Can we talk about KITCHENS?

[KTeepee]

Ok I am hoping to get a kitchen extension done in the new year and new kitchen units too...

If you have a kitchen you like. would you mind saying what features are especially good, etc?

For example, I have a feeling I will end up with less cupboard space than before (don't ask...) but most of the food can probably be accomodated in a large larder-type cupboard I am keeping (which is currently mostly full of arts & crafts stuff). So I am mainly looking at storage for crockery, utensils, saucepans, etc. I was thinking that drawers might be better than cupboards for a lot of this stuff, any opinions?

I am also possibly having an island unit - has anyone got one with a sink or hob on and does it work ok? I am a bit worried about water going everywhere with a sink and possible safety issues with a hob.

TIA for any advice!

(I have been to a few places to get plans done btw but am not sure how creative the staff have been.... all male so far so am worried about their practical knowledge!)

I LOVE our kitchen! We have a large T-shaped island made out of 3 x 600mm cupboards end to end as teh long bit of the "T" and 2 cupboards back to back for the top bit. We have a round sink one end of the long end - and a hob at the other end. This leaves a convenient bit between sink and hob as a preparation area (and I have fridge / freezer and double oven behind me). THe top of the "T" is another preparation area with pop up sockets. We don't have a separate utility room, so I have another sink (double one this time) close to the dish washer / washing machine and dryer. We also have a separate (huge) larder cpboard but also plenty of units. My one regret is that I did cave in to dh and do not have as many drawers as I would like.
Ours is B&Q - we designed it and they drew the plans. dh and his mate installed most of it - but we got a professional in to do the worktops.

An island can be quite good esp if you can get a fridge and freezer under it.
Otherwise have your drawers in it.
Pull out pantrys are awesoem for food storage, we have abasic ikea one to tide us until we can get our kitchen redesigned from scrath.

Definitely pull out cupboard and B&Q do a "rotunda" (at least, that's what we call it!). It's a circular unit to put in a corner which rotates all the way around and has a silver coloured door and a beech chopping board which covers the top and sits on top of the worksurface. Avoids a lot of dead space...

Re: arty stuff, don't forget you can have pull-out shelves - effectively drawers within a cupboard...

Yours sounds lovely! Don't think I will have room for such a big island though

a pullout tall larder cupboard is wonderful. I managed to get about four cupboards worth of stuff in mine when we had our new kitchen. I also love my pan drawers, which I've had installed under the hob. The top thinner drawer takes all our cutlery, the middle one all our daily plates, glasses and mugs and the bottom one takes pots.

I couldn't fit an island in, but would have loved one as we had one in a rental house a few years ago and it was great - didn't have any appliances on it - just used for storage and as a work surface

Another thing - instead of a carousel in the corner cupboard, my MIL has a sort of specially hinged door so you can get right into the corner (hard to explain, sorry). I have only seen these on expensive kitchens here (hers is not expensive) - does anyone know what I am going on about and have you seen them in "normal" kitchen places?

things I love in our kitchen:

Deep drawers for pans, mixing bowls, blender, casseroles, serving dishes etc. So much easier than ferretting at the back of a cupboard for the cheesegrater etc.
Drawers can work for crockery too but make sure you don't end up bending right down every time you want something - much better for your back to have them in a wall cupboard if possible.

Built in fridge with freezer underneath - ditto with the bending, and under-counter fridges mean you have to kneel on the floor to get things from back of fridge - bad bad bad.

Carousels in the corner cupboards, again to avoid ferretting, but I might avoid the B&Q rotunda unless you're sure you wouldn't be wasting worktop space with that chopping board - the corner isn't usually where you'd choose to stand to chop stuff.

Under-cupboard lighting - makes sooo much difference.

Decent size bin in useful place - ours is a freestanding one that fits under an unused breakfast-bar type space, but I'd love a built-in one that tilts open like this - we have them in the labs at work and they are fabulous, but no-one seems to put them in kitchens.

Tall broom cuboard for Awkward Stuff like laundry basket, ironing board etc as we don't have a seperate utility room.

Built in washing machine and dishwasher, just because they look nicer .

But I hate our white sink as we live in a hard water area - the scale makes it go yellow and it's nowhere near as easy to clean as stainless steel.

Fair point about the rotunda - we don't use the actual chopping board much! I think B&Q do the pull out bit on the doors that you mentioned and would imagine most other kitcher suppliers would do too! Have a look on their website : www.diy.com

I love

pull-out larder you can get to both sides of

set of 3 drawers (with really deep one at bottom) for storing various bits and pieces and kids creative / paper store .. this faces the table rather than into the kitchen)

a storage cupboard for various crud .. buckets / hoover etc

A place to put a big kitchen bin

Soft-close drawers .. so they automatically close softly

a peninsular unit seperating kitchen from kitchen table (would have been a breakfast bar if bigger)

a big / deep sink
HTH

extra wide drawers under the hob for pans and utensils, cutlery etc.

pull out larder cupboard

all appliances hidden

american style fridge/freezer with water dispenser - never known DS1 to drink so much water cos he can get it himself!

island with 2 sinks - no probs with watergoing everywhere.

unit with a pull down metal shutter - great for hiding stuff.

oh I have american style f/f with water/ice dispenser too .. love it

I got units built around it and over it so it really looks part of kitchen

I want to get units built around my fridge/freezer too - it is huge and don't want to replace it as I love it.

I think my oven will have to go under the hob (unless I put the hob on the island unit) so no room for drawers there - but I will try to squeeze one in for baking trays under the oven - had one in my last house (but that was a single oven and I'm planning to get a double one this time - hope it works...)

Has anyone got a self-cleaning oven btw? Would love one as that is one chore I hate but wonder if they really do what they say?.

ours has just been designed, large range with drawer units either side, integrated dishwasher, corner pull out with wire baskets, undermounted sink, big fridgefreezer built into units, two larder untis either side and bridging units on the top and a run of wall units with down lighting and the end base unit is angled and has a slide out wire basket

Bumping this because the builders are starting in a couple of weeks so I need to finalise the kitchen units layout!

I think I can get drawers under the hob now - for those of you who have done that - did the drawer unit have to be adapted in some way to take account of the gas/electricity connections under the hob?