If you were having a brand new kitchen - what you you include, and what not to include?

[Hulababy]

Our building works start next week. We are having an extension downstairs and moving our kitchen to the new space: see attached plan. It shows a rough kitchen area as put on my the architect. This is completely moveable apart from the boiler which needs to stay where it is. So, it is basically an empty rectangle to play with...will require a kitchen and dining area. Also, the door is moveable - we currently have a door into the study (right side of the room and where the door is currently shown; there is also currently a door into the study (the left side of the room)

A new utility room will house the washing machine and tumble dryer. It will have room for a free standing freezer, and some work space, and maybe a cupboard. Although the plans show one there will not be a sink in the utility room as we have decided against it already - not had one in current utility for past 9.5 years and thats with the kitchen on a floor above, so def don't need one. It will be right next door to the kitchen.

I know I want a high gloss kitchen with the curved edges, and probably a solid surface worktop such as Corian. Probably white, with maybe a charcoal/grey/black added. Maybe. Unlikely to go for wood units. And I think we will have a free standing retro style Smeg fridge.

So, if you were designing your new kitchen, what would you go for?

And anything you would reject/definitely not have in hindsight?

Things I have twice not put into new kitchens and wish I had: towel rail and bin in cupboard not in the way. Things I love in my kitchen are bigger fridge than thought I could possibly need (usually full), double sink, lots of plugs, ceramic hob as so easy to clean (though induction souls have been even better), shelves for recipe books.

We've just done ours and my favourite things are

the eye level grill/oven which is built into the wall
integrated dish washer (actually it's not an proper integrated one as it is freestanding but has the door on to match the units)
1 and a half bowl sink
many plug sockets
pan drawers
L shaped corner cupboards. I don't like all those pull out racks personally but the L shaped corner cupboards are brilliant as you can get to everything and they are huge so plenty of storage space
mosaic tiles instead of a splashback. They look amazing
upstand

gorenje retro fridges are made by the same people as smeg apparently but cheaper.

upstands are a pain really wish we had gone for tiles as the walls constantly gets water marks.

draws deep enough for pans really wish we'd had these.

Very wide drawer set with top one for cutlery and all spoons, peelers, mashers etc. the lower two deep for all my pans, blenders, Pyrex etc. they are twice the width of normal drawers and absolutely fab.
I also have a small 'gap' next to my sink cupboard which was essentially spare space between that cupboard and the window. All my baking trays and cooling racks etc stand up in it. It is soooo useful.

If I was re-doing my kitchen now I would go for more large drawers and fewer cupboards.

Drawers are much easier to get things in and out of.

I have a shallow double width cutlery drawer which is magnificent!

Below it is a double deep width drawer which houses all my rice, pasta, dried fruit, stock, herbs, spices etc.

Below that is a deep double width drawer where my pots and pans live.

It is definitely the most used part of the kitchen.

I have two ovens, side by side which works really well. I use one for roasting/meat cooking, and the other for baking so that only one gets dirty enough to need cleaning regularly!

I have an elongated separate hob over the cookers. It only has 4 "rings". but 3 of them are larger than usual, and there is more space between them so I can use large pans.

Oooh, we're about to put in a new kitchen too - lots of good ideas here....thank you for starting this thread

We built a house 1 year ago.
Things I love about my new kitchen are, the island has a column that pulls up with sockets and USB points. 110cm stainless steel range master cooker. Walk in larder. Pocket doors (sliding into recess) to larder and utility - if you centred the door to your utility you could have units on both sides of room.
Problems are that I went for painted kitchen, paint chips off over time and doesn't work well with water. I have had to get some cupboard doors resprayed already.

Oh yes, I have a floor to ceiling book case for cookery books in an alcove that wouldn't have been otherwise used.

Graciemac - the door only has two choices; where it is on the plan or where the old utility door was.

We've just had our new kitchen fitted, I am really pleased with the following:
Extra tall units that go right to the ceiling - no chance of clutter accumulating on top of units and just looks more finished.
Pan drawers and pan drawers with integrated cutlery drawer
Pull out full height larder cupard
Solid surface worktop and upstands
1 1/2 sink set into worktop with moulded drainer
Integrated appliances - I recommend shopping around for these as the prices charged by kitchen suppliers are really high for pretty basic brands.

Well it will be a lovely sized utility the way it is on the plan. Plenty of space for a clothes horse!

I'm so looking forward to doing ours next year after reading this (been living with two cupboards and a manky old cooker for 4 years) but dreading the cost!

We're determined not to scrimp and to have everything we like after living with crap for so long but I can already feel the bill mounting!

We just need to go for a compromise. What i want v not spending a small fortune! The build costs are already tons so we do need to be fairly sensible. Trouble is I want to get it right and not be wanting to make changes in a couple of years!

Dp used to be a bricklayer so we're hoping to save on building costs when we put the extension on but he's the one with expensive tastes too.

We're in an ex council so, although he'd like top end, very high spec I need to get him to be realistic about spending!

Induction hob.
God, I love mine
Double oven.
Dishwasher
Large under sink drawers. Very handy.
Frost free fridge freezer.
1.5 bowl sink
Decent sized drainer
Nice glass fronted units for glasses and best crockery

Make sure you organise under unit/glass unit lighting on electrical plans as too late after as I discovered!
My surfaces are Quartz, as with Coriander you can have the drainage area cut in to it so don't need to use a stainless steel one.

That was supposed to say Corian!

One of these over the drainer so that you can get spotless glasses without mucking around with tea towels. Life is definitely too short for drying-up, right?

High gloss units show absolutely every single mark - so if you have young children or are just a messy family like us, be aware that they will show every finger print.

I am also short and find lots of drawers more useful,than cupboards. I covet the slide and hide ovens by neff - ones where the door slides under the oven so that those of us without long arms can comfortably reach into the hot bit if the oven.

I hate cleaning so have filler panels to plug the gap between wall units and the ceiling - no more remembering to clean the grease off the top of the units.

Our dd is 13 do not so many messy fingers now. We also have gloss in our bathrooms, living room and bedroom so used to it :)

Purplemeggie - we put pretty much everything in the dishwasher

Ooh - filler panels, genius! I was wondering about floor to ceiling cupboards but I'm short so anything put at the very top wouldn't get used.

I hate it when the top of cupboards get greasy but genuinely hadn't thought of just filling the gap!

Very happy with our new kitchen. We do have a built in microwave. They aren't particularly difficult to replace if they break.

The one thing I wish we had is a warming drawer. We went for a drawer under the oven instead that I use for dried herbs and spices. I think the warming drawer would have been a better addition.

Fair enough, Hula. We've got some glasses that can't go in the dishwasher (they don't get used very often!!!) so the rack's definitely on my list.