Anyone want to have a look at my kitchen plan?

[Bewarethequietboy]

Does anybody have any opinions on my kitchen plan? I've drawn it in the Ikea planner, although I'm not entirely decided on whether to get it from there. We are a family of 5 with kids aged 8, 6, and 3.

Its for a self build so I'm finding it really hard to visualise the space. Does it look ok? Any glaring mistakes/things missing?

Washing machine/recycling bins to go in Utility room, and I'm wondering about moving the Freezer there as well...?

I'd like to try and get an armchair/small sofa in the room as well, maybe against the utility wall looking out the windows?

Anyone any opinions or ideas would be very gratefully received.

TIA

After a quick glance, the first thing I might rethink is having the oven right next to the wall near the window. I think I would switch it with the drawers/cabinets next to the oven.

I would also make sure you can put a dryer in the utility room.

Oven looks very close to wall . Will you have enough room on right or will your elbow be banging the window?

@Crawley65 Exactly what I was thinking. You'd always have to be at an awkward angle.

I personally don’t like the island to have the hob in it. Mine is workspace and breakfast bar area.

I hate the concept of the utility room cutting into the middle of your space like that.

It seems quite light on storage as well now I look properly? I see the larders but not a lot for crockery pots utensils etc?

Agree oven right next to the wall is odd looking. I’d move it in and put a wall height unit next to it?

I have a cupboard which juts out into the centre of the room, I hate it and in your position i would move your utility to the top right hand corner.

How big is space between island and cupboards? If someone is stacking dishwasher they block anyone getting to the oven. That could get annoying.

The utility chops the room up unnecessarily, it looks weird. Most of your kitchen looks tucked around that little corner.

I’d personally prefer more worktops and cupboards in such a large room.

Also it would be annoying as right behind someone at the hob.

I also don't like how your refrigerator is so far away from all the other food prep/cooking stuff. I hate to say it, but I think you should have a rethink about the whole design.

If you can’t move the utility, then make the cubby area behind it a walk in larder. If you can move the utility then put it in a corner.

get rid of the utility room have a wall of floor to ceiling cupboards something like the full height wardrobe doors to hide everything .
the utliy room just looks like a massive chunk carved out of the room.

The utility is wrong. It cuts the room in half. I'd have a long thinner utility with everything in the outside wall (red area), full length units backing onto it with an integrated oven fitted and a u shaped run of cupboards facing that. (Blue area).

Thanks everyone, yes I get what you all mean about the utility cutting into the space. I tried working it out as a long shallow cupboard along that wall, but felt like the fridge was going to be in the way of the back door. I’ll try to draw another version and post that later.

The kitchen window along the long edge is a tall one so we can’t have units against it.

Yes we might need a filler piece by the window to make sure it doesn’t clash.

All comments are very welcome as I’ve been looking at it so much I’ve lost track of what will work, and dp has left the kitchen up to me while he concentrates on other building things.

Thanks everyone!

It’s not an efficient use of space. Is your plumbing and gas already in situ?

You’ve put the main kitchen stuff where the glass is, so not enough wall space. It’s fine to have the sink under a window, but the area around your island is wasted space.

I would re-orient the whole thing. Make it long and thin. You’ve a lovely large window next to the island. Put counter space all along and under that window. Make the window less high if need be. Leave the oven near the corner (but not in the corner, abutting a cold outside wall), and make it face your utility room. Sink and dishwasher under the window. Island longer and parallel to that long row of units under the window. Hob in the island (pet hate of mine, fat splatters everywhere) or the other side of the window to the oven. Fridge freezer on the wall where your oven currently is. Dining table beyond the back door where your random cabinets are currently (next to the utility room).

How about this? Any better? The boxes drawn in the utility room are 1m x 1m but I'm not sure if it's going to be too tight to get what we need in there, but if it become deeper the tall units block the back door a bit, but maybe its ok if they're not up against it, but more in the middle of the wall...

Or maybe if I rotate the island back 90 deg to how it was before...

Hmm, so tricky to work out. I'm going to see if inspiration strikes in the night, because I'm not really feeling it. I can't work out to get it to work.

Thanks for everyones comments so far

Where’s the extractor? Is your hob positioned so it can conveniently vent to outside through a wall or ceiling? If it’s a gas hob you need to keep it away from openable windows.

You will need some support on the corner of the island, it can’t just hover in mid air like that. Is your chosen worktop available in pieces of that size? If not have you planned where the joints will go and ensured each section is supported?

Where will your safety switch go for the cooker and hob? If they’re both electric will you need two switches to meet the regulations? Or are they close enough to use the same switch? The switch must be within six feet of both appliances.

I wouldn’t put an oven next to a fridge as both appliances will have to work harder to remain hot/cold.

What a fantastic space.
I found it helpful to think where I was going to store things. I wanted to be able to put away the most used stuff in less than 2 steps from dishwasher. Plates, cutlery etc close to the table ( I keep plates etc in lower drawers so kids can access them)
Where would the kettle go? Near sink makes sense, so you’ll want the mugs/ tea/coffee also near the sink.

A surface beside the fridge and oven so I could lift something out and set it straight down without really moving my feet.
I personally hate bins in drawers unless they can be opened hands- free. You can get a “nice” bin for much less than you would spend on a cupboard.

Utility is too thin. You’ll need space to kneel down at the machine etc. I’d move the wall ( in second pic) out further and make a walk in pantry at one end and a separate utility room in the other. I’d keep the freezer in the main kitchen unless you rarely use it. And I’d turn the island back around. Will you be able to see out the window from the bar stools?

Are all the doors and windows now in place within the building?

The external doors and windows are fixed at this point but we have some flexibility with the internals.

It’s interesting that a walk in larder has been mentioned because that’s what I thought I wanted and what the architect drew but then I thought it looked too awkward with the space, squeezing it too much. I’ll get those plans out again to have a look.

That’s a good point about working out where everything needs to go. The kettle and toaster I can’t work out, and I have a kitchen aid mixer as well which I’m not sure where to put...

A very good point about the safety switch for the oven and job, I haven’t thought about that at all!

And having a worktop next to the oven and fridge... hmm lots to think about! I’ll have another try

How big is the house Beware? Because that will impact things like the amount of storage you might want. E.g. when I lived in my time terrace I had one set of crockery.....now I have a spare set for entertaining etc Are you yet or going to be a family .....where do you clean the football boots? Sink in the utility perhaps? Where do you come into the house when wet, muddy and snowy? We've always been back door people - so is that thought through. Where will the kids wash their hands before dinner etc? You have a wonderful space and fabulous windows so the end result will be gorgeous. Don't scrimp on a few extra cupboards now to save a bit of money. Love the walk in larder idea. Space for large free standing fridge and freezer. Great big hob - love our 5 burner one. High quality extractor fan - as the room is very open plan you won't want cooking grease going everywhere. As someone else said - go through how you will use the kitchen ...start with emptying the dishwasher...where will you put the stuff, making each meal - how easy is it. Good luck can't wait to see more.

I'd put the utility in the top right corner as a pp suggested. I would make it squarish rather than long and thin. Do not move the fridge freezer to the utility. That would be a total pain. You could have a barn door or pocket door on the utility so there's no door opening into either the utility room or kitchen space.

Stack your tumble dryer on top of your washing machine. If you do put a walk in larder in, put the recycling bins in there under the food shelves.

The kettle and toaster I can’t work out
Inside a breakfast cupboard? I have one of these and I love it. I close the door and everything is hidden.