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Kitchen Redesign Advice


brittonv

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Greetings,

I am looking for some advice on renovating my kitchen.

My current kitchen is a "Builders Special", everything is cheap and terrible. The cabinets are plastic wrapped MDF and the Plastic is coming off, appliances are the bottom of the line. None of the Corners in the cabinets are accessible, just wasted space. etc, etc etc...

Looking forward I am preparing to have everything ripped out and start over. I plan on having cabinets’ custom made to accommodate the copious amounts of kitchen gadgets I have accumulated.

Here is a bullet list of things I want in the new kitchen:

- An Induction Cooktop (I can't get Gas nor Propane where I live)

- A double combo oven (microwave/convection oven on top, real oven on bottom)

- More efficient Pantry

Currently my Pantry is mostly filed with Stock Pots, Deep Fryers, Sheet Pans, stuff like that. This is all stuff I’d prefer to put in the cabinets but can’t as of the design.

Here is the layout of my current kitchen.

kitchen.jpg

Here is my current plan:

- Gut the kitchen

- Move the Refrigerator to the Pantry

- Install a 27" or 30" Combo oven next to the Refrigerator

- Have a Pull out Pantry installed where the Refrigerator is currently located

- Install a 36” Kenmore or Kitchenaid Induction Cooktop where the stove is located now

- Vent the exhaust outside!!!

What do you think of my plan?

When installing a Refrigerator next to an oven do I need to choose a "Build in Model"?

Am I making a mistake filling in my ‘walk in pantry’?

What do you think of my Appliance choices?

Should I get a 27" or 30" oven? Do those 3" make a difference?

Is there a better forum for this topic?

I appreciate and advice guidance you can offer.

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Your plan sounds reasonable. At a glance, here are a few thoughts:

-the pantry looks to be about 5 ft across, a tight fit for a fridge and combo stove unless you want to move one of the side walls too. You could appropriate some sf from the living room.

-moving the stove/oven means moving the big 220V wire which means an electrician, but it sounds like you'll get one anyways, usually a good idea.

-personally, I like to have a bit of counter on both sides of the stove. Idea: fridge and pantry stays as is, your micro/convection oven above where the stove is now and put your induction cooktop on the peninsula. You get a nice and tight work triangle this way, but you'd want a stand-alone hood above it (as opposed to a built-in one under the micro) It could be made into a real feature! Brass, copper, stainless steel . . . travertine marble with gold foil accents . . . go nuts!

-also, if you lose the peninsula in favour of an island you'd eliminate one of the two corner cabinets. Looks like there's room for 4'x6' island, that's 12' of under-counter cabinets, plus 3' more where the peninsula was attached.

I find the "L" with an island to be one of the most ideal configurations.

You know, you are now obliged to post pics of the final product! :biggrin:

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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To start with definitely go for the 30" ovens! We used to have this but when we bought our present home it had 27" ovens and we hate them. 3" may not seem like a lot but it especially comes into play when you're trying to put more than one dish on a rack.

Other than that the idea of putting the refrigerator and ovens where the pantry is looks OK but the work triangle (sink-cook top-refrigerator) will be pretty spread out. A better solution may be to put the cook top in the island. Also since a pantry is 37" deep you really don't need a counter depth refrigerator, you could take a normal one in just recess it so it looks like a counter depth one and end up with more room. It stated above the width is a little tight in the old pantry for a refrigerator and ovens (36" + 30" + a little clearance) so a little room will have to be stolen from someplace. Another option could be to put the ovens there along with two pull out pantries and leave refrigerator where it is, this also would save some plumbing modifications for the water to the ice maker.

Overall, it looks like you've got enough room just be sure to lay it out so it works comfortably for you and others who will be using it.

I've learned that artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

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I'd use half of your current pantry for the frig, convert the rest of it to a pull out pantry. This means removing the door & the rest of the wall, framing in the frig & making a false front with pulls for the pantry. I would put the oven where the frig was and leave the range top where it is. My mother had a range top on a peninsula like that and grease from frying would always end up on both sides. Considering what you will be spending I think it would be worth having a plumber run a new line for the icemaker and cap off the old one. It's something that can be done when you begin ripping cabinets out.

ETA: Spelling correction

Edited by JimH (log)
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I would put the double oven where the frig is, leave the stove, sink, diswasher and pantry palcement. Get rid of the peninsula, put the refrig next to the dishwasher, and put an island in the kitchen running parallel with the sink wall.

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A friend had a similar kitchen design (but with cupboards over the penisula). When they re-did the kitchen, they were able to swing the penisula (and hanging cupboards) back against the same wall that the sink is on. It encroached a little into the adjoining family room area but gave her a lot more room in the kitchen. She put in an island in the middle with storage, a prep sink and a dishwasher as well as a sit-and-eat area on one end.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

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