OK it sounds like you've done lots of thinking!
Definitely. I've done lots of research & thinking, planning, designing, redesigning - I just can't make the kitchen any bigger 😫 I have to make a decision & get it done, but honestly, it's SO not what I want, that I just keep hoping there's somethng I haven't thought of...
I think your layout looks pretty good in terms of sink /hob/fridge. You will have to rely on wall units quite a bit - could you have extra tall ones and a little folding step on a peg somewhere if you need the height?
There isn't much room for wall units either. I need to see how high I can go with the wall units because the builders were clearly drunk when they built these houses, there's not a straight wall or ceiling in any of them! I've had loads taken out & replaced, but even doing that with the bathroom ceiling they really couldn't get it both BE level and LOOK level. Putting units up to the ceiling might highlight this too much, I need to get it checked out. I will if I can. Oh and I'm not quite 5ft so I have a little fold up step I need for the second shelf, for the top shelf I have to get the small step ladder out 😂
In terms of corners maybe a Magic corner in a 500 unit next to the sink
I can't do that really as it'll be too much hassle for the gas meter & stop cock. But it's fine, I have things that can go in the dead end that I don't use very often.
90x90 next to the hob. Yes, I'm hoping to fit one there. Thank you for your photo, it'll come in handy. It's what we did in a previous kitchen when there was a handy OH & tools! grr but it'll be good to have a photo to show the fitter as I don't have any photos of the old kitchen.
Then you can have one 400 drawer stack next to the fridge
Yes, that's on my plan. Couldn't survive without that!
and one 300 (or bespoke) unit with pull-outs to fill the gap on the long side
Yes. I think there's about 480 to play with, but I need to make allowances for a bit of jiggling.
If you have pullout under the sink, it could have a couple of bins plus cleaning/laundry. Possibly, but tbh it's such a faff to put rubbish out here (as I said, down a lane), I think the bins in a 500 sink unit will be just for rubbish/recycling. I've earmarked the cupboard in front if the gas meter & stopcock for cleaning/laundry stuff - I'll just need to cut down drastically!!
DIY Kitchens will make bespoke size units in some ranges e.g. Clayton, as they make them all on site, there is a small surcharge*. Yes, I'd forgotten about that, thanks for the reminder.
We spent ages looking for a 1.5 bowl sink that would fit in a 500 unit for my mum's kitchen. In the end she found a Capel sink that would fit in 550 and had a bespoke unit made. But we did look at some really neat little 500 sinks - Blanco - Axis II 5 S-IF, Blanco Lantos 5S. They have a separate strainer part that is shallow but better than nothing IYSWIM.
Thank you for that, I'll have a look at it in a minute. I don't think I'll have a spare mm on that wall as it's only 1700 and the washing machine will be on the front door end, by the time you deduct the 600 bench width I'm only just left with 500 at a push.
Could you have a shallow bookcase on the empty wall - like a Billy? Even that would take tins or china or packets, you could have doors on it
That wall looks bigger on paper. It's 1900 but you lose a lot at the gall door way because of the fridge going right up to the door way and 600 into the kitchen. Then the other end you're coming in the main entrance of the house so you don't want to be edging between the sink wall bench and another piece of furniture. I'm not sure (and I'm not at home to measure it out) but I think it could only only be about 700 wide. I put a very narrow (paperback depth) x 1100 (ish) high bookcase there last week and hated it. I just felt like I was walking in the front door, into the bookcase, whereas the bins being there doesn't feel like that because they're low. So I think I could cope with a low unit there if I really have to. However, I'm also re-thinking putting a radiator on that wall as it's cold in the kitchen and that seems to have more impact on the hall/lounge than the radiators in the other rooms do to the kitchen. However, the front door needs replacing as there are gaps in it, which there won't be with a composite door. I don't want to do that first though, in case they bash the hell out of it installing the kitchen. Gah. The good thing is, that anything going on that wall needs to be able to be moved, so I can add after the 'built in' bit is done. It's just the radiator I need to decide about.
Going back to the OP, I think the satisfying thing is to have used every inch of space effectively so you feel you've got your money's worth. Yes. It's how I need to feel, but also without feeling hemmed in. The bathroom fitter didn't listen to me & ruined the feel of the bathroom. I'm scared of ending up feeling the same way about the kitchen.
lol At least in a small room you don't have to traipse around it to fetch stuff!. No! I've got a friend who has a lovely big kitchen in an L shape, but feck me, I'm exhausted cooking there as there's miles between the Aga, the fridge, the freezer, the microwave, the dishes... in my previous large kitchen things were closer but still lots more room & a lovely seating area etc. Just as lovely, but less exhausting!
Thank you &🍷🍷...if you made it this far!