Kitchen extension - critique please

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

Aargh! Wrote a long post and it didn’t save!
Now third time I am trying to post this.

Name changed.

We see having a side extension (bit in pink brackets) to house a utility, pantry and boot room.
Is the utility big enough to house a washing machine and have space for a clothes horse or two? I would like to have a broom cupboard and recycling in there if poss.

What do you think of the L-shapes kitchen area? Is the “L” too small? Will we have enough counter space either side to put things that we are using while we cook, e.g. seasoning, spoons etc?

We have a larder fridge and larder freezer - so wider than an American freezer. Is the “L” too small to house them both as well as the oven?

Not sure the glazed doors need to be so big. If standard size it would give us more room along the wall for cupboards.
Would these cupboards be too far from the island/kitchen to be really part of the kitchen? Would it be a PITA to have the fridge/freezer there? Or a breakfast pantry (would love one of those).

Not sure about the fixed low furniture - idea is to zone the area on the other side as a living area (or dining room). Would a breakfast bar & associated coffee machine be too noisy so close to living area?

I have wandered round with a tape measure but I just can’t visualise it!

Any other comments welcome. This is our first time doing anything like this and scared of making costly mistakes or having major regrets.
Thank you!

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

Thanks @cloudtree - I admit, one of your posts did come across a bit snarky so I appreciate the clarification and also I know how things get lost in translation online.
However, thank you for taking the time to help a random on the internet. I have definitely taken on board your comments and that of others.

I have been thinking a lot about the pantry Vs utility Vs counter space Vs circulation area.
I am now thinking of extending the kitchen counter/cupboard combo further along the length of the kitchen towards the doorway that leads to entry for the boot room & utility. This extra area, if designed well, should provide plenty of storage. Coupled with cupboards along the right side of the kitchen/circulation area, next to the glazed doors.

We can then combine the remainder of the pantry and utility into one and use as a laundry - this will be the bit that sticks out of the side of the house and will measure 6sqm approx.

We may need to move the island to the right a bit to make the kitchen more balanced.

The passage way between the living area and separate reception room can’t really be changed as the wall is structural and the effort and cost will be too much for little gain. I think it will also be nice to have as a separate entrance to the living area from the kitchen.

Our architect is going to hate me as I have changed my mind so much from the original brief.

[iknowimcoming]

I was going to suggest the same (ish) as cloudtree but also if the kitchen design/layout has been done by an architect and/or you I'd strongly recommend getting a decent kitchen company to look at it as well, no disrespect to you or your architect but they will often come up with stuff that is invaluable, particularly if there is building work going on e.g. we have our hob in our island and it has a pop-up extractor with the ducting running under the floor so it's super quiet (and effective) as the motor isn't in the kitchen. Most will do free plans initially

[Hathertonhariden]

Wouldn't want to be without a pantry but would want it separate to utility/boot room. There's not much space around the hob and I think that would be a pain. The island looks too big for the space but you desperately need the worktop so like pp said I'd put at least base units along that wall to provide worktop & storage. Perhaps put the island in the open area to the right as more of a drinks/entertaining area away from the cooking/food prep.

[cloudtree]

The pinterest comment wasn't meant to be snarky. I love a pantry and Ive just changed my downstairs layout so that my old utility room is now a pantry. I also like separation of food, clean things (laundry) and dirty things (boot room) I just think that your utility/laundry space is currently tiny. You won't get a floor standing airer in there. In general terms people value a laundry/utility space more than a pantry.

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

This is the sort of layout we were thinking of. The first pic is a different kitchen to the other two

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

Yes, will have a look at moving the loo to the opp corridor. I wasn’t sure about the only access into the back being straight into the kitchen.

Regardless of Pinterest, I am keen on a pantry - we are not cooking three times a day or even three times a week so instant access via cupboards is not necessary plus rummaging through them is a pain.

Mystery room is a living room, which we would like to keep tv free but that may change - the wall between the two rooms is pretty sound proof.

Thanks @parietal - good shout re: fridge.
I am keen to keep the utility and pantry separate. Utility as a warm place for clothes drying and pantry as a cooler place for food storage.

A PP asked where the garden was - it’s left of the diagram so the kitchen sink looks out onto it.

I have asked the architect for the length of that back kitchen counter where the sink is, as it maybe plenty long enough with worktop space

[cloudtree]

By moving the downstair loo into that useless corridor you make a larger boot room. You'd then have access to the boot room both from the back door and also from the hallway.

It loses some of the depth from the utility but you've gained by losing the utility corridor. You could also steal a bit more from the pantry since whilst pantries are all over pinterest at the moment, they're actually less useful and desirable than good laundry room space.

Your kitchen is now a decent size with a massive island and you've lost the silly circulating space. Living room is now in the area with the most light. You shouldn't put a dining room in the lightest space since its the space you'll actually use as a family the least. Moving t living room also means that if the mystery room is a snug you don't have two TVs close together which can be annoying.

