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Original poster

Kitchen plan - what do you think?

38 replies

ver0ver0 · 30/01/2017 21:09

Please let me know what are your thoughts on this: my-kitchen.howdens.com/plan/KV59357620001ha9

OP posts:
Boulshired · 30/01/2017 21:51

I quite like symmetry so find the single wall cupboard by the sink out of place. I also feel the oven and housing blocks the run on the peninsula. But that is just me trying to find faults.

Original poster
ver0ver0 · 30/01/2017 22:18

Thank you Boulshired. The single wall cupboard is a boxed in boiler...

OP posts:
Boulshired · 30/01/2017 22:25

That makes sense, on my phone so could not read the writing part.

iknowimcoming · 30/01/2017 22:33

I'd put the dishwasher next to the bin rather than next to corner, so you can scrape plates into it then put them straight into dw, also if you have stuff to put away in the corner cupboard you'd have to put them on the side then close dw then put them away if that makes sense? Also if there an extractor over the hob in the peninsula?

Original poster
ver0ver0 · 30/01/2017 22:54

This is very helpful iknowimcoming, many thanks.
I was hoping for the downdraft extractor fan but I'm not so sure about it anymore. Apparently they're not as efficient, so would have to go for the above one which I don't like that much...

OP posts:
user1469117700 · 30/01/2017 23:08

The oven house looks very odd, out of place.
Is an eye level oven paramount in the design?
Maybe 2 x single ovens under the hob or even a built under double?
this would open up the room and look sooooooo much neater and lighter

iknowimcoming · 30/01/2017 23:51

Downdraft extractors are (I'm told) equal to or better than overhead ones if they are installed properly, we are having one, although I would prefer overhead but ceiling is a bit too high, and ours will be vented out under the floor and the fan will be outside so it will be v efficient and also v quiet (allegedly) I will have the kitchen blokes guts for garters if he is fibbing Wink. We are putting two ovens below the hob as I prefer them out of sight (ish) and I like the extractor being nearer the ovens too for steam/smoke Blush

ToastieRoastie · 31/01/2017 00:01

I think the tall unit will look imposing in the position it's in. I'd have utwhere the boiler is - but appreciate you won't be wanting to move the boiler. In its current location is will make the kitchen look blocky.

Original poster
ver0ver0 · 31/01/2017 00:34

user1469117700 and ToastieRoastie, you're absolutely right about the owen. Thank you both!

iknowimcoming, my friend has the downdraft extractor but is not impressed. However, I loved it when I was visiting her :-)

OP posts:
MedicineHat · 31/01/2017 00:42

I think having the oven and fridge beside each other isn't supposed to be economical, energy wise. I'm not an expert but it seems to make sense to keep hot & cold separate

thewookieswife · 31/01/2017 07:53

Dreadful ! Just dreadful !

Please go to a proper designer!!

namechangedtoday15 · 31/01/2017 09:30

Can you move the boiler and have the oven tower where the boiler is?

savagehk · 31/01/2017 09:34

How do you use the top-right-corner if the oven housing is tall? I think you've got wasted counter space there that you won't be able to access easily / at all.

iknowimcoming · 31/01/2017 09:36

Have you anything planned for the wall next to the door and opposite the peninsula? I.e. The bottom of the plan? I think I might make the peninsula slightly longer into the room or slightly smaller and have cupboards at least part way along that wall, could be just base units to make the room seem larger but you'd get more storage.

Or you could put cupboards where the breakfast bar is and have just one or two stool on the end of the peninsula iyswim? Have you really thought about the usage of the breakfast bar? I really loved the idea of it but after the kitchen bloke properly made me think about its usage realised we would never actually eat a meal at it when the table is right behind it, it would only get used as a social thing so when one of us is cooking someone else is chatting to them drinking wine and criticising their cooking Grin just a thought!

Boulshired · 31/01/2017 09:45

Is the area after the peninsula to scale? Leaving room for the doorway and the space required for the peninsula chairs will cut down the space. I have too many friends who have gone with the island/ peninsula seating that is far too close to the dining seats. Can you alter the swing of the door by the chairs.

LumelaMme · 31/01/2017 12:42

Having the hob on the peninsula seems a bit daft as well....

PigletJohn · 31/01/2017 13:09

I see you've put the hob as far away as possible from the sink. I picture you taking a pan of cabbage over there to drain, and sloshing it, or scampering backwards and forwards to add water to pans.

