Awkward kitchen, what do you think? (Photos)

[charlieloulou]

Hello,

We have recently bought our first home, we budgeted well for a lovely new kitchen but like many we got stung, leaking pipes, holes in walls shower and cooker not working leaking conservatory etc so we are now trying to work with a much smaller budget.
Luckily my dad is a builder so will fit it and get us the max discount from howdens which helps us a great deal.
Our kitchen is an awkward galley shape with one wall going out at the end. The boiler is positioned in the middle rather than at the end and our electric and gas metres are in the kitchen above and below the microwave pictured. We can't afford to move these items but it's so tricky to work around them. Worktop needs to be laminate due to cost.

Howdens have done the plans, honestly what do you all think? Is there anything you would change? Would it put you off buying the house if so why?
Any advice would be much appreciated it's my first kitchen and all our money that's left so really keen to not mess it up!

Have you thought about moving the oven /hob to the same side as the sink of it will fit. Then all of the wall cupboards can go on one side and the window wall will be clear (apart from the cooker hood?)

I think I would also just have half width worktop where you have the drawers/ extra worktop.
You could get some nice stools for it, or nice chairs to make it somewhere informal to eat/sit/do homework etc.

I would move the microwave to above one of the ovens. We have this, works well. Then I’d put worktop under a wall cab where the microwave was going. It’s great for cooking/prep if you have space on both sides of the hob. (From experience!!)
Also I agree with PPs re drawers, tho they are generally more expensive than cupboards so check they don’t blow the budget!!
Good luck😀

Unfortunately can't have the wall clear next to the window as the boiler is there, would like to cover it as it's rather ugly smack in the middle.
To answer another poster I can't move the oven to wear the microwave is as the gas and electric metres are above and below there's just enough space to fit microwave.
Understand the thought to put stools under the extra worktop next to ovens but wonder if better not to do have space next to ovens when taking out food.
My dad could make a seating area on the empty wall by the fridge. Could use oak to make a simple over and down bar from wall with stools either side?
I'm worried about the dated comments I'm hoping to get a more country feel as pictured below, we are using the same flooring does it look terribly dated? My husbands fed up with grey now can I call it timeless classic instead?
Ah can't post pic till tomorrow Ive maxed out

I think more drawers would be great our budget is 5k for everything including flooring electrics reskim artex walls ceiling etc we have majority of appliances already but do need to be careful. I can microwave anywhere but a tall unit will have to remain there to house the metres. Totally get where your coming from about having worktop either side Ive got used to it though with current kitchen.
Our hob is induction they said we can't have metal in first drawer so no cuttlery or pots pans, so have first drawer for tea towels second for cooking utensil then pots under? Thinking to do the two rows of three to have another drawer for pots

Ah, I see re microwave cupboard! There’s always awkward bits yo work round in a new kitchen!! I’d get more advice re induction hob and metal in drawers below- I’m on my second (two diff houses!!) and never read or been told that. And I LOVE the induction, by the way 😀

Hi charlieloulou
May I ask how much have Howdens quoted for this design? We are going to be asking them to quote for our kitchen soon and I'd really appreciate a ballpark figure. Good luck with your kitchen.

Where are you going to put hot stuff out f the miucrowave and ovens down? I wouldn't want to walk halfway accross the kitchen?

Could you stack the ovens where the microwave is (mind you that is very close to the door) and move the hob along a bit?

Sorry cross posted about mw & ovens

Can you put the hob at an angle in the corner or would it be too close to the boiler?

KatyMc - hot stuff from microwave gets put on the hob (switched off😂) in our house, looks like OP could do that too. Then a trivet or similar near oven on worktop next to oven unit. 😀

Hi whistling
I will get back to tomorrow with quote as this was redone last Friday so will receive new quote tomorrow. My dad passes to us the 85% discount but howdens have their sale every October and the sale price is better for deliveries 8th-12th of October hth.

Lots of trivets in our house! To be honest I only use the microwave for warming up my cuppa tea oh and the occasion spaghetti hoops. Your right though didn't think about where I'd put the hot bowl! Might have to put it on top of one of the ovens? Will it look ok if I did that?

Can you have slide out shelves under each oven then if you open one oven you can place it on the shelf under the other oven?

That's a good idea Katy will ask about those.

Try and imagine the hob in the corner I think it will free up counter space as the corner is often dead - but be careful of the boiler....

Lovely kitchen. One of the things that stands out is that unit in pic 3. Does the door beside it open into the kitchen? I appears, to me, to make it feel a bit crammed in. It looks like it stands out further than everything else. Or is it an issue with the diagram?

I've found white laminate fine stain-wise. I've put Milton on any stubborn stains.

Can you explain where the table would go? Between the sink and fridge? How much space is there? I think the only thing that looks a bit odd is the worktop sticking out into the middle of the room. I'd be tempted to swap that for a robust table if that would make any sense at all!

That's pretty nice. The oven placements is curious on first glance but I can see why.

I'd lose some more of the top cupboards - all of them if you can, it'll make the place feel larger and you've got loads on the other wall.

I'd also swap out some of the lower cupboards for drawers. The type that have up to 5 drawers are a great thing, two deep one shallow or whatever mix.

Ducks
Yes door opens into kitchen from open plan lounge/hall not ideal but wanted to keep the door in case cooking fish etc we can close off the lounge. The unit sticks out as it's a chimney breast coming into the room, can't build into it unfortunately as previous vendors created inbuilt cupboard on other side.
Whistling quote came in today at £6k including worktop extractor hood and microwave.
All your thoughts have been very helpful, I will remove wall cupboard by window and add in extra pan drawers. Will also look around again at worktops.

When re doing our kitchen I walked over everything in my mind.
Ie if I get something from the dishwasher where does it go away, if I am making tea where is the bin for the tea bags. If I am cooking and want some herbs where do I need to go!
It all worked out really really well

I agree with F1's comment about walking through it all.
If you only use the microwave to warm tea I would get rid of it and that is one less ugly appliance to accommodate.
I also think making space to sit and eat should be a priority, kitchen companies want to sell you as many units as possible so they wont be thinking of how best to maximise the space for you as a family with three children.

We have to have a tall unit there to cover the huge electric and gas meters we could just about squeeze a microwave there as well which is preferable to having it taking up worktop space. We asked for more cupboards as husbands a chef we have a lot of stuff, and I prefer empty worktops.
We do have huge room in kitchen for dining table and chairs to seat 8-10. There's an extension on back of kitchen, with 50% of the wall removed making it feel like one big room. When you sit you can easily chat and watch from kitchen area pictured, there's also sofa tv so it's a good size kitchen diner living area it's just not pictured.
Could put small table in chairs in fridge area but the dining table is just a few steps away.
Am going to do a walk through now to make sure the layout works for us.

If your dad is fitting the kitchen have you looked at B&Q? My husband is a kitchen fitter... our new kitchen from B&Q was a third of the Howdens price!

Yes yes yes to drawers instead of cupboards!