TWELVE WAYS TO IMPROVE A KITCHEN DESIGN - FLOOR PLAN REVIEW
When dreaming about your new custom home, probably the room that comes to mind the most is the kitchen. You imagine what it’s going to look like, and possibly debate in your mind if you want painted or stained cabinets, or a mix of both? Will there be one island, or two? Will you have a scullery or just a walk-in pantry? And what about the appliances, panel ready or stainless?
THE HEART OF OUR HOMES
Kitchens are truly the heart of our homes. They serve as high-task areas with food prep and storage but they are also the place we gather most with family and friends. Given all this, it only makes sense that so much time, energy and focus, and even budgets are dedicated to kitchen design.
FLOOR PLAN REVIEWS
Sadly, even with all of this attention, when reviewing floor plans for virtual clients, I have found that the kitchens and the adjoining areas typically need the most finessing.
FOR THIS WEEK’S POST
For this week’s post, I’m sharing an isolated kitchen floor plan from a Floor Plan Review. I’ll start by pointing out what’s not working, and then show a sketch to illustrate how the kitchen design can be improved with minor modifications. Let’s get started!
TWELVE WAYS TO IMPROVE A KITCHEN FLOOR PLAN
WHAT’S NOT WORKING
Take a look at the before floor plan shown below, then scroll down to see the corresponding numbers and descriptions of what’s not working with how the original kitchen floor plan was designed.
01
PROBLEM
Notice how the island is barely inside the footprint of the kitchen. To make things worse, notice how the stools are under the framed opening and would actually be outside of the kitchen when they are in use.
.02
PROBLEM
Note how much room was given to the knee space in the island, rather than including shallow cabinets. Besides being a lost opportunity to for additional storage, it would make cleaning underneath the counter tricky because of the deep reach.
.03
PROBLEM
Also, note how crowded the circulation is between the island and the framed opening, creating a pinch points leading into the kitchen.
.04
PROBLEM
Look close to see that the island is actually a couple of inches wider, on each side then the range wall cabinets. In well designed kitchens, islands are visually supported by the perimeter cabinets. In order to achieve this, the island should be equal too, or better yet, slightly less wide than the wall cabinets parallel to the longest, working side of the island. *You might need to read that again to have it sink in.
.05
PROBLEM
Now let’s look at the sink wall. There are two upper cabinets shown on each side of the window that don’t match each other in width. Additionally, given the width of the windows the upper cabinets would look out of proportion, as designed, especially the one shown on the right.
.06
PROBLEM
Notice how close the exterior door on the sink wall is to the side of the cabinet. The crowding would make it difficult to fit door trim with negative space, so the trim doesn’t butt up against the side of the cabinet.
.07
PROBLEM
Note how when the door mentioned above is opened, it would swing against the front of the cabinets. Besides the likely chance of the door damaging the cabinets, it also would create a potential hazard with someone opening the door and banging against someone else who might be standing in front of the cabinet.
.08
PROBLEM
Moving across the room to the refrigerator wall, notice how the doorway framing covers a portion of the side of the cabinet. This would interrupt the side of the cabinetry and create an odd transition between two different materials - drywall and wood.
.09
PROBLEM
Did you notice how the wall between the kitchen and back kitchen is randomly placed, partially blocking and intercepting both the sink and refrigerator wall; creating a situation where the cabinets are straddling two different spaces? Functionally, this layout would interrupt the ability to move between the counters / cabinets that are perpendicular to one another, interrupting flow and movement.
In addition, visually and spatially, this layout would not read well in the built space. It will feel and look disjointed, and cause visual tension. Though this might be an unusual comparison, think how it feels when you’re at a social gathering and someone in the conversation circle, purposely turns their back and excludes others. Or perhaps, while talking they only look at the people who are directly in front of them. This never feels good to anyone.
.10
PROBLEM
Moving on to the back kitchen - see how the wall that’s partially separating the two spaces, doesn’t actually cover the base cabinets. Once again, as noted in point seven, this would interrupt the side of the cabinetry and create an odd transition between two different materials.
.11
PROBLEM
The width of the framed doorway leading into the hall, doesn’t take in account the cabinet depths which would crowd the doorway. Additionally if the intent was to have trim around the doorway, there wouldn’t be room to include it.
.12
PROBLEM
And finally, notice the monotony of the long, uninterrupted cabinet wall in the back kitchen. Besides being boring, it would be another missed opportunity for additional storage. By including things like appliances, tall cabinets and a sink it would increase the practicality and function of the space immensely, as well as the aesthetics.
POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
Now let’s review some potential solutions to the problems that were described above. Just as before, take a look at the revised floor plan shown below, then scroll down to see the corresponding numbers and descriptions of how the what’s not working points were resolved.
SIDE NOTE
For the actual Floor Plan Review, as is typical for the service, I provided the same information but in a loose, overlay sketch. However, for presentation purposes only, I refined my sketch by hand drafting the floor plan that’s shown below.
