- Our house is a bit non-traditional, so we didn’t want traditional kitchen cabinets.
- S loves to cook and has always wanted a commercial kitchen with stainless work tables, big prep sink and professional range.
- I like to bake and wanted a marble surface for rolling dough.
- We had to work around an existing fireplace, and I pretty much demanded that we keep the original staircase – both for historical reasons and convenience.
- We want to create a cohesive look/plan but be able to shop around for awhile to get the best possible deals.
The floorplan:
Overall the room will be 23’ long and 16’ wide, give or take. In this very basic rendering, which I created for free using Floorplanner.com, the front of the house faces toward the left, and the arrow at bottom right shows the entrance from the dining room. That whole wall will be exposed log.
Here’s the breakdown:
- 6’ baking station with a cool white marble top and a nice view out the big front window. Underneath will be drawers for utensils and a cabinet to house all of our small appliances (bread maker, toaster, ice cream maker, etc.) so they don’t have to sit out all the time.
- Built-in wall oven and microwave, built to match the baking station, with storage for baking sheets.
- 18” stainless work surfaces flanking the stove, for holding all the spoons, ladles and spices we’ll use when cooking on the stove.
- 48” six-burner range top with hood.
- Brick fireplace c. 1900. (Cool but probably not usable.)
- Food pantry built under the original curved staircase leading up to the master suite.
- 8’ stainless work surface/island with a storage shelf underneath. With stools.
- Fridge
- 6’ long two-bay utility sink with two drain boards, and with open shelves above for storing all the dishes. There will also eventually be a dishwasher underneath one of the drain boards.
- Cabinet/hutch to store sundries like plastic containers, baggies, cleaning products, etc. out of sight.
NOTE: Since we won’t know what the exact length of the room will be until the carpenters come, we may have to be a little flexible about the work surfaces flanking the stove. The rest of the layout shouldn’t be affected by the difference of an inch or two.
So that is the official plan, though it may be subject to change if unforeseen circumstances should occur. We originally had the sink and baking station swapped, but when we made the change we both felt we had completely nailed it. We’re both pretty excited about it.
What do you think?
Awesome! I can't wait to see how it turns out. The mix of finishes and rustic charm should look fantastic. The only thing that looks a little out of place is the refrigerator. I think it would make more sense to turn it so it's back is to the log wall since the stove side is accessed that way and the sink is accessed that way. But maybe getting utilities in that wall are an issue... When are you going to be tackling this project?
ReplyDeleteLooks good! Do you think you will have enough storage space for plates, bowls, etc, along with your appliances, underneath that baking surface?
ReplyDeleteEmily Kate:
ReplyDeleteYour working triangle is huge! A good sized kitchen indeed. What will you do with the North facing wall?
Also, I'm glad you're back to posting more than once each week.
Mel
Thanks for the suggestions guys!
ReplyDeleteThreeacres -- Good point about the fridge. Regarding the electricity source, I think the fridge could work out either direction, so we will be playing around with that idea a bit more -- but we do know we want it to go in that corner. Truthfully, I originally wanted the oven to face the other direction (with its back to the front wall) so that the front wall would be more forward-facing, but the spacing probably won't work out for that. Some more adjustments may need to be made... we'll see when we have the exact final dimensions in place.
Jenny -- yeah there's no way the dishes will fit under the baking cabinet. (We haven't bought the marble slab yet, so I'm not even 100% sure of the sizing. 6 feet would be the ideal, but we'll see. May have to get creative.) Plates, cups and bowls will be going on the open shelving we are putting above (and possibly beside) the sink.
Mel -- I'm trying to fit everything into my schedule and do better about blogging! Glad you're still a loyal follower/cheerleader. Yeah I'm hoping the work triangle won't be TOO big, but the chimney and stairs just wouldn't jive with any other configuration we came up with. Hopefully this layout will be conducive to harmonious cooking with multiple people.
Ah! Open shelving rocks, and will be the perfect solution. :-) I'm the first to understand that life gets in the way of blogging, but I have been glad to see more posts too!
ReplyDeleteI've found--in my unconventionally laid out kitchen--that a little rolling island does wonders. It makes it so much more convenient going from station to station when there's a lot of space in between them. And with a shelf below the butcher-block top, it tucks against a wall as another cutting surface and storage when not in motion.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly the kitchen I am putting together in my log house seems very, very small. My only consolation is that you will have a lot more to clean. I can't wait to see photos.
ReplyDeleteVery much looking forward to seeing that one day. Stainless steel fridge to match the counter tops? The marble table top sounds great. Run some ice water underneath it and open your own ice cream shop! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the encouragement everyone. Glad to have you all around. ☺
ReplyDeleteMel, regarding that other wall -- We might turn the cabinet/hutch in the corner the other direction and put a comfy chair next to it for reading cookbooks. We'll know better when we get a little further along.
Anonymous -- Great idea! I'll be keeping that in mind.
John -- The main entrance to the house used to come in through the kitchen. By totally moving the entrance, we gained a ridiculous amount of space in the kitchen. As a whole though, we actually think our house is too big. Believe me, the task of cleaning this whole house once it's done is a little daunting! I'm loving the size of this kitchen though.
Flynn -- In my search for the hunk of marble for the baking area, I keep finding listings for the "marble slab creamery" (a knockoff of coldstone) which has made me so hungry for ice cream lately. We do have an ice cream maker, so when our kitchen is done you can visit and we'll make ice cream. (And lots of other delicious stuff of course.)
Wow good job! That looks great :) How fun to be able to design your own space like that. There is one thing I notice when looking at it... something I notice about my kitchen ALL the time and that is how badly I wish my sink were closer to my stove. Whether it be draining pasta, or just carrying big heavy soiled pots across the kitchen- if I could change that and have my sink be closer to my cooking area I totally would! But that may not be something anyone else would notice?? Not sure. Thought I'd pass it along though :)
ReplyDelete