Kitchen layout

[HousePlans]

If this was your kitchen and you wanted to have a small table in it, how would you change the layout of the units?

I'm thinking either L shape along left wall and window wall, and then space for a table on back wall...

Or a U-shape kitchen but with the window wall units stopping opposite the fridge (blue) rather than running the whole length of the window wall, and then putting some kind of corner bench/table in that corner.

I won't lose cupboard space because washer (green dot) and dryer (yellow) are currently taking up under counter space and will be moved out to utility cupboard in hall. And the purple line is a radiator under an open worktop.

But I am worried about losing too much worktop. And the U shape would mean not too much loss, but I'm not sure the corner space will be big enough or look ok? It'll leave about 1200mm of space along the window wall and around 1500 between window wall and door.

Currently have a 75cmx75 table in the middle of the kitchen. And it's fine for the two of us. Bane of my life walking round it though. 😄

Any thoughts anyone?

Good to know re DIY Kitchens, thanks for that. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I don't want a breakfast bar or an island either. :)

The utility room will be more like a utility cupboard I think in the end...so a washer and a drier with a worktop on top and a wall unit above. I was hoping for more, but I can't seem to make anything else wotk with the space I've got. As ever, too many doors and radiators and not enough wall space!

Will do. It's not something I've looked at before. Thanks.

Can you rejig the store/wc/under stairs so you maximise the space?

Radiators can always be moved, or tall, narrow rad installed which take up less space. It is not a difficult change.

We're moving to a house with a similar layout. Planning to take down the wall between kitchen and dining area and put one up to separate the lounge.

Yeah, it's something else I'm trying to figure out with the DIY Kitchen planning tool. I was going to have a stud wall put up across that understairs bit (from the toilet door to opposite wall) but I don't think it'll help much space-wise. Another option is a stud wall right up next to the stairs to make a bigger room there. But I don't know if that will feel too claustrophobic coming down the stairs.

Problem is, I'm thinking about too much all at once. I've just remortgaged to free up some money to do as much as I can on the house. I can't afford everything I want doing or needs doing, so I'm just thinking my way through it all. It'll all fall into place eventually...

I would open it all up and put the toilet under the stairs and then you walk through utility/shoes storage to get to the loo

Yeah, there'll be a solution. Would love under floor heating everywhere. I think the space for the utility just isn't big enough for as many standard kitchen units as I was hoping to squeeze in there (so that everything could be completely hidden away). Will have to think a bit differently about it.

Although the area is not huge, with what you are trying to do especially making a utility room, there may be some merit in speaking to an architect or an architect technician. They may be able to come up with some plans you haven't thought of.

Yes, it makes perfect sense to do that!

What size is your lounge? Mine's about 10'10x10'8 and I wonder if it'll feel a bit too 'snug' if I put the wall up?

Will the washing machine fit in the under stairs storage?
I'd look at utilizing all that storage space. I'm not very good at drawing doors!!!

Yes that's a better idea to sspend money on than UFH. It creates more room, a bigger kitchen but still with a utility. Is it possible @HousePlans

Do you mean not put up a stud wall at all?

My original plan was to open up the left sided store cupboard to create a bigger space then a stud wall somewhere to create a room. But I'm just not sure that will achieve as much as I thought it would now, so I'm now back to thinking that a utilty cupboard where the left side 'store' is will achieve the same for less work/cost. All I really want is a room or even a cupboard that I can shut the doors on so that if I don't get round to folding dry clothes straight away, I don't have an increasingly big pile of them in the kitchen!

The 'store' under the stairs is too low a ceiling to put the toilet there. I think the toilet can only be where it is. I've seen other houses like this one where they've not got a toilet and have got the washer and drier in that room. It works quite well, with wall cabinets above. But I'm not sure I want to lose a toilet for a utility room.

Love this idea Spring, but sadly that under stairs cupboard has a low ceiling. It's only a half staircase that it's under, not a full staircase. The door isn't even full height. Great for Christmas decorations and not often used tools!

