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We are remodelling our house - what do you love about and what works brilliantly in yours?

40 replies

NotVeryGrandDesign · 09/10/2011 19:20

We will be having some building work done in the next few months and are at "drawing board" stage.
We will be moving kitchen around (possibly new units etc)
I have been searching the MN archive and have found a couple of threads about avoiding high maintenance mistakes

We'll also be replacing knackered bathroom and moving the front door I think.

But reckon there are loads more:
So this is a fab opportunity to move things around in what's currently a poky and dark kitchen, and move the playroom which is clutter central.
Just wondering what works in your house? Thanks in advance

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Sleepwhenidie · 18/10/2011 20:59

BlushBlush my post should have gone in the boasting about amazing kitchens thread! Apologies if you are reading and going shuuuut up Blush

PigletJohn · 18/10/2011 21:11

your 2-dishwashers is something I have been talking about for years... are they two full-sized ones?

Don't want to piss on your chips, but I know someone who had corian worktops incorporating a moulded sink with no joins; it eventually cracked where it went on the join between two units in a corner. Maybe get some kind of additional supporting beam under the front?

I hope you remembered to specify lots of sockets and FCUs, and at least two cooker circuits in case you decide to put the cooker somewhere else.

Freezer preferably on its own RCBO circuit so it doesn't get affected by a trip caused somewhere else (your electrician will understand this)

Sleepwhenidie · 18/10/2011 21:21

Hi Piglet, it is two full sized ones yes, it would have defeated the reasoning behind having two if not, IYSWIM. The sink isn't corian, it is undermounted, brushed ss and not on a corner so hopefully ok but thanks for the heads up Smile.

Induction hob is on island with downdraft extractor and gas hob on wall side. Pop up socket on island at one end (do you think two better? Dont want to clutter up the lovely top!) FCU? What?! The fridge and freezer are separate units but integrated and next to each other, is that ok? Confused. We have two double sockets on the wall side, which is about 3m across but incorporates the gas hob and sink. Enough do you think?

PigletJohn · 18/10/2011 22:11

Nah

I reckon one double socket every metre in the wall 200mm above the worktop.

Also a DP switch or FCU in the wall above the worktop feeding a single socket below, everywhere that you have, or might one day want, an appliance (also one feeding a flex outlet above, for people who have, or might one day want, a cooker hood). (An FCU is a fused connection unit, sometimes called a fused spur, usually has a switch on it and incorporates a replacable fuse, like you have in a 13A plug. They usually run of the same ring circuit that your sockets do.)

The relevance of the freezer trip, is that if you are having a new kitchen, you will (almost certainly) be having it rewired by an electrician (kitchen fitters tend not to be good electricians); and so your circuits will (should be) protected by an RCD which will cut the power almost instantly in the event of an earth fault like water in a socket, fork in a toaster, dog chewing through a kettle lead, breakdown of heating element in oven, water leak in boiler. This is a great safety measure, but if it happens while you are away, you won't want to come home to a melted freezer and rotted food.

Hence it is better to put the freezer on its own dedicated radial circuit, with its own protection device (not the same RCD as everything else) which is called an RCBO. Most householders don't use RCBOs as the part costs about £30 extra for each circuit that has one.

Sleepwhenidie · 18/10/2011 22:28

Thanks Piglet, will mention this to the electrician tomorrow!

echt · 19/10/2011 07:48

Think lifetime. In this way you won't be inconvenienced when a whipper-snapper, and will have house you can use for the rest of your life

Paddle taps as in hospitals, so gnarly hand can use them.
when the flashy, impossible-to-reach lights become a pain in the arse, you can still illuminate your life.

If you have those shite little downlighter thingies in the kitchen, make sure one of your switches only turns ONE on, instead of Heathrow landing lights and mega leccy bills every time you set foot in the room. We have this, and it's fab.

Make sure all light bulbs can be easily removed without vertiginous ladders.

The right-handed hot plates have been mentioned.

echt · 19/10/2011 07:50

Some of my post was eaten by the interweb thingy. I meant have lots of powerpoints in the walls at the start of my third sentence. :)

NotVeryGrandDesign · 12/11/2011 15:49

Bumpity bump..still looking for ideas and inspiration.

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shodatin · 15/11/2011 01:03

Agree that a larder cupboard is really useful, but the best part of last three houses has been small room/built-in area containing boiler, large enough to contain enough clothes airing equipment for a machine-load, which usually dries overnight, including raincoats, boots etc. if necessary.

NotVeryGrandDesign · 16/11/2011 09:59

Bumpity bump bump bump

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NotVeryGrandDesign · 17/11/2011 10:32

bump

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TalkinPeace2 · 18/11/2011 17:50

kitchen storage

  • use carousels in the corners and IKEA full extend drawers rather than cupboards under the worktops : no scrabbling at backs of cupboards
  • larder cupboard ; pull out basket shelves so you can see

if you have an island get the electrician to fit a pop up multisocket like this
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13A-Tower-Pull-Pop-Up-Kitchen-Worktop-Socket-/290525600699#ht_2743wt_952
its wonderful for charging phones, running the magimix etc etc and slides away when not in use

we bought a 35 by 25cm sized trivet from B&Q - it lives next to the hob and holds two hot pans without marking the worktop

use a huge towel rail instead of a radiator in the kitchen as drying stuff like teatowels is always its primary purpose

I bought all my appliances at SDES www.southerndomestic.co.uk/DisplayContent.aspx?ContentID=1
graded stock - dents on the side of fitted ovens are no hassle - especially when you get £150 off and still full warranty

Conundrumish · 18/11/2011 21:39
  • A 'den' type room what is quiet and out of the way where parents can maybe have a lie in (sofa bed) and teenagers can later use as their room
  • Easy access to garden without having to treck mud through rooms - so preferably opening into a utility room or easily cleaned space
  • View from kitchen to other rooms so the person stuck cooking/cleaning up isn't shut away *little linen room where ironing board could always be up (preferably with a TV and fridge full of nice white wine too Grin.
TeamNeither · 30/11/2011 13:07

Love those sockets talkinpeac

NotVeryGrandDesign · 31/12/2011 18:32

Hello
Coming back to this thread as have been thinking more about this over xmas as cant actually do anythign about any of it atm
So festive end of 2011 bump

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