Critique my kitchen extension plans please!

[Trytosmilefor2025]

After much thoughts I've decided to bite the bullet and put my savings (+some borrowing) into a kitchen extension. Obviously, it's a significant sum of money and want to get it right. Existing and proposed architect drawings posted below. But I am thinking, instead of standard sliding doors, we can have a picture window that end and patio doors to the side as the seating area we use most in the garden is next to the sliding doors from the living room. I am also thinking it will give us more seating in the kitchen and more flexibility on where to place a dining table. Any thought?

Do you want to have the sink next to where your guests are sitting to eat? I inherited a kitchen just in a long line...it's a pain in the backside. Nothing is near enough to anything else.

Good point! Do you think it's best to maintain the current u shape for the cabinets? I am less worried about the position of the cabinets at this stage and just want to have the windows/doors etc in the right place

I like your idea of having the doors on the side, and I would have a big window at the end, but I would run the cabinets under the window for an L shaped kitchen. If that's too many cabinets then drop down at one end for a bench. You could also run your work surface straight into the window, ie no window sill. You just need to plan for your window to start at the same level as your worktop. I'd also create a small utility room or pantry next to the loo. And pop a loveseat or bench in the lounge/stairs corner. Something easily moveable so you can get to the cupboard.

I like the idea of drop down cabinets for seating. Regarding utility room, I already have a utility cupboard that houses the washing machine/dryer under the stairs. For simplicity and to keep the costs down, I would rather keep this as is. It also means we can maximise the space in the kitchen.

I agree with this. The space after the draining board looks like dead space although appreciate sink is lined up to the window.

I think as PP said it is good to think about positioning now so you can have windows at right height etc.

There is a very big space where the under stairs cupboard is just for circulation. It feels a bit wasteful.

Definitely worth you taking the time now to think through these things.

Agree, I need to sit down and think about the layout now. With regards to the space next to the utility cupboard stairs, I was thinking of having a pocket door linking to the living room.

With the kitchen layout, DIY kitchens have a fab tool on their website that you can use to see what might work (you don't have to use them for your cabinets etc). It also havw a 3d visualiser as part of it to give you a rough idea- might help you rule a few things out.

i agree with putting the access to the garden on the right side of the kitchen instead of at the end.
I’d make the end into something like this and use the seating to store garden cushions.

I think the long row of units will be too much walking and we decided against that in our kitchen extension. I would keep to the existing U shape. We have just done a similar extension and kept our u shape kitchen but made the width more between the cabinets more as it always felt too much of a squeeze if hubby and I were in kitchen together. So instead of have a 140cm gap I now have 190cm. It has also made the U shape more in proportion to the rest of the new bigger room. Our extension did push the space out by 4 metres though, I see yours is 3 metres. Really like the idea of yours re having the sliders to the side. Take your time in deciding the layout. Try and visualise working in your new kitchen and where everything will go.

I would do door on side so links to outdoor seating/living room so better circulation for large gatherings. We did an extension (not kitchen) with doors at end and just feels bit like a corridor.

also the way I’d use it would be to keep u shaped kitchen and then built in seating in the extended bit. Or if big enough breakfast bar overlooking kitchen sink then dining area.

That's exactly what I have in mind. Plus we have been blessed with a lovely garden (at least during spring and summer!)...I can so imagine sitting there with a book sipping tea!

Very good suggestion! I will have a play around with their planner/visualiser

Ah, that's a great idea too. As I am trying to cut costs, I will be reusing the kitchen units, but buying a new worktop. I will need to measure up all my units again and see what can be moved where for the best layout. But definitely agree that I need to think this through now as all the cabinets will need to come out anyway way, so we will get the chance to move things once we are putting them back.

We also made part of the U shape (that faces the garden) into just over 90cm work surface instead of the 60cm previous standard size so used 60cm and 30cm units) this gave us a wider work surface which is great for plating up and also buffets etc and easily accessible from the dinning table area. The 30cm units although small are great to access from the dinning area of the kitchen and useful for putting in entertaining plates, and other crockery etc. I also use it to put my grandchildren’s toys etc (our new extension has a small snug/play area). It was so good at Xmas time when family just came to the worktop and served themselves and didn’t get in the way of the cooks.
we decided against having bar stools as dinning table so close, didn’t want grandchildren to be climbing up them, wanted the extra storage/cupboard space and we are too old to be clambering on stools.
we also wanted a U shape kitchen as that was what I was used to for the last 40 years but also I wanted it to be contained/separate/defined area in a big room and so the young grandchildren know not to run into their kitchen area and keeps them safer with all the dangers of hit pans etc.
Hope I have explained that well. Very excited for you. I wouldn’t change anything that I have done. We had to wait a long time for our builders so it gave us plenty of time to think it through.

@Advocodo that's great to have other experiences but also so glad for you that your new extension is working so well.

I do have to agree with the sink/seating layout. When we extended we went for an island for the sink and for storage but also to create a 'zone' between the kitchen and dining spaces, I love the light we get having it open plan but I didn't love the idea of it being without any separation. We used a company called Home Tales to design for us who were lovely.

Í would flip the dining table and put in an island. Easy enough to walk around it, and creates a more usable kitchen imo.
i am however an anti long line kitchen spokesperson as it’s too much walking between fridge and everything else, imo

can the door to the under stairs storage be incorporated into the kitchen design? That would allow you to have a small but very useful run of cabinets up to the patio doors. You could then shorten the ‘long’ kitchen run and have a larger dining/ sitting space

Thank you all for your comments and thoughts. So here is the thing: I am trying to not overspend so there is no budget for a new kitchen or an island. I will be reconfiguring the current kitchen cabinet to fit the space. That's the tricky part. The kitchen is solid wood, perfectly serviceable and can be repainted. I will need a new worktop though (depending on the layout). This is where my imagination is a little bit struggling! I have been looking through Pinterest and I think the best compromise will be something similar to the picture below. Either that or a freestanding island...but this will still leave me with a long run of cabinets (as the sink will still need to go against the wall) and limited flexibility on what else to do with the rest of the room.