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Original poster

Point me the right direction for kitchen inspiration

66 replies

SidandAndyssextoy · 17/10/2023 20:42

Planning a new kitchen - and I am so bored by the options. Can anyone suggest sites for some inspiration? It’s a decent sized rectangular kitchen with room for a largish island in it at the moment, and lacking in natural light, so I’m looking to inject lightness through colour. And a period house which I’d like to keep the sense of. Link me up to some ideas?

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Original poster
SidandAndyssextoy · 19/10/2023 11:37

Wow, thanks, everyone. Lots of ideas of things to pursue now.

My thinking is to use a local joiner I trust, but I need to have the ideas for what I want first!

@TizerorFizz we have a large light extension flowing off the kitchen but no ability to use that as a kitchen as there's no wall space - but the kitchen does borrow light from that to an extent. The current kitchen has black granite worktops, including the large island, so I think just using lighter colours in there would be a big step forward, and I'm going to talk to some lighting people about potential better lighting arrangements too, as the current one is quite uninspired.

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Silkiefloof · 19/10/2023 11:53

It can be worth going on the websites of local joiners as they often have pictures of kitchens they have done as well as other work and can give ideas. It can be useful to get them round to quote to as they often have ideas as well and can tell you what is and isn't possible. Like if you want integrated appliances there are certain measurements you need. Our joiner is great and has brought in tiler, plumber, electrician, only thing is its gone a lot over timescale. I would definitely go light colours if limited light, that is one reason we went light though prefer light colours anyway. I also found it useful to put pictures of our kitchen into the visualiser on places like carpetright and Topps Tiles not buying anything from those but its good for testing colours and finishes out. I think with period you can go with what you like rather than what this year's fashion is. We've had a lot more lighting put in and that does help. It can change colours a bit though making them lighter.

TizerorFizz · 19/10/2023 12:34

@SidandAndyssextoy You could put the island in the lighter area. Mine is mostly used from the side that backs onto the rest of the kitchen. I therefore look out across the garden when working. It has a hob on it plus a prep sink. Main sink against the wall. Looking out, as opposed to a wall, when cooking is just fantastic! One end of the island has casual dining around a wooden circular “table”. So this extended from the island. Guests sit there and chat! Rectangular ones work too but I liked the change of surface and shape.

TizerorFizz · 19/10/2023 12:34

Forgot to say: we have a light granite worktop. The wood is rosewood.

Original poster
SidandAndyssextoy · 19/10/2023 13:00

@TizerorFizz that sounds lovely! But the extension bit in our house is living space so an island wouldn't be right there. I don't actually want an island - I prefer to use our long table for food prep and with the redesign of space I want we'll also have plenty of counter space. The island just fills the kitchen up and ends up a dumping ground!

@Handsnotwands I just don't know what my style is. In general, unfussy lines, don't want gloss or handle-less, but totally bored by shaker stuff (even the lovely ones like Plain English). I like lots of plants about, not white/black/grey/navy - I think bringing the outdoor inside probably comes closest to how I would like it to be.

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TizerorFizz · 19/10/2023 13:05

A table is too low for me for food prep. I need worktop height. The table complicates design I think.

Original poster
SidandAndyssextoy · 19/10/2023 13:08

We also have counter space.

The table works beautifully for our design luckily. It's a gorgeous oak refectory table we got made 15 years ago and it blends in with pretty much anything. I know what layout I want, just not what on earth it all looks like.

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Silkiefloof · 19/10/2023 13:17

I think the joiner could be the best way to go so you can get something bespoke. If you want to bring the garden in maybe look at sites which show kitchens with plants / herbs in or even outdoor garden kitchens for inspiration. This is one on herbs and a herb section could work well in a kitchen.

https://www.decoist.com/2015-05-08/indoor-herb-gardens/

18 Creative Ideas to Grow Fresh Herbs Indoors

Living in a big city often means being surrounded by walls of concrete and stone. There may be little space for greenery, and many of us do not have the

https://www.decoist.com/2015-05-08/indoor-herb-gardens

Original poster
SidandAndyssextoy · 19/10/2023 13:19

I love that!

Yes, I will be using our joiner. I just need to know what to ask him to make! I have no inner visualisation of what it is. I'm not very creative. I will go and look at the ideas people have put on here though when I've finished work, and see what sparks.

