For all those wondering when the heck we’ll tackle that kitchen banquette idea that we mentioned a few weeks ago (here and here), well… probably never. Cue the frowny face emoticons.
Here’s the deal. After getting lots of positive feedback on the idea a few weeks ago (over 1,400 comments total!), Sherry and I were certain your collective enthusiasm would push us from “we think this is a good idea” to “this is definitely a good idea.” And it nearly did. But parts of us still questioned the whole commitment-factor when it came to actually doing it (we definitely described it as a half baked idea when we shared it). We worried if it’d really be the most practical solution (would it be a pain to scoot in and out of?) and if it’d really make the most of the space (we couldn’t figure out the right balance of big-enough seats while still maintaining flow around it to keep it from feeling cramped).
So one evening we decided there was a reason that we were stuck in Hesitation City: it just wasn’t The One. So we did what we always do when we get stuck. We went back to the drawing board to see if we could come up with something else that we ended up liking better. We made a few quick sketches of the floorplan, asked ourselves “what are we not thinking of???” and just started sketching ideas – no matter how good or bad our guts told us they were. Kinda like those DON’T THINK, JUST DRAW exercises that they teach you to access your subconscious or something. Of course some of them completely blocked the doorway to the dining room (fail!) and nearly all of them were completely out of scale (so things were too big or too far over) but it definitely got the ol’ wheels turning again…
We tried returning to some version of table in the middle (top left) and even modification to the banquette (top right, bottom left). But somewhere in that mess we had one of those “Ah-ha moments” that ol’ what’s-her-name used to talk about on the TV (this is a joke for my Oprah-loving wife). So allow us to introduce the banquette’s successor: the peninsula! Cue the confused emoticons.
Let’s explain. First, here’s our CURRENT floating-table-in-the-kitchen-and-larger-table-in-the-dining-room arrangement (courtesy of my rough Google Sketch-Up drawing):
Now for the doorway opened, cabinets painted, counters replaced, floor slightly discolored (not intentionally) and (of course) peninsula’d version:
Woo hoo. Before we go any further, we should warn you: we’re 100% sold. The above depiction of it is probably not going to make a believer out of everyone, but from taping it out in the space and moving around it “in person” for a while we giddily came to the following conclusion: it’s The One! So no worries if it’s not your jam or you love Mr. Banquette (he was a lovable guy – and there are always gonna be people who would do things differently if this were their house) but we’re definitely going for it. And we can’t wait to get started.
As for why we didn’t come up with the peninsula idea sooner, we were so stuck on the fact that a peninsula coming off of the cabinetry that we already have would actually hit (or come very very close to hitting) the fridge on the other side of the room. So it wasn’t until we came up with the idea of adding a base cabinet to the right of the cabinetry that we already have to space the peninsula further away (a smidge towards the fireplace) for better flow and even more counter space.
Speaking of counter space, when it comes to executing this whole thing, we’re basically planning to add some base cabinetry (and counters) near the opening itself to create a counter-height peninsula. Which accomplishes a lot, actually:
- It adds additional work surface & cabinet storage to the kitchen side of the room (so it’s easy-access)
- It helps extend and better define the kitchen space without blocking flow or feeling too heavy
- It creates a casual eating space, keeping it distinct from the dining room table, which is just steps away for larger groups and more formal gatherings
- We can most likely seat four people at the peninsula (it’s flexible, so ignore the three chunky chairs shown)
- It can be used as a buffet to set out food (or to seat additional guests) when we have parties
- It can be used for homework, laptop browsing, and general hanging out by the kiddo(s) as they grow
- It even makes sense of our very off-center fireplace by creating a small casual living space that we’ll use as a little “chill corner” of sorts (the peninsula doesn’t block the fireplace, which our banquette friend did from most angles)
That last perk (centering the fireplace) was a nice surprise, since it’s something we’ve struggled with a lot (it’s just in such an odd place, practically shoved in the corner of the room). But you can see from this virtual view through the future doorway how it almost makes the fireplace placement seem intentional (picture it with a nice round mirror above it to balance that doorway next to it). Oh happy day.
