SFGate

ldilegge Im not an expert but I think your island is too large. There's no rule that seating has to be on one side only. Try making it a little shorter, and seating can be on 2 sides. That will give you more room for your fridge and walk space to bath. The bar seems to be in an awkward place. Is that a full wall or counter with beverage cooler under it?

onthefence Am I missing the dishwasher? I don't see one - or room to place one.

chluke323 I'm not sure what constitutes an expert, but I think you're right about the placement of the refrigerator. You have a traffic path right through your work triangle, and that's going to make things tricky when you're trying to cook dinner and kids are trying to do homework and their book bags are in the mudroom. It also looks like there is not enough room for anyone coming through the foyer to comfortably get past anyone using the island. How far along are you in the design? Is it still mostly on paper?

Nichole Groshek_Shave Thank you for your replies!!!
The current island is 10'6" long in this design above. If it is shortened does that give better access to the fridge and walk-way? I think it does look better like that. Thoughts?? -Idilegge

For the bar space... thoughts are that the supports will actually run on the edges of the cabinets and the counter will be centered on either side. So in the image it will actually be in both the kitchen space and the open space to the gameroom Another way to explain is that the bar cabinets with be 'pushed' 20" to the right of where they are drawn now. -Idilegge and chluke323

The dishwasher will be to the left of the sink.

Please let me know your thoughts on the kitchen flow and bar space!!

wmpj Do you really need a bar when the kitchen is right next to it? I think the kitchen would look better without the bar. If you remove the bar, the island can be moved forward a bit more towards the family/game areas which will give people more room to walk around the kitchen to the guest bathroom. I like that the guest bathroom is away from the kitchen and family room. It lets the person using it have more privacy.

kimdee24 I am really bothered by the placement of the fridge but I'm not sure how to solve it.

I would however, move the range over a bit so that is centered between the corner and the end of the countertop. It seems like if there is someone cooking at it and someone at the sink, you'd be bumping into each other.

ldilegge Is that a staircase on the far wall? Is it open to kitchen? I would get rid of the bar. It looks odd floating in the middle of the open space. Maybe you can put one on the family room side of staircase. I think your on the right path with shortening the island but it needs to be moved a little from the sink area. Should leave at least 44" so the dishwasher door can be open and you can still walk around it.

Nichole Groshek_Shave My husband and I worked out a lot of your suggestions! To first answer some questions: yes, that is the staircase behind the kitchen but it is walls on 2 sides. The staircase will be open on the lower half in the family room only.

We extended the front side of the kitchen and will remove more of the original wall from the original kitchen. Doing this and shortening the island gives a much better walking-flow from the mudroom and to the guest bathroom. There are 44" (thanks Idilegge) around the island by the dishwasher and stove. There are 64" from the island to the pillar archways.

Those walls are all required to the stay in the remodel. We don't know what we will do there.

We feel really good with these changes. Any thoughts?? Thank you for your advice so far.

wmpj I would suggest having the stove centered so that there is countertop space on both sides of it. This is very important when dealing with hot items.

Nichole Groshek_Shave We thought centering it on the wall would look better. Are you suggesting centered between pantry door and walk-way?

kimdee24 Yes, absolutely -- center it between the pantry door and the walkway. Like wmpj said, then you have counter space on either side of it which will be important.

kimdee24 Much better plan, I think. Good work!

I might also suggest moving the fridge over by one width or so. I think it would be easier to access if if it's centered with the middle of the aisle... might make for easier access to it.

Dytecture Interesting to see how your plan evolve. Here is my take on organizing this kitchen space with a rotated layout.

Classic Designs by Brook I love it Dytecture. Your kitchen work station flows much better. I am finding it very odd that the front door walks right into the Kitchen. Your pantry by the stairs can be dressed up with cabinets and there is plenty of room for two barstools on the dining side of the island. Good job. The other large closet by mudrm can also be incorporate together just put an arch or header at wall dividing kitchen and fridge then add cabinets, desk, shelving, etc. as an extension of mud room

Nichole Groshek_Shave Dytecture - LOVE the rotated design. We have been focusing on lining up the existing kitchen wall (by the stairs with the new wall and that left our kitchen very square. Now we have so much room along the exterior wall and really like the island rotated. THANKS for this new idea!!!

Brook (classic designs) YES!!!! we do not like that the front door walks right into the kitchen. It is currently SO much worse!!! The foyer area will have a two-story section when you first walk-in. There we plan to have a large chandelier. Is there anything else we can do to make a nicer foyer?