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TerfTalking · 19/10/2023 13:25

do you have an Ikea near? not because I'm suggesting getting an Ikea kitchen, although feel free if that appeals, but just walking around the fake rooms gave me lots of inspiration. If you like the ideas, take photographs then try to emulate what you have seen by sourcing the kitchen units, sink, taps, worktops etc. either from Ikea or other places.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 19/10/2023 13:32

For lighting our electrician suggested wire spotlights. Basically you can have as many as you need and they can be pointed in any direction. They are terrific, we could do surgery in ours when they are all on.

Silkiefloof · 19/10/2023 13:37

If you have an oak table I would consider solid oak worktops and flooring so it matches - the wood will also go well with the garden theme. Think about what cooker you would like. White ceramic sinks are used a lot at the moment and do work well with period. If you think of things item by item it maybe easier. Like after cooker what appliances do you want in kitchen and where. Do you want them integrated or not.

Silkiefloof · 19/10/2023 13:38

Yes ours installed wire spotlights and they are great. They also mentioned under unit lights which we didn't go for but they could add further light.

Paperbagsaremine · 19/10/2023 13:44

I just want to offer you sympathy, OP, we are getting a new kitchen because what's left of the 35 year old existing one is falling apart and when I ask myself what I want, my brain just shrugs at me unhelpfully.

I glumly browse through Zoopla/Rightmove photos of kitchens in identical houses and sob to myself.

Pipsquiggle · 19/10/2023 14:15

Try Plykea and Husk - they look fab but............................................

Before you look at kitchens, you need to work out what's your style.

Set up a Pinterest board and start pinning a lot of kitchens you like, spend a good solid 10 minutes on it - hopefully you will start to notice patterns e.g. dark floors, light cabinets or vice versa, what kind of cabintery you like e.g. shaker, flat, wooden......................

I did the above with our home renovation a few years ago. It was a really useful exercise. It's also good to start with the floor, as that's your biggest surface, unless you absolutely know what colour cabinets you'd like. You need to start narrowing down your options/ search otherwise you will just keep scatter-gunning and not make any decisions.

Original poster
SidandAndyssextoy · 19/10/2023 14:44

@Paperbagsaremine sympathy right back at you. Bathrooms, I KNOW what I want and love. Kitchens? Sigh.

@TerfTalking I did actually do that last month! But nothing really clicked.

@Pipsquiggle Plykea kitchens look nice but they don't make me want one of my own!

I do need to start curating but as things stand I couldn't put together what you're suggesting because I haven't seen anything I would want to stick on my board.

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Threewheeler1 · 19/10/2023 15:04

Wow @Handsnotwands, I love that kitchen

DidntHaveTheLatin · 19/10/2023 15:09

SidandAndyssextoy · 19/10/2023 15:02

Can I just say I've starting looking properly at links and this has made me laugh - over half the ideas are to add more windows... 10 Big Ideas for Brightening a Dark Kitchen | Houzz UK

😂

Are the other half to add more lights??...

Original poster
SidandAndyssextoy · 19/10/2023 15:14

Mostly the other half is to make things white. Separate suggestions for the floor, units and countertops. Also add mirrors.

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Pipsquiggle · 19/10/2023 15:38

But you must know if you prefer rustic /farmhouse to modern? Start there

Original poster
SidandAndyssextoy · 19/10/2023 20:32

No, not really. I’m not particularly excited about anything. I can come up with plenty I dislike! And plenty of things that are fine and I like but nothing that I really want for myself.

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Yellownotblue · 19/10/2023 21:05

I would get digging into the Houzz app, and create an ideabook to save photos of anything I like. Quite soon you will see trends emerging. In my case it was quite clear that I wanted a black and moody kitchen (aka Bond villain kitchen). The layout was obvious to me, because I know exactly how I cook so I knew what I needed and where things should go. All that was left was to decide on accents (some splashes of colour, wood, metal). Honestly it’s not something you need to agonise over too much. I probably spent longer planning my pantry than my kitchen.

Like you, I had lots of ideas for bathrooms, but I don’t get super excited by kitchens generally - I often find them ostentatious or just bland. But our black kitchen is perfect for me, and it recedes in the background so it’s kind of ‘not there’. Despite the 3.8m long island 😳.