Kitchen layout conundrum – with diagrams!

[QuantumWeatherButterfly]

My second kitchen post of the day!

We’re designing our u-shaped kitchen, and I’m wrestling with a dilemma on two possible footprints. Whatever we do, one arm of the U will come away from the wall to form a peninsula.

Option 1 makes the most of the corner cupboard space, but means that we can only fit in a narrow, 600mm wide peninsula. It also means that we’ll lose a bit of drawer space long the opposite wall, as some of corner cupboard will eat that up.
Option 2 gives a wider, 900mm peninsula, and has lots of extra storage along the back. That will look nice, and make up for losing one corner as a void. But – it only leaves 1200mm between the two sides of the U, which I am worried will feel cramped, and make loading/unloading the dishwasher difficult.

We can’t have the total width of the kitchen along the top wall be any longer, as there won’t be space for the dining table (going to the left of the peninsula as you look at it).

Anyone?

I'm no expert, but I dont think either layout is great. The sink in the corner doesn't look right to me and wasting all that space because it may feel cramped? MIL has a corner cupboard that has a spin thing so it's very easy to get things out and she has cups, plates etc in there.

Do the sink and dishwasher have to go in those places or could you move the plumbing?

1200 should be ok between the units-we will have 1100. It seems a shame to be wasting so much space with the voids. Have you thought about an L shaped kitchen with island? You don’t have the wasted space in the void and can fit more in this way. E.g. 800 corner cupboard, 600 sink, 600 dishwasher along the top wall? Maybe even the bins as well? Then drawers in island; I would go for the 900 deep if possible. What are the rest of the dimensions?

Ahh I see the plan for the dining table now; whole room dimensions and offer plans would be useful to offer constructive advice.

We have a u shaped kitchen similar design. Designer advised 400mm and 300mm cupboards and the wide lift up wall cupboards over dishwasher for crockery storage. Makes this kitchen look much bigger and unloading dishwasher very ergonomic. The sink works well next to dishwasher and left us greater surface are for prep. Also had under cupboard microwave to free up more counter top.

That's interesting willdoit, do you know why the thinner cupboards make it look bigger? Because it's more cupboards? OP I prefer the second one but how about a 40-50cm door magic corner into the void, then big drawers in the centre of that right hand wall, then smaller drawers or a cupboard with hidden drawers if you need the symmetry.

Does Ikea still have a 3D kitchen planning tool? If it does units are standard sizes so you could play with that

I'd go with wider cupboards. More options of what fits in them

Unfortunately we can't move the plumbing, so the sink and dishwasher do need to go where I've put them - although they could go the other way around.

The wall that they are against has a window, so I can't put wall cupboards above them.

The sink isn't in a corner as such - the actual bowl will be set into the half of the cupboard that you can stand in front of, it's just that the unit it's in will go into the corner of the peninsula. This is so that we have room underneath it for 1.5 bowls and can also fit both our hot tap tank and waste disposal unit (which I already have and LOVE!)

I guess I've overcomplicated the question really (always a failing of mine!) What is really boils down to is: what is better? A wider peninsula, or more space between the peninsula and the kitchen run opposite it?

Having the drainer in the corner like that looks good to me.

Anyway onto the question you were really asking. 120cm sounds like it should be plenty. If someone's stood at the kitchen sink loading the dishwasher, it doesn't leave much space for anyone else, but I'm not sure an extra 30cm would make much difference. We have the same with our 160cm gap. And the wider peninsula opens up the option for someone to stand on the far side and chop, so in effect you are opening up your workspace. 60cm peninsula will always be a compromise if you have someone either side.

Is there space in the dining room to tuck a 30cm deep cupboard into a corner? If so I'd do that instead of extra cupboards under the peninsula, and leave the far side of the peninsula for breakfast bar sitting.

Thanks, @Fishforclues - that is a useful perspective. I hadn't thought about leaving the peninsula open for a breakfast bar, I guess because the space is fairly tight and the dining table will be pretty close. But it is worth questioning whether we really do need those cupboards. There won't be room in the dining area for them, but there will be a banquette seat with storage under and a large bookcase so perhaps that'll be enough.

Gah! There is so much to think about

Instead of void could you have a 120x60 corner cupboard and smaller drawers on right. If you have dining table/seating nearby, keep the cupboards instead of breakfast bar seating. On tight space, I would go for as much storage as possible. It will keep kitchen worktop clutter free.

Can I just ask where the oven/hob/fridge freezer are going?

mum2015 yes, we could, and it is an option. It's just that it will look better with a full run of drawers along that wall, and I prefer drawers to cupboards. But it's something I'm considering, because the void really bothers me. Unfortunately, blind corner cupboards bother me too - and I'm not sure we could have anything like a magic corner there either, because there is pipework in the back corner for the boiler above.

And I agree - having lived in a house with practically no built in storage, I am all for having as much as I can get! This is why the void bothers me so much.

fresh the hob is on top of the drawers on the right, and the oven and fridge/freezer are on the wall opposite the sink/dishwasher (the kitchen is technically more G shaped than U shaped!). This isn't shown on the diagram, just because that bit of the design is fairly fixed. It's really only what we do on the peninsula and the wall/corner with the plumbing that is bothering me.

Ok thanks. Here's my input then!
Generally I'd start with option 1. I'd swap the sink and dishwasher around, although you might need to add a little space to the left of the d/w to allow it to open without clashing with drawer handles on the peninsula. Draining board can then run over the dishwasher, and having the sink in the centre of that section just feels more comfortable IMO.
In the top right corner, have you see drawers like these (see pic). If you omit the triangular bit at the back of the drawer they will leave space in the back corner for pipework and they mean no carousels etc.

In the top left corner, have that cupboard opening out into the dining area so you can keep placemats/tablecloths etc there.
1.2m circulation space is fine.

Oh, fresh, those corner drawers are ace! Thanks for those ideas, they are really helpful

The internal fittings were supplied by Blum, but I reckon most kitchen fitters should know about them. They're a bugger to fit, mind (according to the fitter who did my client's kitchen, back when I still did this sort of thing)!