Kitchen Design
Discussion
PositronicRay said:
I'd stick the cooker down that end too, so it's close to the sink.
Agreed.Useful wiki here OP.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_work_triangl...
I'll devil's advocate this for a moment. We carried tall cabinets on into the dining area, as in your original drawing, as well as having the fridge freezer there. Island in the kitchen had a second under-counter fridge for cooking, so the triangle was kept.
Reason? Tonnes more storage, and "dining room" specific stuff was then in dining area e.g. booze + accoutrements (inc wine fridge, glasses etc), plates etc. The way I designed it meant clearing the table means putting stuff on the end of the island, right where the dishwasher is, and emptying dishwasher back onto island allows loading into cupboards nearby from there.
There's more than one way of doing it, depending on space etc.
Reason? Tonnes more storage, and "dining room" specific stuff was then in dining area e.g. booze + accoutrements (inc wine fridge, glasses etc), plates etc. The way I designed it meant clearing the table means putting stuff on the end of the island, right where the dishwasher is, and emptying dishwasher back onto island allows loading into cupboards nearby from there.
There's more than one way of doing it, depending on space etc.
Harry Flashman said:
I'll devil's advocate this for a moment. We carried tall cabinets on into the dining area, as in your original drawing, as well as having the fridge freezer there. Island in the kitchen had a second under-counter fridge for cooking, so the triangle was kept.
Reason? Tonnes more storage, and "dining room" specific stuff was then in dining area e.g. booze + accoutrements (inc wine fridge, glasses etc), plates etc. The way I designed it meant clearing the table means putting stuff on the end of the island, right where the dishwasher is, and emptying dishwasher back onto island allows loading into cupboards nearby from there.
There's more than one way of doing it, depending on space etc.
I like that idea. It's hard to visualise where the dining room table goes and that top left door seems to be a bit of an obstacle but it's best to consider all this type of stuff now in the planning stages.Reason? Tonnes more storage, and "dining room" specific stuff was then in dining area e.g. booze + accoutrements (inc wine fridge, glasses etc), plates etc. The way I designed it meant clearing the table means putting stuff on the end of the island, right where the dishwasher is, and emptying dishwasher back onto island allows loading into cupboards nearby from there.
There's more than one way of doing it, depending on space etc.
When we designed our kitchen, which runs into the dining area, we also had the island close by, as well as a some top and bottom kitchen cabinets running into the dining space.
We then ran low level cabinets in a window seating design which not only gives loads of storage space, but also joins the 2 spaces up quite well. You just put your table beside the window seating and add some chairs. It's not for everyone this type of thing, so might not suit you OP, but it worked for us. Great for parties etc and kids love it. We had 10 of them lined up along one side, all bunched up as it's just a big long seat.
A construction pic to give an idea.
soupdragon1 said:
I like that idea. It's hard to visualise where the dining room table goes and that top left door seems to be a bit of an obstacle but it's best to consider all this type of stuff now in the planning stages.
When we designed our kitchen, which runs into the dining area, we also had the island close by, as well as a some top and bottom kitchen cabinets running into the dining space.
We then ran low level cabinets in a window seating design which not only gives loads of storage space, but also joins the 2 spaces up quite well. You just put your table beside the window seating and add some chairs. It's not for everyone this type of thing, so might not suit you OP, but it worked for us. Great for parties etc and kids love it. We had 10 of them lined up along one side, all bunched up as it's just a big long seat.
A construction pic to give an idea.
Looks nice. Good thinking. Any finished pictures?When we designed our kitchen, which runs into the dining area, we also had the island close by, as well as a some top and bottom kitchen cabinets running into the dining space.
We then ran low level cabinets in a window seating design which not only gives loads of storage space, but also joins the 2 spaces up quite well. You just put your table beside the window seating and add some chairs. It's not for everyone this type of thing, so might not suit you OP, but it worked for us. Great for parties etc and kids love it. We had 10 of them lined up along one side, all bunched up as it's just a big long seat.
A construction pic to give an idea.
OP, What program are you using to get the layouts? What's the best ones out there to have a play around with.
Much better after some revisions.
Don't put the hob up at the top, put it down on the island and as others have already said, make it at least 900 deep, or even better 1200. But ensure the worktop has an overhang so you can get some bar stools under it.
Get your ovens into full height units so they sit around worktop level for good ergonomics.
Also get built in integrated fridge and freezer, they always cry out to be hidden away.
Try thinking about your movement in the kitchen, where you'll be walking to and from, where two of you in the space might clash and hit each other, or get in the way etc. For the last point, don't put your cutlery and plates in big draw units in front of the hob, as the person cooking at the hob, will always be in the way of the person setting the table. So put cutlery and plate in a big wide draw more towards the table area, but also close enough to the worktop near the hob so you can dish up also.
