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Designing the New Kitchen Cabinet Layout (+ Sharing the Plans!)

Here’s a big preview into the layout of our new kitchen design!

a preview of our cabinet layout

This post has been months in the making, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it today! I can assure you that if an idea sparks within you as you read this post, we have explored it, too. In fact, over the last several months – years, even – we have considered every layout possible in this space, short of starting from scratch and moving our large sliding French door to the backyard (and that’s not going to happen!). Below, I’m sharing a few kitchen posts to bring you to this point, where I can finally start sharing the layout we landed on, and spoiler alert: the cabinets have been ordered and the 3 month delivery countdown has begun!

Why we’re renovating the kitchen (and what does HVAC got to do with it?) | A good kitchen demolition surprise | Kitchen cabinet colors we’re considering

Choosing Inset Cabinets from Cabinet Joint

The decision to work with Cabinet Joint was an easy one, made less complicated by the great endorsement from Stephen and David. We initially considered IKEA or Kraftmaid cabinetry, as we are comfortable with both and have seen wonderful results (see IKEA exhibit A and Kraftmaid exhibit B).
But each of those had their own shortcoming:

  • IKEA cabinets are limited mostly due to restrictive widths. Since our entire renovation hinged on the space we would gain by removing the old furnace closet, we didn’t want to jeopardize a single inch. The other issue was IKEA lead times, which are almost non-existent at this point.
  • Kraftmaid cabinets quickly rose to the top initially, but we nixed it entirely when we realized they couldn’t do inset cabinetry.

So why Cabinet Joint? They’re RTA cabinets, meaning ready-to-assemble, and will arrive flat packed. Yes, that means we have to put them together! But that also provides more affordability. They’ve also nailed the concept of inset cabinetry, and all cabinets include soft close doors, drawers and full extension Blumotion glides. Inset cabinetry, which offers a more traditional feel, topped my wishlist, and when I realized that it could fit within our budget at Cabinet Joint, the search stopped there.

The Range Wall

Our new design layout includes getting rid of all upper cabinets, an easy decision based on how much we love our open shelving in the Tree House kitchen. That said, we will still have plenty of concealed storage – way, way more than we have now! Here’s how the range wall looks right now, mid-construction:

And we can thank the almost 3’w x 8’h pantry cabinet, below right, for all the storage in our future! These are drawings provided by Cabinet Joint, again, a result of literal months of tweaking with their cabinet specialist. Let’s break it down.

  • From left to right, we have a 36″ panel ready refrigerator, a 36″ induction range flanked by two 36″ base cabinet drawers, and on the far right, a pantry with built-in drawers below. By moving the refrigerator to the far left, we will finally have the coveted kitchen work triangle.
  • We’ve added a toe kick detail on the cabinets flanking the range.
  • Imagine a tiled wall above the range, that goes from countertop to ceiling.
  • What you don’t see is a built-in range hood, which will be built into a soffit, inspired heavily by the Stoffer’s kitchen here. (I may have DMed Jon and asked him several questions about that range hood, which helped pull us in this direction!)
  • There will also be a pot filler and two sconces on the tiled wall.
  • Already, this is more than enough space to contain all of our kitchen needs (truly, we don’t have much to store!), but this brings me to…

The Wet Wall

… the wet wall! Below, you can see where a large soffit was removed in the upper right corner. This is going to allow us to add one countertop cabinet that will extend to the ceiling!

The new wet wall keeps our sink in the same place (again, helping out with the work triangle), and we’re also filling this side with so. much. function! Here’s how this wall will shape up.

  • From left to right, we have a pull-out for liquor and coffee, which is snugged right up to a two drawer refrigerator/freezer for all our canned and bottled drinks – including seltzers and half and half. (On the countertop above this, we’ll also have a coffee station!) Continuing down the line, we have storage for overflow/unattractive dinnerware (think: plastic kids cups and water bottles), a panel ready dishwasher, sink cabinet, trash pull out and stack of 4 miscellany drawers. And sitting atop the counter is an appliance garage and additional storage. Note: The appliance garage will have a solid lift door, as opposed to the roll door you see here.
  • Above the countertop will be a looong floating shelf that will dead end into the countertop cabinet. This is where we will store our everyday plates and glasses. I’m sincerely excited about this, because we love our open shelving in Tree House for quick grab. Plus, I’m a bit glass-obsessed, and I’ll be thrilled to display our glassware collection.
  • Above the floating shelf will be 3-4 wall sconces.
  • The same toe kick detail is shown on the sink cabinet.

The Heart of the Kitchen

You might be wondering, Wait, no island? Nope. No island. I’ve discussed our idea on Instagram quite a bit, but we’ll be adding a four-top round table instead. My grandma had a table in her kitchen, and the idea has always charmed me to do the same one day. When I saw Shavonda do it, I was like, okay, yes, I’m so doing this.

