The MN lessons learnt kitchen thread.

[jollydiane]

I have read loads of kitchen threads so here is my conclusions.

1. Plan for where you bin is going to go.
2. Handless kitchens look lovely but can wind you up.
3. Floor Tiles look stunning but can be a bugger to keep clean.
4. Splash-backs are very practical for cleaning and can look stunning although some of you think they look naff.

What else should I add to the list before I make my purchase?

The one area I'm really stuck on is flooring. I want something that I can use my lakeland steam mop on (another MN suggestion) which I love.

I want to know how everyone got on too! Any more lessons learned?

We're about to have our kitchen redone, I thought it would be an enjoyable experience -the planning that is, I know the actual fitting will be a nightmare - but the thought of spending a lot of money and then realising you've made mistakes is quite stressful. In a first world problem sort of way, obvs.

I'm wondering whether to have a double oven or two separate ovens, one with grill and microwave included. This would be a lot more expensive but we are very short on worktop space, and it means I can have slide and hide door

I really like the look of quartz worktops but just can't imagine what it will look like from the tiny samples.
Cabs all the way to the ceiling? It means going up a range of cupboards.

Definitely getting rid of tiles in favour of glass splashback and worktop upstand, but what do you do with the windowsills? They're currently tiled.

Any of those tempting little extras really worth it or really not worth it?

Marking spot!

I'd like to avoid wall cupboard - I'd prefer lots of low ones and some kind of larder (massive cupboard) but probably not a walk in one. We're due to extend next year so this isn't definite yet...

I was throwing ideas at dp last night and wondered outloud if putting a row of glossy fitted wardrobes would work for larder / washing machine hider cupboards. He looked at me like I'm stupid but I think it might be lots cheaper and look fine!

I want to avoid wall cupboards too, I would rather keep my possessions streamlined and go for a spacious airy feel than have the extra storage I don't really need and fill them with c**p!

Just found this thread and it is fab! So useful. We are about to start (well, when we find out about planning permission!) an extension to create an open plan kitchen diner. Loads of useful tips here on many of the things we're still mulling over.

Any new tips or lessons learned from those who did kitchens back in 2012 when the thread started?

Nearly finishing our 2 storey extension (kitchen diner, utility and bedroom), works started early Feb.

For kitchen:

• have a realistic budget
• loads of storage
• eye level oven(s)
• drawers instead of shelves
• Underfloor heating
• sockets everywhere, including the inside of cabinets
• vented extraction, not recirculated
• think about lighting zones
• spend loads of time choosing/designing your kitchen. Your first thoughts won't be the finished product.

Good luck

This doesn't only apply to kitchens but i'd say make sure that you have sourced everything you need (seen samples) before the work starts (no hasty decisions) and also that everything is being delivered early on. We have tried to get things delivered around the time when builders need them so as not to crowd the house but I'm shocked at the number of deliveries that fail: either the goods aren't available as early as promised, or they have delivered but "there was no one in "(yeah right...) ect ect. Or if you need to use someone unrelated to your builder (for example worktop people) make sure that they communicate properly. At the moment i have to mediate between two parties that are both accusing the other of not having been clear about dates and it's causing issues with the progress of my kitchen. I wish that, when i asked them to sort out dates together, i hadn't assumed that they actually could deal with it like grown ups.

Why do you need sockets inside a cupboard?

I agree that ceramic tiles are the most practical thing by far. Go for big ones so there is less grout surface as that can be a pain to clean. And go for smooth (ish) not very rough textured, like riven slate. Looks beautiful but every bit of dropped food sticks to it and you need to chisel it off.

A matt finish is much lower maintenance that gloss.

Although things like Karndean are pretty good.

And do spend out on well placed lighting including under cupboard lighting, or lighting that somehow illuminates the worktop space. It's always tempting to think you can save money by not having it, but there's nothing worse than trying to work with the main light source behind you and it's very difficult to install it later, once you've realised you need it.

You can never have too many sockets

And don't be tempted to fit the wall cupboards too low, or have too many that come right down to the work surface, it means you can't fit larger gadgets, coffee machines etc on the worktop because they won't fit in the gap in between. I have this in the house I'm in now, and it drives me bonkers. Loads of worktop but only two small areas where I can use things like my big food mixer - and even then I have to move the kettle!

Without wishing to resurrect the order of the cutlery drawer discussion , can I ask if anyone has anything further to add to the Definite No and Must Have lists for a new kitchen? We are looking at doing ours early next summer so the long planning and research process is beginning. We've done nearly 8 years of on and off major building work to our house and the kitchen is the final piece (there was nothing wrong with it when we moved in, had the doors repainted and then 2 children arrived and it wasn't a priority to change it!).

Sockets in cabinets to charge phones and other things etc. we also have socket in cabinet where the microwave sits. We didn't want to pay for a built in microwave, so we had a freestanding one in the cabinet. We don't use the microwave a lot, just a backup so nicely tucked away in the utility room cabinet

Simply put, when planning new kitchen, consider:

• work triangle
• lighting
• heating (radiator vs UFH)
• sockets
• storage (shelves vs drawers)
• appliances (built in vs freestanding)
• flooring

I would not have carousels inside corner cupboards again. They are an awful space waster and it's impossible to get your arm behind them to clean, or to pick up things that have dropped down behind the carousel. I would have either bi-fold doors that both open into the corner, and normal shelves, or I would have those L shaped pull out sectional things that fold away into the corner.

I would always have a waste disposal unit and a water softener. Marvellous things.

sorry I don't mean bi-fold doors, do I? I just mean two doors on each side of the corner where one closes over the other, into the corner.

The bi-fold doors that operate as one door but with a hinged bit down the middle that sits in the corner always end up dropping on one side because of the unsupported weight.

Self close drawers. Would always have those again.

Consider the height of your main oven. Will you have to get on your knees to get the turkey out of the oven?

Something we've learned from doing a new kitchen is that standard non-Ikea integrated dishwashers (ours is Bosch) don't fit the new Ikea Metod kitchen system. The Metod system is designed only to work with Ikea's own brand dishwasher. Their work around is highly frustrating (they provide pull out runner things) and the result is that it's a pain in the ass to open the dishwasher door (it scrapes rather than glides) and the door housing the dishwasher ends up extending further into the room than a "normal" one would.

Other things - make sure that if you're having a cork tiled floor, you get someone to lay it who has experience of cork tiling. One of the twit builders managed to do a crappy job and we're still trying to figure out how to remove the gungy glue from the floor that seeped from the gaps in the tiles.

One further pearl of wisdom - planning and having a new kitchen fitted (as well as building work) is a good test of a relationship. We haven't been together that long (just over a year) and the fact we're still speaking is a good sign !

freckled is it a definite that what you describe about white goods and Metod is universally the case, or was your kitchen fitter just not as skilful as he could've been?

No - kitchen fitters are brilliant. I've done some googling and it does seem that the new kitchen system Ikea use (Metod) means you can't use non-Ikea integrated appliances successfully

That is a major drawback!

I think it's only the dishwasher that you need to have from IKEA for the Metod range - we've just had Siemens hob and oven installed by the IKEA fitters as part of a Metod installation. Hobs, fridges etc all tend to work to standard dimensions.