Kitchen layout guidance please :)

[WaveRider18]

I've got to finalise the layout for my kitchen asap and am struggling to decide on the best option. I've attached a rough layout sketch and would appreciate any ideas on how I can improve the design.

Originally I wanted a run of floor to ceiling units with one or two ovens built in. I have achieved this but I end up with quite a small counter top where the hob is plus a floor to ceiling cupboard that opens out onto the counter next to the hob. I worry it will be annoying trying to open it onto a (knowing me) cluttered area. Also I'm not sure having an oven next to the fridge freezer is really a good idea?

Other thought's I've had include ditching an oven and taking the counter round the corner......or finally ditching the idea of the built in oven and just going for an induction range where the hob currently is.

I've never had a kitchen that isn't stuck together with gaffer tape and am paralysed by the thought of spending so much money and getting it wrong. Am stuck in indecisive land and need someone clear headed to save me from myself!

I don't think you need that many ovens, just have one double oven and hide the microwave in a cupboard if you don't like countertop versions. If you want to stick with the current number of ovens, could you block up the back door and convert the window in the dining room into a door instead. That would give you more of a flow in the kitchen end as the two worktop areas would be connected. Alternatively, swap the kitchen and dining area so that you have the run of tall cupboards along the wall to the right of internal door and other units running along the two other walls with dining table near back door.

can any of the doors be moved especially the one near the sink?

Sorry, can you explain where the doors lead to and what is the relationship to the rest of the house?

I think you need more countertop space around the cooking area so I would lose one of the ovens. Are you planning any under counter storage? Just asking because when we did our kitchen a while back, the IKEA pull out units were the single best purchase ever!

Thanks for the ideas, please keep them coming :)

lalalonglegs I agree I don't need that many ovens.....a double would be a better option.....I'd really like a pyrolytic one but can't a double with this option (my track record on oven cleaning is not good). Unfortunately the kitchen and dining area can't be switched.

Raising steam the 'wall' on the right hand side is actually a set of folding doors into the lounge. The door by the hob leads into a small utility room (so blocking up isn't an option). The door by the fridge freezer leads into the hall.

Lunaballoon yes countertop space by the hob/oven is my concern.....loosing an oven and taking the counter round the corner seems a better option.

Does anyone else have an oven right next to the fridge freezer? Is this a slightly crazy idea in terms of energy efficiency?!

I have an oven next to the f/f but the f/f is integrated so the oven doesn't really affect it as the oven is in a cabinet and then the fridge is in one too (I tested the heat coming through the cabinet lots before I put the fridge in).

Thanks lala, that helps. I was planning to get a stand alone fridge freezer rather than an integrated one but I can't imagine it would be too much of a problem as I have an extra 20cm of space so could leave some 'breathing room' round the fridge?

So now if I can just find a pyrolytic double oven...........anyone out there got one?

I agree with more worktop near the hob- for prepping, but also plating up. You also have a door between the hob and sink, not great if you are crossing with pots of boiling pasta to drain- where does that door lead to? It would be perfect if that door could be blocked off.
I would ditch the breakfast bar and have the hob and sink near each other.

Four... the door leads to a small utility room and is actually a pocket door that slides into the wall so whilst it's not ideal I hopefully shouldn't get taken out by the opening door with a pot of hot water....I'll just have to yell before I cross ;). I did originally want the hob by the sink but all the designers I've spoken to have said it's not good practice to have a hob right under a window and hence putting it on the other wall....

This is a very similar layout to our kitchen, except we have an induction hob where your breakfast bar is. The breakfast bar bit is double-depth, though - we have put kitchen units back to back, so some face out into the dining area, and the worksurface there is 120cs deep. That gives us enough prepping/plating up room around the hob.

We went for a large single oven with micro/combi oven above. I wasn't convinced at first, but actually it works brilliantly.

