What do you think of this kitchen layout?

[Kitchen12345]

Hi Everyone,

This is our first time doing a kitchen so slightly overwhelmed with the choices.

Available space is tricky odd shape. Slightly too big for no island, slightly too small for island. So we went with long dining table.

DP is panicking not enough storage. Wants above counter cupboards but it’s quite a tricky interface as we have stuff going on (see pictures for roof/ wall interface and beam and why whilst it’s lovely it’s also a nightmare up there).

I do think we have space to also have a dresser round the corner for guest crockery and bar things. So kitchen will only be absolute essential items.

What do we think?
Anything to improve it?
Anything that’s awful?
Anything that needs to be included etc.

Thank you 🥰

What's the overall size of the space?

You don't have much work surface. If you want to plate up four dinners, where would you do it?
I had a kitchen like this and the bitty space drove me mad.

In the end we moved the kitchen into the slightly smaller middle room but it allowed for a better u shaped kitchen.

It’s a big space. 260sqft or 24m2

We want the kitchen here because the space is light and large, and to the left it goes into a large area which will be day living sofa space which overlooks the garden.

We did think about putting the kitchen there but think sofa would be nicer there for in the day than kitchen which we mostly use morning and night.

And to plating. Probably plate directly onto the table or to one of the areas to the right or left of the stove.

Looks difficult to work in. A lot of walking.

Could you do an L or U shaped kitchen and partition space with dining table beyond the kitchen?

This is the situation with the rest of downstairs. We need to subdivide the old kitchen to put a corridor in to get to this garage space.

So it definitely has to go here. But how it goes here is a question. It’s a tough space to work with.

I want more worktop but worried if I L or U that you then have to walk around it all to get to the day living. We will be making that journey a lot and don’t want to be skirting around things.

And I feel it’s too wide for a galley 😭

It is a nightmare but also a beautiful space too.

I would consider using a designer to see what they suggest. There is a MNer called Karen who is a designer (OnePlan on Houzz) and it would be well worth a few hundred pounds to work with her or someone like her.
I am sure folk who have used her will be along shortly to sing her praises.

And sorry to complicate things the above isn’t too correct scale I think. Here’s one that’s measured survey.

Thank you, yes I think that might have to be done! It is boggling my mind and with the cost and only doing it once it needs to be right!

What is going where the old kitchen space was (to south of the new corridor?) could the dining table not go there giving you more room for kitchen space. Maybe a big island in place of where the table is which could include your sink or hob.

Assuming the day/living space backs to the garden, the stuff that looks like doors is the old garage door, are you putting in big glass doors facing the drive/road? Can you not put in windows and pull the kitchen round that wall?
It looks like a big house, with a small kitchen - and echoing others, very minimal work space.

Go see a kitchen designer.

Not enough worktop space for prep, let alone plating.

Once you've added a microwave, kettle and toaster, you'll have no space to do anything, and the split up bitty worktop will drive you mad.

I'd put in some tall larder units on the opposite wall, which currently seems to be blank. It will allow both more worktop space and more storage.

I would need more workspace so would consider a U or L shape.

Much easier to walk around a peninsula than it is to constantly struggle for workspace. Plus much more storage.

Ahh Karen at one plan is booked up for 6 weeks. Obviously good at what she does and I am an idiot for leaving it so late lol 😂

@Drumbalina The old kitchen is going to be subdivided into a small room and a corridor with glazing. It’s not big enough then for dining and I want it to be a library.

@CatsOnTheChair It is garage doors, but they are original wood and a nice feature so would be a shame for us and the street if they went. Also like the access there as we can get big deliveries through there like the sofas or the giant dining table.

I think maybe we need to get a moveable freestanding island. This will give us more worktop but flexibility to move it.

I think the one benefit of this gigantuan rectangle is that in my dreams I am imagining setting the whole thing up with tables down the middle and hosting a giant dinner for 20 one day. With no worktop to prepare said meal 🤣🤣🤣 🤦‍♀️

Can you get anyone to come out to give you ideas? Any of the big ones should be able to do a site visit quite quickly. Or even take your measurements to B&Q to see what they suggest?

The DIY kitchens online planner is quite useful too. If you have the patience to use it it's quite good to give you and idea of how the space would look.

I don't think you can underestimate the importance of uninterrupted workspace, it's vital to the kitchen actually being useable rather than just attractive.

We knew someone with a similar sized kitchen and they had a peninsula so visitors could perch while they cooked and then move to the seating area at the end.

I would definitely get rid of the garage doors and put more kitchen around the whole of that wall. With windows too.

then you can have the sink looking out of a window to the front and you can nearly double the amount of storage / worktop that you have.

We had very similar space to work with. I’ll see if I can find a plan. But we went for tall units all down one side, stretch of worktop with sink, and a huge Long Island. We’ve got lots of worktop. Didn’t go fo U or peninsula as didn’t want a pinch point.

Does it need double doors at both ends? Which set leads to the back garden? What does the front set lead to.

Oh yes please! This would be so helpful Thankyou. I have been looking and looking and can’t find anyone with a similar shape kitchen.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz
Front set leads to the drive. It’s nice to be able to keep an eye on the cars and bring shopping in direct. The bins are right there as well so good for taking them out and throwing bits of recycling in here and there.

I want to keep the doors I think.

Google kitchen island with built in table. There are some really clever and beautiful options out there.

I would lose the garage door (who cares what street thinks??) and put in wall and long window above kitchen bench, which then goes along back wall. Then you can do island jutting out in middle, and dining table where it would have been but no kitchen around it. As per my diagram (kitchen is yellow, dining table bright green).

Also in my plan you can then look out window to street when washing dishes! And depending on direction of house, a window there might open you up to lovely light coming through whole living space!

I also think work surface is your pressing issue rather than storage. You can add in a big housekeepers cupboard or freestanding larder unit for storage, but you are going to need more worksurface if it's going to be a working kitchen rather than a room to heat up ready meals.

Oh wow! That is actually a cool idea 💡