When putting in a sink, go for a decent double bowl if possible. Think seriously about an insinkerator waste disposal as it'll eat all waste food and bones. Then have your sink central, with the dishwasher on one side and bin on the other. You can then in one fluid motion push things into the bin, sweep across to the sink and waste disposal/rinse plate, then carry on the same movement arc to put the plate/item into the dishwasher.
Go for as many draw units as you can and try to avoid low level cupboards. Cupboards get crammed with crap then you have to kneel on the floor to see into the back, knock over half the things to get to anything at the back and they just turn out to be dumping units. With big draw units you can bring everything out to you, easy to reach, well lit, saving time and your back.
Don't put the hob up at the top, put it down on the island and as others have already said, make it at least 900 deep, or even better 1200. But ensure the worktop has an overhang so you can get some bar stools under it.
Get your ovens into full height units so they sit around worktop level for good ergonomics.
Also get built in integrated fridge and freezer, they always cry out to be hidden away.
Try thinking about your movement in the kitchen, where you'll be walking to and from, where two of you in the space might clash and hit each other, or get in the way etc. For the last point, don't put your cutlery and plates in big draw units in front of the hob, as the person cooking at the hob, will always be in the way of the person setting the table. So put cutlery and plate in a big wide draw more towards the table area, but also close enough to the worktop near the hob so you can dish up also.
When putting in a sink, go for a decent double bowl if possible. Think seriously about an insinkerator waste disposal as it'll eat all waste food and bones. Then have your sink central, with the dishwasher on one side and bin on the other. You can then in one fluid motion push things into the bin, sweep across to the sink and waste disposal/rinse plate, then carry on the same movement arc to put the plate/item into the dishwasher.
Go for as many draw units as you can and try to avoid low level cupboards. Cupboards get crammed with crap then you have to kneel on the floor to see into the back, knock over half the things to get to anything at the back and they just turn out to be dumping units. With big draw units you can bring everything out to you, easy to reach, well lit, saving time and your back.
-Ad- said:
Much better after some revisions.
Don't put the hob up at the top, put it down on the island and as others have already said, make it at least 900 deep, or even better 1200. But ensure the worktop has an overhang so you can get some bar stools under it.
Get your ovens into full height units so they sit around worktop level for good ergonomics.
Also get built in integrated fridge and freezer, they always cry out to be hidden away.
Try thinking about your movement in the kitchen, where you'll be walking to and from, where two of you in the space might clash and hit each other, or get in the way etc. For the last point, don't put your cutlery and plates in big draw units in front of the hob, as the person cooking at the hob, will always be in the way of the person setting the table. So put cutlery and plate in a big wide draw more towards the table area, but also close enough to the worktop near the hob so you can dish up also.
When putting in a sink, go for a decent double bowl if possible. Think seriously about an insinkerator waste disposal as it'll eat all waste food and bones. Then have your sink central, with the dishwasher on one side and bin on the other. You can then in one fluid motion push things into the bin, sweep across to the sink and waste disposal/rinse plate, then carry on the same movement arc to put the plate/item into the dishwasher.
Go for as many draw units as you can and try to avoid low level cupboards. Cupboards get crammed with crap then you have to kneel on the floor to see into the back, knock over half the things to get to anything at the back and they just turn out to be dumping units. With big draw units you can bring everything out to you, easy to reach, well lit, saving time and your back.
Some excellent advice here, as well as from everyone else on this thread. Think about tasks - who is doing what, and their pathways. My kitchen is designed so that when one is cooking, the other can wash up and tidy, or set table, or feed the baby, without us getting in each other's way. Don't put the hob up at the top, put it down on the island and as others have already said, make it at least 900 deep, or even better 1200. But ensure the worktop has an overhang so you can get some bar stools under it.
Get your ovens into full height units so they sit around worktop level for good ergonomics.
Also get built in integrated fridge and freezer, they always cry out to be hidden away.
Try thinking about your movement in the kitchen, where you'll be walking to and from, where two of you in the space might clash and hit each other, or get in the way etc. For the last point, don't put your cutlery and plates in big draw units in front of the hob, as the person cooking at the hob, will always be in the way of the person setting the table. So put cutlery and plate in a big wide draw more towards the table area, but also close enough to the worktop near the hob so you can dish up also.
When putting in a sink, go for a decent double bowl if possible. Think seriously about an insinkerator waste disposal as it'll eat all waste food and bones. Then have your sink central, with the dishwasher on one side and bin on the other. You can then in one fluid motion push things into the bin, sweep across to the sink and waste disposal/rinse plate, then carry on the same movement arc to put the plate/item into the dishwasher.
Go for as many draw units as you can and try to avoid low level cupboards. Cupboards get crammed with crap then you have to kneel on the floor to see into the back, knock over half the things to get to anything at the back and they just turn out to be dumping units. With big draw units you can bring everything out to you, easy to reach, well lit, saving time and your back.
