Kitchen dilemma

[ALT72]

Hi all,

After 6 years of trying to get the extension built (thanks to COVID and cost of living, the costs went up massively!), the time has finally come for building work to start in September! We are having a small extension built as a second reception/family room that looks out onto the garden. We are also having a new kitchen put in - this is where I need your help ladies! Please see attached images/plan. I am worried that the kitchen will look a bit 'squashed' and also I am not sure if 1m is enough gap between the cooker and the penisula. I will be having a utility room put in so there will be more cupboards in there so I am not worried about storage. Thoughts? We want it to be an open plan family room (we already have a separate lounge to escape to for peace and quiet!).

It all looks a bit squished in. A 1m gap isn't ideal, you'd be better with 1.2m so people can pass by each other someone standing cooking will be constantly in the way of people passing through from the hall.

@ALT72

You essentially have two walkways. One to the utility room and one to the hall. Therefore it's a poor working space and the peninsular isn't great because it makes the kitchen narrow.

I'd also look at seating in your family end. This room is smaller than my kitchen and I'd not consider a L shaped sofa as being suitable.

Therefore 1) why do you need a peninsular? It's not great for prep as you will stand by the utility door.
2) must you have peninsular seating? If will reverse into the seating area. Moving chairs takes up space.
3) could you have a kitchen with built in seating at the "lounge " end? Build in a low level table with seating. Makes better use of space. Then dc can have computers and do homework in this are if you get sockets installed.

Hi! I would move the oven/hob to the peninsula, it's just going to get in the way when people are coming and going. You appear to have high ceilings, so could you build your oven in on the back wall and put your hob in the peninsula? Higher ovens are far easier than floor ones. I'd take the units to the ceiling, might as well make use if the space, and probably do away with the ones on the fireplace side. Maybe put some shelves over there? For cook books, glasses, items you want to display?

I would also have a separate dining table, the banquet on the back of the peninsula seems cramped and a bit awkward.

It's cute - does it suit how you use a kitchen? Where is the fridge? agree with Sanch1 that 1.2 would be a better gap if you have 2 people in the kitchen area so they can get past each other or move around an open cupboard door, or the open dishwasher, so I'd push the peninsular back into the room and shorten it slightly. I'd take your wall units right up to the ceiling too, that's just loads of wasted space having them finish so low.
I'd put lift up lids on the built in bench and consider not making that an L shape, unless you need that much seating because you have a family of 5 or 6 - you can always have emergency chairs/stools stashed somewhere for visitors. You'll be constantly moving the table and chairs out of the way to get in the cupboards, so lift up lids are easier. and a bench the other side will be less visually blocky than the chairs.
I'd consider where I want the things that live on the counter to be, and what space that leaves me. Where am I prepping food, where is the dirty stuff going before the dishwasher gets loaded, where's my kettle and toaster?

If it was my kitchen... I like a big fridge, so I'd be sticking that in the far corner (bottom left on the floorplan) with a cupboard above it. I dislike undercounter ovens, I like mine eye level, so I'd probably be ripping out the chimney breast if I could afford to and putting in an eye level oven with cupboards above and below, then a big larder unit next to that. Hob would go on the peninsular, so I could look out into the garden as I'm cooking.
If I couldn't rip out the chimney breast I'd make that wall my main counter space and hob or sink area and have the tall cabinets/fridge/oven on the wall where you currently have the sink.
I don't need a 1.5 bowl sink. I prefer a single large bowl, the only things that actually get washed by hand in my house are the non-stick pans, everything else goes in the dishwasher, so my sink is for rinsing veg and filling the kettle/pans/glasses of water, so would switch that out too.
I might also consider a run of half depth cabinets under the telly (you'd just raise the rad up the wall so it sits above or put it somewhere else).
I'm not a mad fan of those half depth cabinets that sit on the counter, they are a little impractical, you can't use the surface in front of them and you get less storage. If you are worried about a tall cabinet looking blocky from the sofa, just face it with a bookcase and add books/plants/vases.
I love doing kitchens, such fun playing with the layout. hope it all works out for you.

I think that kitchen will feel a bit pinched, as soon as you come through the door you'll be confronted by peninsula and the narrow L shape that it creates. I agree that 1m is likely to feel a little tight. Would it be possible to have your door reversed so it opens onto a wall in the hallway rather than into the kitche? This will help with illusion of space and prevent you having to constantly keep it closed so that it doesn't block off the units to the right of the cooker.

If you are totally wed to the peninsula, I would forgo the banquette seating. Move the peninsula down the room, creating a roomier kitchen and perhaps have a central dining table. I realise this might cost you the sofa but I think you're better having a generous kitchen/diner rather than trying to shoe in a kitchen/living/diner into a space that is perhaps too small for that.

