Tricky shaped kitchen - bespoke or off the shelf?

[FoofOfTheWalkingDead]

Hi, I've spent weeks on the DIY kitchen planner and came up with what I thought was a very good design using standard cupboard sizes available. I met with a Wickes designer yesterday who basically blew my design apart. Our kitchen is a small square with a long narrow bit off one side(think of a penis with corners). He has basically told me that I can either have a dishwasher or a washing machine but not both unless I move the main water drains at the back wall. We can't have true extractor fan venting to the outside and would need a freestanding fridge rather than integrated.
Does anyone know how much more a bespoke kitchen costs than you're average off the peg Wickes or Howdens job? Is it worth it in a smallish 2 bed mid-terrace? I wouldn't even know where to start looking for a bespoke kitchen fitter. Any advice welcome!

your not you're

I think we need a drawing with measurements!!!

We had our kitchen made by a local cabinetmaker. He was able to work with some quirky piping and we got the exact kitchen we wanted. He wasn't one of those high end, expensive kitchen people. Maybe look around for someone like that?

My kitchen, although a regular size, had a dodgy corner where the chimney breast used to be, diagonally across the corner. Out kitchen fitter manager to sort it out by building frames to support the corner units on. We just used B&Q kitchens and are very pleased with the look.

Lots of places are still doing free design appointments online via zoom etc, I would get a couple more designs drawn up by the experts and see what they suggest and if they confirm what he said. It sounds like a bespoke kitchen fitter might struggle with the same issues and you might be no better off. Get a second opinion first and ask what the solutions to your problems are, it might be possible to tweak your design meaning you can still order with DIY kitchens or somewhere similar rather than going bespoke.
Good luck! We are kitchen planning at the moment with a slightly unusual room shape so I do sympathise.

Bespoke or off the shelf drain would still have to be moved ( not a huge job normally ) unless your having a cooker hood that recirculates they would all need to be vented outside.
Normally freestanding fridge and built in fridge fit in the same space.
get another planner

Thanks everyone. This is my DIY kitchens layout. The bit in the bottom corner is currently a boxed out bit that is a closet in the living room. I'm hoping to knock it through to to door.

I don't know how big your living room is but I would think about moving the kitchen wall to use that rectangular bit and make your kitchen a better shape. Is that possible?

Different manufacturers make units in different sizes. I know some don't offer the range of unit widths DIY Kitchen do. Is it possible that Wickes range of unit sizes just doesn't allow you to achieve a layout that would work just fine from DIY?

Will you be blocking in any other doors? Having 3 doorways would limit the design lots.

When we were looking for a kitchen few years back, I had the best service at B&Q: went in and a young lad, working there, made very good design/plan, which we kept, although, did not buy kitchen from them. He might have had easy job, as our kitchen isn't shaped like penis with corners

You could try to find someone who can do a mix. We used standard size 'off the shelf' DeVOL cabinets mixed in with their bespoke service to fill the awkward gaps.

I could not for the life of me picture a penis corner kitchen and now I can; thank you, OP.

Unfortunately we're stuck with the footprint as is. The reason I want the second door into the kitchen is for direct access to the dining table. Otherwise I'm constantly going all the way round through the hall. I've attached a layout (not ours, but a neighbouring house from rightmove). If we can't knock through the cupboard for a door then I'd probably keep it. It's useful storage for all our shite printer and stereo.
I will look around for a local kitchen company that does bespoke but also check out howdens etc. I have to say the wickes designer wasn't very helpful and a bit patronising!
Any other ideas for how to use this space gratefully received!

I would be tempted to take the wall down between the kitchen as sitting room and put in patio doors into the garden. Then I would have my table there. You could move the wall in the hall by taking away that cupboard and bringing it in line with the sitting room door. You could then block off that door into the kitchen and use that whole space for you new kitchen. Literally make the whole down stairs as open plan as possible. I do realise that's possibly not at all what you want though.

Wickes design service isn’t the best. Try another company and see what they say. You should get a quote from a bespoke provider anyway because places like Howdens will often adjust their quote down if it’s a lot cheaper

I wouldn't put the other door in it ruins the flow of the kitchen and will limit the lounge where you can put stuff.
The hike to the table can't be that bad.

I'd also move the wall of the lounge, make it a snug size abs open up the kitichen to a lounge kitchen diner personally

If anyone needs the help of Karen at OnePlan it's you. Tell her you room is penis shaped and I guarantee she'll fall about laughing.

I would definitely be looking into moving the wall between the kitchen and lounge forwards, to make a small snug and a kitchen/diner. This would give you a much better result and give you far more kitchen options.

From your layout that wall may not even be supporting so may not be a huge job.

you could put a hatch window between the kitchen & dining room - that makes it easy to pass plates through & get a good view.

they were in fashion in the 60s / 70s I think and then fell out of favour but can be very useful.

maybe this? Or you could have a bigger run of tall cupboards & fridge where I've marked Table.

That's something to think about @parietal. I'd probably have a run of floor to ceiling cupboards on that wall. It's not big enough for a table.

@121hugsneeded how do I contact Karen at OnePlan?