Adding kitchen design photos here!

I am not a pot filler fan, never have been. I also prefer a clean island with no prep sink as well. But what really jumps out at me is the very awkward spot your DW is currently placed. With the door open you will not be able to get around it and open cabinets and doors to its right.

Yea, good point, maybe I don't need either one regarding prep sink/pot filler.

Would you switch the dishwasher and garbage? I suppose I'd have the same problem when trash is open but would be a quicker open and close than dishwasher. I'd have about 10" of aisle with dishwasher open where the garbage is.

Pot filler is personal preference. I think they’re silly. For prep sink I would consider only if quite regularly there are a few people in there preparing meals. Is there a separate pantry space to consider?

You never cross in front of a cooking surface to go from fridge to sink, 2nd cabinet makers are not kitchen designers , pot fillers IMO the silliest thing sinve carrying the pot of cold water is not the issue it is the pot of boiling water .If you cook pasta daily my suggestion is get a small prep sink beside the range and forgo the pot filler and the trip with a boiling pot of water . I would do a nice sized sink in the iland across from the fridge I sure hope the islamd is not 2 levels either . All base cabinest should be drawers not pullouts but actual drawers for almost every thing. I have all pots and pans, everyday dishware and glassware, all my spices small appliances like the waffle iron and even the toaster and all my baking stuff in drawers . BTW I have another 8 sets of 12 place ssettings in a storage cube just next to my DR

Definitely switch dw and trash. unless you want to move fridge i would agree with patricia you need a prep sink. you don’t want to have to walk past the stove to sink every time you need something. with 5 at home i would absolutely want seperate prep and clean up areas. also makes it easier for kids to wash up, get water, etc without being in your way.

I would put prep sink in island and move dishwasher to left of cleanup sink. Forget the pot filler.

Put the prep sink down towards the fridge but leave counter space between it and the end of the island to place things coming out of the fridge.

My kitchen is somewhat similar to your layout except my trash pull out is at the end of the island by the cleanup sink so it can be used for prep at the island and also close enough to sink/dishwasher to scrape plates before going into dishwasher.

If you cook at all you will want a prep sink. Make it big enough to fill a pot and/or get a pull down faucet for it and then you don't need a pot filler. An island without a water source is not good for prep so if you want to use that expanse of counter space, put water in it. If you only want a show kitchen then fine, keep your island clean of things. It's just less functional. Maybe add a rough in for a prep sink anyway so you can rectify the mistake in the future if you decide to forgo it.

I have a pot filler and a sink in my island. I rarely use my pot filler. I think they are very useful in certain situations but when there's a water source across the aisle they become redundant.

And I would put your water filter at your cleanup sink. You don't want people in the prep/cooking zone filling up water glasses while you're working. OR if you plan on having a coffee bar/beverage station next to the fridge, put a water filter faucet there so you can also fill up the coffee pot (not a fan of the appliance garage there unless you are putting a ton of appliances in there. You haven't shown the entire space so I can only guess but I imagine the "butlers" is an actual true pantry and you'd store most of your appliances in there).

Regarding aisles: one of your aisles is only 44" and that's cabinet to cabinet. In reality it will be 41". The other - same situation. You need to subtract counter overhang and fridge doors/handles from that space to get ACTUAL aisles. 4' aisles are actually fine but I wouldn't mind 4.5'. And I only have 3 people in my house.

I would keep your island at 8' and increase your aisles. More counter is not always better.

I might also consider having the microwave open into the fridge aisle instead of into the prep space.

I would also use all drawer bases aside from one cabinet for cutting boards & sheet pans.

Get rid of the skinny vertical pull-outs next to your range, too. They are horrible for function. Can't emphasize that enough.

Put the trash at the end of the island instead of next to the cleanup sink, then it's accessible for both cleanup & prep (and it's more useful for prep to have the trash nearby). Prep sink can go on that side as well, so you can have the trash open adjacent to the sink while you prep. Definitely put DW to the left of the sink.