Also, the units above your sink won't work, you will be forever headbutting them. If that's the only area fir a sink, remove the central cupboard and extend either side to the ceiling.

We have just had a family room extension. We used to have. U shape kitchen with 1.4 metre gap and we were always getting in each others way. With the new extension I have made the gap 1.9 metres which I am loving. Hubby and I both like to cook and serve up together which is why the gap is 1.9 metres. For us the mimimum gap I would want would be 1.8 metres. We decided not to have seating on the peninsula as we have a dinning table close by and wanted not to have the room looking squashed.

You could always move the microwave to the utility room to give you more space.

Thanks for your feedbacks, really appreciate it. You’ve all confirmed my thoughts that it is a bit squished. I’ve had another rethink. We both don’t want to lose the 2nd reception room plus we like the idea of having it in the new extension so we can look out into the garden. Another reason for a 2nd reception room is that I am planning to have a sofa bed put in the separate lounge for when guests stays thus giving them privacy. So back to the kitchen… I am thinking of forgetting the dining table and have a peninsula with 4 stools. We don’t really entertain - however, for Christmas Day, we can always put a temporary table up in the new extension. Plus also, in the future, if we sell the house and whoever buys it can still convert it into a dining area.

We have just done an extension to include a new kitchen, dinning area and snug/2nd lounge. Our snug/2nd lounge measures 3.6m x 2.03m so i think yours will be fine. We are still waiting for our concrete to dry but it feels the right size to us. This is based on what I measured yours to be 2.7m x 3.562m. Good luck.

I think that's looking much better in terms of free space in the kitchen and having a proper triangle between the sink, cooker and fridge!

If I had your space, and didn't want a dining table, I would do the following...

I'd put a bit fridge freezer to one side of your fireplace, and a larder to the other. In the fireplace I'd have your oven and microwave, not hob.

On the back wall I'd have your sink/dishwasher, countertop with shelves Above.

I'd have a width and a half peninsula with a hob. If the fireplace isn't suitable for your oven, pop it in your peninsula. Have seating on island. This means you have lots of prep space, the tall units are 'hidden' next to the fireplace.

Here's my amazing pic...

I think this is great, it'll feel like you'll have a load more counter space.
When cooking on the hob, will you have space to put the hot pans elsewhere when you want to remove them from the heat? Also, it's a few steps to drain hot water out of pans. So make sure you are comfortable with that.

What about a huge peninsular? Double sided with cupboards and an overhang for stools? This might be what Seaside has drawn but I'm not totally sure 😉😂

I see you have your hob in the chimneybreast.

You will need a duct for the extractor, or the flue will become damp and impregnated with grease and cooking odours.

In terms of resale value, as you mention potentially selling, I would concentrate on making the kitchen amazing as they can sell a property. Most families don't need two living rooms, one good one is enough.

Most families need;

1. nice, generous kitchen with decent storage.
2. somewhere comfortable to eat and host. For another family, they could put a table where you're putting your sofa.
3. one living room (your existing one)

So I would open up your kitchen and make it bright and light. Dark grey will make the room darker and feel smaller. It will also date much quicker.

If you're going to use a raised casual seating area for eating, make sure it's easily removable as most families I imagine would want to scrap it and put a proper table in the sofa area. If you integrate it, you remove options for any future family.

How big is your utility room and what are you having in there besides the washing machine etc? If it used to be your kitchen, could you also use it as a larder/pantry to clear some space in the new kitchen? You have a lovely room big enough to be a family room, it’s just a case of deciding your priorities.

Personally I don’t think either of your designs have enough full depth work surfaces to keep things like fruit bowl, kettle, toaster, bread bin etc. If your peninsula is also your eating area then it could be frustrating to be using the top when cooking/preparing food while people are sitting there.

I’ve just had a new kitchen fitted and with a totally blank canvas, I have loads of work surfaces as I like space to keep out appliances like food processor, mixer, air fryer etc so they are readily available rather than lug then out of a cupboard. I then need room to take things out of the oven when cooked while also chopping other food and serving food. I live alone but still wanted a large food prep area.

Ive attached some photos of my new kitchen, it’s a different shape and not as big as yours but I did not need to have lounge furniture in there as I have two reception rooms. I just thought it might help to see a layout with lots of work tops as well as a dining area. You can see that I like clutter on my work tops - I find if the appliances are stored in cupboards, I hate getting them out to use them and I am love baking and cooking.

@OttersAreMySpiritAnimal I can't believe you are questioning my amazing drawing skilz...

Yep, I actually drew a 1.5 island as @ALT72 wants a seating area. Units on front, half ones on back, and then seating may work too, so the work top is 120cm but storage is 90cm.