That should catch you up with All Things Kitchen Renovation, although we still have so many decisions to make! Lighting, hardware finishes (we’re leaning towards nickel and brass), choosing a table, landing on the perfect espresso machine (any suggestions?), and flooring. Oh, my goodness. FLOORING. Well, that’s another story for another day.

Can’t wait to keep sharing with you!

PS: You can see our Phase 1 budget kitchen renovation here, if you’d like!

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  • Kaitlyn5.9.22 - 8:52 AM

    LOVE so excited for you guys! We just got a refurbished Jura E8 coffee maker – it’s pricey (but way more manageable refurbished!) and has been completely life changing, I highly recommend!ReplyCancel

    • Carswell5.9.22 - 9:56 AM

      A Jura? I’m envious. LOL. 
      My daily coffee needs are simple – a double latte every morning. I currently have a DeLonghi Dedica and it works well, looks good on the counter and doesn’t take up a lot of space. It has a couple of minor issues so I won’t recommend it – I confess to making the decision largely on aesthetics. We had an inexpensive Breville at work and it was a little workhorse – I would definitely recommend that brand.ReplyCancel

  • Yael @ Nosherium5.9.22 - 9:16 AM

    Omg omg Omggggg!!! This is going to be amazing! I love how carefully and thoughtfully you have designed this space to work for your family. I’m flapping my hand with excitement!ReplyCancel

  • Kim5.9.22 - 9:31 AM

    I love that you’re going for a kitchen table instead of an island! Definitely feels more appropriate for the age of your home — and SO much more cozy!ReplyCancel

    • Miruska5.9.22 - 11:15 AM

      I was thinking the same thing. Tables are much more practical as well as you can sit around to eat comfortably but also work at the table, prep food sitting down (which might be better for people who cannot stand for a long time), and just much more inviting to me. they can also be moved out of the way if needed. Love the design and look forward to seeing the tile and floor choices. and the cabinet colour!!ReplyCancel

  • Mirror5.9.22 - 10:15 AM

    Love everything, but I’m excited to see your appliance garage cabinet in real life. One thing I regret is not doing a countertop cabinet. I could add one, but I thought it would look “wrong” since every example I’ve seen shows the countertop lining up exactly with the lower cabinet. My kitchen has no option to do it this way so I gave up on the idea. But seeing that yours is halfway over a cabinet gives me hope! I know what you guys do will look “right” and I can’t wait to see.ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.9.22 - 11:24 AM

      I wondered if that would look a little odd as well, but our lower cabinets on that wall were locked into that configuration for a thousand other reasons. So rather than fight it, we decided to go for the exact width and height we wanted. Something you could consider is going two cabinet widths wide, or 1.5 – if you’re still struggling with that decision. As long as it’s intentional and works for your needs, there doesn’t need to be a rule around that.????ReplyCancel

    • Ryan5.9.22 - 7:27 PM

      I always try to line things up and make them symmetrical as well, but as I’ve studied a lot of early built in kitchen cabinetry (19teens and 20s) in photos of homes and sketches in catalogs, they really did not care if the drawers or cabinets below lined up with the openings above the counter. It can be freeing to realize that the “rules” don’t apply plus it’s the very epitome of custom :)ReplyCancel

  • Monica5.9.22 - 10:40 AM

    This looks SO good! Can I ask which fridge you’ve decided to go with? In the midst of making this same decision (36″ built-in panel-ready fridge) and I’m very torn …ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.9.22 - 11:21 AM

      The fridge was our biggest splurge, I’ll fill admit, but it’s stunning! We chose the 36” single door panel ready Fisher & Paykel. After seeing it in person at Abt Electronics, we were sold.ReplyCancel

  • Erica T5.9.22 - 12:03 PM

    I HIGHLY recommend the Terrakafe super automatic espresso machine! Can’t wait to see this all come together it looks amazing even in black and white. ReplyCancel

  • Danielle5.9.22 - 12:56 PM

    I love the omission of an island, but I’m curious about a table in the kitchen when your dining room is so close by. Do you think it will serve different functions?ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.9.22 - 2:25 PM

      We work from our dining table, and we also use it when we have another family over. I have the romantic idea of catching up on news with a coffee at the kitchen table, or more casual quick dinners with just the 3 of us. Lucy often liked to have dinner at our old kitchen island for something ‘fun and different.’ReplyCancel

      • Shannon5.9.22 - 2:57 PM

        I think you will for sure use the kitchen table as Lucy gets older and you can be cooking dinner while she does homework. So much easier to help when you are in the same room. I’m excited to see it all come together! ReplyCancel

      • Ulrika5.10.22 - 7:12 AM

        Have you considered Crate and Barrel’s French kitchen islands and tables? They are visually “airy,” marble-topped with black detailing to tie with your doors and and counters. Drool-worthy.
        I recommend the Breville Oracle One Touch espresso machine – so does NYT.
        It’s all coming together beautifully!  Looking forward to the process and finished kitchen. Thank you for sharing!ReplyCancel

