Kitchen Plan Sense Check

[4yearsnosleep]

Hi all

I've had to redesign our initial plan for the kitchen as I found some incredible bargains on display appliances. Our initial plan was built around an existing American Fridge Freezer; we were planning to hang onto it until it broke. As it's 12 years old, when I found Smeg tall built in fridge and matching separate freezer for £170 each, it was a no brainer to buy them and redesign the kitchen to accommodate!

It's 6m x 4m in a room that's 6m x 9.8m. The wall of tall units has hopefully been designed to accommodate how I cook. The kettle will be in the corner & oak shelves will house the cups, tea & coffee etc.

I'd be grateful for a sense check to make sure I haven't made a glaring error. (End panels/plinths haven't changed from the initial plan that confirmed with DIY Kitchens)

I know there's some strong dislikes and likes on Mumsnet, so I won't be offended if you hate it. the built in dresser (bar) is staying!

Why would you not have both oven together and the fridge and freezer together? Seems strange to split them up like that.

Because I want the extra larder that's in the middle and to keep it balanced I feel it needs to go in the middle 🤷🏽‍♀️ Plus I plan on mainly using the oven on the right, oven on the left for baking unless I'm doing a huge dinner party :)

I like it! The only bit that concerns me it looks like putting away groceries might be a bit of a faff, storage all over the kitchen.

Yes, I wondered about the work fluency too.

you mention one fridge in the op but there are two on the plan, is that right?

You're probably right. Although I foresee most will go in the fridge & larder next to it......apart from the booze! Currently our food is scattered all over kitchen at different heights as it's terrible. Hopefully this'll be more logical at least. As it's a fairly big space, I've tried to zone it a bit. I think I'll mostly use the right hand side for general everyday cooking, left hand of the island for baking and then the bar.

Where is your bin going to go?

I would never put an oven next to a fridge or freezer, doesn’t make sense to me.

Having said that, I can’t see your plan too well! Basically, your job needs to be near your sink; you need worktop next to your fridge; you need to be able to walk around the dishwasher when it’s open; the dishwasher needs to be next to the sink. You’re better off having nothing but drawers for floor units. Sorry if that just says what you’ve already got!

Mrs Lettuce, there's a wine fridge & a full size fridge :) The main work area will be between the sink/hob/R oven/fridge so hopefully fairly fluid. We've been to a few places for plans and this is mostly an amalgamation of my favourite bits.

Think of five dishes/ meals you regularly prepare.

I.e. spag bol?

Where is the pasta, pan, tomotoes, herbs, garlic, oil etc.

How do the various cupboards/ fridge doors hinge open to get ingredients out?

Where is the colander stored to manoeuvre with hot pasta pan to sink?

Where are the dishes to grab to serve into.

Sorry for the bad pic. There's built in bins on the island. The sink isn't miles from the hob, but I definitely don't want the sink on the island.

There's a decent amount of work too near the fridge (it's currently the other side of my kitchen so I wouldn't have considered that.

I have 4 sets of pan drawers, plus internal drawers in the larders. Drawers for every base cupboard would be far too pricey, but I have a set for crockery & cutlery next to the dishwasher and 2 sets in the island for utensils and pans. Plus a set of small drawers for bits and pieces.

I think it’s not a good plan. Storage should ideally be in one zone. Ditto cooking. Ditto cooking and freezing. Cooker, sink and fridge need to be in a Work triangle. It just looks a mess. My kitchen is large and I have a larder unit.

All your units look to be the same size with little variation. I would look at a few more up market designers to see what would be a classier layout.

Thanks Ripple, I've thought of cooking the basics for dinner etc and designed it to be easy to grab, including the colander:) (In my head at least, harder to properly plan it as I've made do with 70cm of prep space the last 3.5 years. As we're not used to such a large space, I will be marking it out on the floor before confirming the order.

You know, i think i would have the hob across from the sink (so rotated 90), or put the bin under your prep area. Nothing worse than having to walk with drainage to toss it. Much nicer to sweep into the bin.
This would also give you more room for baking/oven launch.

Also person cooking won't interfere with baking access or fridge access.

I initially had 2 larder units in the plan before the built in fridge freezers, now there's not the space for 2. As the fridge and freezers are 60cm cabinets, I have made the others 60cm so that it will look like 2x 120cm larder units from the outside, with the 2 ovens and pull out larder in the center. I've deliberately kept it fairly uniform as I'm not a fan of lots of random size cabinets all over the place

But i don't know exactly how much space you have between island and sink. My kitchen certainly doesn't adhere to the workflow stuff, but it's nice to work in, and two people can be working at once, which was important to us!

