Your top tips for a well designed kitchen?

[NancyDroop]

I'm designing a kitchen from scratch (eek!) as we're knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and swapping them.

I would love to hear your top tips for what makes a kitchen 'work' or alternatively what you would avoid at all costs.

Thank you!!

Well I haven't even thought about bins yet...but I did say to DH about the dishwasher in the island scenario and he isn't sure...we need to have serious words

Best thing in our new kitchen is a pull out recycling bin.
Means a trip out to the recycling only happens every few days rather than stacking up bottles and cans like in the olden d ays

Great thread!

We're having our kitchen done and installed this Spring.

The layout is almost exactly the same as the pictures Chicaguapa shared on page 2, with the exception of having ovens on 1 stack only, in the middle ; hob and sink side by side in the island, both facing garden, and breakfast bar facing them.

We're having the full height "breakfast nook" with pocket doors in the back wall, so we can hide all the worktop appliances when we want to. I'm really excited about that.

60cm bin and recycling pull out drawer in the island between the sink and the hob.

My 2 issues yet to be resolved:

• since the sink is in the island, which is in plain view of the dining area, I don't really want to have dirty dishes hanging out on the island... Do I move the freezer (we don't use it too often) to the nearby utility and add a 2nd dishwasher in its place or not worry about this too much (the - single bowl - sink is large)?

• what to bloody do about tea towels? I'm quite a freak about washing all vegs, and my hands very frequently, when cooking so need to have tea towels nearby at all times. I haven't yet found a place to put them that would be both practical and inconspicuous... any suggestions?

My brother has the two dishwasher scenario which he regrets as he has three teenagers they are "confused" about what is clean and dirty consequently everything is mixed up
I was was worried about looking at dirty dishes as previously we had a separate dining room but it's been ok.
I am make sure as much washing up as possible is done before serving up and I make the guests sit away from the kitchen view
OCD??? You betcha!!!!

OK We did our kitchen a couple of years ago and I LOVE IT!

Insinkerator or garbage disposal or garburetor to my fellow Canadians - get one!!!

Bins and underfloor heating - we have our bin directly on our heated floor and never any smells. This is news to me actually. Although most of our food waste goes into the garburetor - see above!

Under-floor heating - is so fantastic.

Appliance garage - a special home inside a cupboard for your toaster, kettle, blender, coffee maker etc etc. Our only kitchen gadget on display is our fancy retro nespresso type machine.

Soft closing cupboards and drawers - self explanatory. Agree with others regarding lovely deep, wide drawers.

Hob - Gas gas gas - NOT induction. My parents have an induction one and it is so tricky and difficult, and stays hot for ages which is a real risk for the DC. Of course this is just my opinion!

Under-cabinet lighting - one of the best things we did!

Storage - you can never have too much.

Tea towels - at IKEA and places like that you can get these metal hooks that hang over doors (regular doors) for coats and housecoats and bath towels and stuff like that. They work just as well for me on the inside of kitchen cabinets under the sink or next to the hob / oven. I hang my marigolds on them to dry too.

I probably have more!

I'm mostly lurking as I'm starting to plan my first ever new kitchen. But I wanted to share these which I think are Very Clever Ideas for hiding power points

Dont get integrated fridge freezer.... It's a non trivial job to replace and refit doors for if it breaks or you want to change it.. (Voice of experience). Plus they just aren't big enough. Given the choice I would have a full height free standing freezer plus full height freestanding fridge. You can buy ice cubes in bags which takes up way less force than a stupid ice maker..

Yes to pull out bins in drawers... We have one for general, 2 for recycling and one for food waste . they all lift out anyway for washing! And even if you are fitting a gas job fit a cooker circuit to the same point in case you want to replace it with induction one day. It will cost you nothing to go at the start and fortune after the kitchen is in...

Londonbug1 thanks for this. maybe there's a way to signal which DW to load with some kind of very strong magnet (since they would be integrated) or something like that? I don't have kids yet, so, when time comes, I could train them really good before they become teenagers? hah!!!
If I cook, dishes tend to get cleaned as I go... if husband cooks (which actually tends to be more often these days) it's like a bomb went off. But we're getting this crazy huge sink so maybe it will be fine.

HeartsTrumpDiamonds thanks for the idea of the ikea over-the-door hangers... could be quite versatile as you can have them out when in a cooking session, and reversed back inside when it's over... and instantly, the not so neat tea towels are out of the way!

PetraDelphiki, inversely, would you fit a gas feed at the fitting stage, even if you're putting in induction, just in case?

Neff ovens have sliding under doors, they are great. Also think about getting an oven microwave, you can use it at the same time! Which makes cooking some foods like baked potatoes quicker. Saves work top space.

We're having a oven/microwave and normal oven.

If you're having a separate hob think about the distance between it and the oven.

Pan drawers, a warming drawer. Larder cupboard.