Also, to add -

We have a beverage fridge in our kitchen and it is one of my favorite things about it that I never knew I was missing. Not having everyone's drinks of choice clogging up the main fridge is amazing.

And if you don't use a microwave often, consider putting it in the pantry.

The cabinet for cutting boards or sheet pans can be a pullout.

I have a similar design and fought the idea of a prep sink but now can't imagine not having one. Especially since you have lots of potential helpers in the kitchen, you'll want two separate work zones.

Also about to add a beverage fridge. Glad to hear they really are useful.

Here's mine, still under construction:

You're going to get 1000 different answers. :-) I too have a similar kitchen layout, I cook all the time, have never had a prep sink and have never felt like I needed one. Ditto for the pot filler, which is a useless piece of hardware. I'd vote for a beverage fridge and a second DW (which, oddly, is extremely controversial on here!). Good luck!

Ok I will add the caveat that you can get used to cooking in any kitchen and not know that it could be better.

My old kitchen had a layout like yours but it was not as wide (my island was 4.5'). I never realized what a trek it was from fridge to sink until I didn't have to do it anymore.

Some people like to comment that they like to prepare meals in a huge kitchen where they have to walk back and forth incessantly because it's exercise, and what's wrong with all these people complaining about a few extra steps??? Eye roll. Cooking may be an art and a skill but it's still a chore and unless you have nothing else to do with your time, it's something that should take the least amount of time possible.

Functionally you need a prep sink. You can forego, but it will be less functional.

Functionally no one needs a pot filler.

We rearranged our plans many times and ended up with a layout very similar to yours in terms of island size with the main sink far away from the cooktop. I don't like pot fillers either so we put a prep sink directly across from the cooktop. As others have noted, I don't want to carry boiling pasta water across the kitchen when now I can turn around and dump it. There's still a lot of island space available for other uses if needed.

Vinmarks - what size is your island? That looks like almost the exact same layout and was thinking same spot for prep sink if we did one

LH CO/FL - beautiful kitchen! what size is your island and what size prep sink did you do?

Anj_p - thanks for the feedback, very helpful! Why do you not like appliance garages? I wanted to do one next to fridge with pocket doors.

Good point on aisle space. Maybe ill go with 8.5’ instead of 9’. I wanted to elongate it as much as practical because 8’ x 5’ is looking a bit square-ish. Im wondering it its an odd shape. I cant reduce depth bc I already have 10’ of open space between island and family room couches which I feel may look too open as is.

Ditch the pot filler idea. Eventually they will leak. In a previous kitchen I capped it off. What a waste of money.

Regarding the prep sink. It's a much better way to spend your money. If there is more than one person in the kitchen, they are really nice to have. Typically in modern families, more than one person is working in the kitchen space at the same time.

Placement is a matter for work flow. Just put it as close to the refrigerator as possible. You get things out of the refrigerator to prep. And, it's a second source for water as kids demand something to drink.

I think pot fillers are a great convenience, especially if the range is far from the sink, like yours is. I don't think your kitchen is large enough for a prep sink and don't think you really need one unless you think two people will be cooking simultaneously most of the time. We did a kitchen for a professional recipe tester and she loves hers.

Redwood City Kitchen and Bath Remodel · More Info

Redwood City Kitchen and Bath Remodel · More Info

Hello! I am currently designing a kitchen for a new build

Thoughts:

- Yes, the windows in the images you shared look under-sized. Something's wrong (proportionally) with the windows over the sink -- and the uppers too -- but I'm not sure what.

- Go to Lowes and walk around in their sample kitchens. Their aisles are 3 1/2' apart. Decide for yourself if you find that comfortable or not before you decide on your island size.

