I recently posted a potential floor plan for our new kitchen — one that Dave and I had dreamed up after quite a bit of time — and you all smashed it to smithereens!!
Don’t worry, I wasn’t offended, but I was surprised at how much advice you had!
Yes, I received a few rude emails, but for the most part, all of the advice was really helpful… and it definitely gave us a ton of new ideas to think about — so thanks!
At first, I was completely overwhelmed with all the different tips, suggestions, and ideas in the comments, on Facebook, and in my Inbox; but over the past week, I’ve had a chance to process everything and think about a few different ways to rearrange things. I also met with an engineer friend of mine (with great decorating tastes), and the cabinet people come out to properly measure our space and give me even more ideas!
After all of that, I came up with a new plan.
It’s still not 100% official (as in, we haven’t ordered the cabinets or appliances yet) but I think this one is a bit closer to what our new kitchen will look like.
So here is our “current kitchen” floor plan once more…
Here is the first “new” floor plan I proposed last week…
And here is another “new” floor plan. Again, this is NOT 100% set in stone, we’re still hashing out ideas {you can click the image to enlarge it}
This floor plan definitely has some aspects that are better (like appliances being closer together, a large pantry area, two sinks, and even more counter tops). But I’m still not sure about having the cooktop on the island. I really like using my island for large baking projects, so I like having it nice and open… but since the island will be almost twice the size of our current island, I think it will be fine. Plus, the kitchen does seem to “flow” better this way.
In my first “new kitchen” design, I realized that everything wasn’t completely to scale {like the table was drawn much larger than our actual table and one of the walls got pushed back about 2 feet} so hopefully my second attempt is a little more accurate — although still not “professional quality”.
Also, keep in mind that looking at a drawing is not the same as being in our actual kitchen… so if something seems a little off, just trust me 🙂
Oh, and here are two computerized drawings from the company who came to measure our cabinets. There are still lots of tweaks and changes to make… but at least they are more professional. {These drawings are “flipped” 180* from the drawings I have above}
I think she forgot to draw the main sink… but in case you’re wondering, we are still planning to have a sink under the window
What do you think?
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And, as you can probably imagine, I got a TON of questions /comments after I posted my first floor plan idea. I answered some of them in the comment section, and a few more in emails, but I figure I should just address a bunch of them in this post as well.
1. What program did you use to create the floor plan?
I used FloorPlanner.com. It worked well, but defintiely wasn’t “fool-proof”. I had a difficult time saving my drawings, and you can only create 2 floor plans before you have to upgrade to the paid version.
2. Where are you purchasing your ______ from? {floors, cabinets, appliances, counters, etc.}
Honestly, we don’t know yet. We did already order our flooring from Creation Woodworks (where we got our other reclaimed barnwood from). I also met with a cabinet person earlier this week… but haven’t ordered anything yet.
We will be looking for appliances from scratch and dent stores first to see if we can find a deal… otherwise, we’ll just wait for a sale and purchase them new.
We have local plumbers/electricians that we work with and my dad can pretty much do anything we want him to (thanks dad!) but that’s as far as we’ve gotten.
I will continue to share more information about where we purchase our supplies… but for now, I don’t even know the answer to those questions!
3. Why are you putting in a ________ appliance {double oven, farm sink, etc.}
Everyone seems to be very concerned about what appliances we are and are not putting in our kitchen. And while I do appreciate all your advice, we have been thinking about this for some time and are pretty sure we know what we want 🙂
We want a double ELECTRIC oven (I hate my current gas oven) because electric ovens are more accurate and much better for baking. However, I would prefer a gas cooktop — which is why we’re getting a separate cooktop verses a complete all-in-one range.
Also, we will not be getting a side-by-side fridge (even though that’s what the picture looks like). We’re actually planning to purchase a counter-depth French Door refrigerator with a pull out freezer on the bottom. We don’t keep much in our freezer upstairs since we find food stays fresher in our deep freezer downstairs, so the smaller size freezer won’t bother us.
We are also pretty positive that we want a single apron-front farm sink (not a divided sink). One reader did mention that it can be a pain if someone needs to empty a glass while the sink is full — and that’s a good point! We are thinking of putting another small sink in the kitchen to compensate for that.
Also, I’ve mentioned before how much I hate small appliances sitting out in the open, so we do not want our microwave over the oven or cooktop 🙂 We’re planning to put it in a lower cabinet (under the island) or in a pantry somewhere.
