Thoughts on our kitchen design?

[mumdone]

Fire away!

The hob on the island is my concern, although I keep changing my mind. I’m quite indecisive.
We have utility/boot room another lounge a playroom and an office.

How old are your dc. I think a hob on the island is a safety risk with little dc or teens (they just get so blase about life). It also looks grubby so much more easily than a sink. The last reason is that it is so difficult to vent an island hob properly without having a big hood that then gets in the way of you seeing everyone and makes the whole concept moot.

My kitchen at home has nothing in the island and the one at our holiday home has the sink, but then the counter for the eating bit is a little higher, so it ‘hides’ the sink. On balance i would choose to have nothing in the island as there are always kids lounging on it, dumping stuff on it, making snacks on it, eating at it and chatting to me. I end up prepping most of the food on the island and the spinning round to the hob or the sink on the edges of the kitchen and then if I have someone to chat to, I just lean on the counters and face the island while stirring with one hand. Its also a good blocker for keeping people out of my cooking triangle. I have four dc so managing the traffic is important.

@mumdone You're the only cook so it would be nice to have company while you do. You could make the window seat area a bit more comfy with a sofa and coffee table. I'm not a fan of kitchen islands, I think they just get 'walked around', lol. You could have a U-shaped kitchen with a double-row of back-to-back base cabinets along the arm of the U that separates the kitchen from the dining/seating.
But if not so radical consider where things are in your layout, why not have hob near ovens (a double rather then two singles) and fridge/freezer near the pantry cupboards but near the sink. Not keen on heat/cold next to each other. Where is your extractor for the hob?
If you keep the island just have it for prep and plating up/breakfast bar - would that be used if you've a dining table next to it? But do your cooking away from the middle, to lessen smells but also to keep your concentration on :D
Looking at your plan it seems to have been designed by a salesperson rather than a cook - you seem to have one of every different unit they sell? ;) :D

I have my hob on my island and I do like it.

I live alone, so this might not work for you, but when I change it I am going to have 2 x 2 ring, plug in hobs. When I am cooking for a lot I can use both, most of the time just have one out and when setting a buffet up I can clear both off the island. I can even set one up in other spaces as a warming plate.

The one suggestion I was going to make but I see you already have it is to have 2 dishwashers.

Have you considered using Karen at OnePlan? She's completely independent, and will come up with a few different designs, taking into account your preferences as well as health and safety regulations (which I find non-independent designers tend to gloss over...). I used her a couple of months ago and have ended up going with one of her designs which I thought was much better than the designs that kitchen suppliers had drawn up for me.

I don’t particularly like hobs on the island (prefer a splashback for mess). I would want to face the wall to wash up either. Our kitchen will look similar to the attached, so I’ve switched the position of sink and hob and have an antique mirrored splashback to see what’s going on behind me (and reflect lots of light)

That should say wouldn’t want to face the wall to wash up!

That looks amazing. Yes we can switch the 2 over. I’m just not keen on sinks on islands. Trying to decide which one is the lesser of the two evils! Thanks

@HighlandPeach where is that kitchen from? That’s the style we are going for

Also I don’t wash up. Hence 2x dishwashers 😂

I’m having serious kitchen envy at the thought of your window seat and two dishwashers.

I completely understand why other posters recommend a sink on the island, but from what you’ve described I don’t think it makes sense for you. You’re not going to be stood there washing up very often if you have two dishwashers.

So either a hob or a clear island makes sense.

What kind of extractor would you use? If it’s above the hob you may have issues with it being in your eyeline/blocking the view. The ones set into the hob take from the space available underneath. The ones that rise up out of the hob need space under as well, but have the benefit of acting as splash back.

What kind of hob are you considering? Induction is easy to keep clean. Personally I love gas, but I would worry that it’s a lot of work to keep immaculate and while that’s not as obvious if it’s against a wall, when it’s front and centre on the island it becomes a key feature.

Would you consider stopping the position of the fridge and pantry to put the fridge at the boundary of the kitchen, and cut down on the flow of people hungry teens into the cooking triangle?

Came on to say not enough worktop in this plan IMO and sitting behind hob is a bit dodgy as you might burn people.
I was also to recommend Karen, ( OnePlan) but see someone already has.