- Four stools in an 8' island is a bit cramped -- imagine the person in the middle of this shoulder-to-shoulder configuration trying to get out. Where's your dining table? How far away? You don't really intend to serve whole-family meals shoulder-to-shoulder all facing the same direction, do you? I'd cut down to two stools /use them for the cook's sitting spot or a spot for someone to visit with the cook. You don't need /want to seat the whole family.

- Consider that 5' depth island. The center of that island will be unreachable /unusable. I personally, being only 4'11" would hate something that wide, as it'd be a real chore to reach the middle to keep it clean. Cutting it back just 6" would be a positive. 12" would be better. I suggest you "mock up" an island this size with cardboard and see just how wide it'd be. You're talking about wider than I am tall!

- I hear you when you say you'd like the island to be "clean", but it would make sense to move the sink /dishwasher to the island. Why? It'd gather your three "main players" together. You want your sink - range - refrigerator to be no closer than 4' and no farther than 9' apart -- right now your sink and refrigerator are 16' apart, which will mean many extra steps while preparing a meal. That 4' to 9' spacing is considered standard -- not something I made up.

- Consider, too, that you have things laid out to create extra steps. In a functional kitchen you'll have the refrigerator on one end, then the sink a few steps away (so you can take your vegetables straight to the sink for washing /cutting), then the range a few steps farther (so you can cook them). As you've laid things out, you'll get your food out on the far end of the refrigerator, carry them the length of the room, then backtrack to the middle for cooking. Look at your plan and imagine yourself preparing a favorite meal; you don't want to backtrack. Think, too, about getting that meal to the table and then cleaning up.

- This is a large kitchen, and you have a whale of a lot of (expensive and excessive) cabinetry but no pantry. I'd consider moving the refrigerator to the side by the sink -- and let the current refrigerator wall become an (inexpensive, functional) wide reach-in pantry.

- I don't care for duplicate sinks -- they're expensive, they can leak, and they take away storage. If you rearrange the kitchen to a better configuration, you won't need a prep sink. A prep sink doesn't take away dirty dishes; it just gives you another spot for things to pile up.

- I agree with the above poster that the dishwasher in the corner is a poor choice. Note, too, that when that dishwasher is open, it'll be covering up cabinets. Cabinets where you want to put away dishes -- this means you'll have to put dishes on the countertop, close the dishwasher, then get into the cabinets. You want to create a kitchen that allows you to streamline your work.

- Consider that silverware and glassware take the most effort to move from dishwasher to cabinets. You want these items to be stored close to the dishwasher for quick put-away. You also want your glassware to be stored next to the refrigerator.

- I like-don't-love pot fillers. They're useful for adding a bit more water to soup or sauces (without walking away from the range) or for making the daily tea. But I'd only put one in if I already had water in that wall.

- Where's your exterior door? The door through which you'll take garbage out? You want a direct route to the outside for that endless, thankless chore.

- Where's your fire extinguisher?

- Where will you store your spices?

- Consider that your trash is all the way on the far end of the kitchen -- this won't be most convenient. What about recycling?

also makes it easier for kids to wash up, get water, etc without being in your way.

- I'd teach the kids to wash up in the bathroom, not in the kitchen, where they'd be underfoot.

- Yes to having the refrigerator and glassware on one edge of the kitchen so they don't have to enter the main workspace to get a drink.

- Like a couple others here, I also have a beverage fridge -- but mine's in my pantry, which works out very well. As another poster said, it frees up the main refrigerator for real food. Mine's also just a step from the main refrigerator and glassware storage.

I second the recommendation for larger aisles. Consider an 8x4 for nice proportions. The extra 6 inches behind the couch won't make a noticeable difference. I'm saying to go a little bit smaller, even though I love large islands and if forced with the choice, would prioritize a little bit extra aisle space over the larger Island

Our prep sink is 13-3/4", so it leaves plenty of room on the island for work space. The island is 4' x 8', and our aisles are 4'.

Walking through a show kitchen and actually working in one with family using it simultaneously are not the same, so I would not recommend using a show kitchen as a gage for aisle width.