We just love that we’ll get to see the fireplace from the dining room (it won’t be blocked by a heavy banquette) and if overflow guests sit at the peninsula, they won’t have their backs to the people seated in the dining room (which would have happened with the banquette).
For those who don’t do well with renderings (or are still scratching your heads), here are some pics we snapped to give you a better idea of how it’ll work in the real world. We moved some existing furniture around to mimic the placement (the table represents the peninsula) and have lived with it for the last week-ish to make sure it actually makes sense. Placements aren’t totally exact, but pretty darn close to what we’re thinking. Here’s the view from the laundry room. Ignore the broken pendant light in the far back (it finally crapped out on us). Instead look, there’s that fireplace nicely framed!
We also traced out the future opening (again, not exact) to show how that’ll work too. We’re thinking there will be a little half-wall (i.e. knee wall) where the peninsula meets the open doorway…
… like we showed in this rendering:
We considered a narrower doorway (where the peninsula doesn’t hang over into the opening) but we think this wider version makes it feel much more open and lets in more light, so it’s the current winner. And of course as previously mentioned, we love how balanced the fireplace and doorway look through the cutout.
Admittedly it took us a little while to figure out what to do with the space in front of the fireplace. It was our biggest hurdle in getting on board with this idea, actually. But after we brought in a placeholder chair, ottoman, rug, and light we realized it was actually completely awesome. There have been approximately 14 hours of reading-with-Clara from that chair in the last week or so. We’re even toying with the addition of some sort of tall built-in bookshelf behind the chair to balance the tall cabinets on the other side of the doorway. Not sure yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
We’ve already discovered it’s a great spot for Clara to play while we’re getting stuff done in the kitchen (since we can’t see her if she’s in the living room, but it’s easy enough to peek over the peninsula to check on her if she’s in the kitchen on the rug).
Sherry’s already making plans for how she’ll relax in front of a fire (we’re contemplating one of those convincing modern-looking electric inserts that Candice Olsen uses – possibly even a double sided one if we can eventually open the back of the fireplace into the living room as planned).
Meanwhile I’m dreaming of a little TV mounted above the mantle so I can watch the news during our morning breakfast routine (Sherry is rolling her eyes as I type this- so we’ll have to see where we land on that). Either way, can you tell we’re getting more than a little excited about this set up? Yup, it’s The One.
The peninsula will also give us 3-ish base cabinets worth of deep functional storage, unlike the largely decorative storage (open 12″ bookshelves) that the banquette would’ve provided. Plus a nice wide 3′ x 5.5′ work surface for prep, serving, eating, and homework is FAR more functional than what we would’ve gained from a distant island or a narrow banquette located a lot further away. And we’re probably gonna use the new counterspace as an excuse to change the countertops in the whole kitchen. We’ve never loved our existing granite color (it has a few pitted/stained parts too), so it seems silly to actually buy more for the new peninsula (we’ve debated a mismatched look, which we like for an island, but for a peninsula it seems like it would look most like it has “always been there” with the same counter to keep things seamless). Of course we plan to craigslist the existing granite and put that money towards whatever we’ll use for the new material (not gonna lie, we’re already talking about DIYing concrete counters).
Oh and for anyone debating a peninsula, we’ve learned that the pros recommend 42″ of walking space between the peninsula and whatever’s on the other side (in our case it’s the fridge, which we hope will sink back a foot or so when we replace it with something that’s counter-depth). So that’s how we arrived at our peninsula length.
In fact, flow through the room is almost better because there’s one straight pathway through the room, whereas the old table (and the once planned banquette) made us walk in a slight circle. Hoorah for ten less steps a day. Haha.
