Kitchen Critique please

[Sunisshining12]

Hi all - can I have your comments please?

Bifolds (by table & sofa) face garden
There is a loo & utility missing off plan
Fireplace between L shaped sofa & sitting room

Thanks

That’s a lot of wall cabs and full height stuff. Personally I’d find it too much. Also on the back of the island I’d have the doors hinged in pairs to face each other, probably having fewer, bigger cabinets to look less bitty. I think you’re in real danger of it all looking very door-y. Ditto for the run of talls at the back (I assume fridge, freezer and 2 larders?), face the door on the right into the run.

Honestly, that is a LOT of kitchen. More kitchen than anyone could need. I run a kitchen company and we’d never put that many wall units on as it looks so heavy. Do you have any renders?

Thank you for your comments. This is the first plan back today, no renders yet so very difficult for me to imagine!

At the moment, we are just trying to determine how to ‘zone’ & divide the room into different uses. Comments welcome.

The back wall (next to entrance doors) are oven & microwave & 2 full height larders.

The other talls (next to window) are a fridge, freezer & wine cooler.

Everything inbetween is worktop/units & sink. There’s also a brick column to be disguised (that holds the big steel beam you see splitting the room in half)

I was actually worried the island was too small for the size of the room.

Tia

I can’t tell how many high cabinets you have but if you have the space I’d fill it.

I have loads of cabinet space though!

That's alot of kitchen I don't own anything like enough stuff to fill it. May be worth working out what you need However the room looks like it will be fab.

I like that you have a coffee area rather than gone for bar stools at the island. I think that is much more usable and looks nicer. Bar stools just end up getting in the way. I'm only saying this as that's what we've done. It's my favourite spot.
If you have doors on the outside of the island that don't have handles and are the press and release type they can be done to be concealed. You'll not know they are doors.

Your island looks about the same size as mine: 270x170.

I love it but when it was first installed I did have doubts and it is slightly annoying that I can’t reach from one side to the other.

You don’t have much sofa seating, do you have a separate living room or is this it?

Where are the ovens? Are they under the hob? Don’t forget to think about how you’d use the space every day. Is it going to be inconvenient having your fridge outside of the “cooking triangle” (it tends to work best if the sink, cooking appliances and fridge are all in a close range or triangle) ? In my old house I had a 3m x 1.5m island and it was fine, but it may look to big without recessed casual seating, a bit boxy.

People’s tastes are all different, just make sure you think about how you want to use it, not just how it looks.

I guess about half are tall (appliances & larder) then other half on the main run are standard units/worktop.

Think the island is just under 3m x 1.7m. But it’s made up of a piece 1.4m wide, then another section added on breakfast bar style, presume in another material.

There’s a lounge on the bottom right - other side of the fire.

I wasn’t sure whether a longer slimmer island would be better? And remove the sofa in front of fire - move table there instead?

It’s so open plan. Never lived anywhere without walls!!

Ovens are on the top wall (next to entrance doors). There’s 2 ovens, microwave & 2 larder units either side.

I would have the table by the fire to give a larger lounge area for comfortable seating. Do you have storage for books etc?

@EasterBuns the lounge can’t go any bigger as there is a fireplace there

The other layout he presented was a very Long Island nearing 5m. (imagine that plus same again)

Table infront of fire
Sofa & tv around ‘bar/coffee’ area (which is essentially some fancy cupboards & shelving)

Thoughts?

I think it looks great - so many kitchen designs have inadequate storage. We have a big, but oddly shaped kitchen and if there wasn't a separate pantry I'd be looking to add more cabinets for food storage tbh. I agree with the pp about the doors to the cabs at the back of the island being hinged in pairs. You'll bet more a wider unit with two doors than two smaller ones side by side.

I meant use the whole width along both bifold doors as a living area so more room for comfortable seating and put the table where the coffee area is. That said I don’t think our family would use the coffee area so it depends how much you would use it.

Looks great to me. I'd love that much kitchen space.

If you can possibly go for slimline sliding doors I would get them instead of bifolds, let much more light in and much easier to operate. The separate seating area and bit in front of the fire are a little odd but I don’t know how you use your home and the seating/ dining areas are not fixed (just make sure you get furniture which works in both positions (I.e. table in front of fire) and don’t go for very specific lights unless you are absolutely sure. Otherwise looks great! Other things to consider, if I was doing a kitchen again I would get 2 dishwashers (no need to empty before you put more on), a separate pantry, room to dry clothes in a utility room with a separate heater and definitely underfloor heating. In your kitchen I would also be tempted by a gas log burner.

@Heronwatcher great tips thank you! I know what you mean about the sofa infront of the fire & then the other bit by the ‘bar’. I guess the question is - what else could we put there? We’ve got a study upstairs so don’t need computer area. Not sure what else?

The other option which I don’t have a copy of, was to have an even longer island - table infront of fire - sofa by bar area?

I'd be thinking about switching the bar area seating with the sofa area. So you'd keep the table by the glass, then have a sofa area away from the windows (where you currently have the bar area) and the bar area small seating overlooking the outside.

@PragmaticWench that is a really good suggestion!

Only thing is the TV will be on the fireplace. So kind of need the big comfy sofa by the tv?

Or could move the bar area to the corner by the dining table (alongside side window/fridge/freezer)? This would be a smaller bar.

Then replace bar area with a TV & maybe storage? Good thing about this is the big comfy sofa can go there. But downside is you loose the wow factor/feature of the bar. And I think it would be odd to have a TV here & on the fireplace?

I’m finding it so hard to decide on those zones. Be grateful for more comments!

Would it be weird to have a big comfy L shaped sofa around the ‘bar’ dresser? Or does it demand occasional seating/tub chairs?

Do you have another view? I can’t see what the units are? I think mine might be similar
I have similar island

I like the zoning.