Another kitchen-diner layout thread

[katemeister]

I feel slightly sheepish posting this as there have been a fair few threads on this, but I am still as confused as ever so hoping for some ideas!

We are in the process of planning am extension to our Victorian Semi. It will be the side return plus a bit out of the back to form a kitchen-diner that will be around 4.5 x 7.4m, with glass doors at the end (short side).

We are unsure how best to layout the room our initial basic design was units on one side, island with hob, then table and sofa at the end with built in bench for dining table but this looks like possibly not enough storage or worktop and possibly putting too much in the dining end - which will be our only dining space. We do also want a comfy area for relaxing/kids playing while we are all in the kitchen. So I am now torn between the following options

-No island, have big table in middle of kitchen so far end becomes more family room/play area and extend kitchen units further towards the end for more worktop and storage or have units on both sides
-U shape/Peninsula rather than Island
-Keep island but units down both sides.

Anyone have any of these layouts in a similar sort of space and find it does/doesn't work? I am going round in circles and kitchen designers (that sell kitchens) seem to just want to sell us islands but maybe that's not the best solution.

I've attached floorplan and the first basic design.

Thank you!!

Have something similar but slightly wider. I would move your kitchen into the end of the house and have units all down one wall with an island in front of it. I'd then have the dining table beyond that. I'd have a seating area where your kitchen currently is. Will try to find photo.

Something like this in the end part

Or this

Personally I love islands, I think they're really versatile. Children doing homework / eating / friends dropping in, just really sociable. I wouldn't have hob on one but know people like that. Width wise, units are 60cm deep, then 1m space to island, say 90cm wide island (60cm deep cabinets with 30cm overhang to sit at). That leaves you 2m for dining table and space around it on other side. That should work.

Ooh that is something to think about, flipping it on its head with narrower island. Thank you!

Hi Kate, I feel your pain, having spent months designing a kitchen for a brand new barn conversion last year! A few questions, is the space over your sink just a wall? Do you have nice plates you use daily? (We had Emma Bridgewater crockery we requested as wedding presents & so I wanted to display this & store it in a plate rack that could go there). How often do you envisage your island stools being used vs having that side as storage space (as I wanted more storage so had 2 sides of island as storage and put 2 stools at one end instead) so you could put stools at the end near the table if you still want both? Maybe round the end, that's what we did, round one end.

I use the storage to the back of my island for the things we go to less often or bulky items as they are deep cupboards (slow cooker, pasta maker, wine decanter, wine storage (more often!), food processor, those king of things.

Because I use my island as my 'prep space' as opposed to cooking space like you with your hob on it I then have deep pan drawers with prep stuff in & veg underneath and a bin in a cupboard near where the stool space is to sit for cutting veg (because I'm lazy & like to sit cutting veg watching tv!)

Back wall for me is hob, sink, drawers for pans, cutlery etc & L shape into ovens, larder cupboard & fridge. Opposite end is table.

I needed my hob in line with my sink due to mobility issues with boiling water & our island top is copper (experiment!) but it works well. But you could definitely use that space over the sink?

I would always say more storage so I used both sides of the island (but I also wanted to watch the tv in the corner of the room!!)

Don't know if that shows it and doesn't have stools at the rounded end but may help show what I describe!

The talk of an appliance free island is liberating! We are lucky. It will be a big lovely family space. The current kitchen isn't tiny but it's poorly laid out, doesn't take advantage of the garden and is freezing cold.

The talk of an appliance free island is liberating! We are lucky. It will be a big lovely family space. The current kitchen isn't tiny but it's poorly laid out, doesn't take advantage of the garden and is freezing cold.

Resist putting appliances on top of the tops! And island! (Having thought I must keep a clutter free worktop & resisted leaving out food processor on worktop yesterday). It does make a lovely "space".

My MIL & Mum told me to think where I would put the following:

• hot stuff from oven (Either next to oven or turn around onto island)
• hot stuff from hob (to both sides of hob)
• serving space for main course
• clearing up space before dishwasher
• dirty plates pre dishwasher (sink?) or island
• prep space pre cooking (island)
• entertaining space - island
• kids space - table
• space to lay out 'nibbles/buffet' - island

So I decided keep the island clear to have 2m x 1.2m of extra worktop space for all the above!

And yours then looks over that lovely top window bit where you can have a really funky light too.

How many cupboards do you currently have vs how many would different designs give you? That's what I looked at. Current space vs new space and I planned what would actually go where to check it was enough.

There are some great ideas here!

That's really helpful, now thinking of fridge and tall cupboard where sink is (narrower doorway to allow this) then plain island and range cooker in run of units down long wall. Sink somewhere or maybe sneak it back into island. Stools at short end of island. Some more options to sketch and discuss. Thanks.