Extension dream shattered - what do I do with this kitchen now?

[Fooferella]

I've had a few threads on here asking for help finding a builder for a small yet tricky extension I have been dreaming about for the last 5 years and this week a couple of builders finally put me out of my misery and gave me quotes ranging from £45,000 to £55,000. This is far and away out of our budget so I'm back to square one.

We still need a new kitchen so we're getting one in the original footprint but I'm totally deflated and uninspired now that my bubble has been so rudely popped. The kitchen is awkwardly shaped and small but I'd like to try and improve it for my own sanity. You can't fit 2 people down the narrow corridor in front of the stove and we have to bring our bikes in from the back door through there too. The oven door has 2 cm clearance between it and the wall when it is open. We hardly ever use the table and chairs, they are normally piled up with crap and we're forever moving them out of the way to get at the washer.

I've included pictures of how it is now. How would you organise it? The two things I insist on are an upright fridge/freezer and a dishwasher. Any ideas? Recommendations for kitchen designers good with rubbish spaces? HELP!

I’d swap around the windows and door, so you have a straight path out from the front door to the back (makes it easier for the bikes). You can also get a run of units to the right as you enter the kitchen - have the f/f, hob and oven on this run.

I’d get the living room alcove incorporated into the kitchen and place a run of units against the back ad side wall (yellow on pic) Sink and DW go here - make sure the cabinets to put dishes, glasses and cutlery away is near the dishwasher and not blocked when the DW door is open. I load the DW from the side (moving dishes from sink to DW) so it’s less of a pain to have only a few cm gap to the wall compared to the oven.

Plan didn’t attach

I think I’d knock it all through into one big room (most of the hall too) and go open plan with a really nice kitchen.

Ve’s kitchen plan is great. You could the have your TV area at the front and a nice table opposite your fireplace.

@BringMoreCoffee I think you're right regarding stealing space from the living room. It wouldn't look right with the fireplace (which is already not centred) and I still can't see how we'd fit a table and chairs in that larger kitchen space where it wouldn't impede access to the door.

If I put floor to ceiling shallow cupboards along the narrow bit I could move all the utility storage into one of these (hoover etc) and move the washing machine into the understairs cupboard. We can't really open the understairs up to the kitchen because the end wall by the internal kitchen door is structural but I would like to make the space more useful by having multiple cupboards installed.

I've made a drawing using a different plan I got from a similar house on right move (no bay at front) because I'm at work on my break. It shows where are furniture is in the lounge right now.

are = our

I was going to suggest pinching space from the living room too. But you know what would be lots cheaper? Paint all the units and walls white. I did this recently with Ronseal cupboard and melamine paint. You will be amazed how much it will open the room out and freshen things. The space you have isn't bad actually, but it looks a bit closed in.

That looks a good set up Foofer!

Actually I can see the way you have the living room set up as separate living and dining, the fireplace might be fine "shifted". However it's a moot point, you're completely right about the dining table and that's a good reason not to knock through or move the wall.

The kitchen is frustrating, just another metre in width would make so much difference, but that always seems to be the way.

Putting all tall cupboards along that run does leave you a little short of worktop. You could swap one tall cupboard for bottom and top cupboards with worktop just to give that bit more workspace, maybe at the far end so clutter is hidden. Then throw every trick in the book at the L shape to make the worktop you have work hard. Eg get a boiling water tap in the sink instead of a kettle, build the microwave into a wall or tall unit (those to fit in a 30cm depth are small and expensive but it's a compromise I chose for more worktop), or maybe micro could go on a shelf above the WM. Consider getting a small drainer or just having a freestanding one, ditto hob. Someone on here went for just a 2 ring hob plus a plug in IKEA induction single as an occasional 3rd. They said they rarely used 3 rings and never 4, so why dedicate a whole 60cm of worktop for cooker rings? Genius. Alternatively make a 60cm space work hard with a freestanding cooker. It's out of fashion but it's the most efficient way to get decent oven, grill and hob into minimum space. Another option I've seen here is just having a worktop-standing plug-in 4 ring hob instead of an inbuilt one, so they could shift it around as needed. Again, genius. It would have limited power though to run through a 13A plug. Some of this might be a step to far, just chucking ideas around.

Take the wall out and make a big open plan space . That kitchen looks claustrophobic 😬

I was coming on here to say you need Karen at OnePlan, but I see a couple of other people have already mentioned her. She's really good at what she does. Good luck with it all.

