Kitchen design help please

[blueorwhite]

Would be very grateful for any help or comments on this kitchen layout.

The fridge is in the tall unit furthest from the cooker. The microwave and toaster etc would be in the breakfast cupboard. The other tall cupboard is food storage. There are 2 dishwashers next to the sink. Range cooker is in the chimney breast. Laundry and freezers are in separate utility room. Sofa and freestanding unit by french doors are far smaller than pictured.

Is there a way to add more than 3 photos

Thank you very much

Did you look at something like this?

Blue is huge island, main kitchen is behind island, red is table at chimney end, yellow is the enforced walkway to utility for everyone except the cook. 😀

We had a similar issue in ours, but the gap between kitchen and island is small enough that if I’m in it, no-one else tries!

Love the tip on Liebherr/Miele!

OP - could I kindly ask who the kitchen supplier/designer is? I’ve been asking around for a breakfast cupboard/appliance garage type solution and keep getting met with blank faces . Apologies for the hi-jack

womanity - thanks for this. Yes I loved the size of island in that proposal but it only gave 2m run of high cupboards to fit 2 ovens, fridge and breakfast cupboard and no one seemed to be able to make it work. Any suggestions welcome if you can!

mauve - thank you for details of fridge - i will see if i could get integrated door to fit

Totally disco - there seem to be very few options for bifold doors for breakfast cupboard. It discounts most suppliers other than expensive bespoke such as T Howle y or handmade unpainted but i really feel it will help to keep worksurfaces clear and save having to keep plugging things in and mean microwave does not need to be built in. There are people on here who have used ikea carcass and then bought wooden doors for them. Someone on here has made bifolds as you can buy the hinges to do so. Apparently DIY kitchens have a way of creating the effect but I have discounted them as want hand painted effect.

We havent decided who to use for our kitchen. Tom Howley do bi folds

Yes I loved the size of island in that proposal but it only gave 2m run of high cupboards to fit 2 ovens, fridge and breakfast cupboard and no one seemed to be able to make it work. Any suggestions welcome if you can!

Personally, I’d build in microwave and not have breakfast cupboard. Keep counter top appliances in utility if you need to and bring them through when you want. Put sockets on island.

If breakfast cupboard is non-negotiable, how about putting it on the other side of the steel (green)? So in main kitchen, you’ve got fridge, tall oven (pink) low run of units under window. You could put one or both of hob/sink on island, and have breakfast cupboard where there are wall units before the next window.

Womanity - Thanks for this. I wish the designer I paid had tried this option. I will try it myself. I think the green is not enough space for breakfast cupboard but it would be nice looking out into the kitchen through the french doors whilst at the island.

@blueorwhite

Womanity - Thanks for this. I wish the designer I paid had tried this option. I will try it myself. I think the green is not enough space for breakfast cupboard but it would be nice looking out into the kitchen through the french doors whilst at the island.

It would!

I used an app called home Design 3D when I did mine. Costs about £5 I think but is well worth it.

Thank you. Cant believe I have paid a designer and am even thinking of this.
.

My only experience of using designers is that they only ever do what you tell them to, IYSWIM, so if you say ‘I was thinking maybe xyz’ they’ll draw xyz, not suggest that zyx might be better. Hence the app.

Personally I would try the sofa and chair next to a wood burner, the dining table infront of outside doors so you have a view with dinner, and kitchen where dining table is...you then have butler sink in other window and cooker in an actual island....you're current one is too small and looks way out of proportion. Then you have a view of doors when cooking too and can chat to guests either on dining table or infront of fire. Breakfast unit and fridge also can stay where they are for this so it all fits but.makes more sense.

I think make the island top wider. In all that huge space you don’t have one good space for preparing/ baking, 900 or even 800 deep is so much better than a single unit. Especially with the range crammed into the chimney alcove and not much space either side.

I know you said hide away all the gadgets etc but traditional kitchens IMO look better with some accessories and equipment around, well selected of course.

Sometimes a big room is harder than a small one, I feel for you!

Morechoc - I will try that layout thanks.