And yes, I realize many of you might think these choices are not the best — but I can assure you that we’ve put A LOT of time and thought into our kitchen renovation and we feel like these choices will work well for how we use our kitchen.
4. Is that a load-bearing wall you’re taking out between the kitchen and dinning room?
Yes. It’s holding up half the upstairs and the roof 🙂
My dad is working with an engineer to design a huge (HUGE) beam that will be put in place of the wall and we will also end up dropping our ceiling from 9′ to 8’to hide that beam… but I’d rather have a lower ceiling than a dividing wall.
And since that wall is holding SO much weight, we will actually need a post that comes down in the middle of our kitchen, but we’re planning to tie it in with the island so it won’t look completely random. Again, it’s better than having a wall… and when you’re renovating a 120+ year old home, you can’t always get everything you want!
5. Aren’t you going to hire professionals?
As I mentioned before, my dad can pretty much do anything! He will be doing a lot of the work, but we will hire a professional plumber, possibly a professional electrician, and we’ll have all the drywall hung professionally too.
I’m working with a cabinet company to help us design the final layout of the kitchen and order the cabinets but my dad will install them… and Dave and I plan to do as much as we can too!
6. You should not do ______ because of resale value.
This is a valid statement and normally I would agree with it… but one thing Dave and I decided back when we first purchased this house was that we would NOT do something just for resale value.
We plan to live in this house for a long time so we want to renovate it for US… not potential buyers several years down the road. We also figure that if we were willing to buy this house with horrendous wallpaper, pastel carpets, rusty water pipes, and mirrored doors in every room, someone else will be willing to buy it from us and renovate it to their own taste.
OK, so I think that answers many of the main questions for now — feel free to weigh-in any advice you have for my “new” floor plan!
Oh, and in case you’re wondering… demolition started this past weekend!
Linda says
You will LOVE the double oven! I love mine and use it a lot. My top oven is a convection/regular oven and the bottom is just a regular oven.
Katie says
How exciting!! I think the floor plan looks awesome – a baking/cooking dream come true! I hope you post lots of pics of the process 🙂 Good luck with all of your meals in the meantime!
Madelyn says
Looks great! Way to be flexible after putting so much thought into it, I know that can be frustrating.
I don’t have time to read all the above comments so in case no one has mentioned it, hopefully your microwave will have a “lock” on the buttons so Nora won’t constantly walk in and start microwaving things. Same thing for the dishwasher!
Doreen says
You’re very brave to post your kitchen plans on your blog! Lol
I’m the one that posted earlier about having the exact same size kitchen/layout as your’s from the island up. If you’re not sick and tired of all the suggestions by now, permit yet another one por favor…
Any serious cook/baker such as yourself will tell you it’s nice to have a countertop area that is open and spacious to work on. I think you would appreciate it if your island was free of the cooktop. As I said, I have the exact size kitchen as your’s and layout pretty much is the same. May I suggest putting the stove top where the dishwasher is and putting the dishwasher between the sink and fridge?
If you want to see pics of my kitchen let me know. It helps to visualize things.
Susan says
Love the new floor plan! Looks awesome! I will suggest NOT to get a freezer on the bottom fridge/freezer……I have one (came with my new house) and I HATE it! You end up on the floor trying to pull things out all the time, much more gets “lost” or “forgotten” in the back. Please, please, please get the freezer on top! I also have a big freezer in my garage that stores alot of stuff, but I still stock my freezer in the kitchen. Trust me, it may not seem like a big deal at first, but after a year (or when you are 8+ mo pregnant again) you will HATE it too!
MrsClo says
How can your dishwasher be so far from you sink ? We just finished our kitchen remodel/addition. We added 10′ onto the exsisting 11×10′ kitchen. Added a beautiful tray ceiling and 3 blade ceiling fan, undercounter lighting and granite countertops ! We are over the moon at how it turned out. Flooring is yet to be decided on for sure
Abby says
So, will your dishwasher be between your sink and your fridge like in the cabinet maker’s drawing or on the other side of the sink like in your floorplan drawing? I think you will regret it if you don’t have it located right next to your sink. Otherwise, great ideas! Can’t wait to see the finished pictures!
marla says
I think you have a great plan. I love my cooktop on my island, chose that so I could be in the middle of things without having my back turned to everyone. I like that my sink has a window above it as I always have something new to look at growing across the street and it gives me a little gratutide time. Enjoy!
Roxanne says
Looks like a fun project! It will be fun to follow along! I hope to someday have a double oven and French-door refrigerator in my dream house/dream kitchen 🙂
Ann says
Yes to the electric oven but gas stove! I’ve never seen a gas stove in an island. Is that done?