I don’t think you’ve got enough counter space. How about normal depth cupboards on the left wall and shallow cupboards between the sink and back door. You could put a counter top on either. Or put the fridge freezer on the left, so you get worktop by the hob.

If you have space, a wall mounted fold away table would provide extra prep space. A carpenter might be able to construct something that matches your kitchen units. If you wanted to eat in the kitchen you get a couple of folding chairs too.

www.livinginashoebox.com/these-12-dining-tables-are-excellent-solutions-for-small-spaces/folding-table-fold-wall-mounted-table-solid-wood-small-apartment-space-saver-drop-leaf-kitchen-2/

www.pinterest.com/pin/171066485826106822/

www.amazon.com/Mounted-Table-Convertible-Murphy-Writing/dp/B07JQMVWKL?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

www.ikea.com/gb/en/cat/wall-mounted-tables-25206/

What about using the built in cupboard from the living room to increase kitchen space and making that end of the kitchen where the small window is a walk in pantry (door opening outwards) with shelving going right up to the ceiling on at least three walls. The rest of the plan keep similar to your latest one OP, but ditch the bank of tall units to give you more counter space as there's very little on that plan. You can have wall units and take them right up to the ceiling.

The offset position of the fireplace makes it look like it was originally all one roomnsonyoubmay not need any structural steel to make it one big open plan room. This would give you so much more circulation space and you could combine an island with an eating area saving even more space.

What about putting the dining table in the bay window. That would be nice with the view across the water, on dining chairs you would be sitting higher and able to see more.

Have you thought about moving the kitchen into the living room and have the sofas at the back and dining room by the stairs?

See if that pans out

I've just noticed that this has come up for sale not far from us. It is almost the exact same layout but it is an end terrace (and it has a utility room downstairs!). If I can't convince my DH to buy this one then I think this is a good layout and one I would happily live with. DH isn't a fan of open plan so I need to make a good argument. We could even fit in a small WC at the end of the entry hallway to make that space less redundant.
espc.com/property/1-considine-gardens-willowbrae-eh8-7dz/35801820?sid=637908

@Fatshedra We sometimes have the dining table by the window. I prefer it the other way because we're very visible to the street when our dining table is there. I feel like were sitting in a fish bowl when the blinds are open! There is also a crazy draft from the bay window so sitting there to study in the winter is hella cold.

@Mumski45 Unfortunately the wall between kitchen and living room is definitely structural. The fireplace is offset because it is in the middle of the house and therefore could also include 2 small fireplaces in each of the bedrooms upstairs and come out at the apex of the roof. My neighbour still has their bedroom fireplaces.

Oh, that's nice!

What about a conservatory? Technically they need to have a door to avoid planning permission but you could either get planning permission or most builders seem happy for you to say you'll add a door later.

We had a conservatory with solid walls either side and a glass(tinted) roof then one wall of glass with the double door to the garden. It felt much more like an extension than a conservatory but only cost about £14k (including electrics, plastering of walls and flooring.

A conservatory would still require the masses of excavation the same as the extension so I'm not sure it would be a good solution. My neighbours have a large conservatory with the same kitchen layout as us. It just makes their kitchen dark while still being an awkward shape.

We definitely need a new kitchen. It looks ok in the pictures because those are from a couple of years ago. We've had a flood through the ceiling that has warped all the inside shelving. The appliances are at the end of their life and I don't want to just replace them without improving the kitchen layout. DH wanted to just renew the appliances and I told him that I can no longer live with an under counter fridge and no dishwasher! (First world problem, I know)

Just another thought to throw into the mix

The washing machine problem can be solved with a utility shed in the garden. Heavenly thing that can be built for around £1000 using a standard shed plus insulation underfloor, roof and walls. Power and water fitted. big butler sink, plumbing for washing machine, storage space for household chemicals etc and a thermostatic frost type heater as used in greenhouses - cheap to run, to stop things freezing up. You could even keep a freezer in there.

I've had one in previous houses and my parents took it one step further by building a covered shelter off the back of their house right over their utility shed so you can always get out to it with dry feet.

The cold isn't a problem so long as you keep it above freezing and its not as though you need to sit out in a utility so it doesn't need to be warm to bung a load in the machine. Its great to be able to dump all the in need of washing loads out of the house and keep the ironing bag out the house until you're ready for it.