Your Thoughts On A Kitchen Design?

[jyl]

Ha, Larry, I think some cooks are confident, relaxed, unruffled, and have everything under control. They can do the whole "cook as showman" thing. Other cooks are hurried, sweaty, half-drunk, and scrambling to salvage dinner from the cloud of greasy smoke. They don't want to be on display. Guess which one I usually am.

Anyway, the old houses in my neighborhood usually don't have an "open plan" and would require extensive remodeling to have one. More extensive than I'm budgeting for.

[Dueller]

Neat design/cad program...what is it?

I vote for the first one. Although the floating cabinets or hood as shown in the second proposal looks cool, it would seem to make the space more cramped given that its not part of a more open floor plan. Wish you were closer...I could make you a helluva deal on a stainless wall mount 36" vent hood I can't use that I snagged as part of a package at a charity auction.

[jyl]

Dueller, I use Google Sketchup. Download it and play around, it is pretty intuitive. People use it to model buildings for Google Earth, and lots of other things, they do remarkable work. I've only used it to mock up home improvement projects. It is handy to be able to look at something from every angle, check the sightlines, etc. One of these days I'd like to measure my whole house and model it. But who has the time?

[look 171]

John,

Are you buying the cabinets or having them custom built? With pre fab cabinets, there are limitations with a certain dimensions and you have to use spacers to fill in the dead spaces.

Jeff

[s_morrison57]

Those are cool pic's of the kitchen, way better computer skills than I will ever have, someone sugested the open wall into the dining room and I like that idea and plan on doing this when I do my kitchen. The wife figured she was in line for a new kitchen, poor girl, I bought a 930 instead, she had 2 choices, get over it or die mad, she got over it and loves the 930, she will get her new kitchen some day but it will be an open design.
The wife gets up-stairs, the kid gets downstairs and I get the garage, I win again!!!!!

[jyl]

Most likely, custom.

Originally Posted by look 171

John,

Are you buying the cabinets or having them custom built? With pre fab cabinets, there are limitations with a certain dimensions and you have to use spacers to fill in the dead spaces.

Jeff

[jyl]

Here are dimensions from memory, I will edit w/ exact dimensions when I get home tonight.

AB is 16 feet
BD is 14 feet
DC is 3 feet
GF is 4 feet
EF is 6 feet
AG is 8 feet
FH is 8 feet 8 inch (ceiling height)

[jyl]

Any good solutions for corner base cabinets? Do you guys find that lazy susans work better than just a big open space? In current kitchen, the corner base cabinet is big enough for a small kid to hide in, and not much good for anything else.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by look 171

John,

Are you buying the cabinets or having them custom built? With pre fab cabinets, there are limitations with a certain dimensions and you have to use spacers to fill in the dead spaces.

Jeff

Not sure I agree. Depends on the line of cabinets. These are a mid-line, with lots of options:







Yes, with Home Depot base level cabinets, there are not too many options. Sorry for the crappy pics, took these with my phone, of a kitchen we were finishing up today.

[MikeSid]

Configuration is difficult and I'm not much help there. But I do have a couple of cabinet suggestions.

No pullout shelves. Drawers are by far the most efficient lower cabinet configuration. A pullout shelf is basically a drawer inside a cabinet door. It requires you to fully open the door, then slide out the drawer. Even worse if you have a double door - then both must be fully opened to slide out the drawer. It a duplication of movements every time you access whatever is in there and it will drive you nuts.

I understand the asthetic you're thinking of in preferring doors to drawer faces. But with inset faces, drawers can look good too.

And get your drawers fitted with Blum sliders with BLUMotion soft close. Quiet and effortless and always a perfect close. Especially important with inset cabinets.

[tabs]

I have done alot of cooking...so

The kitchen sink should be a coupla easy steps from the stove and Refer a couple of steps in another direction. One should also have a work space that is close to the stove, so U can watch that bubbling pot while you work on something else.

Kitchen 1 seems the better of the two. Stove has work space to the right and sink to the right of that...easy side steps..the Refer is several steps to the left of that...good ergonomics...

If you put the stove in the island you will have to turn your back to the stove to work on somethng else. Also the Refer is not in a straight line with the stove..more walking is required. not as good of ergonomics. Remember every step and movement has to count for something and should flow...to get maximum efficency from your space.

I really don't see the point of the island...it could be a small family dining area? As such I don't think the Island is going to serve much purpose and shoule be eliminated from the design. You will have some wasted space going out to the deck if you decide on the Island The Isaland will also make your Kitchen seem more closed in. one wants to have your space seem open and spacious especially with a low ceiling. You could put in a small family breakfast table in that space instead.

Also with the Island your going to have to walk around it to get to the Dining Room..instead of walking in a straight line...You do have a staging area for the Dining Room with the counter space along that wall..or that could also be a bar area with a small sink and the plus is the Refer is a coupla steps away for ice etc. That would be a nice feature.
BTW where is the walk in Pantry?

[jyl]

tabs, walk-in pantry, that's a good one. I don't even have a walk-in closet. Why the peninsula or island? - I don't think countertops alone will give me enough working space.

dad, your kitchen looks like my kitchen #1 alternative. The inside corner base cabinet that is between your range and your sink - do you have some way to access it, or do you just forget about using that space?

mike, makes sense, to prefer drawers to cabinets or slide-outs. I need to look at some pics and get okay with the aesthetic.

[tabs]

Your work space is going to be to the right and left of the sink..The Island is not going to be easy to use.. it is out of the way...Think in terms of your movement while cooking..

Your limitation due to where the kithchen sink is, is going to be the space to the left of the sink...90% of what you do is going to be done in that space. If your sink were several feet to the right it would be perfect. But you do have enough...