A hob against a wall is so easy to ventilate, with a quiet and powerful extractor that will naturally capture the steam, fumes and hot air that naturally rise upwards from it. I'm not in favour of a more complex and less efficient method.

The undercounter (larder?) fridge will be too small and you will be crouching down to find things at the back of the shelves. Where's the freezer?

Where will you put the kettle and toaster?

NotMeNoNo · 31/01/2017 13:30

Did Howdens design this? Hopefully it's not their best effort. I don't think it has great "flow" although the white units do look very fresh and clean.

The dishwasher and fridge are both in a corner, in fact their doors might clash which will be annoying.

Also I would not put a tall unit between the hob and the sink.

In that room I think I'd go for a more usual L shape with (from the left) dishwasher -sink (drainer the other way)- prep space - hob - tall unit on the end of the run near the door. On the wall opposite the hob, have a tall fridge freezer and larder cupboard. If you really want the peninsula, the only place for a high oven is on the wall opposite, but then people coming into the room will be going right past the oven behind the door, which might not be very safe.

Honestly in rooms with many doors it's nice to just be able to walk across and not be obstructed by a peninsula. If you have a dining table with generous, comfortable chairs, people will sit there and chat to you rather than perching on bar stools.

Kiroro · 31/01/2017 13:52

I like hob on pensinsular - have had that in a few modern flats and has worked really well.

Consider having the peninsular as a kinda semi circle so there is more surface behind the hob.

I would make a few small amendments.

  • Oven under hob
  • under the counter F and F so more work top space
  • don't have any floor to cealing cupboards or stacks (see work top comment above)
  • extend the high cupboards along to the end of the peninsular so you get like 1 more cupboard on it.
Kiroro · 31/01/2017 13:55

Oh and I would flip the sink and DW and maybe put the bin next to the new DW positon. So oyu go drawers, DW, sink as looking at the window.

I would also consider haveing a rounded overhang on the short end of the peninsular.

I love the style you have gone for BTW

bigredboat · 31/01/2017 14:02

What is the rest of the room used for? It looks like it's not big enough for a dining table but that might just be the scale? The peninsula does cut the room in half somewhat. I like the colours you've chosen for the doors/worktops though.

Original poster
ver0ver0 · 31/01/2017 14:58

Medicinehat, I,m thinking the same. Thank you!

Thewookieswife, yes, it is not great :-) We just need to quickly replace an old 1970's kitchen in the house that we have recently bought. I will definitely use someone better once we will be extending...

namechangedtoday15, sadly we cannot move the boiler, we have just installed it in October....

savagehk, thank you for pointing out this to me!

OP posts:
Original poster
ver0ver0 · 31/01/2017 15:10

iknowimcoming, unfortunately we can't put anything there as we have a door into the larder very close to the door (not even 1 meter). We want to keep the larder for a time being before we'll extend the house...
We do need the peninsula as there is not enough working space otherwise...

Boulshired, yes we do have enough space...for a dinning room table and chairs. We do have a separate kitchen and sitting room at the moment so we will be taking the wall down and changing it into a kitchen-diner. We will be hopefully extending the house soon(ish) so we just need to modernise a 1950's house that was last redone in the 70's :-)

LumelaMme, it is just and idea...but thank you!

OP posts:
Original poster
ver0ver0 · 31/01/2017 20:56

PigletJohn, I see what you mean with the distance. I know it's not ideal but in our last house I had it more around 3 meters from hob to sink as the kitchen was very badly laid out. This will be just over a meter so much better manageable
Thank you for your comments, we are thinking of possibly moving the hob from the peninsula.
Unfortunately there's nowhere else to put a tall fridge :-( we have a large freezer in the utility room.
We're hoping for the boiling water tap and toaster will go somewhere on the work top...

NotMeNoNo, thank you for your kind advise, we will be moving the dw, sink and hob around. It looks like Howdens just put whatever we said on the plan without actually thinking it through.
We do need an island or peninsula in the kitchen as there is not enough working space otherwise. We can't have the fridge freezer and larder cupboard on the opposite wall as there is a walk in larder (very close to the door that you see on the plan). I was thinking the same in regards to the peninsula blocking the room. We have a plan with the island as well but I think that the peninsula is better for the room...my-kitchen.howdens.com/plan/2259357620002LPS

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 31/01/2017 21:10

Did I mention the "put-the-peninsula-on-wheels" idea?

Handy if there is a wall you can push it back against when not in use. It works for a prep and serving table, but not for plumbing and cooking.