Finalising kitchen refurb - what have I forgotten

[Comefromaway]

After starting a kitchen refurb 3 weeks before lockdown things are finally moving again. I’ve got to finalise the design etc.

I’ve picked the style and basic layout but what have I forgotten. (Don’t say a wine rack I had one before & it was just a dust gatherer. I’ve got a lot of nice china so asked for glass display units. The kids wanted a small breakfast bar.

I'd have another look at the glass unit on the left. It's not marrying up with the bottom unit so looking at it from a distance, it looks odd. Ideally you've have your top and bottom units the same width.

Is there meant to be a picture rightmove? It’s not showing on my iPad.

What is corian?

I see it.

Can you make the glass display cabinet the same size as the adjacent high units - you will lose the drawers at the bottom but you will gain more worktop space.

Oh I don’t they loaded - here they are ! Corian is the material round the sink, we have wood on all the other worktops but didn’t want wood at sink as it ages really quickly. Sorry for all the comments - baby sleeping and I have too much time on my hands

I agree purple

Oak worktops were my big mistake in the old house. Look beautiful but went all horrible round the sink like you said and were a pain to maintain.

I read the whole thing without realising it's you

Have you got a top down photo

I know why the kids want that space but it might be better somewhere/somehow different

Have you got enough cupboards?

Thinking....

See I like your old kitchen too, I think it is very well planned with good use of space, like the utility area and I like the bit at the end which is almost like a dresser and the two simple lines of units with the sink under the window. But it’s not really much like your new design and I would suggest you liked it because the space was well planned (often with good design you don’t realise it’s good if you see what I mean). By all means think about towel hooks and cupboards but I would take a moment to think about the feedback you’ve had on the design, especially if you think you might want to sell the house with kitchen still in. I would maybe consider taking the time to get one more design and simply state what you want and the absolute constraints (not plumbing etc as a pipe can be extended), but otherwise give them carte blanche and see what they come up with. Good luck.

How will you reach the cupboards above the breakfast bar? Do you want a breakfast bar?

Agree with @Heronwatcher , kitchen at your old house looks very well planned. You had a galley style at one end which was probably very practical, as well as the other areas for storage and with the dining table. Your new design is a single galley, but it is broken up with gaps, breakfast bar, sink, hob, so as to make it much less practical. It will be difficult to use.

The old was was a galley kitchen that was extended massively. This one is converting the garage into a kitchen.

Floor plan.

They’ve already done the electrics to the plan. It was rushed as it was holding them up.

I'd move the table over towards the window and put 2 small chairs with a tiny table or a tiny sofa there for the kids to lounge on

or back the breakfast bar on to the window and have the tall cupboard at the end of the BF bar but with a bifold door so you don't have to stretch round it

Ok, so it seems you have a carousel on the hob side of the breakfast bar, but I'd consider having a corner door on the other side so you can actually get into the back corner of the cupboard - having dead space is ideal for losing things. My last kitchen had 3 corners, and the number of things I rediscovered when we moved out was incredible

Do you actually need the dining table? Could you move the breakfast bar down towards the window and then have one of those lower level dining tables attached instead? Can't find a great image but like this.

The dining table is non negotiable. I want a kitchen diner. I’m planning on an extending circular one.

No way is a sofa going in there. Dd is away at college most the time and Ds already has 2 bedrooms. (One used as a music studio)

Once lockdown is over you’ll have to come up Katy!

I’m thinking the breakfast bar could be made smaller. More like the temporary job we did in the existing kitchen.

Get really comfortable dining chairs and you wont need a sofa.
We always end up sitting round my friends table rather than the sofa as her chairs are wonderful.
Note that layouts always show bar stools tucked under breakfast bar. Once you have 2 large teenagers sitting there, it's going to an obstacle

good choice of colour and worktop - same as mine!!

put the display cabinets in the hard to reach area over the breakfast bar, if you must have it. But how long will the kids fit there? A table would be much more adaptable.

no carousel things, massive space wasters and go wrong. Have less stuff. Watch it with pull out larders for longevity too - there's no usable guarantee on kitchen stuff despite what they say.

tea towels - don't have a cupboard, stupid idea, you have to open it with wet hands and they won't dry inside. Think about where you can put these:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tea-Towel-Holders-Set-of-2-Self-Adhesive-Stainless-Steel-Towel-Hooks-M-W-/113967770884

check that the extractor fan won't be so noisy that you will never use it. A through the wall job is much better, cheaper and quieter.

I will - find me a nice craft fair and I'll bring all my stuff up and stay with you

I am about to start designing for you - I really need a distraction today so even if you don't look at my plan message me the dimensions

I agree btw about comfortable chairs, in fact I may do that myself

If you move the table more centrally is there room on the opposite wall

I agree about the extractor fan. The one that Magnet had fitted in the store had been discontinued so we ordered the new version. It sounds like a plane is taking off in the kitchen so it never gets used. Such a waste of money.