Which side should my draining board be?

[whoknows1230]

Posting here for urgent advice as kitchen is currently being measured for worktops.

Got a sink that is 1/2 bowl in the left then a full bowl. Which side should the draining grooves be? Aesthetically/use of space-wise, I think they’d look better on the right but I think most sinks have them on the left (including in my old kitchen, which seemed to work)

Will it be weird having them on the right, especially as this means the layout will be half bowl (with tap over), full bowl, drainer?

I'm right-handed so I hold the brush/sponge in my right hand and the item I'm washing in my left hand, so it feels natural for me to have the drainer to the left.

That. I'd have to put the cloth/sponge/brush down to place anything on a draining board to my right.

FWIW, I'd rotate the sink and have the drainer to the right if that's possible (and it looks like your sink is just resting on the unit shell at the moment).

If you can't rotate the sink, then drainer on the left by the half bowl.

Both sides here but I only use the left side unless there's a lot. I'm right handed.

I'm right handed and have the drainer to the right. Never put a sponge down to place anything on the drainer!

I've just looked and I don't think it can be rotated as the half bowl is shorter than the full bowl as the tap is going above the half bowl

We're a mixture of lefthanded and righthanded in this house

I've just spoken to the worktop man and he said most people have them over the dishwasher and that if you have them next to the full bowl, it means the grooves can be a bit further apart and he thinks it'll look fine.

Arrrgh, I don't know!!!😩

Get one of these and you can put it wherever you want!

www.lakeland.co.uk/24780/joseph-joseph-extend-expandable-dish-drainer-grey

Does it look odd half bowl not next to drainer? Ours is and I don’t think anything of it. The amount of water draining is negligible anyway.

Whatever way you want. In 1962 my Nan & Grandad were moving from their very old terraced house into a sparkly new build 3 bedroomed posh semi-detached. As the build was nearing completion they went to visit, and my Nan realised the draining board was on the opposite side of the sink to what she'd been used for the previous 16 years. Too late to change it and Nan refused to change her ways. So the solution? They agreed to change houses with the neighbours, into the other semi, which was a mirror image of theirs.

Moral of story.....do what's best for you regardless of how daft and insignificant it might seem to others!

Mine is to the right. When we had kitchen fitted we weren't asked which side we preferred (not that I remember anyway). Ours is above inbuilt washing machine cupboard if this makes any difference? DM's is to the right but was like that when they bought the house.

And our grooves are over the dishwasher. But that’s only because it happens to be there. OP, if you have a dishwasher, I really don’t think it matters. Just put them where they fit best.

We just use this is drainer needed
www.brabantia.com/int_en/kitchen-cooking/sink-side/dish-drying-rack/silicone-dish-drying-mat/

You gain a lot more worktop not having fixed grooved or drying area. I don’t know about you but I use my worktop all day, and like the extra space for plating up if guests and baking. Where as generally everything apart for a saucepan or fancy glasses goes in dishwasher. Means you don’t leave crap out drying also, just hand wash wooden chopping board, dry and away immediately

Thanks @HippeePrincess thats really helpful!

Looking at the picture, the groo s need to go above the dishwasher, or you will have really bitty workspace runs.

Personally, I prefer draining board on the left, but it looks like right is going to be it in your house.

Only ever had a drainer on the right as I'm right handed. Only person I know with one on the left is my sister but she's left handed so that would make sense.

Thank you for posting that. I don't think that looks odd at all so has definitely put my mind at ease.

I've spoken to the worktop man and he's going to hang fire until early next week so we can make a final decision over the weekend.

This is our first ever kitchen that we've been able to plan and choose everything from scratch and I'm so nervous of getting things wrong. I'm still not sure that I've got the right number of drawers or cupboards, even though I tried to plan everything out.

It's an important thing to get right... (but as far as the left/right thing goes, there isn't a 'right' answer)

If I was you, I'd think about where you want things to be (left vs right, over dishwasher vs not, half bowl on edge vs middle), and if the solution you want doesn't fit with the sink, I'd just get a new sink. In the grand scheme of a kitchen refit, a sink is a very small cost.

In your kitchen, I'd want drainer over dishwasher, and half bowl in the middle (both are standard convention*). You can't have both of those with your sink, so that would mean a new sink for me. But take into consideration all the factors for YOU and that will drive your decision.

*yes, I know there is a pic up-thread of a half bowl on the edge, but if you google image search '1.5 bowl sink', you will see that the convention is very much half bowl in the middle.

I’d make your decision based on whether you’re a “let a pile of dirty dishes pile up, but put away drying up” person, or if you wash up frequently but leave the drying stack. And place the drainer according to where you want a pile of clutter visible

Yes, it does look odd. However, that's only because it's not what used to 😂

The idea of not having any is a good call... we have a drying rack similar to the Joseph&Joseph one posted earlier and you wouldn't need grooves because of the little spout.

Don't have grooves cut. You'll lose that space. Leave the worktop alone and use a draining mat or rack that can be put away when not in use. If you've got a dishwasher, there won't be much stuff to be drained anyway.

I'm a right handed person so I prefer the draining board on the left. If you're a mixture in your house it's up to you.

(Looks odd because it's not what I'm used to)

The right

I'm right-handed but always found draining boards to the left easier and more natural-feeling. Took me a long time to get used to my current one on the right when I moved.

Maybe height comes into it? I'm 6ft and feels easier being able to fully extend my arm to the left rather than bunching my arm up to place it on the drying rack to my right, I still knock it quite often when I'm putting dishes onto it.

Maybe I'm just a weirdo