trying to design a kitchen on the parlor floor for a 18' wide brownstone
it is hard to say what i would do without more information, like what is adjacent to the kitchen, and do you have room for a dining table other than in the rooms we are taking about, but in general, in an eighteen foot house, you will probably like it better with one room, not leaving an existing alcove. now, whether you then put the kitchen in what formerly the alcove is an entirely separate question. whether you put the kitchen across from the former alcove on the one wall you have taped out now, or along the back wall, or along the back and one other wall as an l shaped kitchen, or use one wall and an island to create a galley shaped kitchen area, or skip the island altogether and go for a kitchen in any of the locations and just use a dining table instead, depends on a lot of things besides where you dine, including the total amount of space you have, whether house or apartment, and how big it is in either case, and outside access, as mentioned above. I would also take into account which direction the windows face for light, what the view is like, if it is the front or rear of the parlor floor, how many cook at once, how many eat, what the cooks prefer for kitchen layout, as I have speecific preferences for the room I have to prepare food and clean up in, whether you are venting a hood to the outside or not, how much you really want to spend, how much you want the bathroom, which most would want. also, do you have a specific use for the alcove, as in a little home office, where you can work which keeping on eye on stuff cooking, or, especially in an apartment or duplex in a house, how much storage you have, as you might want to think about incorporating storage into that former or left existing alcove space, such as pantry pull out cupboards, a generous broom closet big enough for vaccuums and all, and another closet for general storage. what layout choice I would makes depends on the whole living space, not just how I might prefer the kitchen layout…it needs to work with the whole home.
brokelin
in Bath & Kitchen 13 years and 4 months ago
6
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6 replies
mcll | 13 years and 4 months ago
We keep trying to figure out where to put this kitchen. Right now we have it taped out as a one wall kitchen facing where the fireplace used to be running along the entire wall with the potential of a small island in the middle that will be used as additional counter space. the side room alcove that has pocket doors would be more of a cozy retreat ( with the doors open could still be part of the kitchen). The other idea ,what I believe most people do, is to put the kitchen in the alcove space take out the pocket doors (re-support the load bearing walls) opening up the space, where the pocket doors used to be, put a island in the middle and put a big long table running down the length of the space. now this would entail getting rid of the small bathroom in the alcove space as well. Obviously one scenario would cost more than the other. so my question is has anyone done the one wall kitchen in the back room of their parlor floor and do you like it ? how does it feel in the space ?
brokelin | 13 years and 4 months ago
Having had one of those cozy alcove rooms, in my case with french doors to my study off the living room, when I moved in I thought I would want to close those doors, and to put blinds or curtains on them to make it a separate private room. I never did, as I never, ever wanted to close the doors, even with the bare glass…too claustrophobic, and I am not claustrophobic usually…it is just that the alcove rooms are nicer to use when the doors are open. so unless you will really close those doors, as many do not, do not make your plans around the fact that those doors are there. rather, consider the uses you may make of the alcove only with the doors open. an acove room with doors open still has some use value separate from an open space, but it is different than that of a room with doors you will actually close.
mcll | 13 years and 4 months ago
thanks for your reply . I would always keep the alcove open as well. What I am asking is if you have the kitchen in the main part of the parlor floor ( my space is 15 feet long by 10 feet wide) how does it look and feel. and do you have a preference where the kitchen would be if you had the choice
callalily | 13 years and 4 months ago
I haven’t seen any pocket doors on alcoves on parlor floors, but I’ve stood inside and seen a lot of kitchens like the one you describe — one wall facing fireplace, with some kind of counter or island. They look beautiful. Fifteen feet is nice and roomy. I prefer them to the ones with the kitchen in an alcove. The alcove is better for a small apartment, the full room better for a house or duplex. I lived in a floor-through apt with the kitchen and bath in the alcove — not ideal, since the bath was too small. You’ll have much more room for two people, much more relaxed and graceful with the kitchen in the full room. I believe Cara’s Thursday column has a few examples of both approaches.
daveinbedstuy | 13 years and 4 months ago
My kitchen is actually inside the alcove (with doors that are never shut, mopar). Perhaps my alcove is wider and longer since I have a 20′ house but it works fine unless you are committed to an island. I’m beginning to believe that the best layout is across the back of the house like in yesterday’s “Insider” thread, especially if you have door accesss to a deck as most of that space against the back wall is “wasted” The counter can be built in front of existing windows, there’s no need to remove them. Yes, this would be more expensive as it entails getting rid of the alcove and doing a support beam. Pics of my alcove kitchen can be found in here… http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/brownstone Browse through some of the other “Insider” threads to get some more ideas. They are all well thought out.
needmtg | 13 years and 4 months ago
Existing b/s windows are usually below counter height, so you’d have to do some fancy framing to allow for this and it wouldn’t look good (or replace the windows, not a good idea from a lighting viewpoint.) My kitchen counter with sink is across one wall, range centered over bricked-up fireplace. A peninsula juts out from the space between the windows (and has space a couple of bar stools on the far side). I think that’s the perfect layout: you have ample room for 2 to work (or even more on the other side of the island) and the window between the counters provides great light. But perphaps you have 3 windows?