So now that we’re unequivocally sold and geeky-excited about our new plan, it’s just going to come down to working out the logistics. Namely how to find/build perfectly-sized cabinets that match our old ones without breaking the bank. And finally hire a licensed contractor and get the permits needed to bust out that load bearing wall of ours. But that’s a story for another post. Another ten posts, probably…
Update: You can check out the new “cozy corner” behind the future peninsula in action (on video!) over on Young House Life.
Another update: Lots of people are sweetly suggesting some sort of bookcase or built-in feature on the side of the cabinets that face the dining room (instead of a knee-wall) but we’re unsure if that’ll be too much since there are already built-ins in the dining room that are just a few feet away. We’ll keep you posted as we go though! Who knows where we’ll end up…
Psst: Tomorrow I’m going to post my thoughts on trying Google Sketch-Up for the first time (and how it compares to two other 3D rendering tools I’ve used). So stay tuned for that if you’ve got any questions about how I made the 3D graphics for this post.
Tina says
Love the new plan! I have a peninsula in my kitchen now and have one bit of advice for you so you can get the most out of your new storage space. The corner of your peninsula that’s closest to the dining room will be hard to access from inside your kitchen. I would suggest you think of ways to access that space from either the dining room side or from the stool side. Could be a great place for a bank of drawers even, or a cabinet door. I have always wished for a door on the backside of my peninsula at home b/c I hate having to crawl halfway into the cabinetry to retrieve items I keep back there. Just something to keep in mind so you can truly enjoy it when you’re done! Can’t wait to see how things come together on this one. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!
xo,
s
Emma says
Yea!! I thought the banquette placement was wonky, but I LOVE this idea! Can’t wait to see it completed.
Heather F. says
That’s a great idea; in fact my dad has one in the house he built. What’s great about his it he has cabinet doors on both sides of the peninsula so you can easily access the dishes or whatever that is stored in the back of the cabinet. His cabinet doors don’t have handles so they don’t interfere with anyone sitting at the counter space. But the added convenience of those extra cabinet doors is great. Might be something to consider!
OMG Ponies! says
I really love your idea, and I’m super impressed by your ability to come up with the plan and draw it out. Not sure I would have ever been able to do that on my own, but I guess that’s why blogs are so great.
Nice work!
Kate says
I, personally, loved the banquette idea because it felt a little “cozier” to me (and have since recommended the idea to a friend who was trying to figure out what to do with a similar space in her new home). But, I hope this will work out well for you guys and that you’ll love it, since it is your house after all! :)
Barbara says
I have to laugh, because when you announced the banquette I thought “why don’t they just put in a counter?” (meaning fancy word “peninsula”. And now you are. I love it.
April says
Agreed with most everyone so far that this is much better than the banquette idea!
Michele says
Looks great! Can’t wait to see the final version!
Kate says
I actually had thought of a penninsula when you first mentioned it, but I also thought it would be waaaay too close to the fridge. It still looks like it is from the table mock up you set up in the kitchen, but it probably seems like more room in real life (and the counter depth fridge would also help). I’m glad you were able to look past that and see that it works!
Joellyn says
Ah, this is sooo much better than the awkward banquette (sorry) and so very practical. I have a similar setup and know first hand that chair will be the most used chair in the house. As for the # of stools- great if you can fit 4- but even so, I find my kids use the peninsula when I’m cooking and we never sit down there as a whole family. We tend to have family meals in the dining room and use the kitchen for eating on the go.
Katie says
Great idea! You will love (and NEED) the extra counter space. We had something similar in my house when I was young. It was great for my mom becasue it kept my sister and I out of her way when she was cooking, but still close enough that she could help with homework, chat about school, etc. I can’t wait to see it go up!
Libby says
I LOVE this new idea!! Seriously…so good. You guys could totally make a living being spacial planners :)
Brittany says
I like this so much better than the banquette. Being able to live with and work in the kitchen seems to have really helped you pick a more functional layout than immediately tearing out the kitchen when you moved in. I’ll have to keep this in mind if we buy an ugly duckling.