That whole area that you've incorporated into the kitchen is only 145cm x 235, so not a massive space.

Sadly not because of the under stairs cupboard being too low-ceilinged.

Yeah, I'll not be spending money on UFH, as much as I'd love it. Have a very limted budget of around £30k and much that I want doing! And some boring bits that need doing, like roof repairs, too...

I won't be able to get everything done, but I think the kitchen and bathroom are probably the two things that will most improve my happiness! So that's the £30k gone...

Yes, you might be right there.

As you are on a budget I would just put the machines in the store as you have said and then have some fold down drying racks on the wall

if you get the money in future I would rejig - keep toilet where it is but put sink in store and move door so you have a bigger box for utility/ other storage

I don’t think the lounge sectioned off would make it too small. But then I like a cosy lounge!! If you use diner for wfh space and storage you can reduce the uses of the lounge

Yes, I think you're right...I'm probably getting too carried away for the money and space I have! I just need the appliances out of the kitchen and space for a laundry basket and a pile of folded clothes. And doors to shut on it all.

I actually also like a cosy lounge...I think the problem is my DS. Actually, not him himself, more just the stuff he does and the mess he creates... Also the whole side wall is floor to almost-ceiling bookcases. That probably doesn't help give it a feeling of space.

How old is your son?

if you find a clever door system you could open up all three rooms or close them off as needed

He's 10. At the moment the open living room/dining room works well. But I think as he gets older and more independent, a wall, or sliding doors, might be a good idea!

Could you wrap the kitchen onto the dining room wall. While it's not huge, the additional corner would give you somewhere to put the kettle, toaster etc (perhaps with integrated fridge freezer on end like the picture). You would then keep clear run of worktop by cooker.

The table could go on radiator wall. It ticks in while not in use and if your chair blocks door a bit while eating it doesn't matter as you'll be sat on it!

For the utility cupboard, would it make more sense to stack the washer and dryer and then have some space at the side for one deeper cupboard and a rail/ basket space?

Thanks for your thoughts Calm. That's pretty much the decision I came to for the kitchen. A run of lower units along the dining room wall. I also had same thought about using that as coffee area. Although I'll probably have a few open shelves on that wall rather than wall units. There used to be a wall unit on that wall but I took it down and the kitchen feels much more open without it there. So I'll have an integrated fridge in the corner at the start of the run on the hallway wall.

And yes I'd thought about stacking the washer and dryer in the utility. But really what I want from the space is worktop. Sounds silly, but the reason I want a utility is because I'm rubbish at putting away the clean clothes. What happens now is, at best, I fold up clothes as I take them out of the dryer and put them on the kitchen table. Inevitably get distracted half way through and don't finish the job and then I go to cook dinner and have to deal with the clothes first. At worst, if I don't have time to fold when I take stuff out of the dryer, it all just gets piled into a basket on the kitchen floor and can turn into a Mount Everest sized pile over the course of a few days (DS wets the bed often so I'm often doing three lots of washing a day). So with a utility what I mostly want from it is enough workspace to have a basket on for clothes I don't have time to fold, and also work space to put WIP folded clothes. As there's only about 145cm of wall space there, if I have a stacked washer and dryer it doesn't leave much worktop space. This also means I'll not be able to fit a broom cupboard. So it's going to be a simple affair and not going to be the utility room of my dreams...

The best thing I ever did was ditch the laundry/ironing basket.

I am a line dryer but I fetch it all in over my arm and chuck it on the bed flat to avoid creases (I don't do ironing!l, pretending that i might just led to really creased items in the bottom that I'd end up washing again)
The advantage of the bed method is you are forced to deal with it if you want to sleep so it avoids too many loads building up!

145 should work well for cupboard width. Enough to allow for the door opening and a reasonable work surface. The more you have the more you will fill anyway.