One thing I would consider is turning the dining table around ninety degrees and making your breakfast bar area a double width peninsula with cupboards under a large work surface area. If you are firmly wedded to having a breakfast bar you can extend the worktop out. You could put the hob in the peninsula and it would be easier to vent an extractor hood outside from there and it would be closer to the sink too.

X posted with PaxmanFan!

I like the idea of putting the hob where the breakfast bar is.....(trots off to see if you can fit the dining table in the other way round). but I'm not sure that we'd be able to extend the work surface into the dining room to make it double depth without it looking odd. There's a bit of wall we can't remove (structural) so we'd end up with a bit of work surface (or an odd space) behind the wall in the dining room iyswim.

We had the same issue, as the dining bit of our room is an extension. So we brought the whole thing within the footprint ofbpur original kitchen, iyswim. We moved the units which became the peninsular 60cms forward, to fit another row of units behind. It made the space in the kitchen slightly narrower but we had the room to do it. Would that be an option?

We ended up only putting two units behind, one at either end of thd peninsular, facing into the dining area. We then put shelves between them, with the breakfast bar bit above. so there's a space to put your legs if you're at the breakfast bar. It really works for us, and it's very sociable if I'm at the hob cooking and someone is sitting at the breakfast bar chatting.

With your hob in the peninsula you could put the fridge freezer on the wall where you currently have the hob and play around with what you put in its place.

OK I had a think. I agree don't split the hob and the sink. Oven, fridge, larder, these are all things you "visit" in the kitchen. The sink/worktop/hob zone is where you actually spend time. I'd use the other bit of worktop for putting stuff on like kettle etc and store crockery under it (easy reach of dishwasher or drainer). I'd space the hob and sink as far apart as you can and that gives you a lovely light bit in front of the window for cooking, ideally at least 90cm long if that fits? I don't know if you could extend the peninsula slightly to steal a bit more space next to hob. Induction hob would be a good idea.

I'd forget about stools/breakfast bar, there isn't room!

Waver if counter top space around your hob is the only issue, have your hob below the window and either have your sink a little further up that counter, or on your breakfast bar. The issue with hobs under windows is predominantly gas hobs. If you're having an electric / induction hob, its not an issue (mine is under my window and works brilliantly - means I don't need an ugly extractor fan either).

With a different layout I would look to separate the oven and fridge freezer tbh.

in the layout I suggested those tall units are effectively interchangeable, FF could go furthest right, I was just thinking about opening the door and obstructing the end of the peninsula.

If you are going to have a freestanding fridge then it makes sense at the start of the run

FWIW I've got a run of floor to ceiling cupboards exactly as Raisingsteam has drawn - larder cupboard, integrated FF and double oven housing unit. Not an issue at all.

I think on paper, yes, it doesn't sound great and perhaps in the past when ovens were not as well insulated and FFs were not quite as efficient it might have been a problem, but it really isn't now.

I'm not keen on the new location of the hob: isn't it on a high-frequency route? (from sitting room to kitchen)

Will one FF do you? It didn't suffice for us when our family was at its largest. Could you have a fridge in the kitchen and a freezer in the utility.

Good to hear that ff next to oven isn't an issue Mandy214.

I've purposefully chosen a French style fridge freezer which has double doors on both the fridge and freezer bit.....hence a door only sticks out 40cm when fully open......so that it won't obstruct the walkway by the peninsula too much and it should be fine at the end of the run. So I could look at making the peninsula a bit longer as you've suggested Raising. A bit sad about loosing the breakfast bar though, but I guess something is going to have to give :)

Ps The fridge freezer is much bigger than our current fridge so think we should be fine Senua.

Personally, I like your original layout better. Except I'd stack the oven(s)/microwave into one tall unit, so that you've only got two tall units (the fridge/freezer and the one housing the oven/micro) then I'd have worksurface running round the corner to where the single oven was previous housed.

That way you get to keep the breakfast bar, which is a nice social area.