New kitchen - what do you wish you'd included

[ranoutofquinoaandprosecco]

Just that really, having a new kitchen installed in August, have a meeting with the planner this Wednesday what do I definitely need!

More plug/USB charger points and a much larger island

We’ve just had ours done!

Few pointers:

• yes to drawers a plenty - we have loads and it’s ace
• love our glass splashback behind the hob, which is colour matched to our wall colour
• integrated fridge freezers are much smaller than freestanding - we’re struggling to adapt, to be honest!
• I hate our chosen floor with a passion - my only regret. So try and think about how the floor looks as a whole, rather than just a tile sample. It’s LVT, which is lovely; I just dislike the colour and pattern.
• get the fitters to install hooks on the backs of doors, for items such as aprons etc - they can do it much better than you can!
• hot water taps take up a lot of under sink space, which was why we decided against one. No regrets.
• think about where to store tall items (oil bottles, squash bottles, cereal packets) - we did not!

Yes @eldorado02, we have glass splashbacks all round the kitchen and they look amazing.

And definitely agree about free-standing fridge and freezer. Also much more space if you have separate fridge and freezer than if you have an American-style one.

Just moved into rented house
things i miss from old kitchen
My island - don't like my back to everything when i am preparing and cleaning
Integrated Bins
Boiling tap
Proper pull out larder press which was aligned to fit cereal boxes at bottom

Microwave hidden in a press at waist level

Integrated separate Fridge and Freezer

Thing will be doing in my new kitchen
No wooden floor - currently in rented house, gates dirty so quickly and started to warp all ready
Integrated fridge with separate integrated freezer, all ready seen them and they are 6ft high. Hate the American style and they ruin the line of the kitchen
Big Island with Hob and Sink
Behind island floor to ceiling handless doors with self cleaning fan ovens
Drawers in island no presses, so can pull out things
Integrated bins electric tap
Larder Press
pull out press with the toaster etc hidden there
Pull out drawer with chargers and plugs installed so can close the drawer when not in use hate those pope up plug yolks

I love my Wren kitchen, but I didn't realise the sockets would be removed and not replaced until it was far too late. It's ok but not ideal as they are in the wrong place. I think the designer forgot to move them.

@Opihr

We had great service from Wren from start to finish.

As did I!

I HATE my white resin/plasticky feeling sink which stains like a bastard. Wish i has stood my ground and insisted on ceramic.

I also wish id got a Quooker tap installed.

@Wexone What do you mean when you keep saying the word "press"? What is that?

Sorry my mistake -In Ireland we call "Cupboards" - Presses. :)

integrated fridge freezers are much smaller than freestanding - we’re struggling to adapt, to be honest

Depends which you get.

I really dislike the un-integrated American fridge freezers as they stick out so far and ruin the look.

Once you have a candidate design, go around your kitchen and make a plan of everything you currently have in there and work out where you will put it. Make sure there is a place for everything. Make sure you have somewhere to put tall stuff like bottles and cereal packets - that one nearly caught me out.

Have you got any tall appliances? Make sure the wall cabinets are set high enough to fit them underneath.

Have you got big dinner plates? If you want to store them in wall cupboards, make sure they are deep enough.

If you have corner cupboards and it is at all possible, go for L shaped ones and not ones with a pull out mechanism. The L shaped ones hold so much more stuff.

If you have corner cupboards and L shaped ones won't fit, then definitely do get pull out units, otherwise stretching into the blind corners will drive you mad.

I went for the biggest single sink I could fit into our 600mm base unit, rather than a 1.5 bowl, it is massive and I absolutely love it - though this will depend on whether you do much washing up by hand, I think.

Think about lighting. Make sure you have lights under the wall cabinets to light the worksurface and stop you always working in your own shadow. Also, put extra ceiling lights in directly over any worksurface that doesn't have cabinets over it. I wish we had got a few more spots in over the sink.

I have nothing but pan drawers. They are an absolute revolution. I would never, ever, ever go back to stupid cupboards now. If/when I renovate another kitchen, it'll be nothing but pan drawers.

My pull-out larder is also absolutely marvelous.

I love my kitchen but I wish I'd been a little bit braver with colour choices. My kitchen feels very safe and beige.

Like other PPs, don't put the microwave up too high. I'm 5'5 and I can't see what's going on in there. I have no hope getting heavy stuff out of there.

Will you need to store the mop and bucket, ironing board, broom etc in the kitchen, if so plan where they will go. How tall are you , if like me, you are short don't put the oven or microwave up high.

I measured our huge frying pan to make sure it would fit in the sink and in the cupboard where we thought we would keep it.

Boiling tap
Handle less cupboards/ draws
Built in drinks chiller
Mid height ovens - lower is a faff
As many sockets as possible plus some more ! ( some with usb )
I love open plan , miss this in my new house
Love gloss doors
Would always have 2 ovens rather than one
Gas hob over induction ( my personal choice )
I have a pull out bin unit under the sink that's pointless - we just use it to store soap and cleaning g things it's too small as a bin

Haven't read the whole thread, but my number one suggestion would be a Quooker boiling water tap. Not only saves up space on your counter top, but it puts out instant boiling water as well as filtered water and now they even do one with sparkling water. I couldn't be without it now. It's my most used item in my kitchen and worth its weight in gold.

Integrated bin drawers with recycling, food waste and rubbish.

Deep drawers for plates, etc and pots and pans. Also a drawer for spices so they can all lay flat and you can easily see and grab what you need instead of keeping them all in a cupboard or ugly rack

Double ovens and induction hob

1.5 sinks

Kitchen island

Extra wide fridge & freezer (similar to American size)

Backsplash made of the same solid material as the countertop. No tile and grout to have to worry about cleaning.

Underfloor heating (water based, not electrical!)

Oh and a pull out larder. It's amazing! Love love love it.

Two separate ovens rather than the big range oven I opted for. Big sounds better at first but the individual compartments are smaller than a normal oven even though there are more of them. I had to throw a lot of my baking trays out because they don't fit in it, and it's a pain when cooking for a crowd.

We got a boiling water tap and it’s great! Built in coffee machine

I was really happy with my kitchen design.

I didn't use a kitchen company, I designed it myself, measured it, bought it and then found someone to install it.

I am happy I went with lots of drawers, ceiling high cabinets and a large pantry cupboard.

My regrets are that I did not spend more on the sink and the oven/hob. I just wish I had budgeted more for those.

This was in my old house. In my current house the kitchen is 40 years old and will be replaced at some point. I am slowly replacing all the appliances for quality appliances to reduce cost for when we get around to the whole kitchen.

Another one saying avoid Wren. The designer forgot so many details, it was a nightmare and the after care customer service was abysmal. All smiles when they are getting your order and your money but any problems afterwards forget it. They don't want to know you.

I wish I'd had the whole floor tiled, even under the cabinets. Nightmare getting replacement appliances in and out

I wish I'd had the whole floor tiled, even under the cabinets. Nightmare getting replacement appliances in and out

I regret the tiled floor, the grouting gets scruffy, my DD has twice knocked over a heavy high stool and cracked two of the tiles, they are big tiles too. The utility has cheap vinyl and it looks and feels far nicer, it is stained, but it is also far easier and cheaper to replace.

I did tile under the appliances though (I tiled the floor myself). When we had to pull the dishwasher out the foot still caught on one of the grouting lines!

@Jillyfernilly we retrofitted blum drawers from drawerboxes . co . uk ourselves into one standard base cabinet and two tall larder cupboards. They sit behind the door. OH installed them himself.