Surprise! DH has booked a kitchen planner visit.

[XingMing]

Okay, DH came home and said he has booked a kitchen designer to visit tomottow morning.

We've been in this house 20 years and the units and layout are the original 1970s installation, but it works well because it's huge. It is tired and unfashionable, and I have lobbied for a refurb for years but his dismissive statement has been "how will food be made to taste better in a sexy kitchen?!" Which it won't, of course.

What questions do I need to ask? I'd like drawers instead of cupboards, and more power points, and beyond that....

Tell me what's what MN, please..............

I would look at kitchen web sites for inspiration. Do you have a laundry room? What do you have to have in the kitchen? What must be there?

My priorities were: two ovens, induction hob, two fridges and a freezer (obviously a luxury), dishwasher near the main large Belfast sink and a veg prep sink near the fridges. We have a built in breakfast area at the end of the island. I have pan drawers and crockery drawers and lots of other drawers! Also a cupboard for the water softener! Several cupboards for picnic and bbq gear and less used electrical equipment. I have pop up sockets near the eating area and the working area of the island plus around 8 other sockets so everyone can charge phones!

I don’t need utility or laundry storage because that’s elsewhere. If you need it, Factor that in. Think about what you need for the way you work and where everything should be placed within the kitchen.

I don’t have open shelves because I don’t want to clean them. I have lots of task lighting and general lighting. Lots of larder storage too. So much to think about but it’s exciting!

I have a utility room. We would like a big American fridge with water cooler and ice maker. Don't need a water softener, as we live in the SW. There must be an eye level grill as DH is 6'5" tall and hates to cook on his knees. There are great views from the big windows, but there isn't much wall space to play with as a result. I am sooo excited.

Get an fridge with water feed. It will generally have a softener on then.

Everyone I know who has a fill up model doesn’t fill it up after the novelty wears off.

A Pyrolytic oven. I'd never buy an oven again that wasn't a pyrolytic self-cleaning one, they are fantastic!

Make a list of the frustrations with the current kitchen that you would like to put right. Read the MN kitchens lessons learned thread for ideas and tips.

Thanks for the ideas. I had planned to look at the lessons learned thread later on.