Shelley says
I’m sold. I liked the banquette, but it did turn it’s back on the dining room and break the open friendly flow of the house. This solution does seem to solve all of the issues AND create an awesome space by the fireplace. Double thumbs up.
Rachel says
John, I love this idea. It’s practical and attractive (two of my favorite qualities). One question though: weren’t you planning to eventually rip out your kitchen and redo it? Wouldn’t it be a good idea to wait on the penninsula until you do that?
Can’t wait to see it unfold. Good luck.
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, this kitchen isn’t a gut job! We love working with what we have- so we will be redoing the floors and painting the cabinets and updating the counters/appliances, but we’ll do that all as we go!
xo,
s
Becky says
I was a little confused about the wall opening at first (shown from the overhead drawings) but then after I saw the drawing that shows the fireplace, I got it. What a great idea!! Also, I bet a Christmas tree would look awesome in the “cozy” corner :) Good Luck with making the changes; can’t wait to see it when it is finished!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh YESSS! Awesome spot for a tree. Love it.
xo,
s
Gracie says
Oooh, that would be a great spot for a tree! I like it…I like it a lot!
Kate says
Love that area for a tree!
I might be odd, but “room for a Christmas tree” was actually on my list when we were buying a house. It wasn’t an essential, but it was definitely on my list!
But then, my family is a little odd about Christmas trees – my mom actually built a Christmas tree closet that houses the tree year round and can be opened at Christmas (or really any time of year if you want) for instant beautiful tree.
Kristi says
LOVE the idea!!! My parents’ house that I grew up in has a penninsula separating the kitchen from the casual dining/living room(very open). Growing up, my sister and I always did homework at ‘the bar’, hung out while my mom cooked dinner, ate breakfast. It’s great for the holidays, we usually stand around eating appetizers for hours before the meal starts, and we use the entire counter for buffet style! The one piece of advice: make sure the corners are somewhat rounded! That’s the only complaint everyone has: if you hit your hip/ribs/kids hit their head-it HURTS! When my parents upgraded to granite, they got the rounded corners, and it’s much less painful =)
Good luck, can’t wait to see it!
PS-Will soon be moving from Cville to Richmond!
YoungHouseLove says
Love the tip!
xo,
s
Emma says
Bingo! I love a cozy nook by the fire place. A seating area off of the kitchen is a GREAT idea – I wish I had room for one. I also love the idea of your peninsula. A very wise use of your space. I look forward to reading about it and drooling over the results!
Aimee says
I love it! I am excited for you to get started. No pressure! :)
adrienne says
Isn’t it awesome when you finally come up with the plan that makes you happy! We planned our kitchen layout over a bottle of wine standing in the kitchen. By the end of the bottle (haha) we had the perfect layout and we still love all the functionality of it today!
lindsey says
Google SketchUp tip:
Go into “styles” and click the edit tab and get rid of those pesky profiles. It will make your drawing much cleaner.
SketchUp is great and once you get the hang of it, it will be soooo easy.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip!
xo,
s
Keely says
I would like to register my support for the peninsula. :D The banquette seemed like a good idea in theory, but it had some inherent awkwardness to it. I had faith in your decorating mojo to overcome that, but I couldn’t picture it, myself. This new setup is intrinsically not-awkward, even blocking the new doorway a little bit seems like it’s all part of some original plan.
Also: I’m so glad you guys are taking a stand about what to do there! I always worry about my favorite bloggers (you guys, dooce, etc.) that they’ll feel pressured by the hoard of internet-people judging their every idea. John’s warning that you’re 100% sold on this was good to see. Stand firm against the flood! lol
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks! The whole banquette idea was kind of a brain dump (very half-baked as we mentioned), but this time we’re completely in love – so we had to shout it from the roof tops. You might say that we’re married to Mr. Peninsula. Haha. We were only briefly dating Mr Banquette.