Notme - we have 960 island in the space now which I love but it is tight if 2 people want to pass by dishwasher so we accept it should reduce slightly (i thought 800) but designer insisted that it could only be 600 as needs 1.15m wheelchair space all round!! I did say if anyone ended up in a wheelchair we would alter the island but dont want to plan for a wheelchair but apparently she has to plan for this.

womanity - it is so difficult which is why i paid for the design as the more expensive the kitchen supplier the more it seems they want to agree with everything I suggest. Hence seeking MN honest advice!

Any other suggestions that I can try would be welcome. Thanks

If the island has to be narrow I'd consider a lip/upstand on the back or things will fall off the back

@TotallyDisco my kitchen is Ewe and I have a tambour door appliance garage.

Kitchen was meant to be alno but they were having financial difficulties at the time hence the switch of suppliers. Alno did a very similar unit.

No picture as I can't get my phone and computer to sync. Sigh.

It does however look like this and sits on the end of my peninsula unit and goes to the ceiling. I have mixer/ toaster/ kettle / cups/ glasses and some cookware in it.

eastcoastkitchens.co.uk/kitchen-storage-accessories/5820-rehau-metallic-metal-tambour-door-1450-x-800mm-stainless-steel.html

@blueorwhite this is what I was envisaging - might not work - I don't know what the traffic through your kitchen is like so it may be impractical due to the door location

Mauve - is the green a peninsula and the turquoise the dining table. We have never thought of a peninsula there. we have had one on the other side where the dishwashers are. I guess because it is through route from hallway door near cooker to utility door by fridge which is only door to garage and playroom too. Thank you for the suggestion though and diagram so i could understand!

Yes - green a peninsula. Turquoise dining table.

Peninsula might not work if there is a lot of through traffic but by putting it there you get it against a wall for your appliance garage!

I have a gap of 85cm between my peninsula and the wall.
That gap accesses my main living area and study.

I've not had any furniture (including a massive wall bed unit) that didn't fit through the gap easily and on a day to day basis it feels really generous.

I can't imagine having to plan for a nonexistent wheelchair in a private kitchen, that sounds a bit bonkers. Tell her thank you but you want an 800.

@pickingdaisies

I can't imagine having to plan for a nonexistent wheelchair in a private kitchen, that sounds a bit bonkers. Tell her thank you but you want an 800.

Yes, that’s very odd.

I thought so too but she was absolutely adamant that 1.15 is required around island and has designed for lots of people on here who all seem to have been happy so they must have all agreed to that rule. Has no one else been told this?

We have less than 750 gap between our island and dishwasher at the moment and know that is a problem when 2 people want to pass but I would have thought 900 gap should be ok.

My honest feeling here is that you've paid out for a design you don't really like, bit because she's the expert and you don't want to think it was money wasted, you are having a hard job admitting it. But it would be a much bigger waste to pay for s kitchen you aren't happy with our that doesn't work for you. So if you have the space, try marking out the different layouts and see how they work in physical space. Use boxes, cushions, anything for units, open doors etc. And also get onto the online planning tools and have a go yourself. Don't agree to anything you don't want. If you don't want to use that design you paid for because you want a bigger island, say so.

No, I didn’t have to design my kitchen around a fictional wheelchair user who doesn’t live here. If I had, the eye level oven and regular height counters would be wasted…

Are your doors even wide enough for the fictional wheelchair user? They ah e to be able to get in the kitchen to be able to circle the island after all!

The 1.15m is so two runs of units facing each other can all be opened at the same time, if there aren’t any units to open then you’re fine with an 85cm space for one person to pass through IMO

Really like mauves suggestion- makes the room feel well proportioned instead of long

I'm a wheelchair user and I find it sad that people don't plan their homes to allow access to people like me.
Thankfully new builds have to have a 1200mm gap around an island so people like me aren't excluded.

It's a shame that all kitchen designers don't insist on a big gap. So I applaud your designer for sticking to his/her principles on this.

I agree with @pickingdaisies it looks lovely but there are so many things here which smack of impracticalities (seriously, that fridge location, wtf?) you really shouldn't be afraid to start afresh, if that's what you want to do.

In terms of the gap, I've just measures ours and it's 105. It's fine for two people to pass, but as soon as a cupboard door is open, it's tight. I certainly wouldn't go less, and if you can have a bit more, then do.