Please help me plan my new kitchen

[HomeMakeoverSOS]

Hello MNers. I really don’t want to make any costly or irritating mistakes, so can I have your collective wisdom on all things kitchen please. The project is rip out and start again, right back to bare bones, so apart from not moving walls, windows and doors it’s a clean slate.

Background
It’s in the north east corner of the bungalow, so although it doesn’t feel like a dark room I need to be aware of the light levels

Room dimensions are 2.12m(W) x 5.18m (L) x 2.44m(H), so no room for an island

There's a combi boiler in the loft directly above the kitchen/bathroom wall

I live alone, and don’t have children visiting, so don’t have to worry about finger marks on things

I’m not bothered about styles dating as I’m hoping I’ll never move again

Hopefully I’ll use a small local independent company to supply the units rather than a national chain

Budget...mid range I suppose. I’m trying to keep costs down but hate poor quality stuff that need replacing before it should.

What I probably want is
Units: Pale grey gloss flat doors with discreet thin handles (nothing to snag clothing on!). Like this but probably from a local company.

Worktop: Pale grey “concrete” style laminate

Sink: Single bowl with a very simple drainer like this Bristan one

Taps: A mixer with pull out spray

Hob: A really user-friendly induction hob. Please give me your recommendations as I’ve never had one before, only gas hobs

Cooker hood: I really fancy a chimney style one but the kitchen designer has warned it would come out quite a way and could make my galley kitchen look a bit snug. He suggests having an integrated one instead, but I’m not so keen from an aesthetic point of view. I’ve worked out that the kitchen volume is 26.8 m3 so needs one with an extraction rate of 268 m3/hr

Oven: Built-in, eye level, double electric

Lights: Probably recessed down lights

Please throw your ideas, recommendations, avoid at all costs, at me 😊

The thing about DIY kitchens is that they are excellent. They are the trading name for a company called Ultima, who as far as I can tell, also supply to some independent suppliers. So you could go to your local shop, buy the same kitchen and pay more. If you’re ok with that, then that’s fine. But I just wanted to let you know. Quality is excellent, we are several hundred miles from their showroom so didn’t visit. Kitchen is 15 months old and we still love it.

I also think you need to think carefully about the all grey look. A NE facing room will already have quite blue/grey light, so it wouldn’t necessarily be my choice.

I have a Howdens kitchen just like the one you linked. I love it. We have a mix of white and pale grey cabinets. Although Howdens is a national chain you have to buy it through a builder / fitter so you can support a local business that way.

We have floor to ceiling cabinets with built in ovens. We've used a corner floor to ceiling unit to build a pantry that I love.

Have a look at a local stonemason. We got an amazing deal on some Italian quartz worktops because it was the leftovers from a corporate client. Given the size of your kitchen this could be a good idea for you too.

I have a desperate utility room and one useful feature I have is a cupboard with a plug socket it. Means I can charge things like the floor sweeper or handheld hoover without leaving them out on the work top.

I dislike extractor fans so we got one that fits into the ceiling. I love it because you can see it. We didn't have any wall units at all.

If you have space a skylight in a kitchen works wonders for bringing in light.

Here's a pic of it (it's very new so I'm still slightly in love)

Don't have wall units unless you really need them. My mum lives alone and has got shorter with age and having no wall units is great. I am short and really prefer her kitchen to mine. It is lighter and brighter.

As many pull out drawers as possible.

Add something colourful somewhere such as art or a chair or a wall covering as it personalises it without clutter. Even if you hate colour add something in a muted colour - it makes all the difference.

I am with your designer on the extractor.

That sink looks lovely, but a note of caution. We have had square ones twice and replaced them. They’re quite impractical, because it’s difficult to get a suitable washing up bowl if you want one and they take much more water to fill, for washing up.

I’d have a one and a half bowl and an integrated drainer.

Splash back and upstands too. You could go for a colourful splash back or a glass one maybe.
As many pull out wire drawers as you can, of different heights, so you have storage for cans, packets, spices etc, all of which need different sizes.
More sockets than you think you’ll need.
Definitely an induction hob. Lots of saucepans work with them
Built in microwave and we have a warming drawer between the microwave and the oven. We think it’s really useful and is used every day.
I’d have a good quality worktop that lasts longer than laminate. Good quality flooring too.

@NotATomato, oh yes, those tall pull out pantry cupboards are great aren’t they! Friends have got one. I think the kitchen bloke suggested not to get one that’s too thin or they can wobble badly, especially after a while?