I could move the bin to next to the sink but rotating the hob won't work with the oak wrap nor will the downdraft extractor. It might work better to juggle the the units around on the island as that'll be my main prep area. Maybe put the hob in the far right corner closest to the fridge and sink, then have the bin unit next to it? The island will be my main prep area.

Ah, a wine fridge. Perfect. That section makes sense as it is, the rest would benefit from some re-jigging I think.

I think I'd want to move the hob so that it's in a neater triangle with the fridge and sink. So, onto the right hand side of the island, opposite the sink.

the proportions / orientation of the island / bar could do with some adjustment, I think. I'd want my hob on the long side of a rectangular island, as well as wanting it opposite-ish the sink. I can see that you'd want the breakfast bar on a long side too but it could also go round the corner on the left hand side of the island, as well as along a short side of the island. Will look for examples.

IMO the two ovens should be 'stacked' within the same unit. I'd want them where the right hand side oven is now.

I'd swap the larder (with microwave and toaster) with the fridge.

The bakery larder should be next to the pullout larder, with the freezer on the left hand corner of the run. Ice for drinks.

Gosh. What a list

Hobs in corners is not a good idea. Work space either side is.

I have two built in fridges with a freezer in the middle and a coffee machine above that. Lots of below and above storage. Turn through 180 degrees and you have the veg prep sink in the end of the island.

The hob is on the island and is handy for both ovens and the double sink. The double sink is built out into the room with rounded cupboards at either end. The back to front depth is 750 not 600. It visually breaks up a very long run of granite. The larder unit has cupboards and drawers above the Work top and drawers below. This type of arrangement breaks up the slab look of uniform doors and a pull out larder unit. I used to have one of these but they are not that great and I would never have it between two ovens.

I think your design has very straight lines, it has no interesting features and does not look like a professional has designed it.

Mrs L has some good ideas!

I would look at turning the island 90 degrees clockwise so the hob is opposite the sink with the fridge to the right of it. That feels like it would flow better to me.

Some good options there Lettuce, thank you, especially the freezer! Ideally I would have had the island running parallel to to sink but there's a pesky support pillar in the way! I did consider the corner wrap on the island, but I think I'd need to shorten the island. There's 1.2m gap the sink end and 1.1m gap the bar end, I don't want it too tight.

It is really hard to make a kitchen work in ways that it is supposed to. We have a really wide triangle in our kitchen but it works for us and we had limited choice on where to put some things. We have a run of tall cabinets, we have 2 single ovens side by side (and i think you have plenty of space to have yours side by side) and then the fridge and freezer. The fridge isn't next to a worktop but it's a couple of steps away. We do have all the food storage in one area, the cups and tea/coffee making stuff in one area (and near sink), cupboard for crockery in between dishwasher and food prep area.

Trust me, I'd love larder units with drawers below, but they aren't an option with the supplier we are using, hence the design the way it is. Unfortunately a £1k coffee maker is also not in the budget! I'm guessing you also have a Quooker tap too?

The island is Drawing Room Blue with the outer units a pale grey. The chunky oak wrap adds some texture to the kitchen too.

Having flicked through my inspiration posts, I tend to favour kitchens that don't have curved or a variety of units, I also adored the huge expanse of granite we had when we lived in the US, so I guess that comes down to personal taste.

FourMagpies we've gone for similar zoned areas that make sense to me, but maybe not everyone else. Likewise the fridge isn't far from the worktop. We could go for a prep sink in the island to make it easier to drain pots. We've just found a well regarded kitchen fitter, so I'll go through it with him too.

I think the idea of the golden triangle layout for kitchens went out years ago so I wouldn't be too constrained by it. There is just so much going on in a modern kitchen to make room for a triangle lol Still it still sometimes used in a loose way. www.idealhome.co.uk/kitchen/kitchen-advice/kitchen-layouts-everything-you-need-to-know-180733
Also, if you can, I would try and listen to the down-draft extractor before I bought it, some sound like an aircraft taking off. I like to listen to the radio in the kitchen and a noisy extractor fan is a particular bugbear of mine.

I would be concerned about putting fridge and freezer next to ovens but if built in maybe not a problem. I had two kitchen designers do mine. Still tweeking it. I am also having a baking cupboard. It goes down to worktop but doors fold back so you still have worktop space. My mixer will sit inside and all baking stuff will be on shelves inside above. Don't know if yours is like this but it means you don't lose worktop space.
Regards putting shopping away I wouldn't worry just get Lakeland shopping bags and pack your shopping according to cupboards/ area. This is what I do now. More of a problem if it is delivered I guess just stick radio on it is probably only once a week and I wouldn't change my layout for a short inconvenience.looks like it will be lovely. My freezer will have to go in the shed as not enough room as I am keeping my dresser.