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Original poster

Please critique my kitchen design

72 replies

BoysRule · 14/01/2019 18:07

We are having our house renovated and this will be the kitchen diner. It is quite long and thin so can't have an island. I have put a sort of butchers block in the middle as the space is quite large to be empty.

Does the dining area look to squashed and the kitchen too large? It's not actually that small in the dining area - the end wall is 2.7m and the side wall 2.45 which is about the size of our current dining room so it fits the table well. However, it does look small in proportion to the kitchen.

There are a lot of units in the kitchen so I'm not sure we need all of them. Do you think it would be better to move the peninsula along nearer to the sink and lose a cupboard there and then shuffle the dining room table along a bit.

Thoughts appreciated.

Please critique my kitchen design
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flumpybear · 14/01/2019 18:11

Hhhmmm is lose a cupboard in favour of an extractor fan over the hob if you've not got one

I'd probably go for a larger island too - looks quite small and useless as is - what will U use it for?

Original poster
BoysRule · 14/01/2019 18:23

There's a hidden extractor fan above the hob.

If it isn't there I'm worried that the space is too large to walk across with plates etc. It's about 3.5m.

I would use it for prep, putting bags on when I come in serving up food etc. I think.

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CluelessMillenial · 14/01/2019 18:33

Larger island, ditch the breakfast bar. The latter will make it awkward if someone wants to get past and someone else in fridge since it's in the through way to dining table. It also allows end seater at dining table to have more space as table can go more into kitchen.

Original poster
BoysRule · 14/01/2019 18:55

We can't really have an island as it would have to be very narrow to allow 1m either side.

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flumpybear · 15/01/2019 07:26

Did you get this done at a kitchen showroom or can you do your own ? I'm asking as I need to do one for me too Smile

sleepwhenidie · 15/01/2019 07:29

Where is the door into the room?

wowfudge · 15/01/2019 07:36

Is the room 3.5m across or the space between the units?

If you have the peninsula, I would swap the fridge freezer with the tall cabinet next to it as opening the fridge door in the walkway is not a great idea. Something you open less frequently should be there. I'd also think about a glass fronted cabinet where you have the shelves - more storage space and it won't get greasy and dusty.

MsMamaNature · 15/01/2019 08:03

Is the door into the kitchen on the bottom right hand side of the diagram? If so, I would move the tall cupboard to the left (oven?) because walking in the door with that immediately to your side will feel a bit claustrophobic. Unless you regularly have 12 people eating in your kitchen is there any point in having a breakfast bar for 4 people when you have a dining table for 8 about a metre away from it? How about a large cupboard where the breakfast bar/floating shelves are and lower cupboards/worktop where your oven currently is in the diagram? If the door is to the left of the fridge then the same applies but swap the fridge unit for the lower cupboards/worktop.

lazymare · 15/01/2019 08:23

I would take out the breakfast bar.

CinnamonToaster · 15/01/2019 08:58

I like the breakfast bar, and without it you've be short of worktop. 4 seats is too many, just try for 2 plus a bookcase (recipe books!) or maybe 3 along the left. Not so sure about the butcher's block, I think it would be in the way. What is the overall width of the kitchen area? Can you move the door in the middle of the bottom wall? It looks very tight with units but there's space to the left.

Original poster
BoysRule · 15/01/2019 09:15

There are two doors, one bottom left and one bottom right. There are more photos to help.

Flumpybear - this is done at Howdens.

We could go for 2 seats at the breakfast bar - I have been told by many that we would regret it though as a family of four could sit there for lunch etc.

The overall width of the kitchen area is just under 5m. The area between the units and the breakfast bar is 3.5m.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Please critique my kitchen design
Please critique my kitchen design
Please critique my kitchen design
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Bewarethequietboy · 15/01/2019 09:16

Do you have any images from eye level rather than above- it’s hard to judge the space accurately from above. Have you tried posting this on Houzz? People there always have brilliant ideas for thinking about things differently.

I might think about shuffling the oven and fridge around so you have a more designated prep area and cooking area.

Have you thought about where you will keep everything? Cutlery, plates, chopping boards, saucepans, Tupperware, cleaning thing etc. It sounds boring but can really help to think about the way you’ll move around the space to make dinner/ breakfast/ cup of tea etc.

Bewarethequietboy · 15/01/2019 09:17

Sorry just seen your extra pics!

burritofan · 15/01/2019 09:25

The dining area is so close you don't really need the breakfast bar; you could use that side for extra storage drawers/cupboards instead. Which might free up room to have fewer tall cupboards & more worktop – the oven side looks very oppressive.

