Kitchen diner extension plans

[Haaaaaaan]

We are planning an extension and trying to plan out the kitchen.

I've attached plans. As far as I can see unless we make radical changes, our only option is to have the fridge in the two places pictured. Id prefer to have a shallow tall cupboard for pantry against the back wall but am concerned the fridge is then not near any counter space. But by putting the fridge on the back wall you'd have to have a much shorter peninsula.

Any ideas or other comments on the plans welcome, nothing is decided yet including size of extension.

We love cooking but often cook separate things as I'm veggie. Also liable to do things like make bread or a cake on a whim, so we sometimes end up with lots going on and counter space is therefore important to us.

We have just had a kitchen/family room extension and have a freestanding fridge/freezer in the exact same place as you have in your plan and it works pefectly. Next to it we have a 50cm wide pantry then our double oven and after that we have worktop.
our kitchen is a U shape like yours. We have our hob on our peninsular.

Your hob is facing the wall away from people. Think you might find it more sociable to face people and have on the peninsula.

For safety you need a very deep peninsular! Mine is on an island 1200 deep. It has loads of storage.

Looking at the whole space I’m not sure I would have a peninsular at all. I’d have the kitchen go right into the dining area and have a zone in that for dining. I’d also get a designer in. It feels a bit hemmed in and having a better open space for kitchen and dining will make the space feel a lot bigger!

I wouldn't mind having one big kitchen with dining in the middle somewhere but I can't work out how it'd work, you'd have to have the whole kitchen against the garden wall or end walls, the table would be in the way whichever way you went, and it would be a 7 metre walk to get stuff from another bit of the kitchen!
Our existing plumbing and the exterior wall is all on the right hand side, the other side is attached to neighbours, so we also think we can't easily get sinks etc over there.

I think your plan is good. I had a new kitchen 2 years ago and have a U shape with fridge in a similar position, ie without worktop directly next to it and slightly away from sink, hob etc. and it is just fine. In fact, it being out of the way a bit might work better if you have multiple things going in in the kitchen like you said.

I also have hob facing to wall. I personally would not want a hob on my peninsula. The peninsula is my pride and joy, and I love it being totally clear and a lovely social space. Nobody spends that long facing the hob!

My peninsula is 92cm wide and is perfect, allowing for cupboards beneath and space for legs to sit at a bar stool. It is 2.5m long.

We all lounge around my mums peninsula and read the papers, eat there despite proximity to table etc, would not work as the cooking area. We have our fridge roughly there and it's perfect, just quite small for a family of 5 that's all.

Yeah I'm set against a hob on the peninsula, I just don't think it would work for us. I want that to be a nice clear space! Im happy to have my back to the room while I stir and keep the splatter isolated.
I think I'd like the fridge closer to the peninsula but if some people have made it work, the first plan would look a lot better I think and avoid having to walk round the fridge to get to the utility.
We have just got an architect on board for the extension but I want to think about the details early so we don't start wishing we had built an extra 20cm out or something!

I don't think the 2nd image uploaded - this is the alternative fridge placement!

I am not sure exactly why I posted, as if someone is going to pop up and say oh I have mine in the middle of the room and that works fine 😂 but it is good to get views anyway!

Definitely the first option. Our architect had some really fab ideas about use of space and placement of white goods etc., I thank him in my head a lot!

I'm missing the obvious actually, we don't need entirely tall pantry space against the back wall near the fridge, we can just have a small countertop which will then be across from the fridge. To double up as the place to put all my husband's non-kitchen crap that ends up in the kitchen!

Perfect, you need a 'hot spot' / dumping ground.

My fridge isn't near a counter top. It isn't a problem.

First one is much better. The oven and fridge are a little too out of the way in the second one IMO.

We have a similar set up to the first, with the hob facing the wall, fridge a few cupboards down from it, and it works really well. Our sink is in almost an identical place as well.

I don't think it's necessarily a good idea to have a "dumping ground" for things that shouldn't be there in the first place.

I speak as someone who loves a dumping ground rather too much! I'm trying very hard to instigate a "place for everything" ethos instead.

We used to have our fridge freezer in our utility room as no obvious space in our kitchen! Had it like that for over 34 years and was never a problem? Only moved it to new extended kitchen as now had the space but also because I wanted the space for a tall cupboard to store hoover, ironing board etc in my utility room.

So in design no 2 your peninsular is smaller in length? If so then I prefer design no 1. Our peninsular is used a lots for serving up dishes etc.

It’s good to have the fridge on the end so very easy to access for family etc

Pretty unanimous that option 1 is better.

Good point re the fridge in a utility - you do tend to just get used to whatever the set up is don't you!

Dumping grounds....well what I like is somewhere I can gather his crap and dump it so I don't have to tidy it up but nor is it all over the house! And I'm just trying to be realistic, I can see letters, keys, bags, dirty glasses etc are going to get put on that peninsular realistically so it's just a case of trying to limit the mess! It should be improved by the extension as currently there really isn't enough space for things at all (3x4m kitchen "diner"!)

Is it advisable to have fridge and oven adjacent? I've absorbed in my head that it is not a good idea.
I would also hate not to have some counter space near the fridge. Our fridge is currently in the dining room (until we knock through) and I find it annoying when making a single hot drink not to be able to put it down somewhere near the fridge to do a quick splosh of milk. I have to fetch the milk into the kitchen, then walk it back. Maybe I should drink less tea!

@Saisong We thought that initially but apparently modern appliances are so well insulated it is fine. We tested our current oven and the side of it doesn't get warm so I'm going to assume it's ok! We also might stick a narrow cupboard between them depending on what we want where (like a pull out drawer tall unit thing).

I agree about counters that is my worry. Currently we have mugs, kettle, teabags and fridge all over our tiny kitchen and I find that annoying enough going back and forth! I think counter behind you is fine though so will do that I think - as long as it's in arms reach I think. No point in making life annoying if you don't have to!

When planning our new kitchen we were told by several kitchen planners that it is ok to have a fridge next to a fridge.

Fridges are for food storage. You then prep the food then cook it. You then serve it and pit the pans in the dishwasher. So essentially a fridge near a hob or oven isn’t great planning. I would hate this arrangement and the dining room is a waste of space which could be used far more efficiently with imagination. My kitchen is 7m long . It’s got a circular breakfast bar at the end of the island (could be a table that’s a standard height) and looks wonderful. Plus it has everything in the right place.

@TizerorFizz I'm not sure I follow what you mean, what is your layout like? Is it maybe deeper than 3.75m if you have an island? Also not sure why the dining space would be wasted, it'll be used for eating - it's our main reason for the extension, initially we thought about just sticking a little add on room for dining but ultimately we'd love to have that flow between the garden and kitchen, and all the light as it's south facing whereas the existing kitchen is north facing, so want the kitchen at the back of the house too.

I think she means that with a 7m long room you could do something much more exciting than a standard kitchen box plus standard dining room box. I agree with PP and recommend consulting a decent kitchen designer.

I think your kitchen layout in the 1st image is absolutely fine. The U shape kitchen works very well. I think you are getting a little hung up about not have counter space right beside the fridge. Most kitchen designs will have the tall units together at one end. Maybe visualise U are preparing a meal and that might help you realise that the design is good.
It’s good to have zoned areas like you have. Maybe go round some kitchen showrooms like Magnet, Howdens etc to see some show kitchens or look online or in mags. Speak to friends and ask what they like/dislike about their kitchen.
We have just done a family room and I am 100% happy with our design.