Kitchen design suggestions please?
Discussion
I'm trying to get a basic idea of how our kitchen will look when we knock through downstairs next year, and have sketched up a design for the new kitchen. I wouldn't mind some feedback (singlecoil, Wozy, Neil I'm looking at you!) on the design as I don't really know the basic principles.
Short summary - I love cooking, especially anything with 100 spices in it, I'm not a fad/gadget freak, I just like a good work surface, big fridge, tons of dry food storage and a decent gas cooker and I'm good to go. Couple with no kids so we can take some liberties in the design.
Whole space is 4.93M front to back x 6M side to side. Peninsula where the cooker is is a wall at 1.7M + additional doweling to be adding making it 3.1M.
Any advice appreciated thank you!
Short summary - I love cooking, especially anything with 100 spices in it, I'm not a fad/gadget freak, I just like a good work surface, big fridge, tons of dry food storage and a decent gas cooker and I'm good to go. Couple with no kids so we can take some liberties in the design.
- Far left tall unit is where the boiler is. Space below the boiler will be reserved for boots/shoes/outdoor bits.
- 2 other tall units assumed to be one as a full height integrated larder fridge with freezer compartment, and other one a body height oven and probably a door below to house rice cooker/toaster/any other crap. Main freezer may be elsewhere in house for meats etc to maximise cupboard space.
- Cooker extra wide gas, with hood above as it can exit through the front of the house directly behind it. We can't exit at the side.
- Other appliances to fit - Dishwasher, Washing machine, both integrated
- Some sort of custom spice rack where the shelves are to the right of the cooker
- Will probably hang pans where these shelves are too, I have nice looking pans!
- Rarely wash up as we have a dishwasher, so sink is a bit of a formality. Even considered it on the sticking out bit of work surface.
- Already have the table, 2M long, and love it, so sort of working around it.
- Design will be handleless, very simple, no fuss.
Whole space is 4.93M front to back x 6M side to side. Peninsula where the cooker is is a wall at 1.7M + additional doweling to be adding making it 3.1M.
Any advice appreciated thank you!
I'll have a look when I've time. But I'll help as best as I can. Anyone whos previous fleet included two of the finest motorcycles ever built (Daytona 675 and the great NC30) can't be a bad bloke 
Initial thoughts. For a fella who cooks, that seems a large room with a small kitchen in it.
Initial thoughts. For a fella who cooks, that seems a large room with a small kitchen in it.
Thanks Wozy! I miss those bikes so dearly.
I really don't know what I'm doing in terms of kitchen design, I just know I got by on an old rental with a 3M long surface (including cooker/sink) and lots of storage and was happy, so I'm quite pragmatic about it. I know that what I've sketched up is pleasing to the eye - not too overbearing, but maybe there's a better way?
Note to add, we love sitting around too so we don't want to decimate the lounge.
I really don't know what I'm doing in terms of kitchen design, I just know I got by on an old rental with a 3M long surface (including cooker/sink) and lots of storage and was happy, so I'm quite pragmatic about it. I know that what I've sketched up is pleasing to the eye - not too overbearing, but maybe there's a better way?
Note to add, we love sitting around too so we don't want to decimate the lounge.
Wozy68 said:
I'll have a look when I've time. But I'll help as best as I can. Anyone whos previous fleet included two of the finest motorcycles ever built (Daytona 675 and the great NC30) can't be a bad bloke
Initial thoughts. For a fella who cooks, that seems a large room with a small kitchen in it.
Think the view is just the 3D perspective. Room size is 5 x 6m, approx.Initial thoughts. For a fella who cooks, that seems a large room with a small kitchen in it.
Initial thought is it looks ok, but I wonder why the breakfast bar, when there is a large table. Think I would go for more storage.
I might also make the wall units tall, 900 units to again maximise the storage.
If keeping all the wall units at std height worktop to wall unit, make sue you select a tap that isn't too tall. Std gap is 485/495mm dependant on 30 or 40mm tops.
Thanks Neil. Breakfast bar is definitely up for debate. We've always had something like it and like the 'social' part of it when we're cooking. Also a bit more informal when we're just grabbing food, as we use the table for all sorts - drawing, a makeshift desk.
Aesthetically I like the way the kitchen "tapers" without units on the end.
But, if by your eyes that cuts out valuable storage, am open to suggestions. Could do a single unit, with a smaller overhang. We've had this before too - just enough space/overhang for one person to sit on the end sometimes.
No objection to 900mm units (I'm 6'2 so I can use the height!) though I did wonder if this would be a problem for clearance and make it a bit pokey?
Aesthetically I like the way the kitchen "tapers" without units on the end.
But, if by your eyes that cuts out valuable storage, am open to suggestions. Could do a single unit, with a smaller overhang. We've had this before too - just enough space/overhang for one person to sit on the end sometimes.
No objection to 900mm units (I'm 6'2 so I can use the height!) though I did wonder if this would be a problem for clearance and make it a bit pokey?
It doesn't look like much storage for the size of the room. When we were having our kitchen done there was a German brand that had drawers in the plinths which would add to the storage (can't remember the make sorry). We had a larder cupboard put in and it is fantastic for keeping all the non-fridge stuff together if you can fit another tall unit in.
