Come and critique my kitchen plan...

[Witchinghour1]

Long time lurker on the property thread and am interested in hearing opinions about my proposed kitchen. Please be brutal as we still have time to change things around and we haven’t done this before!
Thank you:)

Is that a chimney breast? Is there anyway you can lose that? I think that would open up a lot more options.

Do you watch C4 George Clarke's show. New house or something similar.

He had a couple put packing cases and big sheets down so they could envisage the space better. The couple had a similar layout and he suggested an L shape with peninsula rather than island. They didn't in the end though.

Wow! Thank you all so much and we are going to definitely rethink this design- really good advice and I’m glad I asked you all. The microwave is inbuilt but oven is on the opposite wall under the floaty shelves. We are actually having a long oak shelf but these floaty ones are for illustrative purposes only. Same with armchair! The dimensions are 17ft by 14ft tomboy. Also, no sockets in the island as want to keep it just pan drawers and low fuss/ cost! Thank you all:)

It is indeed a chimney breast ,tomboy! We were planning to put cookery books in there with nice shelving and to add some colour. We haven’t had a kitchen for 3 months now and living with a microwave and a table and chairs in the spare bedroom. It’s an adventure but also feel the pressure to get this right as are never moving again! I really thought I’d enjoy this planning malarkey but actually finding it quite daunting and really want to get it right. I am really grateful for all of the suggestions:)

Yours is a bit wider than mine, mines a bit longer. I had a chimney breast too, that I wanted to knock down but the easier option was to restore the fireplace!

What a beautiful kitchen- love the bold colour so much! We are also having spots as low ceiling and hadn’t considered a log burner in there...I’m glad that your renovation was worth it and you’ve got a kitchen you love:)

I'd check building regs about having a log burner in a space with an extractor fan.

Looks really good. We have an island and I love it. Occasionally a bit of a squeeze in our case but better than getting stuck behind a peninsula and the annoying corner cupboard. You can fit loads in the island.

I’m not convinced you need seating at an island that’s so close to the table. We put storage on both sides of our island which I think is a good option. Next door have the same layout with island seating and I’ve never seen anyone sat there. I don’t even think the have stools anymore

There a lot of seating for eating could you have a smaller table that extends and a small sofa instead of a chair.

Also have seen 2 ovens fitted side by side into chimney breast as well . look great not sure how big a job it is.

Looks great but I would suggest another oven- it is very trendy to have two eye-level ovens next to each other.

I would consider a peninsula instead of an island as I think it’s a huge amount of free space to lose.

Our dining room table is across our French doors and it makes me crazy and it doesn’t feel like a nice flow. I wish we had more glass, like bi-fold doors but we have a huge wall that we couldn’t mess with.

Counter space is something that you need lots off.

How many electrical sockets?

Not having any in the island, if you're keeping it for where people sit, will become annoying. Plus, it's the perfect spot for kids making cakes etc., so would need a mixer plugged in there.

Is that a single oven? You need at least a double oven. I don't know how anyone manages with just a single oven, particularly at Christmas. Plus you seem to have hardly any work surface space. After you have a kettle, toaster, microwave & other appliances, where do you prepare & dish up meals?

The look of it is beautiful. The practicalities not so good. I think you need a rejig. At a high-level not detail.

1. The table in front of the doors will drive you potty
2. With regards to islands I did a fair bit of research on the clearances on these - which paid off. In essence if there is only one side of the island being used then you need 3 feet. So the short end of our island has nothing on it (no cupboard doors/shelves). The other side of the walkway has a pan drawer. 3 feet is ample clearance. The long side has the dishwasher and sink on the island and the other side of the walk way has the oven and a cupboard. We have 4 feet clearance here - and need it. Both sides can be used at the same time. 3 feet would not be enough.
3. I am not sure it "flows" Imagine yourself cooking you favourite meal. Using fridge/sink/cooker....how much dodging around island corners would you have to do? How many steps? How many times would you hit your hip on the island?
4. You could use the chimney breast with the cooker. We did and it utilised otherwise wasted space. (do make sure you can still get an extractor in) See pic - although excuse the shit tip of my kitchen...kids home = mess.

I disagree that 3 feet is ample clearance for pan drawers: you need to be able to fully open a drawer and comfortably fit in front of it to take things out. Large or heavy things mean you need the space to take a step back for balance, etc.

I think it is enough with a pan drawer...as long as nothing on the other side. So see here - pan drawer, shoes for perspective, flat end of island with ART.

Definitely not enough if there was a cupboard/something instead of the flat end. Or if instead of the pan drawer (sticks out about 42cm) there was a 60cm cupboard door.