by atai @ 23:23 | Comments (11) | Filed under: setia alam
By popular request… 
This is how the ground floor looks like. Mine is exactly like the unit of the right. The back faces North. The front door faces South.
From the main door, when you look inside, this is what you will see:
The dry kitchen is the area with the blue sink. So, can you imagine the kitchen design now?
And this is a view of the wet kitchen, from the ground floor toilet:
Consider to knock down the wall between your dry kitchen and wet kitchen will look bigger and more space! Then you can combine your dining room into your kitchen area. In this case, you will have more place for living room.
Comment by Lannie Loke — Monday, 4 August, 2008 @ 2:39
This IS fun! Very interesting, but need some time to careful think it through… Hopefully I can “submit” my suggestions in a day or two!
Comment by Jenny — Monday, 4 August, 2008 @ 3:57
waa… place looks really big…
Comment by Phenom — Monday, 4 August, 2008 @ 15:58
where got big la… wide lens, ma… so things look wider.
lannie, i’m trying to minimise any hacking, etc… also, i think the wall is a structural thingy… cannot hack away.
jenny, i have not finalised anything. so ya, we welcome any new ideas, etc… but keep it plain and simple!
Comment by atai — Monday, 4 August, 2008 @ 21:49
Ok, here I go, again in no what-so-ever order! Bare with me:)
-Install a big/wide arch (kinda like just putting a curve edge at the top of the 2 corners, that’s all, nothing fancy) between the dinning room and dry kitchen. This softens the look, keeping the 2 areas separated while maintain the open look.
-Push the wall between the dry kitchen and store room back to where the little window is (the window that is shared by the store and the wet kitchen). This will give u more space in the dry kitchen…this wall doesn’t look like it’s gonna be a structural thing (I hope).
-With that wall pushed back, I’d definitely put in a wall and base cabinets/drawers(did I mention I like drawers?) across from the dry kitchen sink. Use frosted glass for the wall cabinet to reflect the lights from the opposite window. Use the base unit as a work station for mails/ bills and to keep the children’s art/craft in the future.
-Once you widen up the dry kitchen, you should consider putting in an island like Lannie suggested. An island is useful cos’ u gain counter space and storage space. I’d make the side facing the store, into a “bar” style so u can slide in stools for sitting, and this is useful for breakfast/snack, hanging around in the kitchen, kids doing their homework/craft and whatever they can think of right there. It works for us here, it might not over there, just a suggestion.
-If not an island in the big space, u could put in a round dinning table that opens up to a bigger, oval shaped table when u have ur happy hours with family and friends. I mention round and oval just becos’ I think they are more efficient to fit more people and becos’ the way we have our food in the middle to share. And this will keep the dining area for possibly a kids’ playing area, and under the stairs for storing their toys??!
-I wouldn’t put a solid door between the dry and wet kitchen. I suggest putting a door that has the top half with glass or frosted glass (has anyone get the hint that I like frosted glass by now??? -hey, they reflects light in a soft way and yet u can’t see the MESS in there, so why not???) and solid on the bottom. This sort of doors are more eye pleasing and also brings in the light and it doesn’t feel like that’s the end of the house. It gives the eyes a flow to the back of the house.
-Where will your stove be in the wet kitchen? Cos’ if you move the sink in the dry kitchen to where I’ve suggested previously, and if you believe in Fung Shui, you might want to make sure the stove and the sink (in the dry kitchen) don’t face each other — water and fire don’t go together – to those of us who believe in Fung Shui.
-Will you have an oven in the wet kitchen?
-Doesn’t look like u have a window in the wet kitchen…might want to invest in a good air vent thingy to suck out all the smell/smoke while cooking.
-BTW, will u have a fridge in the wet kitchen too? It’d be more convenient if there’s one too, in the wet kitchen. There is a rule of thumb when comes to kitchen design for efficiency: The fridge, stove/oven, and the sink should not be more than 5 ft (if I remember correctly) from each other. For me personally, if I am cooking halfway, and forget something from the fridge, and have to walk back to the dry kitchen, I might burn my food! ;P But it’s personal preference, of course.
-Oh, hopefully u won’t put ur stove next to the bathroom! ;P…maybe the fridge…but what about your washing machine, where’s it gonna be??
-Dishwasher IS a PLUS PLUS PLUS for us…and we’re spoiled with it…dun think I can live w/out one anymore! I know it’s not as popular back home, but if you are thinking of getting one, do try to find one that grinds up food scraps. You’ll have to also make sure your draining system is made for that type of system. This newer models that grinds up food, usually doesn’t require pre-rinsing. Hence, does save u $ in the long run. Otherwise, at least look for one that is energy saving and quiet models.
