Please critique this kitchen layout!! (floor, how much, dishwasher, Home Depot)

[Jan08]

Would appreciate feedback!
This is a 13x15 kitchen in size and I just wanted opinions as far as layout goes and relation to other rooms.

[golfgal]

I would have the door to the pantry open the other way. Same with the door to the dining room (actually I would skip the dining room door all together.

I think the overall layout of the kitchen is good. I am not a big fan of having sinks in islands but that is a personal preference.

[Bydand]

Agree with the Pantry door swing. The only other thing that stood out to me personally was the cook top and island corner. As long as it is a cook top only and the oven is elsewhere fine, but if the oven is right there as well; when you open the oven door, you will be backed right up against the corner, or will back right into it. The only reason that caught my eye was because I had a kitchen once laid out like that and was forever catching my back getting stuff out of the oven. Especially heavy things like a turkey or big ham. Hurts like the devil.

Also make sure the fridge door will swing open ALL the way when they are against a wall like that. Nothing more annoying than having a great fridge, and not being able to get a pizza box or other large item into it because the door will not open fully. Been there, done that also. Fixed it by sliding the fridge over a foot and putting in a narrow floor to ceiling cabinet for a broom, mop, dustpan etc for those "oops" moments in the kitchen so you don't have to run over to wherever the closest broom is. Just turn around and grab it; nice, neat and convenient.

[B4U]

I would turn the island around to where the right angle is on the top left corner to make a more open pathway in the work area. And put the sink across from stove. Dishwasher next to the fridge. I would put above the stove microwave and oven(s) closer to the center somehow. Why so far away? And why so many doorways?
What is all that lost space behind the stove wall? A hall way? Why? And yes, I would have the pantry door swing to the right also, and on the pantry opening.
The rule is the standard V for optimum work area.
Other than that, IMHO, it looks good to me. LOL!

[Jan08]

thanks on the door swing! That's obvious now that I look at it.

golfgal, I don't like sinks in islands too. But with this layout, there really isn't anywhere to put it! I mean, I'd rather in the island, than facing a wall. And it needs to be somewhat close to the stove.

The oven/microwave is on the far end because if I put it anywhere else, it interrupts the cabinet run. (since it is a top to bottom kind of thing) I figure the fridge needs to be next to breakfast area.

So many hallways - necessary evil for the layout of the house, although I hate hallways and if there was a way to eliminate them entirely I would.

Also is this a good size kitchen? I was worried whether it is too small and won't fit all the wall cabinets that are ideal to have. Thoughts?

[brightdoglover]

A kitchen should be whatever size the cooks want and need!
Personally, I find the "gourmet" kitchens on HGTV often absurdly large, and only good if you hope to throw a football in between stirring the pot.
I agree with the person who suggested eliminating the dining room. My guess is, with the stairs where they are, you'd never use it as a dining room, unless you only want it for that much-beloved "holiday special meals." I think a nice dining area in the main living area is far preferable, certainly more liveable. Maybe the "breakfast nook" could be more of a dining area?

[mrpeatie]

I would skip that angled wall and have the openign more in line with the dining room instead of down a hallway. Or take 2.5' from the kitchen which appears pretty big and turn that long hall into a butler's pantry.

Also the triangular island is too big. No one will be able to access the center of it. If you make the whole island more of a rectangle at the angle of that outer counter that would be more useful and allow more space within the work area which looks too tight.

One last thought- the oven/microwave are on the entirely diferent end of the kitchen form the refrigerator and pantry. That is a lot of walking for some orville reddenbacher or a lean cuisine.

[desertsun41]

I will skip all the wall moving and the pantry being in the wrong place. Well everyone is right...the pantry is in the wrong place. I will just stick to kitchens 101.

The rule of designing a perfect working kitchen is using what they call a "kitchen triangle". What that means is the 3 points: the sink, the oven/stove and the fridge.......the chef should be able to move from one to the next to the next unimpeded without anything in the way. In this case the monster sized island is right smack in the way.

Further rules are as follows:
No one side of the triangle should be more then 9' or less then 4'.
The triangle should not be interupted by traffic or cabinetry....that island.
The perimeter of the triangle should never be more then 26' and never less then 12'

And despite all the posts of advice here, no one can give additional correct advice including me because there is nothing but a top elevation for us to see. I need 3 other layout elevation plan views to give expert advice.

That plan you are showing comes from a dumb Architect who knows less then a Home Depot employee about kitchen design. Architects design structures, not kitchens.....though they try. Yes that is true. An Architect will just draw basic placement of cabinets not actually showing any design. You need to hire a Kitchen Designer to design your kitchen.

Is there a kitchen in place now or are you building a new home and this is all you were provided? If this is all you were provided, just based on the placement of the pantry I would bury that Architect under a rug and put food on the other side of it before calling to some hungry homeless people to come and get it.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

I will skip all the wall moving and the pantry being in the wrong place. Well everyone is right...the pantry is in the wrong place. I will just stick to kitchens 101.

The rule of designing a perfect working kitchen is using what they call a "kitchen triangle". What that means is the 3 points: the sink, the oven/stove and the fridge.......the chef should be able to move from one to the next to the next unimpeded without anything in the way. In this case the monster sized island is right smack in the way.

Further rules are as follows:
No one side of the triangle should be more then 9' or less then 4'.
The triangle should not be interupted by traffic or cabinetry....that island.
The perimeter of the triangle should never be more then 26' and never less then 12'

And despite all the posts of advice here, no one can give additional correct advice including me because there is nothing but a top elevation for us to see. I need 3 other layout elevation plan views to give expert advice.