If you put the stove in the Island you work space is going to be directly to the right of the sink, AND you will have your back turned to the stove while you are doing it...not so good.

If you do put the Island in without the stove...you simply will not use it that much..if ever...because it is out of the line of efficient movement...

[Burnin' oil]

I just finished our cabinets. We do not have upper cabinets and like the look and feel of open walls - more expansive. All drawers, no doors. And we have no corner cabinets. I can build yours if you like but it will probably take two or three years . . .

[dad911]

Originally Posted by jyl

....
dad, your kitchen looks like my kitchen #1 alternative. The inside corner base cabinet that is between your range and your sink - do you have some way to access it, or do you just forget about using that space?
.....

Not mine personally, but in one f the houses I have under construction. In this kitchen the base extends into the corner. We also do it with lazy susan corners.

[LWJ]

Ok. Here are my thoughts. Plan one uses the space well. I somehow missed the reason why the counter was not continued towards the deck. I like lots of counter space. If possible, could you continue it? I also like great big drawers as opposed to cabinets on the bottom. I think for you, you may consider having open shelving (as opposed to cabinet doors) on the tops. This is much more functional and also significantly cheaper. It is mych easier to cook when you can grap stuff without opening and closing doors. It can look crappy however. Finally, I still am lobbying for a larger window if possible. I think the cabinets over the island really crowd the room. I like open rooms.

Good that you know your constraints!
Larry

[look 171]

Originally Posted by dad911

Not sure I agree. Depends on the line of cabinets. These are a mid-line, with lots of options:







Yes, with Home Depot base level cabinets, there are not too many options. Sorry for the crappy pics, took these with my phone, of a kitchen we were finishing up today.

I think the bump on top of the ref cab looks bad. It screws up the line of the crown. No offence, it is what it is because they are store bought cabinets. Also I would have moved the vent to the right where it would have been hidden by the corner cabinet and paint it the same color as the wall if there's room.

Sorry about being so intense and knock other's design or work. I have a cabinet shop and have always been picked to death by various designers and clients about stuff like that at a very young age. I plan and get around the small details so the trained eye will not have a thing to say. I just assume to do away with spacers and relocate that vent. Include that in the bid. Many of my clients are more the happy to pay for that.

By the way, the install looks really clean. The crown work is great.

Jeff

[dad911]

Originally Posted by look 171

.... No offence, it is what it is because they are store bought cabinets. Also I would have moved the vent to the right where it would have been hidden by the corner cabinet and paint it the same color as the wall if there's room.

....

By the way, the install looks really clean. The crown work is great.

Jeff

No offense taken, just did what the customer wanted. I would have set the corner higher, or used different height cabinets. There should be a carved scroll there, but they didn't want it.

Point was supposed to be that alot can be done with 'boxed' cabinets, from a decent supplier.

I've spent over a dozen hours trying to get 'Depot' cabinets to work on a vacation home, drove me nuts. They just don't have the sizes.

[jyl]

Sorry to sound like a whiner, but figure I should make a list of what bugs me, much of this is personal defects and poor procedure of course:

Things I don't like about my kitchen:
- When wife makes tea/coffee or gets drinks for kids, she gets between my prep space and the range
- When wife prepares hors d'oeuvres, she get gets between my prep space and the range
- When wife uses the microwave, she gets between me and the range
- Basically everybody keeps getting between me and the range
- Knives, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, spices are not kept where I do the prep
- Prep bowls are mixed in with the regular dishware
- Dishes pile up in sink, I have to stop and wash during food prep
- Not enough room for two cooks
- Open dishwasher blocks my prep space
- Dishwasher noisy when running
- Not enough heat from the burners for wok cooking, have to do everything in little batches
- Not enough vent capacity for smoky cooking
- I killed the last microwave with big ball of flame from cooking (its mounted above the range)
- Only four burners, typically one used for stock pot, one for tea kettle, so only two free
- Only 1 oven so dessert has to share temp w/ roast, and no place to "warm" food or dishes
- Not enough storage for pots and pans and lids, they get stacked on each other or hung three to a hook
- Not enough storage for knives and steels
- Not enough storage for baking pans and roasting pans and steamers and stockpots
- Existing food storage is all cabinets and only the items in front are visible, we have no idea what is in back, so buy multiples of same thing
- No place for bulky food like 5 lb potato bags, big/multiple bread loaves
- Fridge not have space for big things - e.g. if need to chill a big mixing bowl
- Fridge icemaker perpetually broken
- Fridge starting to fluctuate in temp, have to re-adjust often to keep desired temps, wires to external fridge thermometer are unsightly
- Too many dishes and glasses and mugs
- Table is used as a dumping ground for purses, kids' backpacks, mail, etc - not usable for prep or even for placing pots, dishes, etc
- Garbage can is clear across the kitchen from the sink
- Recycling bin is outside the rear door
- Get down on knees to dig through lower shelves for Tupperware, mixing bowls, food processor, mandolin, salad spinner, etc
- Grout of tile counter is coming apart by the sink
- One of the wall cabinets is coming apart, threatening to fall down actually
- Cabinet doors keep getting crooked, knobs get loose, and adjustment screws on hinges keep coming loose
- Can we get rid of the damn plastic lidded kids' cups already
- Floor is hard on my feet and ankles after 3 hours, carpet gets messy, no convenient stool to sit on when feet hurt
- Only one lighting level, which is full-on bright
- Kitchen style doesn't go w/ the house - house is 100 y/o Foursquare style, kitchen is light wood and full overlay doors w/ euro hinges

[island911]

You need a bigger kitchen!