-Like I suggested b4, I’d definitely install a slim, ceiling to counter cabinet beside the fridge space in the dry kitchen. Don’t overlook these slim and narrow cabinets, they are very useful.
-Also, if your cabinets are gonna be deep, PLEASE do invest in those shelving systems that slides out. Otherwise, it’d just be a wasted-useless cabinet (that’s what I have), cos’ u can’t see what’s way behind there, they are hard to reach and U CAN’T REMEMBER WHAT U HAVE BACK THERE!!! ;P
- There are corner cabinets where the doors is at 90 degrees (a ‘L’ shaped door that opens then folds to the other side), for easy reach for things. Here’s one example http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S79811780
OK, I think that’s IT! Gosh, can u pay me with some roti tissue if U use ANY of my suggestions??? ;P lol. Have fun designing your new home!
Comment by Jenny — Tuesday, 5 August, 2008 @ 7:18
Forgot something…
BTW, if you don’t plan to push the wall (store/dry kitchen wall) back, I’d still suggest to either put a cabinet unit against the wall across the dry kitchen sink, and or putting an island, depending on the space. The island doesn’t have to be big…it all depends on the sq. ft. Cos’ u wouldn’t want to cramp too much in a room.
Hope my suggestions have been simple and efficient.
Comment by Jenny — Tuesday, 5 August, 2008 @ 7:56
*sigh*
honestly, i’m having another headache now… can’t seem to find a good and cheap contractor. everyone is trying to make a fast buck!
Comment by atai — Wednesday, 6 August, 2008 @ 22:15
Ask around among friends who have gotten their house done loh! Not only u gotta get a cheap one, must be trustworthy too…
Post it in FB lah! Sure someone will know someone who knows some contractor! hhehheehe. Doesn’t Ikea provide installation servise too?
Hopefully I’ll have the same headache for my house in 2 years time! ;P
Comment by Jenny — Thursday, 7 August, 2008 @ 1:30
Hey, thought about another option. This will only work if you can move ur fridge in the dry kitchen to the wall across from the sink. If that’s the case, u can extend the base cabinets/drawers (only base units) over to the dry kitchen/dining area, i.e., the base units will look like ‘]’ (the edge of the back of the cabinets doesn’t cross over to the dinning area, but the stools will)…get what I mean? The base cabinets will stop right before the door…so it’d be just the same length as the one under the window. U can still have the dinning area side of the base cabinet made into the “bar” style to fit stools in for sitting. As where the fridge is, depending on the space, u can leave the fridge by itself OR put in a small cabinet…but remember, don’t over crowd the space.
Comment by Jenny — Thursday, 7 August, 2008 @ 9:46
Hmmm, your house design looks pretty much like mine. At least, the kitchen and store room location.
What i did was to put a glass bar top between my dining and my dry kitchen, leaving about 3ft gap for us to walk in/out. facing the dry kitchen behind the bar top, we instal low kitchen cabinets too. So, we have plenty of cabinets (actually just enough…). and we instal an L shape cabinets on the east side of the dry kitchen almost similar to the one you drafted.
our washing machine & a dryer is just outside the bathroom, in the wet kitchen. if you are considering a dryer, try to get one ‘hanging on the wall’ if you have limited space on your wet kitchen.
In my wet kitchen, i have an L shape cabinets with build in oven and stove. consider an oven if you and mrs are into baking and stuff.
I notice your kitchen tiles (walls) are not build all the way to the top of the wall. you may consider getting your contractor to add in the tiles to make it all the way to the top. This is especially for your wet kitchen. it makes cleaning of the walls easier with grease and all.
hey, if you wanted to, feel free to drop by our house and take a look. we are at botanic garden, klang. and if you need the contractor contact for comparison, give me a tinkle. more than happy to provide you our contact. My neighbour is also a contractor. so, at least that could give you some choices.
happy planning!!
Oh, remember considering an cooker hood and an exhaust fan in the wet kitchen. We forgot to build in the exhaust fan. It may be good to ‘blow out’ the smell, smoke and when cooking. It makes cooking so much more comfortable.
Comment by Joodey — Friday, 8 August, 2008 @ 16:47
Come over to sg la…maybe u stay for a while will get some ideas… hehehe
Comment by Phenom — Saturday, 9 August, 2008 @ 17:37