Design Dilemma: Kitchen Space Planning

Design Hole reader, Rachel, wrote to me asking for help with her kitchen design. She’s received some professional advice from Home Depot, but wants more input on her space plan. “The room is a big rectangle,” she says. “It’s divided into two squares by entries facing each other on the long walls. One square is the workspace. The other square is the eating area, which includes the refrigerator, a small table, and a wall of ugly pantry cupboards. What I want is to bring the seating as close as possible to the workspace, for a cozier room to sit and chat in, but the two entry doors get in the way. Can you help?”

Certainly! But this week I have an even better idea. Since I’m still recovering from last Friday’s surgery and need to rest, I thought I’d hand the dilemma over to fellow Detroiter and kitchen design professional, Kristen Shellenbarger.

Design Envy to the Rescue
Kristen’s blog, Design Envy, is all about kitchens and features lots of photos from her projects. If you’re looking for some great ideas, stop by to check out her work. And now, here’s Kristen with her design solution.

Kitchen Design Solution
Rachel is asking for help on her kitchen’s layout. I’ve been given a general description, but no measurements. Keeping that in mind, I attempted to re-create her described space on my CAD program and come up some solutions to her questions. I hope they’ll be helpful. Here we go!

First, Rachel is thinking of replacing her glass doors, which lead to a screened porch, with a window. She also wants a more comfortable eating area.

This would allow her to add a window seat. I think that’s a good idea. Here’s what it would look like.

I’m showing a built-in bench that fits underneath the new window. Add an antique farmhouse table and she’ll have seating for 8-10 (depending on table length, etc). Add some cushions on the bench and the dining space will practically scream, “Come sit down and have a glass of wine.”

But the dining space isn’t just an inviting place to eat. This solution pulls the separated areas together. By playing with the space where your current pantries are, Rachel can gain a ton of storage, plus an area for a buffet. The space can do duty as a drink, coffee or dessert section when entertaining. Opening up the pantry wall with different depths and heights of cabinetry will lighten the space - it won’t look too overwhelming or ominous.

I couldn’t tell from Rachel’s photos, but I’m assuming the space has soffits, as most kitchens do. If that’s so, I highly recommend removing them completely and having the cabinetry uppers reach for the sky… er, ceilings. This design will gain space in storage (approximately a foot high at each section). More importantly, the visual impact created by the height will totally modernize your kitchen.

Trust me, it’s worth investigating. The kitchen appears to have a standard 8’ ceiling. If so, Rachel may be able to use 42” high upper. This means she’ll be moving from a 30” upper. She can now say, “Storage-a-lujah!”

Hiding the Fridge & Dealing with the Microwave
Now lets turn to the refrigerator. Here are some things to consider. It appears that it’s currently located to the left of the range. I suggest using wide fillers to completely encase the fridge, like I am showing on either side here. It lends a uniform look to the kitchen.

Voila, the fridge will look like a built-in without having to spend thousands on one.

I also suggest a new location for the worst appliance (design wise) out there… the dreaded microwave. Put it in a base cabinet, to the right of your range area. This way it’s near the fridge, allowing for better cooking function, but it’s out of eye’s view. Keeping it low is actually much safer than over range because you’re lifting up instead of pulling down. You can see that hot soup.

I think we’ve got the space plan tackled. So here are some more things to consider in your design.

Mixing Materials for a Refined Look
First the hood. This is becoming more of a design statement. And they work much better than they used to. They can now vent out or recirculate. Some brands to consider are Kenmore, Zephyr, and Jasmine Hood (some choices are less than $800).

Using different materials in your kitchen (wood cabinetry, metal finishes, stone tops/backsplashes, etc) will make your kitchen much more unique and pleasing to the eye. Rachel is leaning towards cherry cabinetry and doesn’t have a lot of natural light. Breaking up the cabinetry heights will help keep the space more open. Take a look at some of the cabinet lines I work with, such as Quality and Medallion.

As for a dark kitchen, it’s a common worry that a darker cabinet will make the room look dark. Have no fear. I mean it – no fear! The first plane of visual impact one is actually the countertops. So, Rachel, if you stay with light colored Corian (or natural stone), not only will it contrast beautifully with your cabinets, it will lighten up your space. Add a few under cabinet lights and, voila… no more dark concerns.

That’s it! I hope I was able to help Rachel with her kitchen space plan. I’ve included a few resources for everyone’s consideration. Be sure to stop by my blog if you have more questions.

• Posted by Jennifer at 10:00 am
• Tagged: Design Dilemma