New Kitchen, what mistakes did you make and what went really well?

[Flossiecotton]

It is many years since I bought a new kitchen. Please will you share with me what things you wou,d not do or buy again. What was totally worth the money. Also how did you survive the hassle?
thanks

Thank you this is amazing

Soft-touch closures on all the drawers! OMG I love them so much. My old drawers didn't have them and honestly they make closing drawers a pleasure (and no longer get startled by kids accidentally slamming drawers shut).

Also a fan of loads of pan drawers and choosing fewer/deeper drawers than more/slimmer. Really notice the difference with having a deeper 'cooking tools' drawer - things like my potato masher and soup ladle were always a bit too bulky for my drawer and scraped every time I opened the drawer, and occasionally got caught.

Had the ikea kitchen put in last year. Best things: going to the ceiling and having glass with lights built in. Also cleverly hiding the washing machine and maximising space. Love the extra counter tops. Lows: didn’t need the inserts for the bottom draw. And the alcove has doffferent wood so need to talk to a builder about using the big cuts to blend in

Likes; led lights under the wall cupboard above our food prep area, tall wall cupboards the gap above is boxed in so no need to dust up there. Pan drawer and carousel in the base corner cupboard so we can get to things more easily. Lots of wall plugs and a couple of USB points. Double range cooker.

Dislikes; Shaker doors, they trap so much dust, oak worktops - high maintenance and have to be so careful with any spills etc or they stain. No dishwasher!

@Flossiecotton I regret not getting deep drawers for pots etc. I live alone so no real hassle. Microwave, small fridge and kettle in the lounge.

I wish I had had the whole floor tiled, including under the cupboards. Would make replacing the integrated appliances do much easier and a neater, cleaner finish.

Ours is 3.5 years old now. We had pan drawers, induction hob with hidden fan, butler sink and quartz worktop, LVT flooring, carousel corner unit ( for easy access to saucepans) It looks as good as the day it was installed. The one thing I would change is the pull out pantry, it looks great but you could get so much more stuff in if it were a cupboard with plenty of shelving. I would 100% change that if I did it again. We debated a boiling tap but decided against it and I’m still good with that decision.

Yes to soft close doors and drawers!

Take them for granted.

@kpo58 can I ask you to explain why you wouldn't have the fridge next to the oven? Genuine question - we are planning our kitchen at the moment and had planned the kitchen this way!

Drawers all the way. We have a mix of pan drawers, not so deep drawers and cupboards and I wish they were all drawers. We’ve got drawers under the sink too which are brilliant.
Double oven in a tower unit is so much easier than under the counter. Induction hob is great to keep clean though it took me a while to get used to cooking on it after gas.

I’ve never found a good answer to corner cupboards. DM has a carousel and it is forever jamming as things fall off the back of it.
I do regret our choice of cupboard doors and wish I‘d gone for a shaker style.

Things I inherited and hate:

Stupid vinyl wrapping on the cupboards that’s all coming off
Laminate worktop
Standard corner cupboard issue
3 pull out larder cupboards with shallow wire tray things. Really inefficient and they don’t stay closed unless you only fill the back half 🙄 I’m sure others will say they have and love them but too much potential for them to go a bit wrong like ours

love two big pan drawers under the hob and another under the oven and one more. Although some don’t have proper sides so stuff falls through 🙄
Narrow pull out next to dishwasher for dishwasher tabs, rinse aid etc.
And having two fridges!

We rewired the entire kitchen so all the plugs are where we want them. American style fridge with plumbed in water and ice machine, we have had our monies worth. Printed splashbacks to look like tiles, easy to clean no grout. Separate utility room for washer dryer, never going back. Polyfloor LTV love it. Costly but worth every penny.
Bad decisions b&q block wood worktop, very poorly made won't last us long, having no counter space without cupboards above. My stand mixer only just fits underneath and it's difficult to get ingredients into my mixer. Beko ovens are rubbish had a hot point before which was much better I'm gutted I changed it.

Mine is almost 10 years old - and from Howden's. I note the comment from an earlier poster about quality of Howdens appliances as I'd heard similar when buying ..... mine (2 ovens, microwave, induction hob, integrated dishwasher / washing machine / fridge & freezer) are all good still. BUT the big thing to consider from everyone else's lists is your space & how you use everything. I've lived mainly alone since getting the new kitchen - so the washing machine is used a few times per week, if I was using it a few times every day I'd probably have upgraded it.

Same with the corner cupboards - I've not got any swivel / pull-out shelves and all my big baking stuff is "lost" in the corner. But I bake maybe twice per year, so that's a very reasonable compromise for me. If I was baking daily or weekly - how & where I stored the frequently used items would have been a far bigger priority.

The more cupboards you have, the more you'll fill them (with unnecessary stuff). I wouldn't miss at least 1 cupboard, maybe 2.

Oven with a hide-away door - great for smaller spaces.

Ask yourself if you really need a draining board/draining grooves in marble - I don't use mine and would now prefer it to be flat.

If you have a very large kitchen - go for double fronted cupboard with pull out base and power at the back, for air fryer, toaster etc.

If funds and space allow - 2 dishwashers! What a dream!

