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Original poster

Criticise my kitchen plan

19 replies

farmbelle · 01/05/2017 10:51

Not another kitchen plan thread! Sorry! But would be VERY grateful for any criticism/ideas of our kitchen plan. We will be going to kitchen designers to get different opinion but this is the first rough draft- excuse the handwriting!

Found all the advice on here really useful so far - and have been on houzz and have tried to factor in the 'zones' as much as able.

We are having a kitchen diner - sized 6.5mx3.7m, with a half partition wall dividing the 2 which will have the oven on it and a breakfast bar. The kitchen is 3.7x3.7m and the diner part will have a 6 seater table.

Kitchen layout has been tricky because of the amount of doors and windows. All are below counter height except 2 wall units above the corner cupboard for plates/glasses. The fridge/freezer and pantry a full height too. The worktop near the bottom wall has no units under it but will be used for the bin/dog bed.

The butchers block in the middle is moveable and is something we really want to keep - I know it disrupts flow but i use it all the time!

The breakfast bar is along the half partition wall and will be a 2 tier height - i know breakfast bars split opinion but i really want somewhere to perch!

Hope this is clear! Any help appreciated!

OP posts:

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 01/05/2017 11:00

i would not put the cooker behind the breakfast bar.

I'd have the cooker on the wall somewhere, can you get the sink in the corner? and the dishwasher/drawers under the breakfast bar

LillyLollyLandy · 01/05/2017 11:12

Kettle/coffee area should be beside the sink otherwise it's inefficient. Agree you shouldn't have cooker beside breakfast bar. I'm also not clear on point of a breakfast bar when you'll also have a seating area? Won't that make the dining side awfully cluttered?

Oulavache · 01/05/2017 11:18

I have a breakfast bar between the kitchen and table and it is set all the time. People sit there and chat to me while I am cooking or even just making tea. However I have my sink on the other side of it (in the island).

ConferencePear · 01/05/2017 11:24

Is there anywhere to store your ironing board, brushes, upright vacuum cleaner and so on ?

FlaviaAlbia · 01/05/2017 11:26

What about ventilation for the cooker? I'd be worried the steam, grease in the air and cooking smells would go out to the breakfast bar space instead of out the extractor fan with only a low wall there.

SleepingWithTheTelevisionOn · 01/05/2017 11:36

I would have the sink under the window, and move the range away from the breakfast bar. I have a pantry build into the corner and it has make excellent use of the space.

Lucisky · 01/05/2017 12:01

Have you got enough storage? Tbh it looks a bit limited to me(or perhaps I've just got too much stuff!).

RandomMess · 01/05/2017 12:05

How about the hob in the corner so you can have an extractor? Mean you could have more drawers instead of the wall cupboards - drawers hold LOADS more stuff than wall or corner cupboards.

We have a hob top kettle which may solve the issue of kettle not being near sink. I've never ran out of rings!

Original poster

farmbelle · 01/05/2017 12:07

thanks for all the great responses! Yes very keen on the breakfast bar i- i know they are controversh- in between the 2 rooms- my parents have this set us and like Ou says its a great place for people to perch out the way whilst I'm cooking but still be social. With the oven against it i would have it 2 tiered so there would be no splashes - sort of like the attached photo. Also makes a great shelf to balance dishes on to pass them over to the dining table.

We have a utility for washing machine/dryer/ironing board plus under stairs cupboard for mops/brooms etc.

Flavia thats a good point about the ventilation tho - need to investigate that.

Sleeping if i have a pantry there i lose the only bit of usable wall space for wall cupboards - where the crockery/cutlery would go - and i want to have these near to the dishwasher to minimise unloading faff. Also goes for the same if i move the dishwasher where the range is now...

This is why I've been having so many problems!

OP posts:

EchidnasPhone · 01/05/2017 12:07

I'd move the cooker to where the pantry is or anywhere else really. If you're going to have the seats in use you'll want a big space so you can cook & prep there instead of having hot pans between you.

Original poster

farmbelle · 01/05/2017 12:13

whoops forgot to add the idea of the 2 tier breakfast bar

trouble with moving the hob into the corner is i have my heart set on range so would have to be straight space to fit the freestanding unit in....

can't move the range to the other side as the fridge has to go their as its the only place it will fit - there is such limited above counter wall space due to the windows!

OP posts:

wowfudge · 01/05/2017 12:16

I'd move the cooker to against an outside wall. Way easier and cheaper to sort out proper extraction. I know you've said there will be a two tier breakfast bar, but frankly I wouldn't want to be cooking with people so close. I'd put the cooker against the wall at right angles to it before the window above the sink instead.

Lose the butcher's block and have an island parallel to the left hand wall. You can have seating at the short dining room end and you'll have much more usable space and better flow. With your design as it stands, you have to walk around the breakfast bar to get to the back door from the dining area.

YorkshireTea86 · 01/05/2017 12:17

I think that the two tier breakfast bar could work, to stop splashes etc, but you have limited put down space and either side and where will you serve up?

SleepingWithTheTelevisionOn · 01/05/2017 12:19

I have something like this - I keep crockery in there as well as food.

PolterGoose · 01/05/2017 12:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EchidnasPhone · 02/05/2017 00:41

If you could lose that external door you'd have an amazing kitchen with so many possibilities. It looks like you're willing to spend money on a new layout so I really recommend not having an acces through your kitchen. Have you got a floor plan of the whole house? I just don't think you'll get your monies worth with the layout you have. Especially with a butchers block in the middle. There's no flow.

curcur · 02/05/2017 07:21

We have the breakfast bar/cooker arrangement like your plan. It works really well as can chat whilst cooking. Children do their homework / drawings there. It gets used so much more than we expected. Not so keen on the raised bar as it kind of separates the area too much. But that's my personal choice.

emochild · 02/05/2017 07:28

Is the pantry a full height unit?

Where you've got your kettle would be completely impractical if so and would end being pulled further out with dead space behind it

OnePlanOnHouzz · 02/05/2017 07:29

Looking at your plan - (if this is the layout that you are happy with - and it sounds like you've tried lots of options ! ) the only thing I'd suggest as a safety option is swapping is the sink and DW positions - so it's not a trip hazard between cooker and sink - and I'd suggest you'd still the worktop height under the second window height enough for the chopping block could slide under when not actively in use - as otherwise it interferes with crouch space in front of ovens.

Without looking at an overall floor plan it's tricky to offer any improvements or alternatives.

A ceiling extractor can be put into a bulkhead of it can't fit straight into the ceiling for any odd reason - so venting to outside wall shouldn't be a problem - and the two tier bar is a safer option when positioning cooking area on a peninsula like this - make sure any bar stools and dining chairs push 90-100% under, to keep walkways clearer - and make sure there's enough space between external corner of peninsula and FF to get range cooker out again incase of breakdown etc.
Hope that helps !

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