RE: farmhouse sink: Since the sink is extra large, just keep a dishpan underneath the sink. When you are doing dishes, do them in the dishpan. You will use/waste less water and someone can still dump a glass of liquid or rinse something off while you are using the sink.
Dana says
I love your new layout! I think that it will work great for you guys. Nora will love pushing buttons on the microwave in the island, but what kitchen doesn’t have a gadget that kids can get at?! Enjoy it!
Jan says
Looks great!
Jessica says
So exciting. And you shouldn’t have to explain any decisions that you make to a bunch of strangers on the internet, anyways. Your too nice. I must admit I have a serious case of kitchen envy…and I haven’t even seen the finished product yet. 🙂
Kim says
Thank you for sharing your remodeling. It will be a very fun and exciting diversion from the Texas heat this summer. I have every confidence that this will be a very well thought out plan. That’s your well-earned trademark!
Thrifty Military Mommy says
Exciting! I love the newer floor plan. I’m pretty sure you’ll feel better having all the appliances in one place rather than having to maneuver around the island to get to your refrigerator. My parents have a HUGE kitchen where they plopped a very LARGE table right in the center of it. I HATED it because every time you wanted something you had to walk twice as far to get to it because you had to walk around the table! But that’s just my opinion. This is your house and no one can tell you how you’re going to enjoy it.
Can’t wait to see the finished product!!!
cmbhbg says
Please ask other folks who have a cook top in their kitchen island and listen to their replies carefully..please, please : )
My sister lives in a beautiful community of village style homes in NC.
All the homes have had cooktops installed in the islands.
Pretty much the folks who could afford to restructure the kitchen had them pulled out. Some were able to put a cover over the top when not in use but that is a bit of an inconvenience on a daily basis.
The rest have had to live with them and I can honestly tell you that I have not heard anyone happy..especially my sister..with the loss of usable counter surface.
The other factor is that her grandchildren have 2 sides to approach the hot cooktop when in use and it is a worry at their ages now..both under 4yrs.
Again just another perspective but hopefully one you will research more with sweet little Norah approaching mobility. Thanks for listening.
Erika says
I wanted to post this the first time around and never got around to it – one “trend” i saw at a recent home show was the dishwasher was set up a bit higher, so that you dont have to bend over to put the dishes in, instead of it being right on the floor, it was up off the floor a bit and when i first saw at this home show, my immediate reaction was I am so doing that at my next house.
lily says
Ok – I had to add another thought…. I know you have done tons of research, so you may have already resolved this. At first I liked the stove top on the island because it gives you more counter space for cooking/preping, etc. But then I had two thoughts. 1) I have heard people say island exhausts are expensive and don’t always work as well (this may be info on old stuff, and no longer valid). And, 2) I think if I were in your kitchen, with that nice open counter space where the stove top no longer is, I would start doing my baking duties there, and not on the island, because there was so much room. I think that would get bothersome after awhile to do my baking on the shallower counter with the cabinets above me – much more enjoyable on an open island where Nora could be next to you, or across from you. So…. maybe the stove top back by the laundry room door – still close to the sink & oven, and with a nice big open island to coordinate all the goings on. (just my thoughts – we all know you have to do what works best for you).
Melissa Q says
Great changes! I think you’ll love having your main appliances closer together in that classic “kitchen triangle”. You’re right that your range will eat up some of that glorious island space, but your buffet area will only be a step away if you need more immediate counter space for your baking.
And kudos to you for sifting through all the advice and taking some to heart and letting some roll off your back. It is, after all, YOUR kitchen 🙂
Heather says
Good luck on the kitchen remodel, I am sure it will turn out fantastic. We finished our kitchen remodel about a year ago and love it. We gutted everything and THEN decided what we wanted. The best thing we did is tape out the space using masking tape. It gave us a real sense of space. In doing so, we realized that some of the decisions we had made weren’t as functional as we would have liked them and we were still able to change things. We made the same recommendations to my in-laws who also recently renovated their kitchen. They had a similar experience, their fridge was planned much to close to their island. Fortunately, they were also early enough in the planning stage that they could revise the plan before being stuck with a less than functional space.
Krista says
I am so jealous of your new kitchen. My kitchen has a gas oven and stove top and while I love the gas stove top, I HATE the gas oven as it is not nearly as accurate for all of my baking. Sadly, I don’t have room in my current kitchen for a seperate electric oven, but it is on the top of my kitchen want list for when my husband retires from the military & I get to buy/build/renovate (haven’t figured out which yet) my dream house. Good luck this summer and I will keep watching the progress!
