What do you think of my architects idea for a galley kitchen?
I've had a single line kitchen along the back wall with a freestanding island forever. My place was damaged by smoke and needed to be gutted. My architect wants to convert the kitchen to a galley style, changing an existing door to a window. It would force the use of 8 foot double doors to access the side patio which right now is seldom. Just because of habit really. Do you think the kitchen will overwhelm the rather small space if I do this? I wouldn't do the rounded end to the counter rather a waterfall down to the floor with stools.
Comments (37)
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Comments (12)I would seriously consider replacing the cabinets before putting a new granite countertop on them. The problem is that no one will remove the countertop at a later date if you want to change the cabinets, due to the possibility of breakage. The only choice you will have then is a reface. Adding new doors, drawer fronts, and veneered sides is just a facelift. You could also add new hardwood drawers with undermount cushion close slides, but by the time you do this if will be the same cost as new cabinets now. The cabinets you have now, frameless, particle board sides are notorious for having the hinge screws strip out the particle board they are attached to. Since you can't put a longer screw in them, because the material is only 3/4" of an inch thick you have a problem. You also can't put a wider screw in them because it won't fit through the pre-drilled holes in the hinges....See MoreHanging pots - how do i do it?
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Comments (4)Hi joyce_jj_chen, lovely home! Sharing my 2 cents: I think you've got a great living/dining space with lots of potential. The sofas can be moved closer to the TV to make space for dining. While not exactly a matching for your floor plan, this is a possible inspiration: Given the ample amount of reflective materials in your space (floors, mirrors), I'd go for some soft or matte textured furnishings or to balance things out and give the entire space coziness and warmth. Possible inspirations: Here it's the curtains that diffuse light that comes into the apartment, matte dark walls absorb and soften light, while greenery lifts the entire space. The example you've suggested is lovely, all the more so because of a contrast between matte (cabinetry, kitchen island) and shiny (fixtures, kitchen island countertop) and of course lovely warm lighting overhead. (consider using warm lighting instead of cool white?) For dramatic effect, or simply to add more warmth, a large rug is a good idea too: Hope this helps, I'm sure other will have great ideas too....See More
PRODebbi Washburn
2 years agoPersonally I do not care for this plan.. Your original looked great! Maybe you don't need 2 sinks anymore - that will free up more counter or maybe try a mix of the 2
Not sure of the dimensions or how many seats you may want ..
Just a thought
Paul F. thanked Debbi Washburn
Paul F.
2 years agoPaul F.
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoPaul F.
2 years agoI did a mock up of Debbi's idea to see how it would work. At least I think this is what she suggested.
PROW.K. Shank Design
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoWhat Debbi proposed was very similar to what I was thinking! I think re-configuring door to window is an unnecessary expense.
You only need one "passage" from living to kitchen, and if you HAD to use that (roomba side) aisle, you would. I think an island/peninsula (island partially attached to that end wall) makes great sense, and I would use some of the dead space between living and kitchen to do something with a curve for a seating area. (Personally I like island seating that allows people to SEE each other & converse, as opposed to side-by-side seating.) See attached. I think a curve would help soften the space and the path around the end of the isl-ensula (there I just coined a new word).
If you need a spot that functions as a desk (i see you have a desk parked there), you could do the seating area as a square (other attached sketch), with the "X" marked being a drawer stack for some desk storage, so that chair is a work spot too.
I assume those voids under the stairs are drawer cavities? (?) Don't know how much clearance you'd need between the front of those and the seating countertop... just enough so as not to occlude drawer operation.
Also, to add some variety and texture/color, you could make the seating area (circular part, or square part) lower (down at table level) and the counter facing the kitchen at standard 36" ht. (division indicated by the blue dotted line on attached sketches).
(LOVE the light fixture, BTW).
Photo of a project we did with similar 2-level, with a gorgeous slab of timber for table.
Paul F. thanked W.K. Shank DesignPaul F.
2 years agoUhoh, a new interesting idea. W.K. its an insurance job and all the windows and doors have to be replaced with energy efficient per code upgrade. A new window would be cheaper than the new door. Would you change it? Also, I was considering a banquette seating dining room right around the corner. Do you think it would be overkill for two dining areas in the small space?
- PRO
W.K. Shank Design
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoAh - well r.e. overkill, that depends on how you use the space -- what kinds of entertaining/eating, cooking do you do? If you like chatting to people when you're cooking, the seating area would be great but doesn't have to be huge. If you use the patio a lot, a perching area there by the big patio doors would be great to have, so there are two sit&chat areas within view of each other. Also great for just two people having lunch/snack, esp. if a ballgame is on? (is there a TV in the living room?). I think I would design the space to "force" the use of the big doors, not have a kitchen door (esp. since that's cheaper). See traffic flow indicated in blue -- better!
anj_p's point is well taken.. if you don't want traffic thru the kitchen, put the work counter on the other wall (right). But I would still not do a "bullet" shape peninsula... why not build in function in that space on back of the peninsula? If a window there is cheaper, yes could do the peninsula similar to architect's plan BUT I would not try to squeeze sink and DW along window wall.
