How to design kitchen with 3 doors + windows?

Tim
by Tim

We are trying to redesign our kitchen to give us more counter and cabinet space, while trying to open it up as well. The challenge is the need for 3 access points and the window placement.

Two of the doors are not moveable. The door on the "D" wall is required and that wall is a supporting exterior wall. The door on "A" is access to the basement and opens to an immediate step down.

We would like to take "B" out to create an open plan into the dining room while also keeping a peninsula or island counter there.

Currently the fridge sits in the alcove between A & D

The stove sits in the middle of B

The sink is below the window on C.


We are looking for ideas! The space seems small to do all that we want to do.

The included image is to scale.

Any help would be appreciated it.

  16 answers
  • Deb K Deb K on Oct 24, 2020

    Hey Tim, one way to open it up would be to cut a opening type window in wall B which would allow an opening and light though, you could then just move appliances around, put a narrow countertop on the bottom of the window to make it functional You could also just expand the opening into the dining room by widening the doorway.


    You could also change D to a french door or patio door allowing more light in. You could also change your stove to a countertop style with in wall oven near the fridge, this would allow a long counter space on wall B with the opening cut in it

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Oct 24, 2020

    Consider making your island something that can be moved. Mine is a freestanding cabinet and you could convert a piece of furniture or get it to match cabinets (mine doesn’t). When you want the space open, the piece can be moved or turned.

  • There are many ways to rearrange this space. Taking out the wall will give you more options, like adding an island. I wonder if the alcove where the refrigerator is would make a good pantry? Have you considered taking your diagram to a kitchen design store? They will often give you ideas free of charge.

  • Annie Annie on Oct 24, 2020

    I agree that a moveable island would be a great idea. Have you tried playing around on a site like this on? You can try different kitchen designs...

    https://www.roomsketcher.com/

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Oct 24, 2020

    Hello Tim,

    Can you fill in the gap in he A area to give you more floor space? then you could get rid of the door down to the basement in the kitchen area. Does the door in the Dining room

    leading out go to the Basement also? Could you Move over the dividing wall between Kitchen and Dining room by 9" ? If you closed off the door from the Dining room going out, could you then use the back wall of the dining room for cabinet storage?

  • Dee Dee on Oct 24, 2020

    Have a contractor see if that wall can be removed. If it is load bearing you will need a heavy beam there. Then you would be able to put a nice Island in. It is going to depend on how much you want to spend. Because if you could take that wall down and then move the plumbing on the D side of the wall you will be able to put the island facing "B" I would definitely put a pantry in the alcove. There are so many possibilities. Ikea offers free planning as does Lowes and Home Depot, take pictures and plans they will be able to help.

  • Cheryl A Cheryl A on Oct 24, 2020

    I think I would get a kitchen designer to help me out they see ways to do things we don't always see

  • Tim Tim on Oct 24, 2020

    Wall B is not weight bearing, the ceiling is currently torn up and I can see that for sure. the wall is only anchored in 3 places with nails. One contractor called it a floating wall.

  • 17335038 17335038 on Oct 24, 2020

    What is more important to you, or what suits your household lifestyle more:

    -having a kitchen with 'eat in' facilities? for how many persons?

    -having a separate dining room with a traditional table and chairs set?

    -both are equally as important?


    A traditional dining set with table and chairs takes up a great deal of floor space without giving any storage. Conventional tables are not comfortable height for standing and working, as many kitchen tasks require. A more modern kitchen look with higher height chairs or stools allows for lower level storage, and also provides a working countertop surface with a 'back saving' comfortable height.


    If you feel you would like to dispense with a formal dining room, then I would suggest that you design your new larger kitchen with at least 2 islands, designated into task zones. For example, one island is a sitting and eating island, and one island is a food preparation island with electricity and a mini sink. If you enjoy baking, then designate one island as a baking island, near to the oven, with baking racks and tools stored below.

  • Tim Tim on Oct 24, 2020

    These are some great ideas! We do want to keep the dining area for traditional table/chairs as we do a lot of hosting of large groups. Our dining room table comfortably seats 12 people. We want to maximize the kitchen area for food prep/baking/cooking but are ok expanding slightly into the dining room area.

    • 17335038 17335038 on Oct 24, 2020

      Thank you for your reply indicating that you want to retain the dining room space for the purpose of large dinner parties. This information is helpful.


      At the present time with wall B in place:


      - most of the space in front of it on both sides is likely mainly 'hallway' going to the small doorway

      -the dining area is detached visually and physically from the kitchen

      -the kitchen and dining room are not integrated

      -it is time consuming and not convenient to carry everything back and forth from room to room

      -clean up is not convenient due to being far away from the sink


      1/ I would recommend that B wall is removed.

      This will require melding the new floor with the old floor and joining the ceiling finishings afterward, but what you will gain will be:

      -traffic flow is no longer 'bottle necked' into one small doorway

      -the dining area and the kitchen will be integrated with each other, visually and physically

      -the function of the 'link' space between the two rooms will be far more flexible compared with a solid wall

      -more light will pass through in both directions

      -both rooms should feel larger and airier


      2/ Where B wall used to be I would next recommend that a counter-height peninsula be installed.


      In my opinion, no kitchen/dining area can ever have too much counter space, as it is versatile for so many functions.


      -This new peninsula can be a conventional lower counter depth, or even narrower.

      - The counter top will be accessible to both the kitchen side and the dining area side, but should have shallow drawer storage underneath that is accessible to the dining room side.

      -It will provide a place for people to lean against and to hang out and converse with the cook, while not being in the way

      -It can be used as a buffet for self-serve dining; like a piece of furniture instead of a traditional sideboard or hutch, or as extra food preparation and serving surface (I am thinking cutting the birthday cake and plating servings for example).

  • We added a kitchen many years ago and opened it into the old small kitchen area. Configuring it was tough, melding old and new. The best advice I have is to go to Lowe's, Home Depot and two small custom kitchen stores and see everyone's designs and pick the elements of each you like best. Then go with the least expensive. ;)

  • FrugalFamilyTimes.com FrugalFamilyTimes.com on Oct 25, 2020

    Could you flip the kitchen with the dining room? Then you can have a huge kitchen with island. A table in the centre of the current kitchen won’t get in the way of the doors and windows.

  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Oct 26, 2020

    Suggest you do cutouts of your appliances, sink, etc. drawn to scale and shuffle around. I would change the small area where your fridge is into a pantry.

  • Em Em on Oct 26, 2020

    Move stove to the end of the 11'-5 wall on the right. That will still give you room to open up wall B. Make sure B is not a supporting wall or plan to shore it up still leaving a larger opening. Kitchen island can then run east to west closer to the sink so you can prep foods and closer to the stove. Removing most of wall B while still leaving room for the stove in the bottom right of the kitchen and give you a ton of room to navigate into the dining area.

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Oct 31, 2020

    making your island something that can be moved. Mine is a freestanding cabinet and you could convert a piece of furniture or get it to match cabinets (mine doesn’t). When you want the space open, the piece can be moved or turned.

  • Make sure wall B is not load bearing before removing it. A structural engineer will answer that. Move the sink to the peninsula and that will free up your ability to redesign.