StatisticallyChallenged · 15/01/2019 09:31

I get why they have done it, but I think the small section of worktop beside the oven looks very strange tbh. I'd also agree with pp about feeling claustrophobic if you come in from the bottom right.

abcdema · 15/01/2019 09:32

I really don't like that island, looks a bit silly being that small, sorry

Bewarethequietboy · 15/01/2019 09:42

I agree about the breakfast bar being unnecessarily big- you may want one or two stools for people to perch on while you’re cooking but with the table being just there you’ll surely use that?

Could you move the wine fridge to under the breakfast bar? Then stretch the island a bit to have useable cupboards. I like the worktop next to the oven- presumably to put oven dishes on although it wouldn’t be too far to move across to put them by the hob...

Original poster
BoysRule · 15/01/2019 09:43

Thanks everyone, sounds like it needs a rework.

I agree about the breakfast bar being so close to the dining room.

The small section of worktop is to allow somewhere to put hot trays out of the oven. We would put our coffee machine on it and have all the coffee things on the shelves. It might look odd though, that's what I'm worried about.

I'm going to another kitchen company today so I'll see if they have any better ideas.

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burritofan · 15/01/2019 09:48

Can you do a tall unit in the corner where the plant is (on the first overhead picture)? Then you can lose one of the two tall units in the run by the oven and have a less cramped worktop space there.

StatisticallyChallenged · 15/01/2019 10:00

I like the practicality of the worktop (I figured it was for oven trays), it's just that it looks a tad odd IMO and will probably be an easy place for stuff to get piled in the corners!

MsMightyTitanAndHerTroubadours · 15/01/2019 10:07

this is the second plan i have seen WITH a breakfast bar when the dining table is less than three paces away? It's crazy! :o

Are breakfast bars the new island feature for the kitchen that literally has everything??

I might be tempted to go with a more trestle table/bench affair for the kitchen table, maybe a big settle affair for the back wall side?
If you do lots of entertaining then maybe keep that breakfast bar return, BUT not so much into the room and/or have a raised back/shelf so that anyone at the table doesn't get the full working kitchen sink full of every utensil, that worktop wants a wipe down before she dishes up view

However if you got rid of the breakfast bar completely you might get a bigger offset island in there, as it stands you are going to spend your entire life walking round that little one.

My favourite tip is to use wall/overhead cupboards as floor units, you really do not lose much space as although they are half the depth you can fit way more shelves in, and everything is right there, easily accessible.
I have three at floor level in the utility/porch for storage of random cookware, tins/dried goods, full sized units would have just been too big, the amount of stuff in there is amazing!
Also I have a wall of cupboards in a recess that are all wall units stacked three high, floor to ceiling if that makes sense, for glasses, crockery, veg dishes, fancy plates.

Riotingbananas · 15/01/2019 10:14

Is the fridge freezer at the end of the kitchen, away from the sink and cooker? If so, could you have it elsewhere, nearer the heart of the kitchen. The tall bank of units in a dark colour stretched across a whole wall closes the room in and the low drawers in the middle of them look strange. I'd put the tall elements all together (if you need all of them?) and then open the room out with the lower drawers at the end. The island looks a little odd because of its size, a big freestanding butcher's block might look better maybe?

BubblesBuddy · 15/01/2019 11:22

Don’t go for a tiny butchers block in the middle of anywhere. This kitchen isn’t big! It’s fairly small and I would go for a bank of built in appliances on one wall and sink and hob on the other wall. If the hob faces the wall away from guests, I would change this. It’s not conducive to conversation.

Don’t have a breakfast bar and dining close by. You will get fed up with bedding o walk around it all the time. Have a return on the work surface but make it smaller. Having a prep area looking out is a good feature.

BubblesBuddy · 15/01/2019 11:22

having to walk round it!!

Original poster
BoysRule · 15/01/2019 11:35

OK , so it seems the consensus is to decrease the size of the breakfast bar and get rid of the small island.

I am still concerned that there is a large empty space between the hob and smaller breakfast bar.

What about moving the breakfast bar nearer to the sink and losing one of the cupboards and shifting the dining table nearer to the kitchen?

Then lose the worktop next to the ovens and shift the pantry and fridge along. I'm just worried it's too small and not enough worktop.

This is so tricky.

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