This kitchen needed a new plan, the layout had a few major pain points for the homeowner that needed to be immediately addressed.
As with most homes that people move into, they had many updates to do all over the home, and couldn’t do everything at once. What they did need was a solution to the layout where the refrigerator and island were too tight. I could see that was an immediate need.
It would definitely be driving me crazy to have only 24” clear between the fridge door and the island cabinetry.
The homeowner wanted to get a new smaller island, so that space wouldn’t be so pinched, and then was considering new countertops, backsplash and paint in a first phase that would probably have to last over 5 years.
Kitchen To Be Remodeled
Here are the pics she submitted.
#1 Problem - Only 24” between face of refrigerator and island. Even doing a counterdepth refrigerator instead of a standard depth wouldn’t give enough inches to make a big difference in how crowded this space was. The homeowner was planning on making a new, smaller island to make more space there at the fridge.
BEFORE Kitchen Remodel - You can see the space is really tight between the fridge and the island. Going with a counterdepth refrigerator would give a few inches, but not really enough space to make that much of a difference.
BEFORE Kitchen Remodel - You can see how pinched this space between the fridge and the island is. Imagine someone standing there getting things out of the refrigerator and what a jam up that might cause a busy family at meal times.
#2 Problem - Dishwasher located on perimeter kitchen cabinet wall. This was a more of a problem that I noted, the homeowner was used to it. However, if you’re going to make a major investment in a kitchen remodel, I felt that eventually this would need to be addressed, if for no other reason than resale value.
BEFORE Kitchen Remodel - Another problem was the dishwasher was located at the perimeter cabinetry, instead of right by the sink. Maybe easy for unloading, but not convenient for washing up dishes and loading the dishwasher and not a typical layout scenario.
#3 Problem - Blank wall space underutilized. This blank wall in the adjacent breakfast room felt empty and could have been used for more cabinetry and storage solutions.
Problem #4 - Color and wood tones….what paint color or countertops to pick? Obviously, there was a strong warm wood tone that could not be ignored with the ceiling and trimwork. The warm toned tile was a strong color statement too. The homeowner did not want a white kitchen and preferred to keep the existing Tropic Brown perimeter countertop if possible.
You can see that stone fireplace goes a little pink or rosy, so the color direction was a concern.
One thing I really liked about this kitchen was the potential it had to be a really awesome space. It had some nice features, the windows and view, the tall, angled ceiling, and the fireplace were all nice.
As a kitchen, it had plenty of square footage for a good, functional space. It just needed a better layout.
First, I wanted to solve for the short term problem.
If there was a possibility that the perimeter countertops would be kept, then moving the dishwasher and modifying that lower cabinetry was likely out of the question. Besides, it wasn’t a big concern of the homeowner’s for now, more mine. :-)
So, I decided to work with what was there on most of the perimeter cabinetry. Besides, if the island became even smaller, then there wasn’t room for the dishwasher there anyway.
They weren’t looking at doing appliances, so I had to make that standard depth refrigerator work somehow in a partial remodel here.
Since these cabinets are built as individual boxes and are attached to the wall, side by side, you can remove them and not disturb the rest, except for some trim like the crown and rework that. (Not a big deal usually.)
So, I suggested that she remove that existing fridge cabinet and move the refrigerator down the wall to open on the front side of that island. There would be more space there to open the doors and have the deeper unit.
This way they could keep the perimeter cabinets and just add one tall cabinet, like a pantry cabinet, and then the new fridge cabinet (deeper for the standard fridge depth), side by side at the end of that cabinet run. That would render a lot more storage and get the fridge doors out of the way of the island.
I’d still do a new island, as I like the idea of the lowered bar here and feel like it was still tight there, so they needed the extra room that a smaller island would allow.
Existing kitchen layout with new additional cabinetry and refrigerator location. carlaaston.com
They could add more cabinets on down the wall to the end if they had the budget for that and wanted to, or just get a bigger console or storage piece of furniture there, if they wanted. I liked the idea of building in if possible for maximum storage.
This still allows room for the breakfast table and doesn’t mean they have to do new countertops at the perimeter.
If they wanted to keep the breakfast table, the island would have to remain oriented like it was, not run the length of the space.
Sketch of Kitchen Cabinetry Elevation - new cabinets to add to existing to gain more storage and relocate refrigerator. carlaaston.com
You can see I went a little higher with the new cabinetry but not to the ceiling, with the wood clad, angled ceiling, it would be best to stay just shy of that. I like the added height there though and once all painted the same color, this could be a really seamless look. I don’t think you could tell too much where the new cabinetry started.
Color and Finishes For This Plan
Regarding the paint color and finishes, I advised her to go with a medium to dark gray on the cabinets. I didn’t want to leave any of the orange wood in the kitchen, there was enough with the ceiling and the trim. I felt like a gray would be a good grounding color for the relationship between the floor and the stone on the fireplace.
I think a color like SW Gauntlet Gray would look smart. SW Dovetail might work too as a warm gray that goes more taupe.
I did advise her to go for new countertops if at all possible, not anything too pricey, just because even going this far with a remodel, leaving that Tropic Brown at the perimeter might give her some regret a year or so from now.
A honed black granite would be a nice simple and inexpensive countertop. I wouldn’t advise doing anything too pricey on top of these cabinets, especially if you might want to remodel more later.
A Future Kitchen Plan
After getting that plan done, this next one really flowed. They had another dining room for more formal dinners, so I decided to just use the whole space as a kitchen with a big island to sit at the bar for kitchen meals.
How well does this space work now? :-)
Future Kitchen Layout - New cabinetry, new appliance locations, big island with seating…..this would make for a great new kitchen! carlaaston.com
Could there be a plan in the future that kept those new cabinets that I just proposed above and then just replaced the island and rest of the perimeters?
Yes, that could work too.
The only reason I didn’t think that was ideal, was because I thought in this plan, a countertop and the cooking appliance behind the sink would be so convenient.
Consider your own priorities…
With all my Designed in a Click™ consultations, these are meant to be some new ideas to consider as options for your project. There are always ways to make it more of exactly what you are looking for. These are quick consults, with me assuming A LOT of what is going on, based on photos and our minimal contact due to the cost effective nature of these.
That’s okay, I’m pretty good at that! I also do ask questions for further clarifications, if I think I need it.
Considering a consult for your next project? Here’s the link. :-)