Kitchen Layout Redesign

Designing for the Room That Exists After the Wall Is Gone

A kitchen from a 1970s or 1980s Irvine tract was planned as a closed room. The range sat against one wall, the refrigerator against another, and the sink usually under the only window. Once the wall to the family room comes out, at least one of those appliances tends to be standing on a line that no longer exists. Leaving the old layout in place and simply removing the wall leaves you with a room that is open but still behaves like the old kitchen, only with an odd gap in it.

Layout redesign is how the opening becomes a kitchen you actually want to be in.

Starting With How You Use the Space

Before drawing cabinets we ask practical questions. Who cooks, and how many people cook at once? Do the kids do homework at the counter? Does the television in the family room matter from the stove? Do you entertain standing up, or does everyone sit? Those answers decide more about the plan than any style preference.

The Measurements That Make or Break It

• Aisle width. 42 inches between counters is a workable minimum for one cook. 48 inches suits two cooks or an island with seating on the aisle side. Anything much wider and the work triangle stretches until you are walking laps.
• The work triangle. Sink, cooktop and refrigerator ideally sit within a few steps of each other, with no island corner or through path cutting across the line between them.
• Island depth and overhang. Seating needs knee space, usually 12 to 15 inches of overhang. A 36 inch deep island with stools on one side is common in these rooms. Anything smaller ends up as a cart.
• Clearance for doors. Dishwasher doors, oven doors and the refrigerator swing all need room to open without blocking the aisle.

Moving the Sink, or Not

A sink in a new island facing the family room is the picture most people have. It is often achievable, but in a slab on grade house moving the drain means cutting the slab to run a new line with the correct slope, plus a vent solution for the island. That is real money. We will price it honestly next to the alternative of keeping the sink where it is and putting the cooktop or a prep area in the island instead. Sometimes the better kitchen is the one where the plumbing stays put.

Ventilation in an Open Room

A range that ends up in an island or on a wall shared with the family room needs a hood that actually captures what the cooktop produces, ducted to the outside rather than recirculated. Island hoods need more capture area than wall hoods because there is no wall to contain the plume. Very high CFM hoods can trigger make-up air requirements, so we size the hood to the cooktop rather than to the showroom.

Cabinets, Counters and Electrical

With the plan settled, we specify the pieces. We favor plywood box construction for durability, with framed or frameless boxes depending on the look, soft-close hinges and full-extension drawer glides. Counters are often quartz or porcelain slab for their low maintenance, with quartzite or granite for people who want natural stone. Electrical is updated as part of the job: dedicated circuits for the dishwasher, disposal, microwave and refrigerator, GFCI and AFCI protection where code requires it, and a check of panel capacity if you are moving to induction. Recessed and under-cabinet lighting is chosen to meet California Title 24 high-efficacy requirements.

Refacing Versus Replacing

If your cabinet boxes are sound and the layout mostly works, refacing with new doors, drawer fronts and hardware can be a sensible way to save money. After a wall comes out, though, the layout usually changes enough that new boxes are needed for at least part of the run. We will tell you which parts can stay.

What It Costs

Layout design is part of any full remodel we build. Combined with a bearing wall opening and new cabinets, counters, lighting and flooring, most Irvine kitchens land between $95,000 and $185,000 depending on size, cabinet construction and whether plumbing moves.

The structural side of the project is covered on our open concept wall removal page. Call (949) 693-0496 to talk through your layout.