@IstandwithJackieWeaver, oh OnePlan sounds interesting, I’ll search for her! Thanks.

@Murbblurb, thanks for all the pointers. Needing to have a wider cabinet than expected for an appliance (to allow for fingers) makes sense when you say it, but I can see how easy it would be to think it’ll be OK.
The “concrete” worktop is just normal laminate rather than real concrete so should be stain resistant (fingers crossed).
I love your idea of considering an extractor fan rather than a hood! Yes, the hoods can be really loud can’t they (kitchen bloke warned me about that and strongly suggested going for one with a good quiet rating). But an extractor fan would save money and space too.

@Billandben444, yes to easy-clean worktops rather than one that needs loads of TLC. The last kitchen I had put in had a solid wood worktop, which although was perfect for the style/age of the house, really had to be treated with respect. Bog standard laminate ones are far more user-friendly in many ways.

Touch all the possible door handles. Go for something that feels really smooth and great. You want something that doesn't have scratchy, jaggy corners.
Good point, @venusandmars, I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks.

White worktop is both awful and brilliant. The bad thing is it shows every bit of spilt food. The good thing is it shows every bit of spilt food so I can clear it up. I hate to think how dirty my kitchen was when I had brownish worktops
I’m a bit of a sloven so will have to be really mindful if I get a worktop with camouflaging properties! 😬😆

@Springchickpea, I must admit I’m happier buying direct from manufacturers rather than suppliers so am really drawn to DIY Kitchens. Good point about the all grey look in a north facing room, I was getting concerned about that too, so I’ve ordered some pale samples from their Altino range. It’s so hard to tell what the colours are like (they look totally different on my 2 laptops!) and I live too far away to visit the showroom. I’ve ordered some worktop samples from another company too.

@Twizbe, Howdens is handy as it’s local but I really don’t like them. I hate how they won’t give me prices, only give to the builder. I hate their hard sell - they really pushed me to order before the end of their sale, then because I wouldn’t they cancelled my appointment to see the designer to allow other clients to see her quickly. Plus the “designer” hasn’t had a single good idea, even designed it with less storage than I have already if you can believe that! Their gloss doors have a slight orange peel finish (I was warned about it and once noticed can't be unseen) too, but I love their concrete effect worktop so they might get a few quid from me in the end. Your mix of white and pale grey cabinets sounds lovely though!

@GOODCAT, I’ll have to get stilts if I shrink so I can reach the backs of the wall units then 😁
Yes to getting splashes of colour with accessories and art as I fear the kitchen will look a bit bland otherwise.

@Foxyloxy1plus1, what flooring would you suggest?
RE the square sink, I’ve just measured up and my snazzy little lime green washing up bowl fits easily in the 1.5 sink, so I’m really pleased. Loads of sockets is a good call. There aren’t enough at the moment and it’s such a pain.
I was looking at glass splashbacks today and there’s so much choice, and so many designs. You can even buy football club ones 😳 (although funny enough I’m not tempted by those!😁😆), and much as I like many of the coloured ones I’ll probably go for clear glass so I’m not tied to a colour.

Don’t go near Howdens. Their pricing structure is ridiculous (had the same kitchen costed with a 20% difference from different branches, through a relatives account so absolute prices, not builder markup). Also for mundane reasons we have one Howdens cabinet carcass in our kitchen, it is definitely inferior to the DIY ones.

For the lower half, I would install mostly drawers. They are brilliant.

I would also have a slide out cutting board put in.

I think with all kitchen suppliers it so depends on who you get and who installs them.

My utility room is from B&Q and is there bottom range white gloss with slimline handles. It was £1200 quid for a tall cabinet, 2 base units abs 1 wall unit, sink and supports for the washing machines.

I think the builders found it harder to fit but I'm super happy with it.

Worth a look. You get your price straight away in the appointment and can tweek things to fit your budget.

Things I love in our new kitchen :
Bottom units are all big drawers.
Neff Induction hob
Built in eye level Neff microwave
Lots of sockets with usb connections

Laminate is used a lot for a reason! One thing our kitchen bloke did get right was a warning that some of the posher worktops won't stand for keys put on them. Such items are too fragile for my house. Also chose a darker speckled colour which doesn't show the dirt #slatternsunite

Everyone I know with an extractor hood doesn't use it due to the noise. So they are pointless.

We have an Howdens kitchen fitted by a highly recommended local fitter, Bosch Appliances, double eye level ovens, integral Fridgefreezer, ceramic hob. 1.5 bowl stainless steel sink unit, Bosch Dishwasher.
Over hob extractor venting outside, not into a filter, under hob 900mm wide three draw unit, 2 pan draws and a top Cutlery and utensil Draw, which is very handy.

