07 April 2008

options

okay, so here's where you can help if you're reading this blog... i know you are all opinionated. so tell us what you think.

tonight my friend/former teacher jessica came by, followed by my former boss/ landlord/friend/mothering hero dabney... i brought up to jessica that i have thought about switching the layout of the wooden box/pantry in the kitchen (where should the fridge go?). she then said, "would it feel as much like a volumetric box if it started with a wall instead of a real corner?" (i'll give you visuals, be patient). then dabney followed that up with looking at the more pragmatic situation of traffic and congestion around the fridge if it is where i have it now.

so robby and i have been debating it... the downfalls to the location as it is now (OPTION 1) is that it might cause traffic flow issues when someone is getting in the fridge and someone else wants to walk by. the thing we like about it is the location of the door into the pantry being close to the middle of the kitchen... with that cool little window in the pantry almost lining up spot on.

so then there's OPTION 2... where the fridge is behind the door. not ideal. and the washer dryer is closer to the dining room... (i tried putting the w/d on the same wall as the fridge, but that doesn't seem like the most energy efficient thing to do.) but it does seem more like a box and eliminates the problems of fridge/traffic congestion. and we could swing the door out.

so we really want to hear what you think... one day, when you hopefully walk into this finished house what will you think if you see option 1... or option 2? we know everyone is going to give us hell about whatever decision we make, so now's your time. speak up!

option 1: (click to make larger)




option 2:


8 comments:

More Space Studio said...

Rebecca,
I like the 2nd option if you want really want to appreciate the volume of the "box." You might want to consider changing the swing of the door if you do more the fridge so that it would be possible for the door to be open to the outside and someone getting something out of the fridge at the same time (maybe a beer or something for a cookout). Seems like it would be more flexible if you weren't forced to close the door to the outside every time you wanted to get to the fridge. Looks great! I'm so proud of you and Robby.

Meredith said...

I second Jessica's vote. Moving the fridge will make the dining room feel a little more visibly removed from the "stuff" of the kitchen. Are you wanting a screen door to the outside? Just wondering about the door swings... I agree - the fridge door will still get in the way sometimes, but like Jessica said, much more tolerable if you don't have to close one to open the other.

Unknown said...

roger clark and the boys here are going against you two..... and so is my mom. tough people to disagree with. :)

yes, i want a screen door out to the back. so the door swinging out is going to be difficult. and perhaps a pill in the way of water. (need bigger overhangs by a long shot to have the door swing out)

hmmmm... we looked at flipping the kitchen altogether, but i don't have room for my pantry if i do that. i really want a pantry.

we'll just see. neither place really works without some sort of hassle... it will be a decision of the lesser of two evils. :)

thanks so much for your input though!! little miss indecisive is hard at work here...

Kelly said...

I vote for Option 1. I think it would be awkward to have to swing the back door shut every time you want to get in fridge. I have my back door open ALL THE TIME to get air flow through the house. And we use our fridge the most of any appliance so that would be a lot of extra effort to get something out of the fridge. Plus, despite the back door issue, you won't be able to fully open the fridge door past 90 degrees. I like having the fridge more in the open. Although I do agree with meredith about seeing kitchen "stuff" from the dining room. I don't understand all this "volume of box" talk - hee hee.

More Space Studio said...

definitely don't make the back door swing out.... i was thinking maybe just reverse the hinge that you are showing in option 2 so that when the door is open it's against the counter-side, not the fridge side...
either one will be fine in the end... so just go with your gut.

Robby Blyth + Rebecca Necessary said...

yeah... i thought about the door hinging that way. and then i came home to my house where the fridge is behind the door and realized it just isn't ideal no matter what. i'm going to look at it more tonight...

thanks for everyone's help! mom and emily wrote to me directly... they had issues posting. so sorry if anyone else has had a hard time making a post!

just keep praying they approve us for the money to do this!?

Meredith said...

Maybe Roger and I can just discuss your house tomorrow instead of my studio project! That would be much more fun. Either way you go, it's gonna be a gorgeous house with the two of you working on it!

Unknown said...

oh thanks merf! i told jessica that sometimes i feel like it is totally obnoxious for me to think i am actually grown up enough and know enough about anything to pull this off. robby is the confident one in this whole thing... and i making him crazy with my indecisiveness... shocking i know. :)