Perfect kitchen
Discussion
This is here, not in DIY, because it's a thread for people who use kitchens, not install them (although I can/will do both)
I'd say about 9 out of 10 kitchens are "designed" to look "good" primarily, and be used secondly. Impractical surfaces, awkward ergonomics. I see very few kitchens that look like they were designed by someone who knows a chafing dish from a cheese grater.
So if you're designing your kitchen how would you go about it? Mine would include:
At least a certain amount of extra deep worktop- 800/900mm instead of the usual 600/650- if you've got lots off apps, ingredients, bowls etc out the extra depth is really nice
More open shelving, especially for pans etc, all utensils hanging, large spice rack (double depth for refills)
The cupboards I do have will be wipe clean, probably gloss white. For worktops I'm thinking corian looks good and mega practical, but I'm wondering if you can have gas burners mounted directly into polished slate, rather than an inset hob unit. If not the hob would be the "in a row", or maybe spaced single/double insets, to give room to use several large pans simultaneously. cooker hood would be oversized to allow steamers, grills etc to sit under it and probably custom built utilizing multiple remote located inline fans (variable power, cheap and quiet)
Compact work area with "everything you need" surrounding the food prep area- fridge, pantry, hob, oven, sink, dishwasher. Not like some where the fridge is at the opposite end of an l-shaped kitchen because it fitted the design neatly, often with no adjacent worktop to place things. You don't need a huge kitchen, you just need a U-shape with everything at you fingertips. Many kitchens have islands you'd be forever doing laps of to cook something.
Loads of sockets, good lighting with ideally in cupboard lights, also inbuilt radiant food warming, maybe under a wall cupboard/shelf
Indoor Herb garden, maybe with LED grow lights. (this could be made into a feature between at kitchen/breakfast bar area)
Big lever taps so you can knock them on when your hands are covered in sticky dough, raw meat juice etc. One lever for hot, one for cold, stick your crappy single lever mixer units that take a stranger several attempts to work out how to get cold water from and have two settings- off and full blast.
Pull-out bin under main food prep, wipe/push everything straight in.
Inbuilt oven, eye level, maybe 2x single rather than double oven, if budget allows an extra-wide one (900mm) All other appls- fridge, dishwasher etc to be freestanding, with white units it all looks good and is practical, easy to replace, space efficient- no inbuilt fridges that cost you 5 times as much for a fridge thats 75% of the size of the freestander that fits in the same space.
A wipe clean/kitchen proof touchscreen computer screen/TV/AV controller/(door entry?) would be nice too, if such a unit can be had at a reasonable price
All of this can be done, and done right it'll look smart too. I don't care about your oiled wood, your black granite chosen cos it's posh innit but you'd only stretch to the cheapest colour which darkens the whole room or your [stop the presses] soft-close draws, or whatever else your "designer" tells you you must have.
I'd say about 9 out of 10 kitchens are "designed" to look "good" primarily, and be used secondly. Impractical surfaces, awkward ergonomics. I see very few kitchens that look like they were designed by someone who knows a chafing dish from a cheese grater.
So if you're designing your kitchen how would you go about it? Mine would include:
At least a certain amount of extra deep worktop- 800/900mm instead of the usual 600/650- if you've got lots off apps, ingredients, bowls etc out the extra depth is really nice
More open shelving, especially for pans etc, all utensils hanging, large spice rack (double depth for refills)
The cupboards I do have will be wipe clean, probably gloss white. For worktops I'm thinking corian looks good and mega practical, but I'm wondering if you can have gas burners mounted directly into polished slate, rather than an inset hob unit. If not the hob would be the "in a row", or maybe spaced single/double insets, to give room to use several large pans simultaneously. cooker hood would be oversized to allow steamers, grills etc to sit under it and probably custom built utilizing multiple remote located inline fans (variable power, cheap and quiet)
Compact work area with "everything you need" surrounding the food prep area- fridge, pantry, hob, oven, sink, dishwasher. Not like some where the fridge is at the opposite end of an l-shaped kitchen because it fitted the design neatly, often with no adjacent worktop to place things. You don't need a huge kitchen, you just need a U-shape with everything at you fingertips. Many kitchens have islands you'd be forever doing laps of to cook something.
Loads of sockets, good lighting with ideally in cupboard lights, also inbuilt radiant food warming, maybe under a wall cupboard/shelf
Indoor Herb garden, maybe with LED grow lights. (this could be made into a feature between at kitchen/breakfast bar area)
Big lever taps so you can knock them on when your hands are covered in sticky dough, raw meat juice etc. One lever for hot, one for cold, stick your crappy single lever mixer units that take a stranger several attempts to work out how to get cold water from and have two settings- off and full blast.
Pull-out bin under main food prep, wipe/push everything straight in.
Inbuilt oven, eye level, maybe 2x single rather than double oven, if budget allows an extra-wide one (900mm) All other appls- fridge, dishwasher etc to be freestanding, with white units it all looks good and is practical, easy to replace, space efficient- no inbuilt fridges that cost you 5 times as much for a fridge thats 75% of the size of the freestander that fits in the same space.
