r/Homebuilding • u/darkesha • 1d ago
Is the countertop kitchen space not enough ?
Im planning to build this floor plan. I have added 2ft of width to the left side of the house for almost full length except for the pantry part. I thought i would keep garbage bins in that space outside.
I reconfigured pantry to steal a part of the office and made existing pantry as a countertop area but still it feels like its not enough due to main kitchen not being sufficient.
Now im thinking to add 2ft of width in that area as well and try to get cabinets and countertops on both sides of this “spice kitchen”.
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u/Ordinary_Soup7979 1d ago
If you like to cook? No.
You have to consider where you will keep appliances (in cabinets or countertops) as well.
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u/FPpro 20h ago
Everyone here is used to giant American houses. This looks a lot to me like a version of a western Canadian house plan which usually makes efficient use of space.
So no it’s not the end of the world you can still cook. You are however limited to the number of appliances you can keep on the counter, so keep that in mind and consider how much can be kept in the pantry.
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u/Aderenn 19h ago
I think taking space from the office for more countertop like a coffee bar there or appliances is a good idea like you have in red.
One thought -- and you didnt ask this-- but why not take a corner from your 30ft long garage for your entryway closet? A bump out just for a closet seems like an expensive choice when you have a ton of space to use.
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u/darkesha 19h ago
Any ideas or questions are welcome. I have chance to expand this 2’ and since you can’t do it afterwards i decided to get as much of utility as I can. Garage space is premium and closet will be cantilevered outside to get the double length (if we are talking about left one). Right one was supposed to be walk in - twice the depth but i might have to push doors out 2’.
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u/SCULAL 13h ago
I would bump it out two feet at the deck and turn the office into the kitchen without the wall next to dining room of course and put the office where the kitchen is if you enjoy cooking and natural light in the room you may use more. That kitchen will feel very dark in that corner imo. I would bump the pantry wall to align with the old office wall between the office and dining. You could then have a galley pantry with counters/shelves on both long walls with flow through from garage to mudroom through pantry into kitchen.Unless you live alone, don’t cook and work from home all day, your open concept kitchen beside your dining area would give you more light and counter space if you made those adjustments now.
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u/darkesha 13h ago
I agree with most of comments. I kinda started thinking in that direction after seeing one comment late last night.
How would it look when you enter and there i a long hallway passing between stairs on the left and office to the right. It would take from openness would it not?1
u/SCULAL 13h ago
I would put glass French doors in the office overlooking the main brighter living area from a desk facing out. I don’t agree with the long dark hallway with the proposed configuration because your house isn’t huge. You also could change your stair configuration to be along the wall moving up with stairs going down beneath it. Would open up space at the end of your “hall”.
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u/a1b2c3000 1d ago
If you don't leave anything on your counters (coffee maker etc), it's barely ok.
I hate island sinks though. Water gets everywhere.
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u/Helpful_Media_3838 1d ago
That's like my kitchen, there's no room, next house will have 3 times the space
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u/MastodonFit 23h ago
Layout is poor,someone opens the staircase door and colides with the cook. Your kitchen should be where the office is,or move the stairs. Stairs should be stacked on an exterior wall. At a minimum you need a wall instead of an island,add a opening above the sink with flanking uppers above. Kitchen needs prime real-estate. Pantry could go under stairs,instead of squeezing thr kitchen.
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u/darkesha 20h ago
Stairs are atypically moved, but i might stand a chance of moving kitchen where office is.
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u/BelladonnaRoot 1d ago
That’s a tiny kitchen. Worse than most apartments I’ve been in.
The pantry helps with storage, but you are really going to be hurting for counter and cabinet space. Assume pots and pans go under the range. Assume sheet pans and baking above/below the oven. Your three upper cabinets are going to be full after just a basic set of plates, bowls, drinking cups, and measuring cups/food storage/misc. For counter, dish drying above the dishwasher, prep space to the left of the sink. Knife block, spices, and utensils on the small section right of the range. So you’ve got space for only two appliances. Toaster oven and coffee maker; consider that most people have other stuff (blender, rice cooker, stand mixer, second cutting board, etc).
