Parlor Floor Kitchen in Narrow House - Back or Middle?
I’m getting ready to remodel a narrow single-family house, including putting in a new kitchen on the parlor floor. I was originally planning what seems to be the most common layout – kitchen at the back, dining room in the middle, and living room at the front. But because the house is so narrow, I’m worried that the living room is going to get really squeezed to accommodate the stairs and entryway. A narrow space like that would seem to lend itself to a dining room, so now I’m considering putting the kitchen in the middle, with the dining room in front and living room in back to take advantage of the full width of the house. That layout has always seemed a bit less desirable to me because it means you don’t have a single big living / entertaining space. Also worried about making the kitchen a pass-through space, especially because we cook a lot and want a big kitchen with lots of counter and storage space. But maybe it’s the way to go given the constraints o f a narrow house.
Can anyone who’s decided between these two layouts share their thought process? Anyone have insight about flow and living with the middle kitchen?
Thanks!
ggrkfppsn
in Renovation 8 years and 11 months ago
3
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3 replies
slopefarm | 8 years and 11 months ago
We didn;t have this choice to make, but we had others, and this may be a case where you need to draw it both ways and see how it plays out. Depending on issued such as stair location, coat closet 9if any). width and length of the footprint, what you want in a kitchen, possibility of a powder room, access to deck (if any) etc, you may find that you have a preference one way but the drawings show a more useful and livable space the other way. Play with it — no one right answer.
octopony | 8 years and 11 months ago
I’m in middle of a gut reno right now on a 16-ft townhouse and we’re going with an open plan of kitchen in back with LR in front. We debated and looked at kitchen in back as well as in middle but we ended up going with the LR+DR combo upfront so that it felt like a larger entertainment space, and then the back kitchen leads straight to the deck for when we want to take the party outside. If we separated LR and DR, they would each feel more cramped than if we put them together.
empathie00 | 8 years and 11 months ago
Yep, went through the same thing in a 17′. We were starting from scratch (no existing parlor kitchen) but did have drain stacks both in the middle and back of the house so our options were open. We cook and entertain a lot and wanted as open a plan as you can get in a bstone while still keeping original details. To me it was a no brainer to put the kitchen in the middle – we have LR in front and DR in the back; peninsula separates the L-shaped kitchen from DR, and a powder room and small closet are between the main hallway (near the stairs) and the kitchen – meaning we don’t have the dreaded powder-room-in-the-kitchen issue. A lot of people (architect, cabinet company, contractors…) questioned me, but having now lived and cooked and entertained in the layout for 4+ year, I still love it and wouldnt change it. The kitchen is more than big enough, tons of counterspace largely b/c of the peninsula. We can cook while guests are seated at the peninsula or dining table and still be part of the conversation, but we’re not right on top of them. Same for LR – it’s open, but I d on’t feel like I’m frying eggs on my sofa. And then we have the big windows and doors “saved” for the living spaces and you can see straight through from the front door to the backyard without a sink faucet sticking out at you 🙂 Not sure you can see it here, but trying anyway (also noting we got rid of the door separating the hallway from dining area): [Screen Shot 2016-06-14 at 5](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s1/:brownstoner:AuTS:screenshot20160614at5.30.48pm.png.jpg) Good luck!