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Original poster

Kitchen regrets/must haves

47 replies

hanketypankety · 22/08/2021 08:18

I'm going to be getting a new kitchen and it will be my first time choosing one. What would be the things you thought were a good idea but you regret having? Equally what do you love? My DH loves the look of grey cabinets and white worktops...however I'm terrified I would stain it. I love the idea of clever storage units but in reality are they worth it? Integrated fridge freezer or keep my year old one?? Any ideas would be great!

OP posts:
nutellamagnet · 22/08/2021 08:44

There's a great (old) thread on kitchen lessons learned where you'll find all sorts of hints and tips.

We recently went grey with white worktops but I went for a light grey vein running through the worktops. It's worked really well - crumbs, marks, and general life doesn't stand out as much as it would if they were pure white.

SarahBellam · 22/08/2021 10:21

Don’t get those cupboard shelf things that move, supposedly to add usable space to corners. They are useless. They Will always break. Instead just get shelves and put the stuff you don’t use often in the corner half - Christmas dishes, the posh China, the churro maker (🙄). That is a far better way to make that space work.

LittleWingSoul · 23/08/2021 01:06

I have white silestone (with a greyish marble effect running through it) - it doesn't stain. Turmeric will mark immediately but it fades within a day or so. Probably quicker if the sun is hitting it!

LittleWingSoul · 23/08/2021 01:15

An annoyance rather than regret - check the kitchen tap you go for projects far enough into your sink so as not to make a massive splash every time it gets used. I got a swan neck tap that just isn't long enough to reach the centre of the sink. It is gorgeous though, aged brass! Will need replacing at some point though.

We live in a hard water area and having a white butlers sink as opposed to stainless steel has been brilliant - the hard water marks I was constantly polishing off our old stainless steel sink don't show at all on white ceramic!

I have a single wall unit, to the right of the sink. The entire bottom shelf is a dish draining rack. Means you can stick hand washed dishes in there and close the door on them, rather than having drying dishes out on the side all the time. It has a slide out tray so there is no dripping on the work top. I bloody love it!

Original poster
hanketypankety · 23/08/2021 07:32

Great ideas, thanks Smile

OP posts:
Twizbe · 23/08/2021 07:49

My big thing is no integrated appliances. They are a pain to replace when they break. The dishwasher can warp a cupboard door.

LittleWingSoul · 23/08/2021 09:42

Agree with @Twizbe on stand alone rather than integrated appliances!

Subbaxeo · 24/08/2021 10:50

Our new house has a plumbed in fridge so we get chilled, filtered water. We love it! We also liked our old slide and hide oven door-only Neff make them, I think. I thought we’d miss our corner carousel sink but we don’t. But we do have a pull out larder cupboard which is brilliant-you can see instantly what you’ve got. Invest in a good extractor fan with an external duct.

Subbaxeo · 24/08/2021 10:51

Sorry-unit not sink.

Subbaxeo · 24/08/2021 10:52

We have grey painted cupboards with very pale grey worktop. It doesn’t stain and it’s very easy to clean-I think it’s quartz.

Noodledoodledoo · 24/08/2021 22:31

Just done ours, bin in a cupboard under your prep area is amazing - can open door and just sweep stuff straight in!

DHandInterview · 24/08/2021 22:49

In our kitchen I've found drawer units, the deep ones, much better for storage than cupboards.

DHandInterview · 24/08/2021 22:50

Also, I have a white quartz worktop and I am a messy cook and it hasn't stained yet. A bit of Cif or the pink stuff and it looks as good as new

Elouera · 24/08/2021 22:59

We are planning a kitchen in our new house right now (derelict home, so a complete overhaul).

-I've been advised to get large drawers, rather than low cupboards you need to stoop down to look into.

  • get more plug sockets in the island or around the side of the kitchen than you think you'll need. Think about ALL the things you might have plugged into the kitchen circuit. (fridge, freezer, microwave, toaster, dishwasher, washing machine, can opener, mixer, slow cooker etc)
  • Make sure the dishwasher is near to the sink for rinsing
  • I think about cupboard doors and all the cracks that fat and dust can settle in. This is the reason I hate shaker doors, having previously had them!
HappyGoPlucky · 25/08/2021 09:48

When we did our kitchen we planning in a pendulums unit with an induction hob (no room for an island). It is the best thing ever - it's a tiny kitchen so very limited workspace and the peninsula is quite small but it faces into a dining area and it's lovely to bake on with kids and cook at while chatting to people.
Also a pull out larder is a fantastic use of space. I'd go for a smaller one as they get very full & heavy. We only had space for a 40cm one and don't think and it was manageable but my MIL had a 60cm one and it was too heavy and awkward. Things got hidden at the back either hers.

Scarby9 · 25/08/2021 09:51

I love my 'morgue'. Full height pull out food cupboard that holds loads very accessibly.

Spice rack on the back of a wall cupboard door.

Pan drawers. Rather than cupboards.

HappyGoPlucky · 25/08/2021 09:52

planned in a peninsula unit! Good grief - predictive text!!

DazzlePaintedBattlePants · 25/08/2021 09:55

Everyone I know with a plumbed in fridge hates it because they leak and dribble water everywhere.

You need more lighting than you think you do.

Drawers are far superior to cupboards.

whatever1980 · 25/08/2021 11:10

Second the tip about a tap - we have a large Belfast sink and current tap doesn't project far enough.

Love granite work tops as can put pans directly on them without burning.

Not sure I'd get white porcelain tiles again as lovely and bright but show marks easily.

SnarkyBag · 25/08/2021 11:27

Definitely go with deep pan drawers. We have 4 in our kitchen and they are brilliant for plates/bowls as well as pans.
I like my pull out shelves in the corner cupboard. It’s our tea and coffee cupboard and stores cups and mugs as well as all tea, coffee, sugar and a large variety of tassimo pods.

Original poster
hanketypankety · 27/08/2021 10:17

These tips are great, thank you! I'm definitely going to go with deep drawers and the tip about bins in cupboards is great! I hate that our food waste bin sits on the counter top so if I can hide it that would be fab. I just don't want lots of cupboards for the sake of cupboards

OP posts:
Anjo2011 · 27/08/2021 10:25

Just to echo what others have said, more drawers than cupboards lower down in the kitchen, induction hob, pull out pantry. We have stone coloured units with light quartz countertops with a darker fog colour running through them. They clean really well and look lovely. Four months in everything is good as new. Take this opportunity to get rid of all the stuff you don’t use. I had a really good clear out of all the stuff I might use one day, but never did. Has made a massive difference and there’s now plenty of room and storage for stuff.

PurBal · 27/08/2021 10:31

@DHandInterview

In our kitchen I've found drawer units, the deep ones, much better for storage than cupboards.
Definitely go for drawers
GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 30/08/2021 17:01

A set of small drawers tucked in somewhere. Ours were a bit of a last-minute thought during the design process, and they have been brilliant - somewhere to stash painkillers, dog meds, spare shoelaces, batteries, cake cases, glue, elastic bands etc.

We also have a massive spice rack with a cupboard (and into this cupboard goes the baking powder and food colouring and all that stuff).

Travielkapelka · 30/08/2021 17:06

I would say only integrated appliances. Looks so much better and smarter