The larder cupboard was originally a major 'must' for the kitchen but I can't find the space for it - another full height unit would be a bit extreme I think. (This is why I came on here for advice, I think I might have fundamentally got the layout a bit wrong which will limit me)
Edited by untruth on Monday 15th September 13:20
I love this game! My 2p:
Spices don't really like sunlight, and anything you put on display on those shelves will soon look grubby! The breakfast bar looks a bit of an afterthought overall.
I assume you don't wash your vegetables in your dishwasher, so you probably do want a sink somewhere in/near the preparation bit of the work surface. You want a bin near there too. And ideally you don't want the washing machine under that area either, so two people can do two jobs at the same time.
Spices don't really like sunlight, and anything you put on display on those shelves will soon look grubby! The breakfast bar looks a bit of an afterthought overall.
I assume you don't wash your vegetables in your dishwasher, so you probably do want a sink somewhere in/near the preparation bit of the work surface. You want a bin near there too. And ideally you don't want the washing machine under that area either, so two people can do two jobs at the same time.
This place is great for kitchen feedback. Always good stuff in these threads!
This takes the idea of using the peninsula for larder store and extending rear wall. It feels quite practical (always helps, that), but it is very top-heavy and overbearing. Also lessens sight lines with cooker into living area, and takes away the nice view/light from front door, through the dowelling to the rear sliding doors. I think it's a bit odd for doing so much work to make it open plan but I could be convinced.
This just introduces a larder store to main wall, but makes sure the peninsula is used better. There are probably a few half-height cupboard types that might be able to hang off the dowelling to create more space without being as intimidating as the full height.
I haven't tried moving the cooker 90 degrees onto the rear wall yet, but I know that might be possible - plan is to run an inline fan in the cupboard next to the kitchen so the flue could run at a right angle to the cooker.
PS. Would love a boiling tap but there is a fairly limited budget, and that is probably money that could go on a decent work surface sadly.
This takes the idea of using the peninsula for larder store and extending rear wall. It feels quite practical (always helps, that), but it is very top-heavy and overbearing. Also lessens sight lines with cooker into living area, and takes away the nice view/light from front door, through the dowelling to the rear sliding doors. I think it's a bit odd for doing so much work to make it open plan but I could be convinced.
This just introduces a larder store to main wall, but makes sure the peninsula is used better. There are probably a few half-height cupboard types that might be able to hang off the dowelling to create more space without being as intimidating as the full height.
I haven't tried moving the cooker 90 degrees onto the rear wall yet, but I know that might be possible - plan is to run an inline fan in the cupboard next to the kitchen so the flue could run at a right angle to the cooker.
PS. Would love a boiling tap but there is a fairly limited budget, and that is probably money that could go on a decent work surface sadly.
Edited by untruth on Tuesday 16th September 00:05
Unless you want to create a screen, then tall larder/oven units at the entrance to a room are really a no no, full depth at eye level makes the room feel smaller.
By the time you add the sink on the O/S wall worktop I think you might be running out of worktop prep space if you include another tall larder unit next to the 3 original ones?
By the time you add the sink on the O/S wall worktop I think you might be running out of worktop prep space if you include another tall larder unit next to the 3 original ones?
Neil - YVM said:
Unless you want to create a screen, then tall larder/oven units at the entrance to a room are really a no no, full depth at eye level makes the room feel smaller.
That's my feeling too. The idea of having units at the back is so they blend in with the wall rather than being prominent. On the larder, I think a better alternative to maintain the space may be to have larder-type units or drawers inside the existing cabinets.
Edited by untruth on Tuesday 16th September 08:29
This is where I've got to.
It's not a too bad amount of storage. I might consider some metal baskets on the dowelling for things like onions, fruit, etc, which should take away some demands for storage. And as they won't be there for weeks on end, they shouldn't become too cooker-war-torn.
Sink seems to almost make sense on the end of the peninsula, but could just as well work by the tall units.
It's not a too bad amount of storage. I might consider some metal baskets on the dowelling for things like onions, fruit, etc, which should take away some demands for storage. And as they won't be there for weeks on end, they shouldn't become too cooker-war-torn.
Sink seems to almost make sense on the end of the peninsula, but could just as well work by the tall units.
My parents old place had a "cupbard" about 6" wide which when you pulled on the door slid out with a load of racking/shelves behind it. Great for the spices as they were all on long shelves 2 jars wide so easy to find everything. I'd be tempted to get something similar when I ever redo our kitchen.
Picking this up again, I'm aiming to get in touch with some suppliers for this. The plan is to use a joiner preferably, as we have quite a lot of other joinery we need doing as part of the build so it could be quite economical.
Anyone want to stick their guess in a hat at the cost of something like this excluding worktops?
Anyone want to stick their guess in a hat at the cost of something like this excluding worktops?
Neil - YVM said:
What sort of style / finish did you want?
Flat/slab doors, shaker, etc
Vinyl, gloss, solid timber, etc.
Handles / handleless.
Flat/slab doors, shaker, etc
Vinyl, gloss, solid timber, etc.
Handles / handleless.
- Handless, flat doors, no detailing.
- White finish, on the fence about gloss or not, but would aim for a finish that is somewhere in the middle - durable without breaking the bank.
I think as we would use a joiner we'd want some more bespoke internals to the units for tins, spices, dry goods etc. That's where I think I'd like to spend the money - to make all the storage as useful as possible.
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