And drawers over cupboards: but be aware that you need a couple of low or mid level cupboards for tall, heavy stuff. I have a few for things like big pots, blender/food processor etc.
And think about an appliance cupboard. Our kettle, toaster, soda maker etc are happy hidden in a shallow cupboard above a worktop. This contains plug points and all the electrical switches for the kitchen, so worktop and walls are tidy. Microwave is hidden in a tall cabinet with plug point in it too. Means more useable space on your workops.
Still struggling a little to make this all fit with the peninsular units, I think its the 3 doors that I have to the left of the plan which make fitting the table a little awkward. Don't want to make it seem cramped or to walk through the door and be hit with a obstacle (table) as you go in.
If you went with B17's plan then you would have say a 900 worktop sitting on standard 600 deep units with the doors opening into the kitchen area - not into the dining area as in your plan. The extra 300mm overhang is used as legroom and a place to push the stools under.
By my reckoning you would have about 2.3 metres of space for the dining table - plenty I would have thought
By my reckoning you would have about 2.3 metres of space for the dining table - plenty I would have thought
BertyFish said:
soupdragon1 said:
I like that idea. It's hard to visualise where the dining room table goes and that top left door seems to be a bit of an obstacle but it's best to consider all this type of stuff now in the planning stages.
When we designed our kitchen, which runs into the dining area, we also had the island close by, as well as a some top and bottom kitchen cabinets running into the dining space.
We then ran low level cabinets in a window seating design which not only gives loads of storage space, but also joins the 2 spaces up quite well. You just put your table beside the window seating and add some chairs. It's not for everyone this type of thing, so might not suit you OP, but it worked for us. Great for parties etc and kids love it. We had 10 of them lined up along one side, all bunched up as it's just a big long seat.
A construction pic to give an idea.
Looks nice. Good thinking. Any finished pictures?When we designed our kitchen, which runs into the dining area, we also had the island close by, as well as a some top and bottom kitchen cabinets running into the dining space.
We then ran low level cabinets in a window seating design which not only gives loads of storage space, but also joins the 2 spaces up quite well. You just put your table beside the window seating and add some chairs. It's not for everyone this type of thing, so might not suit you OP, but it worked for us. Great for parties etc and kids love it. We had 10 of them lined up along one side, all bunched up as it's just a big long seat.
A construction pic to give an idea.
OP, What program are you using to get the layouts? What's the best ones out there to have a play around with.
It's not for everyone this type of set up.
Pros.
A bit different, not your typical dining table arrangement.
A ton of extra storage space.
Joins the kitchen dining space and morphs into one, but with a feeling of separation too.
You can bunch people up on the bench seating, especially kids, to create more seating space than normal when you've extra people round
Takes up less space than a normal dining arrangement
Cons
Awkward to mop the floor between table and bench seating
When seated, if you're in the middle of a bench and need to get up, others need to shuffle our of the way
You need to be careful with spillages - fabric cushions can't just be wiped down
For us, we use a table that has an extension in the middle so that we can increase, reduce size to give a bit of flexibility. We currently use 3 standard chairs along with the bench seating, but have a spare in the loft if we need it.
Whether this would work for the OP is another matter, but thought it's worth at least a consideration. Best exploring as many options as possible in the design stage!
Edited by soupdragon1 on Tuesday 21st August 18:48
nufcfan said:
I really like what you have done, probably not for us but great use of the space.
Yes, its not for everyone. We were fortunate enough to have a separate dining room as well, so it didn't feel as much of a 'risk' going for something a bit quirky like that - otherwise we might have stuck to something more traditional.Another good tip is to visit plenty of kitchen designers to get quotes. They'll all have their own views and, considering its their day job, I'm sure one or 2 of them will come up with some cracking layout options that you maybe wouldn't have considered otherwise.
Also OP, get yourself on www.houzz.co.uk. I am on there as “Resh” and you can see our build. (4 threads on the blog as we had so much done!).
Also plenty of brilliant pros on there who can help. A concept planner/designer like OnePlan on there is a huge help if you are not confident in doing it yourself. Her work is excellent.
I did it all myself but a)I am hugely into it all and b) it was my third time and I used PH and Houzz extensively for ideas. The guys on PH are an invaluable help - listen to them, but bear in mind that everyone is different and has different priorities. Work out what yours are before finalising the design.
Also plenty of brilliant pros on there who can help. A concept planner/designer like OnePlan on there is a huge help if you are not confident in doing it yourself. Her work is excellent.
I did it all myself but a)I am hugely into it all and b) it was my third time and I used PH and Houzz extensively for ideas. The guys on PH are an invaluable help - listen to them, but bear in mind that everyone is different and has different priorities. Work out what yours are before finalising the design.
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