Help me redesign my awful kitchen

[AlanThePig]

Inherited this kitchen with the house. It was expensive I believe, but it was badly fitted (oven units weren't actually attached to the walls which could have been fun) and many years of short term renters prior to us have wrecked doors leaving nothing lining up etc. The worktop that was originally on was completely fecked so we added this as a cheap stop gap.
As an aside, the extractor fan above it seems to be a £13,000 Elica. It's not actually wired in to anything and appears to be there for decoration! I'm thinking I might clean this up and keep it.

My main issue is the complete lack of worktop. It's a big room with virtually no workspace. We're seeing a B&Q kitchen planner tonight just to see what we can do with the space, and my main thoughts are thus....

Where existing hob is, put a modern electric range cooker in the middle with pan drawers either side. No wall cupboards on this wall.

Sink and dishwasher remain where they are.

Large bank of units becomes actual usable work top with cupboards above. The cupboard door set back on the unit there covers a boiler so that will need to be a larder cupboard to hide it. We can also come around that corner slightly to the radiator with another cupboard and worktop.

The table will go, there is only two of us. We use it fully at Christmas when we have the kids and thats only every other year as they go to their respective partners parents. I'm keeping a table for once every two years. Replace with an island of similar size with storage below and again, usable worktop. (figure we can all scootch up around this come Christmas)

I wanted an upstand and plain walls but imagine this wont be possible when the tiles are pulled off as walls will be shitty and I dont really want to go down the replastering route. Possibly white acrylic with steel splash back over the range. Don't really want tiles.

Fridge, washer and dryer are tucked under the stairs out of the way behind me so don't really factor into the plan. Also out of sight behind is the door so this is really the only space thats useable.

If anyone can offer thoughts or has something similar I could see I'd be hugely grateful. I'm having trouble visualising any of it at present.

How big is the room? Is there space on the other side of the table? If not, an island seems odd to me, perhaps that's personal preference but i hate kitchens with an island which have nothing beyond it, it makes the room feel smaller and more cluttered. Id perhaps think about a breakfast bar on the opposite wall, trying to keep the room open.

Other thoughts... will there be enough room to fit pan drawers on both sides of the cooker? And adding a single unit up to the radiator might make the corner cupboard more awkward without really gaining enough benefit to make it worthwhile.

I think I'd move the boiler so it's not in the middle of the run of worktop. Put it in the corner and then you've got much more space to work with to create a run of worktop. I'd also wonder about the island idea, it doesn't really seem to add very much, would a peninsula work better in the space?

In fact, I'd put a breakfast bar under the window so you've got a view rather than looking at the wall, leaving a space in the middle so you've got the option of putting a table in at xmas

Another question... could you move the radiator elsewhere so you could create a u shaped kitchen?

Does that boiler cupboard need to be that big/long to the point of absorbing the work surface space? Our bolier cupboard allows for the workspace to be usable beneath it, giving us space for our microwave, chopping boards, etc.

I'd lose that extractor fan. It's a space hog and it's just clunky.

To answer a few questions:

Plenty of space on the other side of the table so an island is only replacing what's there now but at a more useable height. I don't have the measurements to hand as DH has the folder in the car, but attached a pic of the sale image (with the glorious marble floor and orange walls) which better shows the space.

I think we'd worked a 500 pan drawer to the left of the cooker which should be enough as the cooker we've looked at has a pan drawer as well.

The return around the corner, plan was to put stuff in those corner cupboards I rarely use (christmas serving ware etc)

Can't move the boiler and it's a very long one with lots of pipework underneath thats exposed on the worktop, really a larder cupboard is the best way to disguise it.

Don't really want a breakfast bar, I want the space in the middle to use as additional workspace. I love baking and the extra room for me is the draw with an island.

Extractor fan, I see your point but what do I put on the wall there? Cupboards I think would be too much.

Incidentally, the boiler thats in now isn't the one in the above image. It's a newer worcester one. It needed some big filter thing on it which is at worktop level.
It probably could all be moved but would be very expensive as so much pipework would need rerouting.

The boiler is a huge issue in that location as it really upsets everything. Can you get a quote for it to be moved so you can see?

I'd sell the extractor too!! Might help offset the boiler moving costs?

I've just looked again at the boiler, we could have the pipes boxed in and that would leave us about 14" of worktop. It's all weird pipe work, a bit of a miss mash of lots of people fiddling over the years I assume. Pipe sticks out about 9".

DH reckons boiler moving would be about £1200, unsure if he'll go for it. TBH he doesn't really see the issue with the kitchen as it is so I'm already fighting a battle. He doesn't cook though so isn't the one battling for worktop and cupboard space. It's tricky.

I'll also add, most of the current doors don't line up (can probably see that in the images) and the hinges have been repaired so many times we've had to fit metal plates in the cupboards to keep the doors on.

I don't think I'll win the boiler moving battle, but might win the box in pipes one.

Do you need the radiator in the kitchen? I'd be tempted to put more units along that wall under the window. Not sure if that would still give you space for an island though? Or you could have a peninsula coming off the units under the window instead?

Are you sure, you would be happy being bar stool height round an island for eating all meals including Xmas?
Personally I would keep some kind of dining table option even if just for re-sale, unless you also have a separate dining room.
One benefit of an island/peninsula that doesn't have too many breakfast bar seats around it, is the extra storage you can build in, whilst also getting more worktop.
I'm sure the kitchen designer will have some ideas - it might be best to see what they come up with and then assess whether it meets your criteria.

Yep, bar stool height is fine, spoke to the kids (adults) who'd be as happy with a tray on their knees 😂
We do have a dining room only it's currently an office whilst DH is WFH so it's not too much of a worry, never planning on moving anyway, this is us now.

I suggested moving the radiator, there is a small wall in the other corner it could potentially go in but tbh I think with the storage the island creates I think we'll have enough without making the room a bit smaller with another full run of units.

I'm interested to see what's suggested tonight.

The room looks plenty big enough, I wouldn’t go for an island tbh I would get rid of the banks of cupboards and have “old fashioned” wall and under counter ones instead. If you are going the whole hog and getting totally new everything and redesign etc I would seriously consider if I could get the sink under the lovely big window and make the kitchen more u shaped.

@Kjr33

The room looks plenty big enough, I wouldn’t go for an island tbh I would get rid of the banks of cupboards and have “old fashioned” wall and under counter ones instead. If you are going the whole hog and getting totally new everything and redesign etc I would seriously consider if I could get the sink under the lovely big window and make the kitchen more u shaped.

In my head I've done that as well 😂 Sadly, no plumbing over that side of the kitchen so moving the sink would be an epic task as well.

Looking at measurements I think we're probably stuck with a larder cupboard there as the boiler is quite low on the wall as well, so if we boxed in there wouldn't be much space underneath anyway and it would look even odder than the larder I think.
In my head I have that side where the banks is now as a prep area with a cooking area over where the hob is now and the larder kind of divides those spaces.

I'm still worried that losing the extractor will leave that wall too bare, but I guess a few nice framed prints on that wall would look good too.

I'd thought of putting some kind of corner cupboard over the other side as well, but then Jess would be evicted. Actually, prints from the movie could be the answer to the bare wall....

You just know I'm going to come back from B&Q with my whole plan turned upside down 😂