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.

The breakfast bar will be used for breakfast only. Dh leaves the house very early (or he will when school starts back) and Dd likes to eat hers at the one in the current kitchen. Ds will do the same when he starts college (incidentally he’s 16 but a tiny 16, wears age 12/13 clothes).

Current kitchen has a tea towel rail like this I quite like. Shame about the rest of it.

It strikes me that you have a massive room and want a kitchen diner but you have a tiny table in a cramped corner. You could put a little breakfast bar against the wall in the corner and have a bigger table more centrally possibly?

I also don't like bins in cupboards and would want a full size dishwasher and a big fridge (not under counter).

The table won’t be tiny and we will position it centrally. She just put that in to show there is space for a table.

The bin seems in a strange place? I would want it near the sink/kettle.

What bin? We haven’t got a bin yet.

And we haven’t even thought which worktop the kettle/coffee machine etc will go yet.

THE room

I'd put (maybe) a half width breakfast bar on the other side of the room coming down from the door possibly with cupboards above it

I like the idea you had OP of moving the glass unit to where the breakfast bar is.

Could you make the breakfast bar on castors underneath, more like a moveable separate unit with an identical worktop so it looks built in but isn’t. That way it would look the same as you want, achieve the same things, but could be rolled to wherever you need it. Revealing more cabinets that it’s butted up against so increasing storage space.

I know the kids want it but it’s not a toy and has to last for the next decade, by which point they may have left!

Have you chalked out the plan on the floor? If not, you should.

Howdens are great at making plans look pretty, but hopeless at the practical stuff.

Chalk it out and see how it works, how much space you have.

I wouldn't put the breakfast bar in. The kids will get used to having breakfast at the kitchen table, it's an unnecessary intrusion into the kitchen.

I would also go with a full size dishwasher, even if it needs to go elsewhere. As the kids get bigger, you'll find the slimline one frustrating.

I'd definitely get it designed by another couple of companies as well, give them a bit more freedom and see what they come up with.

I'd check it out with a plumber too as are not renown for taking practical things into consideration.

Good luck, it's not as easy as it seems to get the best possible kitchen.

It’s either a slimline dishwasher or no dishwasher.

My dad is the plumber (or rather his firm is. )

Dh wants the breakfast bar as well.

As the kids get bigger, you'll find the slimline one frustrating.

They are 16 & 18. Dd is only home in the holidays (apart fromlockdown). Ds will be off to uni hopefully in 2 years.

I can’t get it redesigned. All the prep electric & plumbing work has been done. We had to make a decision very quickly (within 24 hours) so it could be done.

If you absolutely must have a breakfast bar, move it to the end of the run and have it so they sit looking out of the window. Having it in the middle is giving masses of wasted space, you'll also struggle to get in and out of the cupboards. The thing I love best in my kitchen is my induction hob, I'm a total convert.

There are only two of us and it would drive me crazy to have only a slimline dishwasher. I'd put the sink under the window and a full sized dishwasher where the sink is. Possibly change the other base units in that corner to drawers for the crockery. Kettle in that area. Then you barely need to move when emptying the dishwasher or making a drink.

I found it really useful to imagine walking through the new kitchen doing things like unpacking shopping, making a hot drink, prepping a meal.

I'd put the sink under the window and a full sized dishwasher where the sink is.

We tried that. We’d have to get rid of the fridge & freezer and it would annoy me to have those out in the carport.

At the moment I don’t have a dishwasher at all.

At the old house we ended up either having to take dirty plates out of the dishwasher & hand wash or running it half empty.

The location of the breakfast bar is where we asked her to put it. I could ask her what it would look like positioned elsewhere.

Looking at the plan, it makes a bit more sense but if you are determined to keep the breakfast bar I would actually consider moving the glass cupboards more towards the oven so that the cupboard is in line with the bar and then ending all the units there. If you removed the units from the other side of the bar you could then put a free standing dresser there or have the flexibility to move the table over, or have a longer table with bench seating. The room would also look much nicer. And I really would evaluate the dishwasher situation again- a bit of extra pipe work (especially if your dad is doing the work) might be a good investment in the long term. If it came to it I would seriously consider losing the dishwasher or putting it in a garage if it meant you could move the sink over to the window (or at least to the end of the worktop).

Agree with the dresser idea. I'd lose all the units beyond the breakfast bar. Make that longer to add more units underneath. It all just looks messy at the moment.

Get a plan and write on each cupboard/ drawer what is going in each ie plate, tins etc.

Then work out if there are enough of the type of cupboards you need for each thing.

Then check how easy it is to get to and from the cupboards to suit your needs.

Same with fridge, cooker, job, sink and dishwasher locations.

Good luck. You have plenty of space to work in by the looks of it.