Kitchen design paralysis

[Felt]

Turning to the collective good taste and wise minds of mumsnet in the hope of some design inspiration. I'm about to commission a new kitchen, having just knocked down the wall between my galley kitchen and the dining room.

The size and space available doesn't allow me to radically change the layout, so I'm staying with the galley format but of course it now opens up into the dining room, where there is a dining table and a large sofa. I'll be extending one run of base units into what is now the dining room, to incorporate a small breakfast bar like arrangement at the end (so while cooking I can be accompanied by children doing homework or adult companion drinking wine).

I'm completely clear on what I want with regard to layout and appliances. On one side of the galley, by the windows, will be the sinks and the hob (indulging in both induction and a single wok burner) and then on the other side will be a row of full height units to include fridge/freezer, ovens and larger. Then that side will continue with the base units leading to the breakfast bar (just a chunk of oak attached to the end of the units). I'm not looking at many wall units but will probably have some on that side, at the dining room end rather than the kitchen end.

The style will be modern and quite minimalist, with true handleless units.

My stumbling block, a few days away from having to confirm my spec, is what to go for with regard to materials, colours etc. This space will very much be the heart of the house. I don't want it to feel too antiseptic 'kitcheny', particularly at the dining room end. I'm definitely looking at matt finishes not gloss. But I'm completely failing beyond that to come to any decisions. I can't decide whether to go for a uniform colour, or whether to mix, and if I mix, which set of units to keep to the same colour. I can't decide whether or how much to incorporate any wood.

That was a long ramble, and without a diagram (maybe I'll work on that) I don't know how easy it is to picture any of this! But if anyone has any thoughts to offer, especially from their own experience, I'd be glad to hear them.

That should have said 'larder' not 'larger'.

I should have said, the flooring is a mid-oak engineered wood.

We are in the middle of our own renovation and our kitchen is being fitted in 4 weeks time. Had exactly the same dilemma.

I would recommend that if it is a really light space and south facing then this gives you lots of choice, if it is not a light area though I would tend to stick to white especially with the mid oak flooring as that will be a lovely contrast. If you really have to go with wall cupboards then could you make them glass fronted?

We are getting a completely handleless kitchen too and creating a huge galley with an island in the middle, as it is a NW facing room opted for white outer and a grey island as that will contrast together and all tied in with carrerra marble effect tops to sink run and island. The idea is to create a room that works as a kitchen but looks livable in as it hosts both sofa and dining table at either end. It is a wood kitchen though as I know how fickle I am and wanted to have the choice of colour change.

Another recommendation I would suggest is not have darker colour on any wall cupboards as this seems to bring the room in more.

For a modern and minimal look try looking at Ballerina kitchens or Siematic for ideas they have some truly beautiful ones and we were v tempted for that style but the ability to re paint won the day.

Happy planning!

We have a kitchen diner and have gone for dark floor units and pale wall units. It breaks it up a bit so you don't get quite a sense of a big block of kitchen units at one end in a living room.

The kitchen is north facing and not flooded with light. All my taste tends towards darker colours for the cupboards, and I'm fighting against the acceptance that white or another very light shade is what is needed. That's an interesting thought about dark wall cupboards - you may well be right.