        • Ulrika5.10.22 - 7:15 AM

          Oops! Meant the Barista Touch as recommended by Sandi below!ReplyCancel

        • Kim5.10.22 - 11:44 AM

          I love their kitchen islands! It would look beautiful, but we are 100% team table.ReplyCancel

        • Kim5.10.22 - 11:44 AM

          Thanks for the rec!ReplyCancel

  • jen5.9.22 - 12:59 PM

    Yay! will be amazing. Where is your microwave going?ReplyCancel

  • Meredith5.9.22 - 1:33 PM

    I love that you’re doing a table! Islands jammed into smaller kitchens like this have always seemed out of place to me. Plus you’ll get much better flow with the round table set up. ReplyCancel

  • Julie5.9.22 - 2:07 PM

    Beautiful! The hidden range hood is genius – where is the switch to turn it on? Did you mention countertops yet? You shared so much yet I still have so many questions? Haha. Will the work triangle be interrupted by the table – probably not since you already thought of that and will position the table towards the patio. I don’t drink coffee but I do love beautiful kitchens! ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.9.22 - 2:24 PM

      All great questions! We’re between two countertop materials, both black stone. The range hood will turn on with a remote! We’re working on a full kitchen mood board to share once we finalize everything!ReplyCancel

  • Sandi5.9.22 - 2:27 PM

    I love all of this!!  I can’t wait to see the progress.  We were looking at the same cabinets for next summer when we’re redoing the kitchen things (we phase 1’ed an Ikea kitchen 8 years ago). We have the Breville Barista Touch (Shavonda made me do it).  ReplyCancel

  • Mariah5.9.22 - 4:09 PM

    K+ S what program are you using to “sketch” these design layouts in? ReplyCancel

  • meredith5.9.22 - 9:11 PM

    I am so excited about this renovation so I can only imagine how you’re feeling! Ha. It’s going to be amazing.ReplyCancel

  • Kasey5.10.22 - 2:02 PM

    This is going to be stunning! Love an eat in kitchen table. It’s what we have too and it’s just so dang practical. ReplyCancel

  • lak5.13.22 - 6:31 AM

    Love the table in the kitchen idea as well.  My sister with 3 children would be prepping something in the kitchen and we would all sit and visit with her while she worked, sometimes one of us or the kids would stir and chop at her request, wonderful family memories.  Also the kids would do homework there before or after dinner and “mom’ or me “auntie” would be sitting there and could help and catch up with each other.  Treasured memories to say the least. In my experience there  are two types of people, Kitchen visitors and Living room visitors, our family has always been known as kitchen people.  Love the layout!ReplyCancel

    • Kim5.13.22 - 9:59 PM

      That sounds so so lovely. I’d like that!ReplyCancel

  • Lauren5.13.22 - 3:19 PM

    The design is beautiful, I’m excited for you! I also love that you didn’t feel the need to center your kitchen sink on the wet wall. I appreciate symmetry in design but as an avid cook much prefer uninterrupted counter space for chopping and prepping!ReplyCancel

  • Mary6.9.22 - 11:11 AM

    I hopped over here from the kitchen table post, and this is so lovely to see! We will be renovating to add a primary bedroom and relocating our kitchen. The new space is all windows and doors at one end, and for that reason, we would like to leave it open on the other end as well. It’s basically left us with two options, a compact U with no uppers, a wall of cabinets opposite, and a built in dinet (see Rosa Beltran’s kitchen????) OR  a layout basically identical to the one you all have planned, with an eat in kitchen. I am serious when I say that I cannot wait to see how yours turns out. You guys are always honest and combine form and function so that it suites a real family’s needs. We also are considering cabinet joint, and I want to see you rock the “No window sink”. 

    Can I ask, what is the total width of your kitchen?ReplyCancel

    • Kim6.9.22 - 11:17 AM

      Hi Mary! Thanks for the kind words. Our kitchen is not quite 9’ between cabinets, making it about 13’ wide.????ReplyCancel

  • Kathleen7.27.22 - 8:57 AM

    Hi Kim and Scott! This is all going to look so great! I’m curious about the built in range hood as I’d love to do something like that in my upcoming kitchen remodel. I’ve done built-in hoods before but never one that sat so far above the range. Can you share the information John Stoffer gave you and/or which vent hood you purchased that is effective at 60+ inches above the range? Thank you so muchReplyCancel

    • Scott7.27.22 - 2:48 PM

      Hi Kathleen! We ended up ordering the Falmec Nube vent hood. It’s very powerful and should do the job for us, although it’s not installed quite yet, so the jury’s still out. Hope this helps!ReplyCancel

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We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

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