A wipe clean/kitchen proof touchscreen computer screen/TV/AV controller/(door entry?) would be nice too, if such a unit can be had at a reasonable price
All of this can be done, and done right it'll look smart too. I don't care about your oiled wood, your black granite chosen cos it's posh innit but you'd only stretch to the cheapest colour which darkens the whole room or your [stop the presses] soft-close draws, or whatever else your "designer" tells you you must have.
My kitchen has two main work surface in an L-shape, which is ideal. Or rather it would be, if one side didn't have a sink right in the middle of it, and the other side a hob. So the actual work surface I have is separated into two small areas at each end, plus one diamond shaped area in the corner. If they had only put the sink and cooker at either end of the L-shape, it would be perfect.
1] it must be a large space. i agree with deep units & worktops, though i don't think i've ever seen something as small as 600-650mm wide worktop.
2] solid construction cabinets and wooden worktops. this is largely a cosmetic decision, i know they can be a pain to live with.
3] large central island with a proper butcher's block. used as a prep area due to above worktops.
4] twin belfast sink [as i have now, it's great].
5] minimum 6 burner 900mm gas hob, set into chimney breast with the extractor fitting perfectly into alcove. again, i have this now and it works great and is very unobtrusive. i'd prefer the space beneath the hob to be used for storing cooking pans / dishes.
6] twin electric ovens.
7] very light/bright/airy. a true heart of the home.
8] a walk in pantry. i lived in a flat with an 8ft x 12ft one and it was great. ideally it would be large enough to house a dedicated beer fridge and a freezer as well as having floor-ceiling shelving.
9] one of those medicine chest/drawer things for spices / odds & sods.
10] lastly, a plumbed in espresso maker.
2] solid construction cabinets and wooden worktops. this is largely a cosmetic decision, i know they can be a pain to live with.
3] large central island with a proper butcher's block. used as a prep area due to above worktops.
4] twin belfast sink [as i have now, it's great].
5] minimum 6 burner 900mm gas hob, set into chimney breast with the extractor fitting perfectly into alcove. again, i have this now and it works great and is very unobtrusive. i'd prefer the space beneath the hob to be used for storing cooking pans / dishes.
6] twin electric ovens.
7] very light/bright/airy. a true heart of the home.
8] a walk in pantry. i lived in a flat with an 8ft x 12ft one and it was great. ideally it would be large enough to house a dedicated beer fridge and a freezer as well as having floor-ceiling shelving.
9] one of those medicine chest/drawer things for spices / odds & sods.
10] lastly, a plumbed in espresso maker.
Interesting subject as I'm in the middle of redesigning and fitting a new kitchen.
The old one was too small, 3.5mx2.75m. We've knocked through into what was a small utility and the back of the garage effectively making a rectangle 5.5mx3.25m.
One end will have a washing up area with sink, dishwasher, normal wall cupboards for crockery etc dining table and a TV.
The other end is an "L" with a prep sink, waste disposal unit, hob, oven and extraction. No wall cupboards just two rows of shelves giving 8 linear meters for ingredients, pots, pans etc. In the middle is a small island and breakfast bar. The cooking end gives 6m of work surface when you subtract the hob and sink which is enough for me.
I'm going with a laminate worktop. I've had granite, wood, corian inserts over the years and for simplicity and cost laminate is (I think) the best option.
The plan is to eventually put another separate utility off the kitchen but thats a big job and we want to move into the house in 4 weeks time so need to crack on!
The old one was too small, 3.5mx2.75m. We've knocked through into what was a small utility and the back of the garage effectively making a rectangle 5.5mx3.25m.
One end will have a washing up area with sink, dishwasher, normal wall cupboards for crockery etc dining table and a TV.
The other end is an "L" with a prep sink, waste disposal unit, hob, oven and extraction. No wall cupboards just two rows of shelves giving 8 linear meters for ingredients, pots, pans etc. In the middle is a small island and breakfast bar. The cooking end gives 6m of work surface when you subtract the hob and sink which is enough for me.
I'm going with a laminate worktop. I've had granite, wood, corian inserts over the years and for simplicity and cost laminate is (I think) the best option.
The plan is to eventually put another separate utility off the kitchen but thats a big job and we want to move into the house in 4 weeks time so need to crack on!
Well, having designed our kitchen about 18 months ago, our essentials were:
- big U shaped bar area with twin levels
- no wall cabinets - nothing on the walls except the glass splashbacks, and the TV at the bar end
- wine fridge, beer fridge and American style fridge freezer (the latter in the utility room)
Due to the shape of the room the only layout that works is galley style with the bar area at one end, so that was an easy decision!
The only slight regret is going for as-near-as-dammit white worktops in Silstone(sp?), which are great unless you've got two black cats who like to shed hair and walk from the flowerbeds to you by the most direct path...