KITCHEN FLOOR PLAN - DESIGN SOLUTIONS
.01
SOLUTION
Notice how I reduced the width of the island so it now relates properly to the cabinets on the range wall. I also moved the island as much as I could towards the range wall to make more room for the counter stools. And though it’s not perfect, it’s much better than it was.
.02
SOLUTION
Note how I lessened the knee space in the island so the depth is appropriate for the application. I wish that there was room to include more storage on the seating side of the island, but there just isn’t enough space. *Keep reading to see how I made up for it in the back kitchen.
.03
SOLUTION
Like is often the case with floor plan design, solve one issue and likely it will help you solve others. By reducing the depth of the island and moving it closer to the range wall, I was able to lessen the congestion between the island and the framed opening, leading into the kitchen.
.04
SOLUTION
I reduced the length of the island so it’s slightly less wide than the range wall cabinets. This change also contributes to reducing the congestion with circulation. Still, not perfect but every inch will help alleviate congestion.
.05
SOLUTION
Now let’s look at the sink wall. I reduced the window width and eliminated the narrow cabinet that was shown on the right. This allowed me to keep the cabinet on the left, while widening it so it has better proportions.
.06
SOLUTION
Notice how I moved the exterior door away from the cabinet, creating plenty of room for door trim. *Not sure what other changes were involved for me to be able to do that, keep on reading.
.07
SOLUTION
Like was mentioned above, solve one issue; solve another. This is exactly what happened with eliminating the conflict between the exterior door and the cabinets. Notice how I moved the door over to completely avoid the conflict. *Again, not sure what other changes were involved for me to be able to do that, keep on reading.
.08
SOLUTION
Like solutions six and seven noted above, this was another easy fix that was made doable with solution nine, described below. No more odd transitions between dry wall and cabinetry.
.09
SOLUTION
Notice how I continued the wall between the kitchen and back kitchen to extend from one side of the space to the other. This was the key to being able to resolve many of the challenges with the floor plan. *Take a minute to go back to the proposed plan to let the value of this change really sink in.
.10
SOLUTION
Extending the wall between the two spaces, and eliminating the short returns will naturally clean up the odd transitions between the cabinet and wall materials.
.11
SOLUTION
Ditto, ditto! Another problem solved by extending the wall. The doorway no longer crowds the cabinets.
.12
SOLUTION
I added a mix of tall cabinets and appliances to the long wall to improve the functionality, interest and appeal to the the back kitchen.
KITCHEN DESIGN CONCEPTS
AS A BONUS
For inspiration and consideration, as a bonus, below I’ve included some kitchen design concepts showing possible finish material selections and colors.
THE TAKE AWAY
Believe it or not, there’s still so much more I could share about this space - like centerlines, alignments and framed views - but I need to wrap this up - so ’ll end by emphasizing how much value Floor Plan Reviews add to projects. What a difference the proposed changes will make!
Be sure to include a review (or two) in the planning of your project. Like was illustrated in this post, the process will provide ways to refine and polish your floor plans, helping you to achieve the home of your dreams.
TF DESIGN
GOOD FIT?
Due to my comprehensive approach to design I invest a lot of time, energy, and even a lot of love into each of my projects. If you are hoping to work together, and think that TF Design would be a good fit for your new build project or whole house remodel (full service only - starting with the floor plan phase and working all the way through to the completion of construction), reach out via the contact page on my website, and answer all the questions as thoroughly as you can. Once received, I’ll review and get back with you.
FLOOR PLAN REVIEW + CONSULTATIONS
Don’t need full service design but you have a new custom home project in the works where you are feeling unsure about the floor plan? You can get expert spatial guidance and direction with your your floor plan through the Floor Plan Review and Consultation. I’ll redline your floor plans and then provide potential solutions. This service is intended for those needing an extra layer of expertise with their floor plans before they are finalized.
“I would strongly recommend the Floor Plan review process for anyone who is about to embark on a renovation or new build. My husband and I were blown away by the detail and the number of items we were able to cover in only a short time. Tami provided thoughtful and insightful solutions to the pain points we had identified with our floor plans, but also, and perhaps more importantly, highlighted areas and issues we had not even considered, again providing adjustments that will no doubt improve the functionality and design of the house. It is clear her ideas will have saved us untold stress and money as we move forward in our project. This process will without a doubt take your plans from good to great.” - Katie, Ontario, Canada
DESIGN CONSULTATIONS
Don’t need a floor plan review exactly, but you’re feeling stuck in uncertainty and are looking for guidance with design questions specific to your project but don’t know where to go? I’m here for you.
With more than 22 years experience as a custom home designer, I can help guide you through the design dilemmas that you are facing through my new 60 minute virtual design consultations. During our time together I will answer your questions, provide solutions, all while explaining the reasoning behind them. That way you have a better understanding of the why’s and why-nots of good design and can move forward with confidence.