Help me design this kitchen

[Swrigh]

Hello wise MNers

About to have a new kitchen installed and the space re modelled. What are latest trends in kitchen design? How would you use this space? What style of doors would you go for? What essentials would you put into this space?

The two smaller rooms are WC and utility on this floorplan.

What's the area that looks like a hallway but looks to have fitted units? Before you get into the new kitchen? Or is that part of it?

What's the distance between the island and the units on side and back walls?

That area is part of the kitchen. Thinking about having units on just one side of that space and it would still be about 6ft wide. Distance between island and units on side and back walls is about 6ft also.

A few comments:

• Where’s the kitchen door? Having a kitchen door is crucial imo 1) for blocking off noise and smell and 2) for fire safety.

• The utility looks very small. Personally I would lose the right hand bank of units as you head into the kitchen and add that space to the utility instead (move the wc left). I have a tiny utility and it works well but it’s not as small as that, unless I’m reading the plan wrong.

• Why do you have a new section of wall cutting across the hallway? Is this across the underside of the stairs?

• I wouldn’t block up the side window in your dining area, if anything I’d be trying to add windows

• Kitchen island across your path right as you walk in could be annoying, blocks path through to the garden

I would suggest:

Narrow the kitchen entrance, using only the left half of what’s shown.
Put a door in it.
Extend the kitchen units into where the extra large doorway was
Shrink the kitchen island chopping off a bit at the left hand side.

You should now have a clearish path from the hall to the garden …

Sorry, I meant the distance where I've now marked in red. Looks on the narrow side but of course it completely depends on scale!

This shows what I mean - scuse the scribbliness

@MaggieFS

Sorry, I meant the distance where I've now marked in red. Looks on the narrow side but of course it completely depends on scale!

The whole room is about 30ft wide. I think you’re right that the scale isn’t clear on the plan. So, that space you marked is about 6ft, perhaps a few inches less

@minipie

A few comments:

• Where’s the kitchen door? Having a kitchen door is crucial imo 1) for blocking off noise and smell and 2) for fire safety.

• The utility looks very small. Personally I would lose the right hand bank of units as you head into the kitchen and add that space to the utility instead (move the wc left). I have a tiny utility and it works well but it’s not as small as that, unless I’m reading the plan wrong.

• Why do you have a new section of wall cutting across the hallway? Is this across the underside of the stairs?

• I wouldn’t block up the side window in your dining area, if anything I’d be trying to add windows

• Kitchen island across your path right as you walk in could be annoying, blocks path through to the garden

I would suggest:

Narrow the kitchen entrance, using only the left half of what’s shown.
Put a door in it.
Extend the kitchen units into where the extra large doorway was
Shrink the kitchen island chopping off a bit at the left hand side.

You should now have a clearish path from the hall to the garden …

No kitchen planned at the moment to keep the open flow from the hallway.

Utility is about 5’7” by 6’7”, so not the biggest utility room, you’re right.

Your read correctly about the section of the wall in the hallway under the stairs.

The side window is a really tiny, peculiar shape and there will be 5 meter bi fold doors along the back letting in a fair bit of light. But the window could stay, there it was just the odd shape that prompted the removal.

I see your point about the island blocking the path from the house entrance all the way to the back of the house. The island could smaller and turned around to the side. The idea was that the person stood at the island would see directly out the back of the house through the bi folds.

You’ve given me food for thought on the utility and orientation of the island. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Some good ideas so far, please keep them coming. Also keen to see what style and type of kitchen you would install.

I like the current orientation of the island and would keep it that way - lovely to look out at the garden, as you say. If you shorten it a little you will get the clear path/view effect.

You could even consider two sets of doors to the garden with a bit of wall between, rather than one big set. So you’d have the “kitchen” doors facing the island, and the “dining room” doors, iyswim.

Ok fair enough about the dining room window although personally I’d look into enlarging it rather than removing (depending on cost).

Kitchen design: I would say 90% of the kitchens I see outside magazines/Pinterest are either handleless for a sleek look, or shaker. Ours is kind of in between, it’s a painted in frame kitchen with handles (so a bit trad) but flat fronts to the cupboards (so less trad and less dusty than shaker).

In designer circles there’s a trend for handleless in unusual finishes like aged metal or sawn wood. Wood is back in generally. Lots of black or off black kitchens around, which looks fab with pale wood and plants, but you need great light. Slatted looks are in (like a modern version of tongue and groove). Quite a bit of pink and green around. Brass fittings and marble are still in but more coloured marbles (black, green) around now. Metal cupboards to go with Crittall doors.