Single Sided Kitchens

Posted on: September 20th, 2010 | 20 Comments

It’s Monday, September 20, 2010 and today, we are answering a question from Han in Vancouver. He has been a long time follower to the Slow Home site and he has an apartment/ loft unit in Vancouver with a “single sided kitchen”. He writes in response to our workshop last Thursday where we helped Anne from San Diego choose which of two apartment/ loft units she should rent. Both of them had “single sided kitchens” and we made some suggestions of how this could be improved.

We thought this would be a great design challenge for everyone to participate in! We need your help answering this question and John and Matthew will be reviewing all of your suggestions in a special LIVE workshop this Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 9am MDT or 11am EDT. Please send your answer to john@slowhomestudio.com

To see the floor plan examples of the single sided kitchens used in today’s video, click on the links below.

Make sure to join us tomorrow at 6pm MDT/ 8pm EDT for a LIVE workshop with John and Matthew who will be working through a “housebrand” case study project of a kitchen renovation from a very dated 1970′s west coast style home!

  • Matthew North

    Hello Slow Homers! We are looking forward to your suggestions for Han today about single sided kitchens! I also wanted to let everyone know that there is still a lot of discussion and posts about Mike’s Design Project from the weekend. Make sure to check back on the Saturday post as comments are still coming in even today! We also had a landslide of hits on the Slow Home website over the weekend so we want to thank everyone who has contributed to the project and the discussion!

  • Mid America Mom

    Good morning slow home ! Nice video today. Below is a bit for everyone!

    Matthew and John… the bar is raised on this challenge! Few questions- comments. What email would you like this design john (at) theslowhome (dot) com ? Great time to try to loop in the other folks in the slow home community …those more interior design focused. I would send a tweet their way like gbcstyle, tkpleslie, irwinfelddesign etc. I would be interested to see what they come up with.

    Speaking of kitchens those looking for Mike’s first floor Toronto home remodel thread it is here – http://theslowhome.com/aaa/toronto-two-storey-home-redesign-workshop/#comments . From what I can tell Mike is still deciding.

    Mid America Mom

  • Matthew North

    Hello M.A.M.

    Yes – for the design challenge – send your solutions to john@theslowhome.com

  • BradW

    In the small spaces we are talking about there really is very little that can be done. Here are my three suggestions in no particular order: 1) don’t buy the place; 2) take the kitchen upscale so it reads as cabinetry rather than appliances or 3) minimize the kitchen function by going out as often as possible.

  • Paul C

    [img]1.jpg[/img][img]bluemodernkitchen.jpg[/img]

    One approach that seems to work well is the combination of furniture and cabinetry. It can be an effective way to tone down otherwise wide open single sided kitchens.

  • Frances GF

    [img]belmontisland.jpg[/img]

    This is most cost effective solution I could find for Han.

    This island is from Crate and Barrel and is listed as $499, this is an American price so it is probably more in Canada.

    The island comes with both legs and wheels so it is movable. My son suggests legs on one end and wheels on the other and lifting the leg end to move.

  • Frances GF

    [img]rollouttable.jpg[/img]

    Here is another option. But it is custom work with new cabinets not an add on an existing kitchen.

    The roll out table could be any length but less than two feet deep. It does however become almost invisible when rolled into the cabinets.

    This is an old image and could use a more modern interpretation.

  • Paul C

    Btw kudos on the Vancouver Sun article. Another great write up.

  • Matthew North

    The suggestions are great so far! Keep them coming in!

  • Steve in Van

    [img]pursleykitchen.jpg[/img]

    There are two questions here:
    1. How can you increase the utility of a one-sided kitchen? Adding an island or work table is a common solution (see Bulthaup’s B2 for a high-end variation on the theme).
    2. How can you integrate a kitchen into the living area so the whole space doesn’t feel like a kitchen? How do you make the kitchen disappear.

    Architect Ken Pursley offers one solution to the challenge of creating a kitchen that is “open to adjoining interiors but doesn’t feel too utilitarian. The whole exercise was one of sleight of hand: Conceal everything that lets you know it’s a kitchen as much as possible.” The SA blogger writes, “Classically detailed cabinetry, appliances hidden behind cabinet fronts, and gracious antiques create a room that feels more like a handsome library than a quotidian kitchen.”

    http://tinyurl.com/33uq6rv

  • Frances GF

    [img]dornobkitchen.bmp[/img]

    How is this for not only a one sided kitchen but a fold out flat kitchen!

    This image is from the dornob website, they have some interesting ideas on this site.

  • Steve in Van

    [img]kitchencloset2.jpg[/img][img]thekitcheninacloset.jpg[/img][img]kitchen3.jpg[/img]

    Or, instead of integrating the kitchen, you can hid it behind doors (e.g. simple bifolds, shoji screens, glass sliders) or high-end cabinetry.

