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Original poster

Kitchen regrets

112 replies

ManicMonday007 · 04/04/2023 21:34

I'm just having an extension and need to plan my kitchen diner. Any tips or ideas. Anything you hate about a new kitchen and care to share for regretful decisions. We are hoping to have a decent size island for prep area. Any ideas gratefully received.

OP posts:
Mark19735 · 04/04/2023 22:11

Whatever size kitchen bin you go for ... get a bigger one.

Lovestodrinkmilk · 04/04/2023 22:15

The only bits I regret are the ones I left to my builder to decide.

Pestispeeved · 04/04/2023 22:19

Two bins, two sinks.
Lots of storage, lots of counter space, sod anything pretty or trendy.

QueenOfHiraeth · 04/04/2023 22:20

A friend of mine is an architect and said she discourages people from having a sink in an island unit as they always annoy people by being untidy (who doesn't always have clutter around the sink?)
My recommendation is to draw a plan of your current kitchen and a plan of your new one then work out where things from the old cupboards, drawers, etc will go. I did this for mine and found a few hitches which we changed before it went in

redspottedmug · 04/04/2023 22:23

On the flip side we inherited a sink on peninsula it dies force one to put the washing up away and not have a collection of scabby old sponges and dishcloths stuff around the taps.

Jellybean23 · 04/04/2023 22:27

Have the bins inside a pull out unit beside the sink. Site a dishwasher on the other side of the sink. Scrape, rinse, load the dishes without having to move around the kitchen.

Aquamarine1029 · 04/04/2023 22:31

Never have a sink in an island. Personally, I wouldn't put a cooktop in one, either. I like the space to be clean and 100% usable and prep/entertaining space.

Make sure you have enough outlets for plugs, especially on the island.

As above, the dishwasher should always be beside the sink.

Think very carefully about lighting, and employ multiple forms of light. Make sure every light fixture is dimmable.

Aquamarine1029 · 04/04/2023 22:32

To add, there is so much potential for storage space in an island. Don't waste an inch.

Twwodoorsaway · 04/04/2023 22:50

Lots and lots of drawers, more than cupboards, can fit so much more in and find things easily. We put in a big butler style cupboard which I love, ceiling height, it has toaster, coffee maker and loads of cooking stuff. The doors have little shelves to put herbs and spices. We have a big island with the hob on, which I love. Pull out double bin that I love.

My one regret is not putting a pull out tap in, we went for a Quooker one but not the pull out version, it would make it easier to clean the sink if we had that. Love the Quooker tap though!

northeasrer · 04/04/2023 22:52

You can design your own one on the DIy kitchen website....

echt · 04/04/2023 22:55

While I wouldn't have a tiny bin, I don't think bigger is necessarily better. It means more stuff gets put in, making the liner more likely to tear. Also a bigger bag means food waste festering for longer, therefore smelly.

Having said that, I now compost every bit of food bar tea bags, so the smelly aspect doesn't apply.

ariaknox · 04/04/2023 22:55

Mixer tap - nightmare getting the temp right
Not enough drawers definitely need some next to or under my cooker
White sink
Tile back splash- hard to clean would definitely get glass or something easier

TeenLifeMum · 04/04/2023 22:58

My favourite thing in my new kitchen is the floor to ceiling pantry. I pushed back on the designers wanting lovely glass doors on the top. Nope, I wanted storage not a display cabinet!

NeverTrustAPoliceman · 04/04/2023 22:58

Choose a bold colour or two. When we were having our kitchen done I did a lot of browsing on Pinterest and Rightmove for ideas. 19 out of 20 kitchens were so dull and boring imo. White or grey mostly. Ours is not like that and people always comment favourably on it.

crazeecatlady · 04/04/2023 23:07

To make the kitchen efficient and fun to work in -remember 2 things

  1. The route between cooker/hob, sink and fridge should be as short as possible. Zone other uses too - as in kettle and drinks making stuff together
  2. think of a number for sockets - then double it. Consider the pull up adaptors set in worktops
iwantabreakfastpantry · 04/04/2023 23:15

Something I find annoying in my current kitchen is washing veg in the sink and carrying it over to the counter to chop, with water dripping en route. We are planning on having a prep sink on one of the island, opposite side to the seating area. We will have a separate sink for everything else.

caringcarer · 04/04/2023 23:17

I like to have dishwasher on one side of Belfast sink then washing machine on other side. Large Range master cooker. Large American fridge freezer and a wine fridge. Anything else is just cupboards and drawers.

Gothambutnotahamster · 04/04/2023 23:18

After reading threads on here, we went for 2 dishwashers & thats been the best thing. We fill one and then only when that one is full, do we run it & start filling the 2nd dishwasher. We've an open plan kitchen diner & this means no dirty dishes lying around.

Agree re hidden drawers too - fab!

CantHaveTooMuchChocolate · 04/04/2023 23:20

You can’t have too much cold storage, get two fridges or one huge if you can fit them. Large hob if possible too.

Gothambutnotahamster · 04/04/2023 23:23

One thing I do regret is my induction hob - it looks good and is safe (as you can't burn yourself!) however it might just be me, but I struggle to get the temperature right & it's either massively boiling like crazy or barely on, plus I seem to burn the bottom of all my pans! It's very annoying & I'd get a gas hob if I could make my choice again.

Littlefish · 04/04/2023 23:29

Twwodoorsaway · 04/04/2023 22:50

Lots and lots of drawers, more than cupboards, can fit so much more in and find things easily. We put in a big butler style cupboard which I love, ceiling height, it has toaster, coffee maker and loads of cooking stuff. The doors have little shelves to put herbs and spices. We have a big island with the hob on, which I love. Pull out double bin that I love.

My one regret is not putting a pull out tap in, we went for a Quooker one but not the pull out version, it would make it easier to clean the sink if we had that. Love the Quooker tap though!

I absolutely agree with having far more drawers and fewer cupboards. Drawers are so much easier to use.

Littlefish · 04/04/2023 23:30

I have two single ovens, side by side, under an extended hob, so it's a bit like a range. I bloody love having two ovens!

Bitingspaniel · 04/04/2023 23:37

I love my big bin that has two sections

The American fridge freezer with cupboards built around it

Clever, pull out cupboards meaning all space is used

I LOVE our dishwasher with the cutlery drawer - such a gamechanger

I regret my sink - it's too small. Get a big one you can fit massive baking sheets on

That's the only real regret so that's not too bad (have had the kitchen 3 years)

Totally agree with what others are saying about plugs, we got loads fitted around the worktops/peninsula area and we use all of them!

Whoiscomingtosaveyou · 04/04/2023 23:45

If you’re having an island for prep make sure you have a double socket on the side at one end. It’s perfect for all your gadgets, slow cooker, air fryer etc

spuddel · 05/04/2023 00:26

My double belfast sink is in the island and works brilliant! I have a dishwasher to the left of sink in island and bins to next to that so no clutter at all around sink as everything is scraped into bin and then straight into dishwasher. Also have a second dishwasher opposite the island next to where coffee machine/beer machine/kettle is so again, it works.

Love the abundance of drawers for pots/vases etc and ceiling height pantry. Washer/dryer in small utility off the kitchen. Large SMEG gas range is brilliant too, so glad I didn't buy the hype for induction hobs.

I read a lot of the kitchen regret threads on here when designing mine and can honestly say I love every bit of mine now thanks to taking on board the good advice. Oh and yes, double the amount of sockets a spark will suggest, or even triple. I did and I use pretty much all of them all the time.