(Brendan)
Molly and I have spent many hours staring at the IKEA HomePlanner software we downloaded to do the kitchen layout, and spent 4 hours at the IKEA store in Bloomington, MN tweaking the design with the help of store associates, and after all that (and a few late nights on my part to add notes and dimensions that weren't labeled by the software) we just e-mailed the final plans to my brother for inclusion in the construction drawings. It's exciting to be able to visualize this important aspect of the house, and especially exciting for Molly as she can visualize her "home office".
Here's the way the kitchen was informally laid out on my brother's initial floorplan (click to enlarge):
And after lots of back and forth, usability evaluations, and Molly's significant input, here's the actual plan (click to enlarge):
A couple things to note in terms of differences from the original floor plan. First, we had to eliminate two windows on the north side due to the fact that there wasn't enough wall space for cabinets and the double oven, though we maintained the balance of the windows and minimized upper cabinets to maintain an open, airy feel with lots of views to the outside. Second, we ended up putting the refrigerator in the spot that my brother had designated for a small pantry, and used the area next to the the fridge as an expanded pantry that we can cover with a curtain or sliding door.
By the way, the two cover plates that are out of position on the sides of the island are due to a bug in the software. No matter what we did we couldn't get those to position properly. Also, the countertops will be concrete counters done through an IKEA supplier, and those are yet to be designed (so they don't show up in the detailed plan).
Also, just in case you are interested, we went with a double farmhouse apron sink from IKEA and I ended up getting the take-no-prisoners faucet that I wanted! (See here). We always planned on a farmhouse sink, but they run on the order of $1,000. The one from IKEA? Around $300. We had to compromise on styling a little, but for this price we had to go for it (and the sink saves on countertop cost as well, since you don't need to create a countertop area behind the sink, it goes all the way to the wall).
Oh, and by the way, the bar sink in the island won't actually be as shown above in the layout, it will actually be this one:
Price? An unbelievable $26!
Overall, typical guidance for kitchen budget as a percent of total home value is 8-18%. Through IKEA, ours is going to be about 5%.
Molly and I have spent many hours staring at the IKEA HomePlanner software we downloaded to do the kitchen layout, and spent 4 hours at the IKEA store in Bloomington, MN tweaking the design with the help of store associates, and after all that (and a few late nights on my part to add notes and dimensions that weren't labeled by the software) we just e-mailed the final plans to my brother for inclusion in the construction drawings. It's exciting to be able to visualize this important aspect of the house, and especially exciting for Molly as she can visualize her "home office".
Here's the way the kitchen was informally laid out on my brother's initial floorplan (click to enlarge):
And after lots of back and forth, usability evaluations, and Molly's significant input, here's the actual plan (click to enlarge):
A couple things to note in terms of differences from the original floor plan. First, we had to eliminate two windows on the north side due to the fact that there wasn't enough wall space for cabinets and the double oven, though we maintained the balance of the windows and minimized upper cabinets to maintain an open, airy feel with lots of views to the outside. Second, we ended up putting the refrigerator in the spot that my brother had designated for a small pantry, and used the area next to the the fridge as an expanded pantry that we can cover with a curtain or sliding door.By the way, the two cover plates that are out of position on the sides of the island are due to a bug in the software. No matter what we did we couldn't get those to position properly. Also, the countertops will be concrete counters done through an IKEA supplier, and those are yet to be designed (so they don't show up in the detailed plan).
Also, just in case you are interested, we went with a double farmhouse apron sink from IKEA and I ended up getting the take-no-prisoners faucet that I wanted! (See here). We always planned on a farmhouse sink, but they run on the order of $1,000. The one from IKEA? Around $300. We had to compromise on styling a little, but for this price we had to go for it (and the sink saves on countertop cost as well, since you don't need to create a countertop area behind the sink, it goes all the way to the wall).
Oh, and by the way, the bar sink in the island won't actually be as shown above in the layout, it will actually be this one:
Price? An unbelievable $26!Overall, typical guidance for kitchen budget as a percent of total home value is 8-18%. Through IKEA, ours is going to be about 5%.
6 comments:
I like the plans very much.
The farmhouse sink is wonderful, I'd love to have one.
And the windows are terrific, what a pleasure it should be to work in that room!
Had not heard about concrete countertops...interesting idea, and an exciting use of materials, which is in keeping with this home.
My only caveat: I am not so fond of ranges/cooking tops set into islands, especially on the corner, might that not make it difficult to keep small children away? I'd probably put it where the microwave is...
I'll look forward to seeing photos of how it all shapes up in real!
Those farmhouse sinks rock! I have one. You can't skimp too much on the sinks and faucets considering the amount of heavy use they will get. Sounds like you found a good product for a great price!
The comment about the range in the island did make us consider other options, but in the end, we decided to go ahead with our original plan. We were already planning to use a device sold at Ikea to keep kids little hands from reaching the burners, so safety wasn't my main concern. I started to wonder whether the range would take up too much precious work space. Brendan suggested having the sink inset a bit into the counter top and then having a surface made from the same material as the counter top that would be set over the sink to expand work space. This is a great idea! Of course, we imagined Aidan turning on the faucet when the sink was covered so Brendan will be talking with the contractor about a knob that would be pressed down by the cement surface to turn off the water. Sounds like a great plan--we'll see if we can make it happen!
What happened to the bar stools on the island?
On the 2D top view, see the area on the island that is to be cantilevered out? That's where the countertop will be extended and barstools will go there.
For kitichen sinks, take a look at the link. Should be of interest!!
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