That plan you are showing comes from a dumb Architect who knows less then a Home Depot employee about kitchen design. Architects design structures, not kitchens.....though they try. Yes that is true. An Architect will just draw basic placement of cabinets not actually showing any design. You need to hire a Kitchen Designer to design your kitchen.

Is there a kitchen in place now or are you building a new home and this is all you were provided? If this is all you were provided, just based on the placement of the pantry I would bury that Architect under a rug and put food on the other side of it before calling to some hungry homeless people to come and get it.

Ouch. I don't always agree with you but I agree with this!

[loves2read]

in not special order these are my thoughts--
did you draw this yourself?

maybe I don't get the stairs but I think where you have the yellow indicating an opening will be a solid wall for the staircase--looks like physically it will actually be going up from left to right from the first step with a doorway that can be closed on the second floor...
leaving only a single door into the dining room which will make it look really old-fashioned and claustrophobic--take out the door --make an arched opening and try to get it as large as you can

from your living room what you will see mainly when looking into that kitchen is the fridge--
why would you want that to be the focal point of your kitchen
make something low--the sink/dishwasher unit or the cook top across from the living room opening
those are both waist high and not very tall so line of sight is more open when not in use
you would have to get a vent fan that was built in vs overhead maybe but there are good ones to choose--put the fridge on the wall across from the breakfast area by the living room--where it is easy to get to at any time of the day/night

if you definitely want to keep the fridge there then camoflage it by using wood vs stainless steel front--can be done same as the cabinets--that is how mine is done and it looks mainly like a tall cabinet with two doors...

why do you want that wall behind the cooktop blocking that hall--unless you need them for structural support put in halfwalls and open that up--better visuals, more open feeling

take out that cabinet by the fridge and deepen the pantry and put the door there--or if you don't want to give up the cabinet space by fridge--then use a sliding--hung from a top-rail barn door type that will open by sliding to the side--you can paint a mural or use a large photograph on the slider part--nice touch--very "in" right now

and frankly that staircase is in a bad location--you are not allowing yourself to make use of the storage that could be gotten under the risers (we have a closet under ours that is like 7 ft long--the ceiling slopes but there is shelving at the low end to hold stereo equipment and we have it jam packed with other stuff right now)...it is also an EXCELLENT tornado shelter because of all the bracing and no windows...that staircase could provide some excellent built in bookcases, a nice pantry space in itself

I would not want the oven that close to the entrance to living room--standing there and having people walk into the kitchen is almost a hazard--I know--the oven in my old house was in wall right by the den entrance--it is easy to bump into someone taking something out of the oven...it seems like it was the last piece you thought of and stuck it there---and it is just better to try to keep your electricals close together for bidding the job/work...

put the microwave into the island or into a stomach-high location in the cabinets--makes it easier for your kids to use it--as well as older people--you might also consider getting one where the door operates differently from swining out--which tends to block the aisle--I think there are ones where the door swings up or flips down

agree the island is too big--and your cooktop is in location where people will be walking by you all day--not good--
rething that location and make the opening into the kitchen from the hall more in middle of that wall and put cooktop on the other side of it--that way people can come in and walk to living area w/o walking past the cooktop
have as many lower cabinets converted to roll out shelves as you can afford--I have lots in my new kitchen and would would not believe how much easier general kitchen chores become

for the amount of room you have I think you could design a more functional kitchen that would make better use of space/traffic patterns...
I have a kitchen with a long back wall--
refrig--#1 counter--gas 6 burner cooktop--#2counter--double wall oven
then in front of that line of appliances/counters is a long island with prep sink across from #2 counter
there are cabinets underneath but not roll-out shelves and an open area where we have the pets' water bowl and food dish but you could stash two stools and use as mini-eating counter
in front of that island is a counter with higher back that is about chest high--my dishwasher is raised, the double sink is normal height, and there is drawer stack as tall as the raised dishwasher with 5 drawers--three normal depth and two deeper...the taller height of that counter acts as a visual barrier somewhat to block most of the mess of the kitchen from the den---but still leaves it open--great for watching tv while you cook or talking to people who are in the den

the drawback is that the middle island is really too long--it could have been a foot shorter on each end and still been great and there is no garbage disposal in the sink in the island--never put in a kitchen sink without a garbage disposal...
I keep a large trash can at the end of the island where it is easy to get too but still screened from most of the den
My microwave is on cabinet wall at right angle to the island--with tall glass door shelving and bottom cabs with roll out shelves--and three drawers for silverware and other stuff...
My large walk-in panty with a window since it is on exterior wall is also on that wall--the pantry door is in corner by the double oven and the pantry runs behind the wall with the microwave and cabinets---it is about 8 ft long and has shelves about 10 ft tall along the far wall--I have some rolling shelving units for extra storage as well
the breakfast table area is opposite microwave wall--on other side of the island across an aisle to back of house but close to the fridge
every one who comes in says I love your kitchen and it has tremendous amount of storage and is very functional
you have enough room/space to do something like that--
my work triangle is extremely efficient (if I had that garbage disposal it would be better)
my dish storage is very close to my dishwasher
it is easy to unload groceries to pantry or fridge from the island

problems for me that I would have changed if I were designing my kitchen--
have switches for normally used lights located better
put that garbage disposal in the prep sink
make one large master sink vs a double sink--can't get large roasting pans or skillets in it--
have a smaller island to make going back and forth for some things a little easier