please help me choose a layout

last year

this is my first kitchen remodel. my dad is a carpenter and does these all the time and has been helping me. We can do everything for cheap. except the doors and countertops. I am so scared to commit to anything. I'm panicking.

Here are three designs.

Ive been living with the first design for the last year. and it's not bad. but behind the island is tight if the stools are out. I feel like this is the prettiest design but maybe not the most spacious.

the second design is the same but I removed the cabinets from most the island to hopefully help keep the seats out of the way. idk if it would really help though.

the 3rd design, the u shape, has an added door to the backyard. all my neighbors with the same house have added doors in that spot, so it is a popular thing to do on my street. I would have to change my lighting placement which would be annoying. this is the most expensive design. I feel like the u shape makes the kitchen look smaller. there is less seating. but this design has more storage and probably better flow.

please please please help

Featured Answer

PRO

Debbi Washburn

last year

Do you have pictures of the other walls? Really need to see all 4.

What about doing a peninsula off the opposite wall instead of the island? Something like this?

Or doing a full u shape and doing a small table?

Good luck!

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Comments (9)

herbflavor
last year
how many people and what kind of foottrafic in from the back door...the peninsula plan catches my attention but the fridge potentially ends up w traffic flowing by...can be a bad set up. On the other hand if its a small number of people and the back door isnt used much it can be okay. what are the things on left and right of fridg in the peninsula plan? you havent put in all dimensions [passage openings/ window sizes/ full dimensions of room/ cabinet sizes/ appliance sizes etc] . and how the kitchen relates to a dining room /living room/etc... avoid the down to counter cabinet in the corner...keep everything above the counter and wrap wall cabinets between kitchen sink window all the way around to stove. What appears here is your desire to get a general layout chosen.......the details have to be worked on for each section of wall/ base cabinet and appliance details also. RE this work w your dad......what are your plans for ordering cabinets either with or without a kitchen designer? what does this mean.."dad does these all the time"......???? build? install? plan/ order / for a GC?
eam44
last year
How important is it to you to have access out of your kitchen into the back yard?
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dan1888
last year
I'm not seeing enough space for the island in the first floorplan. You can build it. It won't be comfortable in use. It could work if the wall behind the stools was removed. You can show a full floorplan for more ideas if you want.

Not enough room for the second plan.

The third could work. I'd delete the peninsula.
Buehl
last year
FYI..."Karen" of Grey Heron is a spammer trolling for work. Please report her.
Mo Spurlock
last year
I do think the third plan works best for functionality, but the peninsula looks like a pinch point. I'd be curious to see what you have going on against the fridge wall. You may be able to swap some things around in order to make a peninsula make more sense, though I think it would need to be smaller.

Unfortunately, some spaces just don't allow for much seating, it seems to me like your space may only be able to comfortably handle 1-2 seats. It may not be the most convenient with foot traffic to have seating right by the proposed back door, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Really consider how important seating is to you!

I do also agree with 'herbflavor' in that the corner cabinet that's sitting on the countertop would possibly be more beneficial to you if it's changed to some wall cabinets that wrap around the corner towards the sink. This gives you more prep space and makes the cabinet run feel a little slimmer.

I also noticed the cabinet above your range looks like a tilt-up cabinet. Depending on the opening hardware, you may need to pull this down away from the ceiling, otherwise it won't open. I'd check with your cabinet dealer, or your own specification guides for whatever brand you're using. You may already have it pulled down, just figured I'd mention it just in case!

Just a note! Not every kitchen can be perfect, sometimes the space makes it tricky, so don't feel like you need to abide by every guideline, or every opinion. Just focus on maximizing the space you have!
PRO
Grey Heron Interiors
last year
Hey Buehl - I am not and have never been a spammer trolling for work. I have helped many Houzz dilemma people at no charge . Read my reviews! You on the other hand have only created an account with zero content.
Buehl
last year
last modified: last year
Zero content! 🤣 I've been posting since 2007!

If you mean sales content - I don't sell my work, I help here for free.

Anyone who tells people to contact them is trolling for work. I don't actually remember your exact post and it's gone now, but I seem to recall you were asking the OP to contact you rather than helping the OP here, in this thread. (We've been spammed a lot lately, so not sure if I remember your exact post.)

[I don't report spam lightly, so the original post must have seemed very much like spam.]
Christy Bell
last year
I would go with #3. Lose the island - just not enough space and keep fridge/pantry on same wall across from stove. Can still use door to outside also. How nice that your dad is helping you! You'll enjoy it!