To ask if any of you are interior designers or estate agents?

[Ilovegeorgeclark]

Ok. I know I am not BU but DH has no taste! I have had to name change for this!

We are having our kitchen extended knocked through to make a big open plan kitchen diner.
Architect has come up with a gorgeous scheme with L shaped kitchen, large island and a whole wall of glass sliding doors looking out onto the garden! I love it!!

Problem is DH, who is easily influenced by his parents, is unsure.

They have said, 'why on earth do you want an island, it just gets in the way.' And 'think of the money you'd spend on curtains with all those windows' 😫🤣

So, DH is now faltering (I know... apron strings...)

How can I convince him that a modern, beautiful open kitchen (think ugly house to lovely house) is the way fwd and to ignore his parents.

I'm asking if any of you are estate agents as I'm sure it will increase the value of the house and cold hard cash might bring him to his sense.
Thanks

PS I know I am very fortunate to be in this position.

I’d lead with this argument:

“Your parents feel x. Are they or anyone their age going to buy a family house like ours? No. While their opinion is valid and it’s what they want in a house - they are not the target market for our house. If we invest in a new kitchen, it needs to be a selling point for our future buyers. Not just your and your parents’ personal taste.”

Love islands as useful as work surfaces. Don’t like when they stick the hob or sink in them - then there’s not enough surface around them to be practical.

Bifold doors are dated. Steel windows are now trendy, but I think they too will “date stamp” your kitchen. I’d go with French doors.

Also, flies. Everyone who opens up those bifold doors into their kitchen gets flies. God help you if you also have a skylight because they just fly up there, die and you get to try to figure out how to clean them off.

So your husband (or his parents really) doesnt want an island or windows without curtains (I have never ever seen large open plan glass sided room with curtains!) - what does he want to do with the space then?

I’m looking to do mine soon, and for our space (which sounds similar dimensions to yours), we’ve opted for a peninsula, rather than stand alone island. I know what pp mean re an island feeling like a roadblock. It always depends on the space. Friends of ours have a super high end kitchen with a peninsula but it wraps around starting in the direction that you walk towards the kitchen from, if that makes sense? So that always means that to walk to the sink or fridge, you’d have to walk all the way around the peninsula to get to the part you actually see first, it’s bloody stupid!

The way we are doing it, is having the kitchen at one end of the long room, a peninsula to kind of divide the room, proper dining area at the near end. The entrance to the room is before the peninsula, and is on the opening side, so if you enter the room and turn right, you can walk a clear path into the kitchen without feeling obstructed.

I think we need a diagram OP.

Also yes to George. I’m a little bit in love with him.

I would say go for it! Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses so they are worth doing well.

And as for your pil, they aren’t living there. They won’t have to deal with it so tell them to get stuffed and your husband to snap out of it 😂

Our kitchen island's 126 x 184 so a fair old lump, but it's in proportion to the space and doesn't make the room cramped at all. That's the most important thing. It's one of the best features of the house, everyone seems to love it and we do too. It's a totally flat space sometimes just used to display things and look nice and sometimes hugely practical for tasks. The underneath houses drawers, deep pan drawers and a mix of cupboards. I store the cutlery and crockery right opposite the dishwasher which makes unloading quick and easy.

Your kitchen has to work for your lifestyle and your requirements. Sure all kinds of people can comment or advise, but only take from that what you will and don't be bullied.