Our units are also fitted close to the ceiling, and we were lucky enough to get them for the same price as the standard height ones on a special offer. The only downside for me is having to stand on something or Call DH with his super long arms to reach things down off the top shelf for me. We also had some extra sockets installed before our splash backs were tiled, along with points for under unit lighting. The largest and most expensive electrical alteration by far was the essential running of a new cooker circuit to power the Double oven, whilst retaining the old one in situ to power the new induction Hob.
I’m not a fan of all the racks and pull out baskets that you can have fitted as added extras, or dust harbouring fancy features like wine racks or plate racks. I prefer to use the cupboards and free standing holders for these purposes, likewise small electrical appliances that tend to need replacing such as Kettles, Toasters and Microwaves. I tend to use these and features like the window blinds to add a splash of colour to a fairly neutral main kitchen colour, and find it works well, and can give a whole new look quite cheaply.

One of our best buys was a set of M&S stainless steel induction hob saucepans, they were on offer in their Black Friday sale, they have a really nice finish to them, and are easy to stack by inverting their lids, have a 25years warantee, and are superb quality.

Our floor is Amtico. I believe Karndean is very good too.

We do use our extractor, but not all the time.

Our house was a new build six years ago and the kitchen came with a laminate worktop, which I thought I’d learn to love, but didn’t. There’s an excellent place near here, with a wide range of options for worktops and we have white quartz with a grey fleck and a little bit of sparkle. Love it.

There's a huuuuuuuuge kitchen design thread somewhere

I've got DIY kitchens altino petrol blue, fitted a few months ago, and so far I really like it. Definitely get soft close, hidden drawer for cutlery and solid sides for pan drawers. Handles were t bar shape from screwfix.

Definitely 1.5 bowl sink. Mine is from B&Q and I'm really pleased with it. Yes to slimline dishwasher. I live alone half the time and put it on every couple of days probably.

I highly recommend planning what will go where before you sign off on a design. I spent ages perfecting my design on DIY kitchens, only to have a bit of a shock when all my stuff didn't fit particularly well...

I deliberated over splashbacks for a bit but in the end stuck to tiles and am really glad I did. Easy enough to clean and less fussy. Love my tiles too. Topps tiles and a gradated grey colour.

I've got a compact laminate worktop in white with silvery sparkle shite on it. Love it, doesn't show up spills as much as plain white and looks good.

Induction hob!

Flooring, I went with grey tile effect vinyl, but I think I regret this as it is getting dents from the fridge etc (had to move it recently) on the plus side, it doesn't show the dirt

I've got an extractor chimney (amazon) and am pretty happy with the noise level. Turned out I couldn't have a fan as the conservatory is in the way.

Lighting. The electrician recommended spotlights in an L shape to mirror the unit layout, plus I have a pendant (almost!) over the kitchen table. It works well.

Never put the dishwasher close to any cupboards. Im having the kitchen altered because of that. Got fed up of hitting my head on cupboards!
howdens expensive work tops are dire.. They damage so easily.

Floor not ceramic tiles, cold slippery and unforgiving to anything dropped. Good quality vinyl/lino would be better. Easier to clean with no grout that can get stained.

Sockets. Don't put the damn things where you need to attach cupboards to the wall. You need lots, especially for charging phones etc.

High cupboards require steps. Depending on how old you are will they be accessible for a while.

Try not to have wall cupboards adjacent to the window as it will cut out light.

Storage for bucket mop brush ironing board, bin out of sight, drying tea towel etc.

Defo go for a dishwasher, and not necessarily a slim one.

Definitely plan what will go where as part of the design.

We have a hidden drawer for spices and things like stock cubes, that's one of the things I like about our kitchen.

I'd not plan on charging phones in kitchens, because you'll have endless charging leads trailing around which make cleaning a pain. I refused to have USB sockets in our kitchen for that reason. Unless you can spare a shelf or cupboard space with its own socket that keeps the charger away from surfaces that will be cleaned routinely, just no.

@Purplekitchen, ah yes, sockets with USB connections, I’d forgotten about those. Added to the list
Do you have a purple kitchen by the way? 😎

@murbblurb, the kitchen designer also warned me about certain worktops being more easily damaged than standard laminate. I rather liked those thin solid laminate ones that you can router draining grooves into instead of having sink/drainer combination, but he said I’d have to be careful not to scratch them with keys, pans, etc. Sod that, it’s a work area.
I’m not a fan of granite worktops either after I broke a bowl on a friend’s. So unforgiving of the slightest knock.

