Final stages of reno… the Kitchen!

Badgalkiki · 2023-08-13T16:44:21+00:00

I thought this would be the “fun” bit, how wrong I was!! We are at the final stages now and need to finalise our kitchen order at the end of this week. I had it all planned out in my head but seeing it on a 3D design like this has made me lose all faith in my original ideas. I’ve seen some fantastic designs and ideas on here previously. So… how would you lay out this kitchen/diner? (White beam is structural support) Please help!!

VeniVidiWeeWee · 13/08/2023 22:46

At the end of this week?

Seriously?

Howden's might be able to do a plan in that timescale. Independents also.

But, best of luck.

I'm having a large extension with, obviously, a new kitchen, and had the kitchen planned 4 months before the planned installation.

SamAndEIIa · 13/08/2023 22:48

VeniVidiWeeWee · 13/08/2023 22:46

At the end of this week?

Seriously?

Howden's might be able to do a plan in that timescale. Independents also.

But, best of luck.

I'm having a large extension with, obviously, a new kitchen, and had the kitchen planned 4 months before the planned installation.

It said to finalise the order by the end of the week, not that it will be installed at the end of the week.

thaegumathteth · 13/08/2023 22:50

Is it to be a kitchen only or a kitchen diner?

We had a big extension put in last year and after I saw it all planned out I changed quite a few things. It's just such a big outlay you have to make sure it's right!

VeniVidiWeeWee · 13/08/2023 23:21

SamAndEIIa · 13/08/2023 22:48

It said to finalise the order by the end of the week, not that it will be installed at the end of the week.

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Yes, thank you, I can read.

And leaving it this late is very problematic.

Where do the plumbers run the pipes, ditto the electricians the power.

All of which will be needed to be sorted before the kitchen is installed.

Diyextension · 13/08/2023 23:41

VeniVidiWeeWee · 13/08/2023 23:21

Yes, thank you, I can read.

And leaving it this late is very problematic.

Where do the plumbers run the pipes, ditto the electricians the power.

All of which will be needed to be sorted before the kitchen is installed.

Show quote history

That’s probably why it needs to be done by the end of the week so they will know then where all the services need to be put in 🙄

thaegumathteth · 14/08/2023 00:04

God some people will find a way to be rude about anything!

Finalising the order has to happen at some stage - how do you know it's too late??? 😐

monsteramunch · 14/08/2023 00:29

Yes, thank you, I can read.

And leaving it this late is very problematic.

Where do the plumbers run the pipes, ditto the electricians the power.

All of which will be needed to be sorted before the kitchen is installed.

Leaving what this late? At some point in the process of getting the kitchen done, OP would need to finalise her order.

She hasn't said what the lead time is between doing so and having the work done, just that she needs to finalise her order by the end of the week...

There may be a perfectly adequate lead time between the final order and installation. You're simply assuming there isn't, which is a bit strange when it's far more likely there is as shes using a professional company who know what the necessary lead times are.

monsteramunch · 14/08/2023 00:30

monsteramunch · 14/08/2023 00:29

Yes, thank you, I can read.

And leaving it this late is very problematic.

Where do the plumbers run the pipes, ditto the electricians the power.

All of which will be needed to be sorted before the kitchen is installed.

Leaving what this late? At some point in the process of getting the kitchen done, OP would need to finalise her order.

She hasn't said what the lead time is between doing so and having the work done, just that she needs to finalise her order by the end of the week...

There may be a perfectly adequate lead time between the final order and installation. You're simply assuming there isn't, which is a bit strange when it's far more likely there is as shes using a professional company who know what the necessary lead times are.

This was to @VeniVidiWeeWee obviously.

Nat6999 · 14/08/2023 01:38

Find a joiner who can fit your kitchen & ask them to help you draw up a plan or use the DIY kitchens planner, first decide what appliances you want & then the plan can be worked around them.

sleepysheeps · 14/08/2023 01:48

Given op has a 3D design I think she has a joiner or someone involved in the process. She's asking for ideas.

Op there's a Facebook group called Mum's Who Build and Renovate or something to that effect. Lots of people share their plans and give advice on there.

Seaitoverthere · 14/08/2023 05:35

I’m not sure I trust the 3D designs. We have had one and it makes the kitchen look smaller than it is I think, time will tell.

Not sure why the weird reaction about needing to finalise by the end of next week, it’s not uncommon to get cold feet close to finalising a kitchen order as it is a big financial commitment and can feel a bit abstract at the planning stage.

Original poster

Badgalkiki · 14/08/2023 07:35

For clarity, we have a kitchen on order with Howdens already as per the original plan which I need to “confirm” with them by the end of the week. I can still make changes with them, e.g add an additional unit or a longer worktop.

Our architect has kindly removed the current design from this floor plan for us to start with a blank canvas as I’m having a panic. As @Seaitoverthere mentioned, when you walk through the space on the 3D planner it just feels so small and everything too close together. It’s 6.5x5.5m so it’s not exactly a tiny space!

