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.

I like that there are no appliances on the surfaces. We have a hot water tap instead of a kettle. bins are integrated into a cupboard. Coffee machine and toaster etc are hidden away too.

Love deep drawers too, just would like more dividers or storage solutions inside them. We have peg boards to separate the plates etc but not great.

Drawers instead of cupboards. Definitely worth it.
Pull-out spice rack.
Think how much countertop do you need for all the appliances you actually use. We were also able to expand the kitchen and use a weird corner to fit a coffee and tea “station”. What I mean by that I tried to ensure I would make good use of space, for me to have as much countertop as needed (in the old kitchen all the countertop space was full and it felt cluttered)

Big wide drawers instead of cupboards on my island especially for the plate/bowl drawers which looks really organised.

No hob or sink on island so I have a big clear space - great for prepping, baking, entertaining, breakfast eating.

Really good water filtration system with tap so tap water tastes really good and doesn’t have chlorine, chemicals etc in it. Hence no need for a filter jug on worktop.

Full size tall, separate integrated fridge and freezer.

No overhead cupboards, mirror splash back, beautiful wooden shelf.....I love it!

Also hose tap is life changing.

Things I’d change next time - never put dishwasher next to the wall as you get coffee splashes on the wall if people don’t empty their cups properly first (teenagers, husbands etc).

I would get kickboard pulls out per feeder drawer. It’s wasted space.

My gas hob. I know some people love induction hobs but gas hobs allow for much more precise temperature control and you can also roast aubergines etc over the flame.

The other thing I love is having made a spice drawer right next to the cooker. I transferred all spices and dried herbs etc into little square jars with wooden lids and put labels on the top so I can just pull the drawer open, quickly identify what I need and add it while cooking. Saves time, looks fab.

Oh lovely, do you have a recommendation for where you got yours?

Thank you! My new kitchen is going in later this year and the dishwasher is going against the wall oops. You are so right about coffee and tea cups. It sounds well worth having a wipe clean surface adjacent.
It's a new build so I'm having three spray taps! Kitchen, pantry, laundry. Hopefully not overkill.

Yes, my spice drawer is another thing that makes me happy! Even though our kitchen isn't finished, I made a point of getting the spice jars in situ in one of the top drawers adjacent to the hob.

We did this first a couple of houses back, using little round tins with labels on top, but these didn't always undo easily so eight years ago when we were doing our last kitchen we swapped them for square jars. It's so easy to open the drawer and read the labels on top before selecting what's required. So much tidier than spice racks too!

Definitely have wipe clean next to the dishwasher if it’s against the wall. It was the only place ours could go. I’ve got a white wall and have been getting the stains off with neat bleach but it’s corroded the paint and the skirting board which must be mdf under the paint has started to swell. 😩

Size and design-wise: being able to fit a table and chairs in makes it so much easier to serve and clear the table than before when we had a separate dining room. And not having the washing machine in the kitchen makes it a lot quieter.

I like my underfloor heating as it leaves the wall space free for cupboards and feels so nice underfoot on cold mornings.

Kitchen island is useful too.

Everyone said don't paint it a dark colour, it'll be dark and horrible but we ignored them and painted the walls cadbury purple, with light units, light floor tiles and a massive window its not dark at all and the purple looks great. My big pantry cupboard. I never had one before but my husband was very taken with my Mum's. My laundry chute. It starts in the bedroom and ends in the kitchen, really helps so I don't haven't carry washing downstairs.

No, it was in the property we bought.

Under counter bins. Wouldn’t be without them!
Drawers instead of cupboards

I love having two ovens (I have a micro oven and a full sized, the full sized it slide & hide and I haven’t burned myself on a door since having it- that was a very regular occurrence before!)
Boiling water tap- game changer.
Drawers under the hob
Splash back tiles
Stone floor

I actually really love my kitchen 😂

My “back of pantry door spice and other stuff” magnetic holder. A friend had the idea so can’t claim credit for it.

Labrador and cats sprawled on warmest spots
french windows onto verandah
Larder cupboards
underfloor heating
original fireplace with multi fuel stove
ceiling clothes dryer ( an absolute godsend in winter)
bookshelves
pan screws for hanging
loads of space for my kitchen stuff

Very happy with my Quooker tap. I would love the hidden cutlery drawers but my husband was 100% against them.

@Seaside3it’s a French door style fridge freezer with the fridge on top with double doors and freezer drawers underneath. Like thisthis the freezer drawers hold as much as my upright freezer did and the drawers mean you can see everything. The double fridge doors mean you can see stuff and makes organising the fridge really easy. It makes me happy every time I use it.