-John
Elizabeth says
Now that is a good idea!!!
Christie says
I love it! Great use of the space and it will be perfect for overflow from the dining room. You guys have done it again. :-)
VOL25 says
I really loved the banquette idea, but after seeing the sketch up of this plan, I think it is 110% better. You can still get the cozy feel the banquette was going to provide, and it does seem to flow so much better. Great job guys! :)
Samantha Frank says
You know, from the aerial view I was totally thrown by the way it jutted into the doorway, but the straight-on view from the dining room sold me! What a nice view! I can’t wait to see how it looks in real life!
Judy Beekmsa says
WEll you guys have done it again….Absolutely stunning idea. I have to admit when I saw the Banquette post, I reverted to what my Mom used to say and that was “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say it at all.” I did not like the Banquette…It seemed to take up all your kitchen. But this new idea is lovely…I can hardly wait to see the transformation. Just a side note; I love concrete countertops and wanted one in my one new kitchen…but it was not feasible at the time. So we went with Quartz/Silestone and I am so happy with it. Most hypoallergenic countertop out there!
Teresa says
very nice.. I like this layout much better. Penninsulas/bars/islands with seating are totally worth it. We use ours sooo much. Kids do homework, eat breakfast, hang out while we cook, etc. Great thinking!!!
Molly K says
Ooooo I like this better! What I liked about your banquette idea was having a place to hang out in front of the fireplace – this makes it even cozier. I picture having a cup of tea and reading a book while waiting for something in the oven. Brilliant! Also you could have friends family sitting at the counter area while you cook and face you instead of being kind of off in another room with the banquette seating. Can’t wait to see it in action!
Tashia D says
Love this you guys! Especially the chair and ottoman in front of the fireplace for Sherry! So cozy!
Brita says
I LOVE IT!
I was never really sold on the banquette, I always felt like it was awkward in that space. This looks like an amazing solution, and as a kid who used to have a kitchen setup somewhat like this, I loved doing my homework close to where my parents were making dinner so I could ask questions while they worked.
Woohoo! Excited to see it come together :)
seriouslysassymama says
I was not really sold on the banquette. It chopped up the space. I like the TV idea. Candice Olsen is awesome. Love the 3D specs.
Sheena says
Love this idea so much better!
John – you can make those google renderings look even cleaner by turning off guides and axis under the view menu before exporting a jpg or grabbing a screen shot. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Sheena! Definitely still learning…
-John
MJB says
I was advocating a peninsula when the banquette was first discussed… so of course, I’m taking credit! (Kidding.)
Maybe bookshelf or wine rack opening at the dining room side of the peninsula? Or something that ties the rooms together. Also, as you look into the kitchen from the dining room, the cabinet sides look a little block-y… maybe have glass/open cabinets to store/display glasses, plates,pretty stuff.
PS I’m with Sherry on no TV. (Much better for family bonding during meals… you won’t regret keeping a media free zone.)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks for the ideas MJB!
xo,
s
MJB says
I meant “as you look into the kitchen from the chair side of the peninsula” (not dining room)
YoungHouseLove says
Gotcha!
xo,
s
Allison says
I hear rugs really tie rooms together
Jennifer C. says
It’s perfect! I’m geeky-excited too! Can’t wait to see how it all goes down.
mribaro says
Hooray for thinking outside the box, or should I say – outside the banquette :) I very much like the peninsula idea, specially the half-wall you envisioned from the dining room side.
Question: Do you absolutely need that doorway towards the hallway? You’re gonna have a direct entrance to the dining room as well as the existing one into the living room. It seems to me that the hallway doors won’t serve as a shortcut to anywhere with two other doors. Without them you get a nice piece of uninterrupted wall (I’d place bookshelves in the middle of it, rather than trying to squeeze them into that corner behind the armchair). What do you think?