@SavannahLands, is the 900mm unit you have under your hob wider than standard? If so, did you choose it because it was more suitable than narrower ones?
I think it’s a great idea to have 2 pan drawers and a top cutlery and utensil drawer beneath the hob rather than elsewhere. Added that to my wishlist, thanks
Like you, I prefer to have separate kettles, toasters and microwaves for adding splashes of colour (I’ve just seen a lovely bright orange set! 😍) and for ease of replacement when they fail.

@Foxyloxy1plus1, I love Amtico and Karndean and have had them in the past. Would you say they’re still worth getting rather than cheaper vinyl? As @Misty9 has found, vinyl can dent and mark, and I wonder if that’s typical.

I've got DIY kitchens altino petrol blue
@Misty9 I love the look of the Altino range and have ordered some samples in all the pale colours. It’ll be interesting to see what the light grey looks like in situ and whether I end up preferring one of the creamy shades instead.
I highly recommend planning what will go where before you sign off on a design. I spent ages perfecting my design on DIY kitchens, only to have a bit of a shock when all my stuff didn't fit particularly well
What happened? What didn’t fit?

Never put the dishwasher close to any cupboards. Im having the kitchen altered because of that. Got fed up of hitting my head on cupboards!
@B1rdflyinghigh, oh no! I’ll try and avoid doing that then, thanks.

Floor not ceramic tiles, cold slippery and unforgiving to anything dropped. Good quality vinyl/lino would be better. Easier to clean with no grout that can get stained
@BlackeyedSusan, oh yes, I’ve made that mistake before. The bloody grout, and I hated walking on it with bare feet as it was cold too. Dog loved it though as he’d go out into the garden to bake sunbathe then come in and cool down on the tiles 😆
Try not to have wall cupboards adjacent to the window as it will cut out light.
Thanks for the heads up on that, I wasn’t aware. May have to rethink my plan for one wall now 🤔

@BarbaraofSeville, good point about the trailing leads from the USB sockets. I’ll have to give that some thought. Thanks.

Argh, just lost a post!

@HomeMakeoverSOS it was my food which didn't fit by the time I'd found homes for my crockery etc, I'd run out of space for food. Still might have to buy some freestanding storage. I was restricted by the rather compact L shaped unit space though.

I wouldn't discount the petrol blue as irl it's silvery blue and not at all bright. I'd recommend my worktop too as it sounds like what you're after. Can find a link if helpful

Ceramic tiled floors are fab if you have underfloor heating with them. They are cosy and warm to your toes if you wander about in your socks/barefoot in the mornings, and they are totally stainproof and wipe clean easily.
With your kitchen facing north east, I would suggest, as well as underfloor heating, you might rethink your colour scheme - grey is very depressing in a room with no direct sunlight most of the day.
I painted my kitchen walls pale peach, a nice warm sunny colour, and had very pale cream/ivory coloured units, and a farmhouse style pale dusty terracotta for the floor tiles.
Laminate is unbeatable for worktops. My previous ones lasted nearly 30 years, with not a mark on them! Very easy clean, and unlike granite won’t mind you spilling acids like lemon juice or vinegar on them.
Another vote for a dishwasher. I live alone since the DC left home, but still fill it and run it once a day, as I cook everything from scratch. And yes, as PPs say, it keeps all your dirty dishes off the worktops and sink.
Have a wall mounted oven. Once you get older, trying to rise from a crouch on the floor with a heavy hot roasting tray is a nightmare.
Finally, if the room layout permits, aim to have a “working triangle”, with the sink, hob and fridge at the corners of it, so all your main things are within easy reach by swivelling. It saves pacing miles to and fro across the kitchen.

Forgot to add, when you buy new saucepans for your induction hob, make sure they are dishwasher safe. You need never stand at your sink scouring pans again!

We had ceramic tiles in our last house and I like the look, but the grout was a nightmare to keep clean. The Amtico has been down since the house was new, so nearly seven years and we bought some stuff that you use every now and then to dress it. Otherwise it’s usual cleaning.

We have splashback and upstands and again, much easier to clean. If I was choosing, I’d go for glass maybe. I fancied a bright green at one point.

My top cupboards are a blue gloss and base cupboards are grey matte. I like both! We had a choice of four kitchen styles and I didn’t want cream, wood or aubergine. People are very dismissive of grey now, but I like it.

Ha, no, my kitchen's not purple.
Dark grey units with white marble/quartz worktop.