The problem is we really do need to let the builder know too as mentioned above, we will need to move the plumbing etc, luckily for us the foundations have only been dug out this week so we are a while off having those tradesmen in.

The awkward bit we are finding working around is the door that goes through into the utility as ideally I’d love a run of units along that wall. Also the blank wall where the office will be at the back of the office. I would have preferred a full width sliding door scenario but this is the only place we can locate an office unfortunately. I’m very “OCD” (term used lightly) with things being in line, parallel etc and this is why I thought I would be able to get some help on here.

Thank you for all the positive posts.

OP posts:

Seaitoverthere · 14/08/2023 07:50

I thought it would be Howdens. I felt momentarily a bit depressed looking at ours but after sitting in the room for a bit I am sure it will feel bigger than it looks.

Laura Clark on Your Home Made Perfect does things like put a row of big cupboards in , one of which hides entrance to utility.

Original poster

Badgalkiki · 14/08/2023 08:41

Seaitoverthere · 14/08/2023 07:50

I thought it would be Howdens. I felt momentarily a bit depressed looking at ours but after sitting in the room for a bit I am sure it will feel bigger than it looks.

Laura Clark on Your Home Made Perfect does things like put a row of big cupboards in , one of which hides entrance to utility.

That’s exactly how we felt looking at the Howdens plans! This is why we asked our architect to do a dummy version on the general floorplan for the whole house. The hidden door is actually exactly what we have gone for so far (I saw it on Instagram). The below is the general layout we have gone for so far but swap the HOB in island for sink and the back wall against the utility is just a wall of tall units with a hidden door. I just hate that the table isn’t symmetrical to the island and I think having the bar stools facing the back of the kitchen not the garden is a little awkward? I also saw this photo on Instagram yesterday and thought perhaps this is more the layout we should be going for with the island flipped the other way and not bother with the “hidden” door.

OP posts:

RidingMyBike · 14/08/2023 08:52

The 3D designs do look a bit odd - we've had Howdens and Wickes kitchens and both looked a bit weird at that stage. Both turned out to be lovely kitchens!

CircleWithin · 14/08/2023 08:53

@Badgalkiki we have a 3d walkthrough which we've seen in VR. The rooms look so much smaller in VR - it's hard to judge the size. We ended up putting people into the VR model to get a sense of the scale. So your plan might be fine after all.

Original poster

Badgalkiki · 14/08/2023 09:35

I’m such a visual person, I almost want to wait until all the walls have gone up and I can actually be in the space for us to decide on the layout which as people have mentioned above with the wait times which would leave us without a kitchen for about 6 months just because I can’t visualise 🤣 it’s so difficult to make a final decision!

OP posts:

thaegumathteth · 14/08/2023 09:48

Our breakfast bar stools face the kitchen rather than the garden - I prefer it that was as when someone's sitting there and in cooking etc they're facing the right way iyswim?

Also we have a similar space but have an extension out on the right hand side for a living area. Our dining room table is vertical if that makes sense?

thaegumathteth · 14/08/2023 09:48

Excuse the typos!

ThereIsOnlyOne · 14/08/2023 14:26

Forgive me for being flippant, but if you just asked the designer to move the dining room table over to the left a bit on the plan (so in line with the island) would that calm your worries? Or get a longer table (matches the island size).

Am I right in thinking you need to get the skeleton right at this point (for power points/drainage/doors/structural etc now but your actual cupboard/drawer/larder unit etc will be down the line?

I get the panic about symmetry (I sat just before the final order and made sure everything in my (similar design) kitchen was all balanced/symmetrical. But think about what is actually needed now so you don't rush into anything.

So think about your Now decisions.
Sink - yes island works. Maybe shove the dishwasher there too?
Hob/oven location for electrics
Fridge - if to be plumbed in
BTW, also think about extractor units. You cannot take an extractor duct more than 3m (from my memory) so this may determine hob place.

Do you need to determine lighting placement now - or is that later down the line - so exact placement of island/dining table can be later?

Also, a few other points:

Breakfast bar facing the kitchen is better imho - so you can chat with cook. Unlikely to have people sitting at island chatting with people at the dining room table.
Space around the island - I looked into this and did the following (which works perfectly)....

where there are workstations on both sides of the gap - so sink in island, hob other side) you need 4 feet gap - to allow 2 people to work at the same time/open a cupboard/drawer etc.
where there is only 1 workstation (so for us it is the left, shorter end of the island...we have nothing/no breakfast bar etc) 3 feet gap is enough and only 1 person working there/opening pan drawer etc.

Get yourself some rolls of wallpaper off cuts. Cut stuff out in, to scale and put it in the space. So once the builders have gone for the day, outline on the floor the cupboards/island/dining table on to the floor and see if it "works". I did this and realised that with my table and dresser in the dining area I needed to make what I had planned as an enormous under-stairs cupboard a bit smaller (by about 40cm) - otherwise I could not extend the table to it's full length at any stage.