YoungHouseLove says
We love that doorway and never want to lose it since from the other side (the hallway) it would be a dark alley without that opening to the kitchen. We also love seeing the frame wall from so many rooms- it’s like the heart of the house!
xo,
s
Sarah says
I liked the idea of the banquette but it took more “selling” than this and you’re right, it was much heavier. Totally checked out younghouse life before reading this and thought it looked super awesome (I kept pausing and rewinding to see if you guys demoed the wall)!
YoungHouseLove says
Sadly that’s going to take some time (need permits and a licensed contractor, etc). Can’t wait though!
xo,
s
Gavin S. says
Hooray! I didn’t want to say anything before (because it’s your house and it doesn’t matter what I think), but I wasn’t a huge fan of the banquette idea. This looks a hundred times better and more useful! I’m starting to geek out over it and I’m not even going to be using it. No wonder you’re excited!
SushiMama says
Me LIKEY!!!! I’ve always been a peninsula girl, myself, and glad this gives you an excuse to replace the counter tops you were never crazy about.
Lindsay@Tell'er All About It says
SOLD! I like this SO MUCH BETTER than the Banquette idea. I wasn’t sold on it myself but this is SO much more functional! Great work figuring that one out!
Korina says
YES! Glad you all don’t feel pressured to do something just ’cause you blogged about it. The new design is a winner–love it! Can’t wait to see how you do it– I would love to knock down a wall to open our dining room into our living room.
Peggy says
I really really love this plan. I was worried about the “floating banquette” but this solves all the issues perfectly. And you gain a whole room/nook in the process (referred to as a “keeping room” in my area)! Can’t wait to see all the planning and progress posts!
CasaCullen says
yep, love this idea so much better! we have an open kitchen/tv room feature at our house and i get to watch tv while preparing all meals (if i want) and we can see the tv from our bfast nook too! it really DOES make ‘slaving’ (just kidding, i love to cook) in the kitchen a much more enjoyable experience :) bravo for seeing other options and not just going with your first idea!
Stephanie says
I definitely vote for a TV!! It doesn’t need to be over the fireplace though. Place it somewhere you can see from the eating and prep area. You won’t regret it! We got one a few months ago and it’s the most used tv in our home. There is nothing better than watching the morning news during breakfast and the Food Network while prepping your meals. It’s great inspiration :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so many votes for the TV! Well, since John is the chef I might just cave in.
xo,
s
kat says
I love it!!! I really wanted to like Mr. Banquette, but it was a hard sell. And I’m sorry to say, I side with John on the TV! I’d love to watch the news and drink my coffee in the cozy chair corner in the AM.
Kati W. says
Looks great! I never was sold on the banquette (sorry guys!) and this one makes SO much more sense. I like y’all ideas on taping stuff out to see how it feels first. I’m totally going to do that once I start on my own kitchen! Thanks for continually inspiring all of us out here!
jessica says
um…awesome. You guys are brilliant. I love the flow now and how cool is it to have a lounge chair near a fireplace in your kitchen…its so coooozy and hangy outy. And if you have a really big group of people over and they all don’t fit at the dining table the ones at the peninsula won’t feel separated. Love it!
Joelle says
this idea seems much more functional. Loved the banquette idea in theory, but looked like something in a magazine that you’d never really use, or get annoyed by eventually. love the peninsula! can’t wait to be along for the ride as you make it happen!
Christa M says
Why did I think that was the original plan? I absolutely LOVE this idea for the kitchen.
Jess says
Ok, I’m being nosy here. I saw someone already beat me to the shoes, but where are those cute skinny jeans from? Please tell me they’re cheap too! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, Gap. On sale for $19 I think (they have great denim sales a few times a year). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jaimie says
I thought I spotted a Gap jean! Are those the 1969 always skinny kind? If you got those for $19 that is a steal!
YoungHouseLove says
Hah- yes! They had a big denim sale and everything was 50% off for the weekend and then I used some 20% coupon I had (which was amazingly ok on sale items). It was a jean coup! Haha.
xo,
s