Kitchen design help

[Thursday37]

We've just bought an old thatched cottage with a tiny kitchen that is a mess. We have had the first company round to do a design and I hate it - it's nothing like I wanted but the problem is that DH and I want different things.

We need storage, the washing machine has to be in the kitchen (there is no garage or outbuilding). I want a fridge/freezer not undercounter ones. DH wants a mid height oven (he'd prefer eye level oven but the ceiling too low) as he has a bad back and we had a range in the last house that he hated, and to be fair he cooks more than me. We both want a full sized dishwasher. But I don't see how we can fit it all in. But I also don't think the kitchen designer has listened at all either.

It's got really low beamed ceilings so we can't have anything tall. The slanted corner can't be changed (in budget - if we had another £25k+ it could) as it's a chimney so that has to stay.

Any wise words? It's roughly 3.3mx3.12m with 2 windows and 2 doors. Ceiling height is 190-something. I can't remember exactly but under 2m.

I wouldn't have the deep sink if someone has a back problem. They aren't a good use of space.

You could scoot the sink along to within 300mm of corner (have an L shape corner unit), and have a normal sink with a draining board to the right. Then your dishwasher will sit under it the drainer. Move the washing machine along and you should be able to get a fridge freezer in the corner.

You should be able to store a decent amount of pans behind the hob.
Move your wall unit to the corner between the windows, even if it needs to be bespoke.
You could also reconfigure the units under the window with pull outs so they are super efficient storage for dry goods etc. You will want drawers in this location as well, make 2 banks of 2+1 pan drawers. Having your only small cutlery drawer over by the oven will be really annoying.

By the way we stayed in one cottage that had a large expensive kitchen, but not one cupboard with enough shelf height for a cereal packet or blender. So even if you go over to mostly drawers, keep one space for big items - maybe your corner unit.
Also I would consider standing the microwave on top of the oven unit if you'll both be able to reach.

That's so helpful thank you and much more what I had in mind!
We had a much larger kitchen in previous house and I know I need managing as to what we can achieve here but it’s reassuring to see that we might get our essentials in. I’ll take your suggestions back to this company and to our next appointment with whoever else we get quotes from.

We had a double butler sink in our last house and loved it, we thought only a single here instead but yes do agree that it might not work for us at all and if there’s a compromise to make I can live with that if I get the FF and dishwasher and husband gets his oven. The groaning over the rangemaster is not something I want to repeat 😂

Any chance of putting the washing machine in the bathroom? It would give you extra space downstairs.

Unfortunately not, it only has a small downstairs shower room.

NotMe's design looks good but I'd worry about the open shelves that are in the corner behind the hob. The space behind the hob is an area that easily gets very dirty / greasy (especially with no extractor) and you won't be able to reach things on those shelves when you are cooking.

you might be able to place the hob in the straight run of worksurface in front of the window, and keep the angled corner as a run of worksurface for chopping / cooking etc.

I’ve had two kitchens with very low ceilings. The real problem is that standard units are designed to go into standard heights rooms, so you cannot maximise the space. That’s why everything in these illustrations looks sort of truncated.

I would try to find a carpenter who can make you some wall to ceiling cupboards, so that you have storage space which is making full use of the height. There are online companies who will make doors to measure in any dimensions. Cupboards don’t have to be the standard 625 Deep, shallow ones are actually more accessible and take up less floor space. You could have a cupboard above the oven if you do this.

the other thing to consider is a three quarters fridge freezer, they have a smaller freezer but you can always have a freezer in the garage, and maybe a 45 cm dishwasher ( I actually preferred this with only two adults you run it more often, more hygienic ).

And get a light pelmet over the window, thatched cottages are dark!

Yeah the best things for open shelves are things you use frequently like graters, colanders, saucepans - that way they get washed regularly and don't get a chance to get dusty. Every so often take everything off and wipe the shelf. It should be safe to reach if you have an induction hob rather than gas ..

Unfortunately we’ve been advised that you cannot have a hob in front of a window, it’s got yo be 60cm away apparently for

Alas no garage for a freezer. But yes a 3/4 FF option is what I hoped might work. Limited budget for bespoke cupboards but it wouldn’t hurt to ask for sure. This quote was £10k excluding fitting (appliances and worktop included). But we need to get closer to £10k all in.

Our electric hob is not 60 cm from a window but it is not underneath it, about 30cm away, we changed from gas to electric because they are easier to site and don't seem to have so many recommendations for where they are, the 60cm is probably a recommendation rather than a regulation but a lot of fitters will follow recommendations.

Sorry my last post didn’t post properly, the site was really glitchy and kept refreshing. It is a 60cm rule for gas, you can do what you like with electric. But we will have gas, so the window run isn’t going to work unfortunately.

@Thursday37 this is a recommendation not a specific regulation re hobs and windows as we've just been through something similar. Considerations for us were the height of the opening relative to the hob and the overhang of the window sill.

I don’t think that’s a risk we can take in a thatch, the insurance rules are very different and you have to provide a lot of documentation when you make any changes if there’s any additional fire risk. I don’t think they’d wear it. They’ve already rules out woodburners and made us move the shed.

We’ve had another design in, I think I prefer this one but any thoughts welcome. This one is Howdens and we haven’t been able to get a price yet, but should know soon how it compares.

Magnet did a revised one, they want £9,200 for units, appliances and worktop