New kitchen what did you learn…?

[FillyerBoots]

Know this has been done before but a while ago,

Just moved old kitchen into new kitchen last night.

Lighting is so important, dh ans electrician decided no spotlights over sink….so I’d say get on same page about lighting and really think about it. We are having something retrofitted.

We’ve got on 300 mm pull out larder cupboard. That isn’t enough for all our bottles, oil, pastes etc.

We got extra tall units from howdens, just a shallow box on top of cupboard and longer doors, pretty unusable. Looks nice when shut.

We got lots of electric sockets…still not sure it’s enough.

Lovely downwards venting induction hob….the instruction book is massive. I’m a bit intimidated.

No point having lovely lights in glass fronted cupboards if the shelves aren’t glass.

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Little Overwhelmed those are fabulous cupboards.

@LittleOverWhelmed 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

@LittleOverWhelmed

This is probably my favourite cupboard though

I like the look of your "breakfast cupboard" but does it mean you have to keep the cupboard doors open while you use the toaster? Or do you get it out and put it away every time?

@LittleOverWhelmed

This is probably my favourite cupboard though

Though I must admit my first thought was "why is there a toy bus in the kitchen?"

@Toomuchis

Which extractor did you go for? We can't use an outside vent...

@EerilyDisembodied

What lighting did you get under cabinet?
I'm also after warm white but bright. I've seen some in John lewis, totally pointless as discontinued. Some on ikea seemed too harsh.

Secret drawer under the cooker (no handle - you open it by reaching underneath.). At the moment it has baking tins in it but could be used for valuables.

Get the biggest run of worktop possible. Zone the kitchen. I have cooker with a double pan drawer next to it with hidden cutlery drawer inside for all pans, baking trays, mixing spoons etc and pull out thin lager on the other for cooking oils etc. Huge run of worktop above fridge and freezer for prep area and plating up. Opposite side to cooker is the sink, dishwasher, bin and another double pan drawer for all crockery and hidden cutlery drawer. (I even planned it in order from right to left of bin, dishwasher and counter above for dirty pots, then sink and draining on the left with clean drawer underneath) Lots of people can be in the kitchen doing different things without being in each other's way

We got an induction hob and use a hob top kettle one less thing cluttering up the side. I mainly drink coffee and have a compact one cup filter machine inside.

@Autumngoldleaf the lights were from Wren, we bought them with the units, sorry, that's probably not much help.

I agree about pan drawers being way better than cupboards, glad we didn't do the invisible top drawer for cutlery though, I think it would have driven me mad.

Quooker tap is brilliant too, we dithered because of the cost but love it, it's especially good when you just want a splash of boiling water for something.

Reading with interest. Currently renovating a derelict home and need start planning the kitchen.

We have 2 cutlery trays - one near the dining table and also houses random bits like birthday candles. The other is by the hob etc Both sets get used.

I really liked the big 600mm full height pull out larder in previous house. You could see everything. Got talked out of it by designer this time.

We have our sharp knives that get used regularly on a magnetic rack love that tbh. Also a small metal spice tech on the wall with the stuff used regularly including salt and pepper grinder. We have a small kitchen though

Love the pictures! I so want a larder..

Avoid pull out larders wherever possible and go for shelved cupboards. With pullouts you can’t stack things as easily. We have a fully shelved (IKEA) walk in larder here, but in our old house we had a 600 mm wide full height cupboard. I use plastic containers (also IKEA) to hold several different packets, arranged by food type (pasta, pulses, rice, etc).

@FuzzyPuffling

Ah CopperLily I shall be stalking you.

We are also having a wall knocked through to make a kitchen/diner, (also Howdens) but have a month before work starts. Unless our builder does what yours has done. I've started clearing cupboards, taking down lampshades etc just in case....

You may be sorry you said that! I'll be on here next week having a meltdown about dust and trying to cook in a bedroom. And trying to continue losing weight on Slimming World with no oven or hob. I did buy an Instant Pot a couple of years ago that I've dragged out (and dusted off) of one of the cupboards I'm clearing out and I think this will be my main source of food preparation over the coming weeks.

We set up a mini kitchen in our very small living room, bin, table and chairs, fridge-freezer, microwave and kettle on a coffee table. Instant Pot on standby. Fruit bowl and Crockery kept on the table, food kept in baskets on the hearth. Washing up into a big plastic trug to be taken to the bathroom and a set of 6x2L bottles of water to be refilled from an outside tap. I had visions of proper meals and a happy family but it was not to be, there was virtually no room for food prep and it was uncomfy at a table instead of a counter (much lower). Everyone was in each others way all the time. We ended up living on ready meals, fruit, takeaways and sandwiches.