I disagree with the poster below who said that your kitchen isn't large enough for 2 water sources. Size doesn't really have much to do with it. PLACEMENT does. You have a choice. Your island needs a water source for function. You do not HAVE to have two sinks, but you do need one on your island. Whether you want a single cleanup/prep sink ON THE ISLAND or a separate cleanup sink on the perimeter with a prep sink on the island - up to you. However, if you move the sink to the island you will have a long expanse of counter that will essentially act as a drop zone since it won't be part of any kitchen zone.

I do not think an 8' island is big enough for a main sink, honestly. You end up with the bare minimum prep space and that's only if you put the DW and sink off centered. If you do choose to do only an island sink I might nix all the counter on that side of the kitchen and extend your island 2'.

Placement of a prep sink on the island is also kind of a personal preference. If it were me, I would put it off-center towards the cleanup sink. Why? I would want landing space for the fridge, and I would want that space to also be my prep space. If you put the sink near the fridge, you will have to leave landing space but then you'll have to carry all of the produce/meat from one side of the sink to the other (and you'd need trash nearby as well). Other things taht you pull from the sink that don't need water (mayo, soy sauce, milk, cheese, eggs, etc) would need to be carried over the sink as well. Whatever you do, keep in mind that 3' is the minimum recommended prep space. I have about 4.5' and it's amazing. I wouldn't want less. 3' seems undersized to me (I cook from scratch 4-5 dinners a week and I use the entire counter I have).

SIZE of prep sink? I would want 18" minimum.

Appliance garages - I think they're fine but I don't love the placement in yours. I feel like that should be a beverage center with a counter. If you are putting appliances in there that you don't use often and you don't need a space for a beverage center, it's fine. Just don't put appliances in there that you use often.

Also if you have 10' of space to your living room it sounds like your floorplan could use some work. We have 6' and it feels large.

@ HU-954691394 The island is 9ft 3 in. There is 22 inches of counter space between prep sink and end of the island and the other side is 70 1/2 inches of counter space. Sink is 20 1/2 X 19 3/4 with interior dimensions of 17 3/4 X 18 1/2 inch.

I wish we had gone with a larger prep sink. We started without one, and worried about losing counter space, so we went with a small one. A few extra inches from a 8' long island would have been inconsequential, so go with one that would be more useful.

I have a pot filler and a prep sink. If I had to chose one... I would chose the pot filler. I find I am alway adding water to soups, or adding water to pasta. My prep sink is not huge and maybe had it been in a different location and bigger I would find it more useful.

Clean island? Yes you will love it. I do not have this, but my friend warned me to set up the dw and clean up sink in a different location. Instead I put them on my island. My friend has two islands. One is the entertaining island the other is the clean and cook area. So wise. I wish I had the space, I would have done the same.

With that size kitchen, I would have 2 sinks for sure. Maybe 2 DW as well. Creating multiple work spaces is a good idea. Pot filler OR a sink isn't really a choice. As for location of sink two..if in island (I prefer to one side) but I would probably put between range and the frig

A pot filler is a waste, you still have to DUMP the hot water!

"It's a new build".......

Could you please show the ENTIRE living floor plan that contains this kitchen?: )

A pot filler is not to avoid ever having to move water. It is for convenience of filling and topping off water. Also some people will make soup and serve straight from the stove, so by the time they have to move the pot, it's nearly empty.

I have a pot filler, a prep sink and a beverage fridge (mentioned above) and like having them all. Could I function just fine without them...sure! But I wanted them ;) Don't choose something because it looks good in a picture, imagine yourself in your kitchen and choose according to your situation/cooking habits.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I am leaning towards prep sink in island on the side towards the fridge and no pot filler.

Heres a bigger picture of the first floor for a few asking. I do have a small walk in pantry and butlers pantry where I was planning on a wine fridge but will have to look into a beverage fridge combo perhaps after all the rave reviews for a beverage fridge.