Planning A Kitchen Layout

I love looking at blueprints and floor plans, so when the time came to draft one for my kitchen renovation with AyA Kitchens & Baths, I was very excited. An AyA in-house designer came to my house and measured every aspect of my kitchen, and then discussed whether my needs were being met in terms of storage space, counter space, appliances and the room’s purpose. She showed me what options were available for my kitchen, considering the cabinetry styles I’d chosen previously. (This blog is sponsored by AyA. Follow my kitchen reno progress here.)

As seen in the before shots, the original sink was small and in a cramped corner, so in the new plans we moved it in front of a window on another wall, which looks out into the yard. To draft these plans, the designers have to know their stuff inside and out to get the measurements just right.

Because the plumbing lines were already in the corner where the former sink was, we hired a plumber in Waldo, FL to add a bar sink and moved it over to the left. We also sacrificed additional cupboard space for open shelving to give the room an airy, spacious feel. This was also the time for me to go from a basic oven to a six-burner range, so AyA recommended a Fisher and Paykel one. Now I feel like a professional chef!

I really wanted a counter-depth refrigerator that would sit flush with the cabinets, so this was the time to allot space for that, too. AyA ensured each space on this wall was filled with storage, given that we opted out of upper cabinetry on the centre wall.

Throughout the whole process I was able to voice what I wanted and didn’t want out of the design, and AyA made suggestions and addressed my concerns. There are lots of cool features available for all your various storage needs. We toyed with these options from AyA when planning (click the photos to see more from each kitchen):

Shallow drawers for spices to let you see everything you have at once.

Narrow drawers with shelves to hold taller bottles.

Pull-outs to neatly house our green bin and recycling station.

An under-counter microwave spot. Lots of people have been doing this to keep it out of sight, especially in islands. I didn’t end up going with this as I went with a counter-height table in place of an island, but it’s a great solution.

Once we’d settled on a design it was time for AyA to get the pieces and put it all together! Read my blog on the construction process. Plus, watch a video of the kitchen reno in the H&H online TV show, and learn more about AyA.

Photo credits:
AyA Kitchens & Baths