Attached is another option - sorry it's a mess, I'm writing with a mouse on this computer, not a stylus... This creates the U shape work area (with a peninsula), but does not put a full-depth run on the window wall... just a very shallow run of lower cabinets (6" deep? 9"?), running the (shallow) counter along that wall. You'd still have some useful storage on that wall (amazing what all you can store in shallow cabinets like that... all your canned goods & ingredients, oils, spices). This uses that space but does not create the two dead corners AND allows the peninsula run to have sink & dw (I assume there's room ... i don't know your dimensions). Key: "ov" - oven stack; p - pantry cabinet. If you don't need the pantry cabinet, shift the refr. and cooking alcove right a bit, and do a coffee counter there (or put ovens there and do the coffee counter where I'm showing the ovens).
Whatever you do, I think multi-use of that seating counter would be great for the small space... make it function for desk/work but also for eating & food service when using patio with guests.(that counter can function as a desk without being obvious about it... the brown lines are a table-height wood counter and the "X" is a drawer stack)
Okay - must get back to my PAYing work now.. : )
Paul F. thanked W.K. Shank Design Paul F.
2 years agoWow, rabbit... thanks so much. Looks great. I took Charles' advice I mocked up the peninsula layout too. There was 4 feet between the old island and the opposite counter it felt like a lot of space. There was a dishwasher and a small sink on the island as well. Good point about the traffic anj! Not a problem for me but you gotta think about the next owner i guess.
Patricia, I'll work on a floor plan with measurements. That space under the stairs is either a pantry or 6' 5" ceiling'd storage room... not a lot of options. I've carved a little out of it for a bigger linen closet on the opposite wall and trying to figure a wine cooler into some of that space as well. 48" range is gone as well as the massive 3 motor hood.
Paul F.
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoThanks for advice and ideas, WK. I appreciate it. ;) I was focused on the dining room being the flexible space but now I see the kitchen probably needs to be involved in that plan too.
Patricia here is the floor plan. Everything is being gutted this week, the ceiling, drywall, subfloor and that includes electrical and plumbing so I have a blank slate here.
PRORabbitt Design
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoI got a bit bored on a plane ride home and played around with your kitchen for another 45 minutes, muted pallet, missing some things, but still should help for visuals.
Paul F. thanked Rabbitt DesignPaul F.
2 years agoPaul F.
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoPaul F.
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoSo, here is a rendering with less cabinetry on the wall and a corner cabinet on the right side. The corner base cabinet would open to the other side of the kitchen wall into a laundry closet and would house the Reverse osmosis water filter and the instant hot water tank that was cluttering up under the sink previously. I think it's a good solution to a dead corner. How do the upper cabinets in the right corner look is the question?
Paul F.
2 years agoActually I'd like to highlight a great slab of stone as the back splash and remove the lowered vent hood. I've see some hidden in-soffit/ceiling venting systems or I could do down draft as well.
Paul F.
2 years agoPaul F.
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoI was going to use plain slab of dark Dekton with a textured finish for the countertop and bring it up in a curb to just below the window on the right side. The pic below is that product as a backsplash (not the counter). Or I'd use whatever indestructible surface I can find that lets the slab be the star.
Now that I've gotten used to the U-shaped kitchen concept and am OK with saying goodbye to the door that is now a window, the details of the layout are less stressful. The ceiling is 9'4" so anything stored high on the wall cabinets will be hard to access without a stool is all I can say about the uppers.
I've always wanted the "framed" slab look for my in-line kitchen since I started seeing it in photos but with a U-shape kitchen there is only the one solution of a tower on the countertop. I guess I'm most worried about that solution looking awkward since it is totally my idea, the architect and the kitchen designer stared blankly when I described it. I'm no designer but I think it might work.
Paul F.
last yearlast modified: last yearI will have been living in a rental for 2 years on June 12th. My fire was 3 years ago last march 2nd. Pandemic lockdown started about 2 weeks later. Supply chain issues have plagued me. The biggest stumbling block has been was that Siemens multifamily (this is a triplex building) electrical panels were out of stock for about 18 months and might still be. I had internet alerts everywhere looking for one I could use. Amazingly ONE popped up on amazon that the city allowed even though I only need 400 amp... and there was NO price gouging. I could have sold that thing for 7k easily.
I'll have a blank socket in this panel and its is massive but if I ever do an ADU I can add a seperate meter, so that's good. With that breakthrough in the project since the 1st of the year I've been able to move forward.
My last insurance summary of loss said $2.5 mil... my current landlord will have made about $365,000 in rent in this 2 years. He only paid $320,000 for the house! You'd think that would have made someone less miserable and somewhat grateful but NO. Worst landlord ever.
Paul F.
last yearlast modified: last year
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