Does this design makes sense to you?

[PeakABoocha]

Currently redesigning our kitchen and BIL proposed to help.

We have an L shape kitchen with cupboards on one wall.
His idea is a U shape kitchen with cupboards on the walls on two sides.

The brief was no cupboards on the wall at all as I’m struggling to reach the ones on the wall (disability issue - this is the reason why we want to redo the kitchen)

BIL was most upset I told him this would not work and he didn’t listen to my brief. Gave me reason as to why his idea was best (not enough space with just the bottom cupboards).

Now feeling guilty….

It may help him to see you trying to use your current kitchen. Get him to sit in the kitchen whilst you make him a cup of tea, or cook dinner. Explain to him how you are struggling with the current design, and what would make life easier for you. At the moment he is designing the best kitchen for him, not for you. Unless he sees why its a problem, he may not really understand even though you are telling him.

It's your kitchen not BIL. Post a picture in the property DIY forum and people will happily give you advice on layout.

But no bottom cupboards, drawers are so much more practical.

Oh yes drawers! Lots of drawers!!

Ill go and look at the DIY forum.

@Catopia he has.
My disability isn’t new. Him and my sister have come many times and he has seen me struggling (think repeadily asking DH/him/sister ‘please could take that out of the cupboard fir me?’)

I thought the WHYs were obvious tbh.

I've tried to future proof my knew kitchen as I'm getting older/less able (different issues onvs)

No corner units
All drawers
Appliance garage so I don't have to stretch or lift heavy equipment
Enough drawers that all my daily stuff is accessible - large trays/dishes etc for big meals have had their easy access sacrificed for the daily stuff even if it means splitting types of things
Plus lower cupboards in the dining room for more rarely used items

I wanted a brass grab rail all the way round to help with standing but we couldn't afford it so we have an island so I can move between the counter, sink, cooker etc when I'm shakey

What is an appliance garage?

Your kitchen seems to be really well designed.
id love to get rid of corner cupboards but I not sure we can because of where water and gas are.

I mean.. let him be upset? Not your problem - you need a kitchen that works other wise it's pointless.

I agree…

But he was going on about the fact it was just a suggestion. And I could just use the top cupboards for stuff I dint need often.

I ended up feeling like I was unreasonable ….

Unfortunately, it may not be... particularly for men (sorry men!). My partner kept putting the tupperware on the top shelf of a hard to reach cupboard - I kept moving it down saying I couldn't reach it, and he kept putting it back up top thinking because I could reach the other top shelves I was just making a fuss. It wasn't until I showed him that because of the corner of the worktop I was having to balance with a knee on the edge of the worktop at 5am every morning and hook it out with a breadknife (inevitably causing the whole lot to fall out on my head) that he realised why I needed it to be on the shelf below (and also what the crashing noise that kept waking him up was). For him, the top shelf was logical, for me it was a daily liability. Sometimes the penny doesn't drop unless they get the full experience, not just of sitting whilst you do it, but actually of being told what would improve it.

Well you aren't. A suggestion is that and when a person suggests something they should be open to the other person rejecting their suggestion.

I'm sure you can get a basket mechanism that goes in a wall cupboard. It pulls out and down so you can access the cupboard's contents.

No idea where to find it, sorry.

My keyword and breadmaking are permanently plugged in on the wider worktop in a cupboard - do just slide to the front to be used, then slide back and the door gets closed - with all the breadmaking and baking ingredients in the drawer below so baking is here

I have a second tub of flour for making gravey by the hob in the drawer with the spices/herbs/cooking stuff

Kettle has an area for all the hot drinks cups/mugs and teaspoons and the toaster has its own knifes in a cup by in and side plates next to the mugs

The normal crockery is next to the normal.cutelry where the dishwasher empties to & DH just has to remember teaspoons and knifes get split

Keyword=kenwood mixer I cant lift it any more

The kettle/toaster/sandwich toaster all slide back on the worksurface into a cupboard too

So nice clear countertops

Well you’re not being unreasonable! It’s your kitchen, he made a suggestion that didn’t work, you said it didn’t work, end of! You don’t owe him explanations and you don’t need to tiptoe around his bruised ego.
Keep him away from your kitchen project in case he tries to muscle in with any more “ideas”.