Chris says
I haven’t read the other comments – maybe these two things were addressed. I would not want the microwave way over by the table. Every time you are cooking, you have to walk all the way over there. Also, I would want the dishwasher by the sink, making it easier to rinse off dishes.
lily says
I am excited for you. My own preference would also be to have the dishwasher next to the sink as others have mentioned. But, my biggest two cents is to definitely keep some kind of “soft” corners on your island like shown in the cabinet maker’s dawing – not only for the sake of Nora’s head when she is older, but also for the sake of adult hips as you and yours maneuver around the kitchen & off to the laundry 🙂
jd says
The second plan is definitely the one I would choose. A former home we owned had an extremely large kitchen and the stove was too far from the sink. Drove me batty. We always wanted to redo the kitchen but ended up selling.
Laurel says
I like it too. It looks like in the computerized drawing, the dishwasher is right next to the sink. If there is any way to do that, I would. I agree with the others, it would be be best next to the sink. I know that I throw out liquids in the sink from glasses and then load them directy into the dishwasher. Sometimes I also rinse off dishware before placing it in the dishwasher. I know I would be dripping water all over the floor if I had to “travel” to the dishwasher. How nice that you have this forum to get opinions on your floorplan. I would think that it would be so helpful. Hopefully, if the computerized drawing is close, it wouldn’t be a big deal to put the dishwasher next to the sink and then the cooktop could be moved back to where it is now.
Leigh says
moving the fridge closer to the action is a great idea.
I have a farm sink like it. I find the full sink of water is too much and gets dirty to quickly (but great if I am washing big awkward things) so I use a dish pan.
Amber says
Andrea, I love what you have. I don’t really like to offer advice, but I have some food for thought. If you want your full island it may be possible to put your dishwashwer there and move your cooktop to the dishwasher spot. The dishwasher would be close to the table if you don’t rinse, like it do, but if you do rinse it would be close to the sink. Although it may not work well when the dishwasher is opened because it would be too close to the sink if you were rinsing and placing dishes in it at the same time. This may be a really bad idea, but with your creativity it may work. Good luck and I am looking forward to seeing your progress.
Leah says
I really like the second plan! The sink, range, fridge and dishwasher (beside the sink) right together is definitely the way to go! I think the range in the island is personal preference. Personally I like to cook looking out, not at a wall! 🙂 Plus, you lose above counter space for ventilation if it’s in your cabinets. I like that the 2nd sink isn’t in your main island. My sister has one there, along with her range, and it’s just in the way, although she does use it. I think that buffet area will be GREAT right beside your dining area. It’s often hard to find space for all the food and drinks to be set up. Looking great! Looking forward to the pics to come! (Just wishing I could remodel MY kitchen!)
Christelle says
I SO agree with you on nr 6. Been there, done that 🙂
Kerr says
I like the new kitchen much better. I was just wondering why you would drop the ceiling? It seems like in a farm house, it would be okay to have a beam showing. Have fun with your project.
Tammy Skipper (@Tammy_Skipper) says
I just wanted to wish you all the best…no plan will ever be perfect and I’m sure you will love the new kitchen no matter which plan you choose. As readers, some of us are probably just living vicariously through your remodel 😉 And on that note, I will add that you can get microwaves with a ‘lockout’ option, something you may want to consider since it will be within Nora’s reach over the next couple of years. Best wishes,
Linda Bolt says
I really like the new plan! Of course, it’s totally up to you as to where you put your new cooktop. You are the one who is going to use it. I do notice that with it on the island, you get the “work triangle” of stove, sink, refrigerator, that is supposed to be good. But I can see that if you locate it elsewhere, you would then have the entire island free for baking.
An idea: I have a friend who has something that she can put over her entire cooktop, to provide a surface, so that might be an option if you do locate the cooktop on the island, and then want to cover it while baking?
Exciting to be able to redo your whole kitchen. It’s such an important room in the home. Have fun with it!
Angie says
Andrea…LOVE all your ideas and reading about NORA!! It’s exciting to get a new kitchen. About your microwave under island…good idea. A friend of mine just got a drawer microwave…I’d never seen one before, but it’s really neat. It’s completely hidden when not in use. Also, she has a lower cabinet that is just for her stand mixer. It is on a platform that is easily raised up to counter level…you don’t have to lift it or move it in anyway. SOOOOOOO nifty! Keep up the good work!