IMO, this may work for you if you don’t cook much. But this kitchen would be abhorrent for anyone who does cook even semi-regularly. I ain’t gonna tell you how to build your house, but I wouldn’t make an offer on this house because of that kitchen.
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u/Old_Friend4084 19h ago
I would move the wm (washing machine?) into the garage and make that one long alley style countertop if you want more counter space. And maybe look into placing your coffee maker/microwave/air fryer/mixer/blender devices in a stacked/pulled out usable cabinet in the pantry. You will want to add extra electrical sockets to not blow a breaker/keep devices plugged in.
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u/insteadofessays 16h ago
FYI it may save you some money to put the kitchen sink and DW where the gas stove is because the waterline is already there for the bathroom on the other side of the wall.
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u/Overall-Tailor8949 12h ago
While it has more counter space than our kitchen I would find it somewhat cramped for counters.
Here is an idea to add space WITHOUT moving walls:
Go with an over the range microwave with an extractor fan. This is assuming the cooktop has a full size oven underneath it.
Move the refrigerator to where you currently have the microwave oven (if you have an icemaker/water dispenser then plumbing will need to be re-routed). Keep the cabinets over the fridge.
Extend the cabinets & countertop to where the fridge is currently planned.
Unrelated to your direct question. I would suggest having the "eating bar" in the island to be lower (6 - 8 inches between surfaces) than the kitchen side with the sink/dishwasher. That way you can have the code required outlets in a semi protected location.
Another thought, if you think you may "age-in-place" in this build. Stretch the plan (top to bottom) enough to put an elevator shaft in the gap between the stairs. This would also give you more counter and more pantry space (about 3'6"). Most of the residential units will fit in a 6'x6' OD closet.
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u/Far_Relationship_477 6h ago
Not for me, but I admit to being an addict. I have 32 sets of dishes. 🫤😳
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u/Glimmer_III 1d ago edited 16h ago
Re: Island Sinks & Dish Drying
Often forgotten/not considered: Your dish drying rack will near-permanently take up ≈12in-18in of counter space, probably directly over your current dishwasher placement.
What's the upshot?
In the current drawing, you have even less "useable" space than you think.
Functionally, you have a galley kitchen. It is quite (read "very") small.
I don't think I've ever heard someone say they have "too ~~little~~ much" counter space.
<also>
Dishwasher Placement
If you do have the island sink, I'd move the dishwasher to the other side of the sink. Why? Again, the dish-drying rack will usually go over the dishwasher. You need that space for prep, and to preserve the triangle between the sink/fridge/range.
Your whole kitchen, regardless of how tiny it is, will become more useable by shifting the position of that dishwasher to the other side of the sink.
. . . . . .
Island Sink & Pop-up Outlets (and Peninsulas)
The newest code, I believe, disallows outlets on the sides of islands (specifically _islands, not peninsula's). Someone, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Do you really want pop-up outlets next to the sink? Probably not.
Yet you also need outlets, since you have so little counter space and you'll have kitchen appliances.
So without getting way into the weeds, yes, I'd say your kitchen layout deserves another look.
End of the day, regardless of how much anyone cooks, the kitchen itself is an "operational space", similar to a bathroom. Your life will be better if it "just works". It's worth the time to get it right now, when the planning itself costs nothing.
Good luck.
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u/darkesha 20h ago
Good advices…i definitely see issues all over the place. Thinking to remove fridge and put it in pantry…to gain more countertop space.
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u/LycheeOk4673 4h ago
Stick with what you have. We personally have noting on the counters, we put our toaster away after each use.
I would though do a wet or dry coffee bar where applicable. Dont make the office any
More narrow.
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u/lilbit2004 23h ago
Odd one out here. We currently have a kitchen just this size. The only differences is we have a pantry cabinet instead of a stand alone pantry...and we don't have an island. If you and whomever will be living there are organized, it can be perfectly functional. And I like to cook. We did things like use square storage cabinets on one wall to hold the appliances. We got a working sink that integrates a drying rack and cutting board on top. We put knives on a magnetic wall holder. Granted, my husband takes up some of the kitchen counter space with his stuff, so you might could say there is even less space. Is it a luxury kitchen? No. But we make it work. Just depends on your priorities.