  • Terri

    [img]hangingscreen.jpg[/img]

    Aside from using a free-standing island that looks like furniture, I’d solve this problem with some kind of screening. There’s a glass artisan on Vancouver Island (Charles Gabriel) building free-standing metal and glass screens which are one-of-a-kind and basically works of art. An image of one of his designs can be seen here:http://www.gabrielblastedglass.com/blue/show.php?imageid=300

    This is an expensive option, of course, but as they say, art is an investment.

    For an more inexpensive screen, I’ve included an image from a national dept.store. There are several furniture dealers with free-standing folding screens of many different materials. Even some office screens could be adapted for home use with the right eye for design.

  • Li-Na

    [img]hantableup.jpg[/img][img]hantabledown.jpg[/img]

    Hello everyone,

    Without knowing more about the specific issues Han hopes to address, the way he uses the space, or the size and layout of his home, it’s hard to know which (if any) of the ideas that popped into my head might work for him…so I’m not sure how helpful my braindump of ideas will be…but here goes!

    Warning: Unfortunately, my suggestions aren’t the most budget-friendly ones. Is Han handy with tools by any chance? ;-)

    Idea 1 – If you’re looking for some built-in extra prep/eating surface that can be moved out of the way when it’s not needed. Bonus: Comes with a bit of extra storage space.

    When the table is closed, it disappears and looks like a simple art niche while hiding storage shelves behind it. To get your work surface or dining table, roll a cart over and flip the table down.

    (I’ll continue this in a separate post so it’s easier to keep track of the images)

  • Li-Na

    [img]hanslidingpanels.jpg[/img][img]hanroomdivider.jpg[/img][img]1_hanslidingpanels.jpg[/img][img]1_hanroomdivider.jpg[/img]

    Idea 2 – If you’re looking for a simple demarcation between kitchen space and non-kitchen space.

    a) Ikea panel curtains – cheap and shouldn’t be too hard to install. Search for “panel curtain” on the Ikea website.

    b) Sliding panels/room dividers
    I’m sure there are lots of companies out there who do this. This picture isn’t the best one but hopefully it gives you an idea of what I mean.

    Both of the above options would allow Han to open or close off the kitchen when it suits him.

    c) Along Terri’s suggestion, an arty screen divider:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-A25Al9AOA

    or something along the lines of the second picture.

    d) You could also consider glass panels to mark off the kitchen area. They could go all the way from floor to ceiling or some sort of hardware could be used to suspend them away from the ceiling and floor so that there are gaps. You could really play with the design of this (e.g. textured or frosted glass) and come up with something that would demarcate your kitchen space and also conceal any areas that might tend towards the messier side. ;-)

  • Li-Na

    [img]hantable2.jpg[/img][img]hantable.jpg[/img]

    Hrmm, I double posted the same picture up there, sorry about that.

    Idea 3 – If you’re looking for extra prep/eating area but don’t want to go with something built-in.

    Use a masquerading piece of furniture. This table is slim enough to act as a sofa table or simply be positioned out of the way by a wall. When more workspace is needed, it can be brought out and unfolded into an extra prep area for the kitchen and/or dining table.

    Han, I hope something here serves as a starting point to brainstorm ideas about what you can do to make your space work better. :-) Please let us know how you resolve your problematic kitchen!

    P/S John and Matthew, congratulations on your book! RL bit me in the a$$ and I haven’t had a chance to check in here since you guys were working on the draft. I’m still trying to catch up on all the episodes I’ve missed!

  • BradW

    Nice to hear from you again Li-Na…great posts

  • BradW

    Further to my going out to eat suggestion here are some restaurant options – starbucks, white spot, blue water cafe, lupo, raincity grill, simply thai, le bistro chez michel, la terrazza and provence marinaside…:) just kidding but Vancouver does have some very nice restaurants.

  • Mike

    [img]427alpes4.jpg[/img][img]925stovetop.jpg[/img][img]circular20kitchen.jpg[/img][img]circularkitchen1.jpg[/img][img]dadativalikitchen.jpg[/img][img]dadativalikitchenenclosed.jpg[/img]

    I found a few items that are very creative.
    If space is an issue, these items really make the most of design and space.
    A very simple idea but very effective is the cutting board built into the top of the stove lid.

    Also those rolling carts look functional allowing Han to remove a function off the wall and perhaps have a seperate cook station or prep station.

    Hope this helps
    Mike

  • Mike

    Just to clarify the photo’s;

    the brown looking image is a kitchen unit that has doors that cmpletely close off the kitchen, with one main difference; when the doors are open they slide into a pocket so they don’t stay open (such as a bi-fold).

    the red is a self contained revolving kichen and the silver photo shows how it would look when closed up, this would free up floor space and allow for other design elements to fit in.

    Mike