Jennifer says
I LOVE the new design. I will agree with you thought about the island. Our current home I can’t stand how little space I have on the counters (even though we have a decent about, just not useable). I’ve always said I would never put a cook top in the island because I want it ALL for fun baking and projects. I know everyone lives differently but for me I would agree with locating the cook top somewhere else. You can never have enough island space especially if you want to have your little ones helping you out without getting burned.
Sabrina says
Hi there! this is my first time commenting on your blog — which I love! 🙂
Having just finished a year-long kitchen reno, doing everything ourselves (except the granite countertop)…I feel for you! I do like the second layout much better. I think you’ll find that work triangle is much easier to get around. And I love all the cabinet space you’ll have! I wish you lots and lots of luck – it’s not easy but once it’s done, it’s sooooooo worth it!
amy martin says
I think it’s great! My only advice is to make sure you have a drawer designated for Nora’s dishes at kid height. It’s been so great that my kids have access to their necessities, like cups/bowls, it gives them ownership and they take care of things better and it helps with communicating as she gets bigger and has a hard time saying “I’m thirsty”, she won’t have a hard time getting a cup from her drawer!
Patty says
I’m so excited for you guys! A new kitchen will be wonderful! I love seeing all of your ideas/plans. I know that everyone has given you their “2 cents” so I thought I would slip mine in too. 🙂 I’m thinking you might want your dishwasher closer to your sink (like the 1st plan). Of course now that I think about it maybe I’m the only one loading a dishwasher from a sink full of dirty dishes. LOL My family always puts their dirty dishes in the sink…instead fo the dishwasher. But I guess I should be thankful the dirty dishes do get to the sink. 🙂
Sunny says
I’m with Patty on this one! I don’t have a house full of people but I do know that I sling water and who knows what else when I am loading my dishwasher! Plus, my utensil drawer is right next to my dishwasher so I have easy access to it. As far as your island goes, If you can figure out a way to have it clear, I would advise it! My sink is on my island and I HATE working around it on baking projects! My island is gigantic and it seems to me like having the sink square in the middle takes away so much space. But that’s just me! It is going to be gorgeous!
Heather says
Once again, take it with a grain of salt, but I agree about the dishwasher being closer to sink. We also are remodeling our kitchen and I was trying to decide on dishwasher placement, so I just pretended I was loading my dishwasher in its proposed new location. Glad I did that, it would not have of worked well at all for me. Once again, these are just my thoughts, take it with a grain of salt. 🙂
Kari says
First of all, this is YOUR kitchen! If it were MY kitchen, I would probably keep the dishwasher by the sink like your first plan and put the stove top where the dishwasher is (I guess liket he first plan, too). I love to cook with my almost two year old. She likes to sit on the counter (yes, I know some people wouldn’t agree, but she does a very good job). That’s why I would want the big island all nice and open so I didn’t have to worry about her and the stove top.
You’ll have power in the island with the microwave, but definitely have an extra outlet for your mixer, griddle, etc.
Ashli says
I have to agree with everyone else here, dishes drip and make a mess and to have to take them any distance from the sink may be more trouble than you want! Regardless, it’s your kitchen and you should do it how you want to!
Danita says
I never commented on your first floor plan, but I do like the flow of your second one better – I am of the mind that it will never be exactly perfect and there will be different stages of your life where you wish it was laid out different but in the long run it usually works out just fine. I know this as we built a house before we had kids and things that were no big deal at the time are inconvenient now that I have three kiddos to fill up the space.
Have fun – looks like a big project!
Alicia says
I am in the same boat as you right now, we have gutted, just finished electrical & almost done with plumbing, sheet rocking will be done this week too…however no flooring, cabinets have been order 🙂 I am so darn picky and seriously can’t visualize this or even put it out for anyone else to visualize…plus cabinets & counters are expensive! During the demolition my husband ripped his bicep muscle off the elbow so he had surgery next week…thank goodness we didn’t put our money into this kitchen full force, we have a huge medical billing looming in front of us! Best Wishes to you guys! May the beautiful kitchen in your future come with ease & no pain 🙂
Kim says
We re-did our kitchen and aside from having the “professionals” measure our kitchen to order the cabinets, everything else was done by my husband and our Pastor–who did the plumbing and helped with the cabinet installs. The counters were granite so the installers have to do that. I’m sure your Dad knows what he’s doing or else he wouldn’t be doing it!!! Good luck.