What makes you happy with your kitchen?

[MigGirl]

What is the one or two things in your kitchen that make you really happy with it?

We are looking to do some improvements to ours this year and I'm looking for inspiration.

The unusual cupboards. There's a ground to ceiling cupboard which is the size of a fridge freezer and holds loads. There are other cupboards which aren't very deep, but take lots of glasses. It's lovely to have enough spaces of the right size rather than have to try to fit stuff in, as I had to with my old kitchen.

Hanging double pan rack

My fridge and freezer. Instead of going for the American-style fridge-freezer, I went for separate, full height, free-standing ones, that are of equal size. I realised that many of the American-style ones have relatively small freezers, especially if they have a water/ice dispenser.

The colour. Farrow and Ball Stone Blue. I really love it and it makes me happy every time I walk in the room.

Oh, and drawers under the worktop rather than cupboards.

My eye level double oven ( when I use it). I can’t be doing with grovelling around on the floor to check what I am cooking. I like to just look into the oven without bending double. Also, the separate grill on the top oven. Having one oven only, that doubles as both is a pain in the backside and very limiting if you want to use the oven and the grill at the same time.

Everything! The drawers, floor to ceiling cupboards, the full length window, the colours, no wall units, no corner cupboards. I designed it all from scratch so it makes me very happy.

Drawers instead of cupboards
Hot water tap, basic but so useful
Under counter bin
Easy clean floor

Walk-in pantry and a chest level oven

The corner larder cupboard. It’s big enough to get me inside (and I’m not small!). Plus the pull-out cupboard for tins and packets.
I also love that we have both an island and space for an 8-seater dining table. Cooking, especially on festive occasions, is a real family effort as everyone gathers round the island and joins in, but then we can all sit down together too.
The garage conversion to get this space is the one thing we’ve done to this house and it’s far and away the best decision we’ve made living here. Turns out that the guff that filled the garage all fits in a garden shed!

Tea cupboard - containing tea/ coffee/ toaster/ sparkling water machine. Close the door and all clutter hidden

I think a lot of MNers would absolutely hate my kitchen.It’s a rickety old farmhouse kitchen so lots isn’t perfect at all. But I love that everything feels solid, neutral and natural. Cupboards made by a local carpenter 20 years ago, a travertine floor, and a lovely big pantry cupboard that takes up a side wall. When I feel in need of a little therapy, I do a big pantry cupboard sort out.I also like being able to have a big table in the middle and having French doors that open onto the patio. The primary decorative element are labradors in three different colours who know the warmest spots on the floor.

Sadly, our old Aga is on its last legs and the quote to have my fantasy cornflower blue Everhot fitted in its place was eye watering!

Draws instead of cupboards for plates and pans.
My beautiful honed marble work surfaces. Not the most practical choice, but they are truly gorgeous.
Wide French doors that lead out onto the garden.

Induction hob and fairy lights

Integrated microwave, warming drawer and boiling water tap. Also have 2 ovens which is very handy when have family/friends over.

The most important things I’ve had, variously in different kitchens, and not all of them now, are:

a pantry or pantry cupboard of a type that’s easy to organise

a spice cupboard near the hobb

drawers or similar which make it easy to organise pans, including heavier ones

a floor that’s easy to clean

a bin to hand

Ours is a work in progress as we relocated it to a different room and we're DIYing almost everything, but for me it's....

The colours - the walls and base cabinets (drawers) are Edward Bulmer Pompadour, the wall cupboards are Edward Bulmer Nicaragua. Makes me smile every time I walk in.

My Hornbeam Ivy articulated tap (not a pull down type but one that looks like a pot filler). It's not fitted yet, but can't wait - we bought it for our last house and removed it before marketing as they're no longer available.

My butler's knobs 🤣 From deVol, a splurge as we only spent about £500 on our preloved cabinets.

Oh and the original Georgian floorboards - the only ones remaining in the whole property.

My free standing fridge/freezer
My free standing LG Direct Drive washing machine
My 'sur la table' Airfryer
My ordinary kettle

i could go on, but it's not helping you much. 😂😂

....

The island we had put in. Extra 6 cupboards and loads more worktop space

Nothing!!! Mine is a galley kitchen in a 30’s house and it’s so narrow, lived here over 30 years and was looking at moving but now decided to knock the wall down this year and extend into the brick built conservatory and have a dream kitchen of new appliances, loads more cupboard and storage space and an island!! So excited and can’t wait to cook Christmas dinner this year!!

We recently renovated:
-I love the amount of plug sockets we have
-Sprayer nozzle on tap
-Drawers instead of cupboards
-We have lots of spotlights which are zoned. So can have just over the sink lights on, or just over the hob, just plinth or all on etc. Our previous place just had a single light in the centre of the kitchen, so I was always washing up in my shadow!
-My oxo peeler is fantastic. I refuse to use any other brand and I even take it on holidays if staying in an apartment 😆
-We didnt get them, but for a small kitchen, plinth drawers look like a good idea for more storage.

Not so good

• I would have preferred the oven to be hip height rather than on the ground, but existing windows prevented that

-We have a Belfast sink but plug size is woefully small, only about 4cm across. It was one thing I never thought to check the size of and wrongly assumed it would be double that size. I can't leave the little basket thing in because it collects too much food debris and blocks within seconds.

My induction five ring hob and my two ovens.

My Wolf induction range with a huge oven

My Incinerator garbage disposal

No upper cabinets

Open shelves

Big, big drawers

My gorgeous hanging lights, lights under the shelves, zoned spots on the ceiling, all dimmable, so I can have focused bright light or chilled glowy light

My quartzite (not quartz) worktops

Wood floor with underfloor heating

My plants, that's all, seriously! We've not long moved into a new place, it's like a council kitchen from 30 years ago, except it's new. It's baffling. The upper cupboards begin at eye level for me, they must've been made for those very common 7 foot folks. Can't wait to have enough cash to replace, have spent thousands just making it minimally liveable.

My range cooker with induction hob
My Smeg coffee machine
The hose tap/shower head on our utility area sink - perfect for shoving the dogs under