- big U shaped bar area with twin levels
- no wall cabinets - nothing on the walls except the glass splashbacks, and the TV at the bar end
- wine fridge, beer fridge and American style fridge freezer (the latter in the utility room)
Due to the shape of the room the only layout that works is galley style with the bar area at one end, so that was an easy decision!
The only slight regret is going for as-near-as-dammit white worktops in Silstone(sp?), which are great unless you've got two black cats who like to shed hair and walk from the flowerbeds to you by the most direct path...
jas xjr said:
anybody ever used stainless steel for a worktop? do not know how practical it would be , just thinking out aloud
Not for home. Great in a commercial kitchen where you need to demonstrate cleanliness but it looks crap in a domestic kitchen. Scratches, cuts, marks. It will look industrial. Okay maybe for a small insert but it's of no practical purpose.Simpo Two said:
If it's purely practical, dump the expensive prangable Corian and have formica laminate...
No good? Whats wrong with it? On paper the modular assembly is brilliant for a custom build, heard it's posible to mark if you're daft (but repairable), have several customers with it who think it's brill.marctwo said:
I especially like the indoor herb garden. Bookmarked for future reference.
I am currently sorting out a layout for my new kitchen. I plan on having a herb garden on the stepped part of island in the pic below. It will face a large glazed wall. 
Could maybe have auto watering from the island plumbing too.
shirt]1 said:
it must be a large space. i agree with deep units & worktops, though i don't think i've ever seen something as small as 600-650mm wide worktop.
2] solid construction cabinets and wooden worktops. this is largely a cosmetic decision, i know they can be a pain to live with.
3] large central island with a proper butcher's block. used as a prep area due to above worktops.
Problem with islands is power. Where do you place a socket? did one with a custom build upstand once, didn't look that great, more often they go on the side and the lead hangs over over the side (so the 2 year old can pull the blender/steamer etc off the counter)2] solid construction cabinets and wooden worktops. this is largely a cosmetic decision, i know they can be a pain to live with.
3] large central island with a proper butcher's block. used as a prep area due to above worktops.
shirt]4 said:
twin belfast sink [as i have now, it's great].
Seen modular sinks where you have 1 big deep belfast then two decent size inset bowls that fit to the top, okay I know it's kind of a "posh washing up bowl" but still looks good.shirt]5 said:
minimum 6 burner 900mm gas hob, set into chimney breast with the extractor fitting perfectly into alcove. again, i have this now and it works great and is very unobtrusive. i'd prefer the space beneath the hob to be used for storing cooking pans / dishes.
Trouble is the 900 6 burners only fit 3 large fry pans.shirt]6 said:
twin electric ovens.
7] very light/bright/airy. a true heart of the home.
Definately, lots of natural light with good electric light, I'm thinking decent flourescent (HF gear, dimmable)7] very light/bright/airy. a true heart of the home.
shirt]8 said:
a walk in pantry. i lived in a flat with an 8ft x 12ft one and it was great. ideally it would be large enough to house a dedicated beer fridge and a freezer as well as having floor-ceiling shelving.
You'd want to provide some sort of venting/ducting for the radiators on the fridge & freezer so they don't warm the pantryshirt]9 said:
one of those medicine chest/drawer things for spices / odds & sods.
10] lastly, a plumbed in espresso maker.
Seem nice but at 1k+ plus, or 850+ over an otherwise decent espresso machine to save filling the resorvior every few days and emptying the drip tray once a week...10] lastly, a plumbed in espresso maker.
AndyAudi said:
Some great thoughts & suggestions already.
For me I might add appliances such as fridge & dishwasher raised off the floor for ease of use. (Downside is that reduces available work surface if that is limited)
I'd be thinking a full height twin door fridge/freezer anyway. As for the dishwasher... ergo height would be nice, but at loss of workspace.For me I might add appliances such as fridge & dishwasher raised off the floor for ease of use. (Downside is that reduces available work surface if that is limited)
Rollin said:
I am currently sorting out a layout for my new kitchen. I plan on having a herb garden on the stepped part of island in the pic below. It will face a large glazed wall. Could maybe have auto watering from the island plumbing too.
Interesting, I was just pondering if a herb garden beneath a glass worktop/breakfast bar would work. Little bit of feature lighting as well as the LED grow lights... Could maybe have auto watering from the island plumbing too.hairyben said:
No good? Whats wrong with it? On paper the modular assembly is brilliant for a custom build, heard it's posible to mark if you're daft (but repairable), have several customers with it who think it's brill.
Only going from my neighbours' kitchen fitted in 2009. I agree it's very nice, but apparently it scratches and dents - and whilst these can be polished out, it's a man-in job. Consider the 'Falling Can of Beans from a Wall Cupboard Test'... Even if this is over-wary, Corian and its rivals are many times more expensive than laminate, so, if you're applying the word 'practical' to every aspect inlcuding price, laminate is the clear albeit boring winner. Of course in reality it comes down to personal taste!
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