Critique my kitchen please!!

[Babypythagorus]

I read the lessons learned thread, but fear I may not have learned all the lessons! Can you wise kitchen experts tell me everything that is wrong with this? Also can't decide on a splash back...

Where will your bin be? Where will you hand towels? Not sure about the line of 3 glazed and then unglazed cupboards at eye level...feels...unsymmetrical? Wonky? Unbalanced?

It too me three years to decide on my splashback so no help there I'm afraid.

I quite like "neat" lines so I would have all the same doors on your wall units (all glass or all solid, not a mix and match) and I would have the 2 base units with drawers next to each other rather than alternate cabinets to make it look more streamlined.

Bin in a draw. Towels - good point. I wasn't sure about that either. All glass felt like I'd have nowhere to hide. All wood felt dark. One of each interchanged felt too organised... Ugh! What would you suggest instead?

The main thing I disagree with on the lessons learnt thread is I think cabinets should go to the ceiling, whether you use them or not!

I don't mind the layout of glazed to unglazed cabinets but wonder if the one nearest to the stove will get steamed up and greasy?

I could get taller ones, and like the idea of avoiding the gross top-of-cabinet gunk, but couldn't work out what to do with the round the corner bit, everything looked weird!

Above stove grease is a great point. Do you think it would be easier to clean the not-glass ones?

I wouldn't have the oven in a tall cabinet - put it under the hob and open that corner up - it will become dead space because of the cabinet the oven is in.

Could you for another row of the same cabinets on top? Then you can just do whatever you've done with this row in the corner. If you do that i would have four glass doors in a square far left and the rest wood xx

I would be inclined to look at a drawing that take the cabinets on the right up to the ceiling and into the corner above the oven level. And lose wall cabinets and have a free standing good above the hob.

Hood not good

I second dropping the oven below worktop height as you are losing a huge amount of usable space by blocking on that corner.
Also a hood above the hob and cupboards to the ceiling with all wood doors. It shouldn't be dark if you get the lighting right.
If you can stretch the breakfast bar by 6" then put an extendable towel rail in the corner return under the worktop (like a tray space).

Is very similar to ours. I think I'd make your wall cabinets double height and take them up to the ceiling. (Even though I'd planned where everything would go when it came to it some cupboards just weren't as big as I'd anticipated and it would have been nice to have a bit of wiggle room.) Think I'd also make the oven under-counter to get a little extra counter space for prepping when cooking. Assume you've thought through where your kettle, microwave etc all fit in.

Where is the lessons learned thread please? We are also kitchen planning (although ours is already on order so probably too late to change now!)

Agree that the shorty glazed cupboards look wrong. I'd play with having tall ones and only 1 glazed cupboard on the end for glass stuff and white stuff only. The gap on the floor in the corner behind the breakfast bar thing would drive me nuts, visually. I wouldn't have a built in oven unless I had back problems so I'd just have the 1 tall cupboard and more counter space. I'm messy though, so I'd need to make plenty of effort to keep that breakfast area clear. Towels hang over the oven door bars here.

Never too late to change sweetheart - I sent back a sink moments before it was fitted because I changed my mind about which side I wanted the drainer on. It was worth the hassle and wait - I'll be using it for 20 years!

Where's your fridge freezer? If next to the oven, I think that's meant to be a no-no. I'd keep the eye level oven - have range cooker - looks good but hate bending down to get heavy casseroles etc.

I think the oven next to the fridge freezer used to be an issue years ago, but not any more since ovens / fridges are insulated so much better.

The top units are too thin/small/ short, they look odd and then there's too much spare ceiling above it. Towels can go on a rail screwed into the door under the sink?

Where is your extraction going above the hob? Are there any exterior walls you can place the hob on so you can have an extractor fan to the outside?

I know you can have hood extractors that draw air through filter paper - they are better than nothing but aren't all that efficient ime, and you have a lot of greasy hood to keep cleaning.

Agree with putting the oven under the hob, unless you have a reason not to (eg bad back and use the oven for heavy stuff a lot).

It looks Ok but I'd ditch the breakfast bar. It looks a bit wrong.

I think the hob is too close to the sink with not enough space either side to deposit stuff. Also I agree that the wall cupboards should go to the ceiling - currently they look much too short/dumpy.

Personally I'm not a fan of base cupboards and have chosen all drawers for our new kitchen - except the pull out bins for rubbish/recycling and under sink cupboard - but guess your space is too small for this as some of your cupboards will be housing appliances.

I love the breakfast bar!

Ahh thanks all - need to sit down with the OH android through this all. Thank you thank you thank you!!