rd wall at 11 1/2 feet can be quite a nice opportunity when you fine tune things to use it for..... is that a bifold pantry closet?? have you forgotten something for the lower right corner where pocket door slides? there is wall space and its outside dining room.....a buffet/ food setup counter area ? ....30 or 39 inches [which wall ?] can be very handy.

  • 25 days ago

    You have a lot of traffic and your aisles are not big enough. Your island is a barrier.

    I would ditch the wall oven and put a range - having a wall oven so far away from the range is poor function unless all you ever do in your oven is bake. If you ever do range to oven cooking, that pathway is a killer.

    If you are not getting a sub zero you need to account for the fridge depth with that aisle, and if you want seating there it needs to be 5' minimum. I would make all aisles 4' minimum regardless.

    I would move the fridge to the left of the sink and eliminate the wall oven. Coffee/beverage center can be on the wall where the fridge and oven are now. No need for a 2nd sink. You definitely don't put a sink in a busy aisle.

  • PRO
    25 days ago

    The whole thing needs a rethink. It isn't as big as you imagine it to be. And it will seem even smaller with those tiny aisles and huge island blocking all the work traffic. It's not designed at all well.

  • 25 days ago

    @Minardi @anj_p @Debbi Washburn @herbflavor


    The island will definitely be smaller, I just havent had the plans edited. Any suggestions re: island size?


    In regard to appliances, I have a deposit for a Wolf 36 inch induction range and on the opposite wall a single 30 inch Wolf oven and wolf speed oven (stacked). The fridge is a sub zero 36inch which is counter depth. I also have fridge drawers for the island and a possible sub zero under counter beverage fridge.


    I need 5 stools at the island (ideally).


    Thoughts on ditching the entry way to the living room to free up more wall space? I can then move the ovens to that wall and maybe add a sink next to the coffee bar.

  • 25 days ago

    I would still move your fridge to the sink wall to get your cooking zone - at least most of it - in a protected space. Where it is now, your island is a barrier. That means you do not have a direct line from your range to your fridge without walking around your island. It also means hip bruises are in your future.

    I would make all aisles 4' min. If there is seating, the aisle should be even bigger. If there is seating AND an appliance, 5' min. That will drive your island size. If you move the fridge you have some relief on the side aisle.

    Whether you close up the door to the living room is up to how you envision using your house, and whether you want access to the living room to be easy or if you want it cut off.

    I feel like you are overbuying appliances for your current plan. You need to store dishes and pots and pans in here, and with a beverage fridge AND fridge drawers you will quickly run out of space for anything else.

    Do you need a sink at the coffee bar? And where is the coffee bar? Beverage fridge could go either on the DR wall or on the current fridge wall. I would definitely forgo fridge drawers.

  • 24 days ago

    Please move that fridge to the left of the sink! As currently drawn, I would truly dread having to cook meals in it. The section where the fridge and wall oven are is a poor use of the space as well as causing frustrations in kitchen use... I would prefer to see a slide in range with oven and turn that left side chunk into a pantry or hutch situation. Glad to hear you are shrinking the island. Glad you posted this here to be much improved :)

  • PRO
    23 days ago

    I don't really have an issue where the ref is . It is not that far from the sink and I would rather have the counter to the left of the sink. The oven is in a bad placement.

    Keep an opening to the living room - you can't use that whole wall anyway because of the door to stairs ( I am assuming a basement? ) . If it is a basement, is it finished? Is there another way out of there ( because you won't be able to bring furniture up through the kitchen )?

    An island for 5 - do 2 on one side and 3 on the other. That would mean a minimum top size of 51 x 75 .

  • 23 days ago

    Thank you, @Debbi Washburn. Confirming the stairs are to the basement, but we do not have plans to finish the basement at the moment.


  • 23 days ago

    The problem with the fridge where it is is that it's in an aisle AND back against seating AND makes the island a barrier (sink to fridge is not the ONLY consideration with fridge placement - it does matter where your range is in that movement as well. How often do you grab sauce, butter, milk etc. that needs to go in your dish, where you're not stopping at the sink first?). Plus landing space for the fridge is not great in its current spot as there's a stool or two on the island and a door blocking the narrow space between the fridge & ovens, which is the only other landing space. Moving the fridge to the sink wall solves all of those problems. Having space to the left of the sink is not all that important. You'll have 2' for the DW. That's enough. You can also move the windows and sink over a tad if things are tight.

    Honestly it's a no-brainer.

    The speed oven & wall oven location isn't as big of a problem as the range has an oven (assuming OP is using the correct term, it's a range, not a cooktop). Assuming the 2nd oven wont' be used often unless the OP has a baking business so, fine, put it in a bad spot if it's the only one you have.

  • PRO
    20 days ago

    Had some free time today. Put in your design plan moving the wall oven and one moving the ref. I put in a cooktop - easy enough to make it a range. I assumed an 8ft ceiling. Made the island a bit smaller.

    Move the wall ovens & slide the doorway to the living room over





    This one moves the ref and the wall ovens





    And this plan shows a larger island only if that piece of wall from the entry hall can be removed. Note - this would be the biggest island - it may be a bit too big depending on how you live in your space. I changed the seating to have a sort of chef's seat. That can eliminate the issue around the ref.




    I hope this helps! Glad I had the time to play with it.

    Good luck

  • PRO
    19 days ago

    Late to this, but I would:

    • Leave the fridge where it is
    • Make the sink aisle 4'-6"
    • Make the range aisle 4'-0"
    • Make the fridge aisle 5'-0"
    • This will make the island 4'-6" x 6'-10" if my math is correct, which should be enough for 3 stools along the bottom and one stool on the end. Consider a prep sink in the upper right corner.
    • There is an opportunity for something useful in that bottom corner to the right of the pocket doors. Maybe a full height wall cabinet with solid doors below and glass doors above showcasing glasses and/or decorative objects.
  • 19 days ago

    Several advisors have commented on the location of the fridge.
    Consider placing the fridge on the left side of the sink wall.
    Imagine preparing a meal: get items from fridge,move them to sink for rinsing,etc,then use counter space to right for chopping,etc before arranging food in pots/pans to process on the range.
    Present plan has fridge isolated ,so cook needs to bounce to island,then move to sink,before actual food prep happens.
    Efficient flow mantra is: ice,water,stone,fire.

    .

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