[cloudtree]

This is what I’d do

[parietal]

here is one possible version

First, move the fridge/freezer (F) to go next to the sink (S). you'll need a bit more wall instead of the windows, but there is more space and this will make it v easy for people in the dining / living area to grab a drink etc. It also gives a bit more worksurface space by the hob (H) and oven (O) which haven't moved much. Also remove any built-in furniture (it really constrains what you can do) and add a dresser (D) for tea/coffee things etc.

Second, and this might not work depending on the cellar access, you could join the Pantry & utility into one. I'd have one row of machines along the outside wall including washing machine (WM) and whatever else you need. drying racks can probably go over the cellar door. Then in the other half, you have your pantry food shelves (FOOD). Critically, make the little door from kitchen to pantry hinge the other way so you can open the door & grab your pasta / tin of beans etc quickly.

I'd definitely do the first part, and the second is a bigger change but might work.

[cloudtree]

The rest of the space is bigger than I expected and the proportions just don't seem quite right

I agree. I think the space needs a rethink as a whole. You have a massive dining space, a ‘nothing’ space next to the kitchen and then the kitchen pantry utility and boot room all crammed into a space which seems too small.

[Calmdown14]

I don't really understand the low fixed furniture. Is the level different? How do you envisage using that space?

It seems to be compromising your kitchen. Is there a reason it couldn't start that end? Where is your garden?

The rest of the space is bigger than I expected and the proportions just don't seem quite right

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

@Resilience

Best thing we did with our extension was measure everything, draw the plans to scale and then cut out shapes of the furniture also to scale and move them round. This way we worked out we could fit coats and shoes along one side of our utility and a sink, cupboard and washing machine and dryer on the other (hidden behind sliding doors to maximise space). We found it would only work one way if we wanted all that in and it also led to us moving the doorway by a few cm which made a huge difference.

Oh wow! That’s quite a task but can see how that would help

[Resilience]

Best thing we did with our extension was measure everything, draw the plans to scale and then cut out shapes of the furniture also to scale and move them round. This way we worked out we could fit coats and shoes along one side of our utility and a sink, cupboard and washing machine and dryer on the other (hidden behind sliding doors to maximise space). We found it would only work one way if we wanted all that in and it also led to us moving the doorway by a few cm which made a huge difference.

[cloudtree]

ok well its obviously a large house. I can't really see the plan properly but I think a large house needs a larger kitchen. Can't the kitchen units extend further out towards the dining area? I don't rally understand what is wall and what is not.

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

Here’s a slightly less cropped version of the plan

[cloudtree]

have you considered the light in the dining part of the kitchen. It looks like it could be dark.

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

@tentative3

I'm not brilliant at envisaging space I have to admit but I feel like that's a lot of circulating space compared to kitchen and the small utility and boot room. I'm happy to be set straight on that if others see it differently though.

I agree but it’s difficult to move that door further along that wall.

[Africa2go]

Yes, have a pocket door into the utility, absolute best use of space, doesn't have to be an ugly door, we have a standard oak panelled door. Yes to clothes dryers / racks that fold from the wall. I can't make much sense of the rest of the drawing - sorry!

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

Would that lead to loss of wall space to put shelves & appliances against? Plus I want to keep the pantry cool & utility warmish for drying clothes.

I had a look in our cupboards - most of it is filled with things we use infrequently e.g tins, jars, baking ingredients so thinking that can all in the pantry.

In kitchen storage for pots, pans, cutlery, utensils, regular use crockery (all extra crockery for when guests come over can be in the sideboard)

[tentative3]

I'm not brilliant at envisaging space I have to admit but I feel like that's a lot of circulating space compared to kitchen and the small utility and boot room. I'm happy to be set straight on that if others see it differently though.

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

@cloudtree

Good thought re: losing the corridor but would it be too noisy with the washing machine?

Use a barn door or pocket door between the kitchen and the utility space.

Yes! Had to Google pocket door

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

@coatofmanycolors

I would forego the pantry and incorporate that space into your utility room. You could hand a pulley in there so only need space for one airer?

I would also rotate your island 90deg to make a peninsula rather with a dropped seating area nearer the living space then you can create a bank of floor to ceiling cupboards down that back wall. You don't have enough storage in your kitchen and the separate pantry would be a pain going back and forth which is why I would do away with it.

Alternatively you could create your pantry space in your cellar if you really wanted?

Make sure your boot room is deep enough when you consider how much volume jackets take up when hung up on top of each other.

What type of house are you extending?

Victorian
Unfortunately, the cellar is awkward to access - houses our hot water tank and some space for crap.
Was thinking of floor to ceiling cupboards against the wall on the right (keeping the door standard size rather than the wide glazed doors suggested on the diagram)

Also will have space for a sideboard or dresser against the opposite wall (one of rooms I have chopped of the plan).

Apologies for the drip feed of info - difficult to know what would be useful to know versus having a ridiculously long opening post.

[cloudtree]

Good thought re: losing the corridor but would it be too noisy with the washing machine?

Use a barn door or pocket door between the kitchen and the utility space.

[iwantabreakfastpantry]

We have coats in a narrower area than that at the moment - with an IKEA cube storage unit thing under the coats for bags etc.

[iknowimcoming]

I'd make the pantry/utility/cloakroom one big room