I always recommend deeper worktop to clients at 725 mm rather than 625 mm

makes quite a difference

layers of lighting
oven drawers

Oh, yes, a deeper worktop near the sink would have been brilliant as we’re forever getting water down the front of the units.

Agree with lots of these - disagree with a few.
Agree DIY kitchens. Check out all their storage solutions even if you don't use them. You'll see things that you have never even thought of.
I love drawers instead of cupboards at base level - Can use storage all the way to the back.
Sometimes, wire drawers within the cupboard are cheaper and give a more steamlined finish.
Kitchen bin in a pull out. Mine has 2 bins (general rubbish and bottles/cans/plastic for me) plus a shelf on top (paper and card), plus a drawer (bin bags/food bags/ spare dishcloths)
Tall cupboards have pull out units (use all the storage all the way to the back and can see all (well most) of it.
If you do need wall unit(s). Bifold doors upwards (never banged my head again and can leave it open whilst cooking so everything is reachable without dirtying the doors.

I love my handleless doors. So easy to keep clean - Yes the grooves need wiping regularly but there are no corners so they are so so easy to wipe. (I dislike Shaker as there are so many corners, which collect dirt and grease)
Wherever you think you may be able to use a socket - put 2 doubles in. Cheap at installation, expensive additions later. You can then keep various things plugged in and just switch on/off as needed. Or plugging in occasional things doesn't mean unplugging the kettle/toaster/coffee maker
2 dishwashers if you have space. (I don't). No need for much putting away. Alternate ones used for storage between washes (I live alone, use the d/washer twice a week and still wish I had 2)
If you possibly can, site your washer and dryer somewhere other than your kitchen it's brilliant. Between use I can leave doors and drawers open to air, much healthier for the machine.
Induction hob is brilliant. Get a branded one if you can afford it. I got a cheaper one and it doesn't heat evenly (even for someone who swore I'd always use gas, I wouldn't go back.)
Think about where you will use appliances. I've got an Instant Pot. (air fryer, mini oven, slow cooker, pressure cooker +++) It's magic. I've installed extra hooks for tongs and oven gloves. Having oil and seasonings handy is a bonus.
Anything you can install off the counter makes cleaning up easier. An open shelf for tea/coffee/sugar for example makes wiping down easier. As does somewhere for kitchen towel. The less portable stuff that is on the work top the quicker and easier an instant wipedown/cleanup is.

(This one is just for me) Don't kid yourself you don't/won't use gadgets. When you have a shiny new kitchen, a coffee maker, airfryer etc suddenly become essential for your new way of living.

The only thing I will repeat is DIY KITCHENS . They are just south of the M62 / between M1 and A1 near Pontefract. If you can get there, I think you will love how they bring the kitchens to life. Even if not then play around with ideas on their PLANNER

If you have a K Mix and you want to open it under your cupboards you need clearance of 60cm NOT 50cm which is the standard.

We have a 60cm clearance and it's an absolute game changer.

Taps - buy the best you can afford.

Drawers over cupboards.

More sockets than you think you need.

Consider a pocket door as it gives you so much extra space

Yes to induction hob, Neff hide and slide oven.
Le Mans carousel units for the corner cupboards, expensive but it’s a false economy not to have some sort of pull-out in corners. I also had a small pull-out unit installed next to the hob to hold oil, vinegar, jars etc - it holds much more than a shelf.

Plinth lighting (as I have no wall cupboards) gives just enough light to eg make a cup of tea in the evening without putting the light on.

Only regret is I have enough sockets but they’re not in quite the right place, think carefully about where you want microwave, kettle, coffee machine etc.

Also slightly regretting Shaker style, I love the look of it but the bottom rail collects dust and dirt very easily.

Things I inherited at my last house and would never have chosen: wooden worktops (stain easily and a nuisance to oil), butler sink, and ceramic tiled floor - looked great but nothing survives being dropped and it was cold.

Our kitchen was nearly new when we bought our house and was one of the things that we loved about it.

Best things: pull out basket shelves in the corner cupboards, lots of pan drawers and lift up doors for the head height cupboards (so you don't risk hitting your head on open doors!)

Worst thing: no radiator in the kitchen, only a little electric heater under one of the cupboards - it's not nice coming into a cold kitchen on a winter morning. If we redo the kitchen in the future then we would definitely be putting in underfloor heating!

The white composite sink is a nightmare to get clean and stains easily.
love having a large larder cupboard.

Please make sure you can have your dishwasher open and your bin drawer/cupboard (if you have one) open at the same time!

we cannot currently have our dishwasher open and loading it AND our bin drawer open at the same time and it makes me WILD.

Do not have your utensils or cutlery in a drawer under the stove- you can guarantee the person cooking will be stood by the stove and anyone laying table or helping prep will constantly be asking them to move

I'm another lover of DIY kitchens. Just make sure you get someone else to double check your measurements before you order, or else you may be replacing a unit for a 10cm error...

Love quooker tap, pan drawers, many sockets with charger slots. Really wish I had put in water spray thing I had in previous kitchen. Very good for rinsing sinks after cleaning them. And my star appliance insinkerator = no smelly leftovers.

Think about how the cupboards open when you are unloading the dishwasher. Or unloading food shop. Will you have to walk dripping tea bag's across the room to the bin.