New kitchen

[Ayeayeaye25]

If you were having a new kitchen installed in 2025 and you had no plans to move house in the next 15 years so knowing you would have to live with it. What sort of kitchen would you go for (Slab with or without handles or shaker with handles or a more modern handless kitchen design or a half way house shaker without handles) and would you opt for coloured units say green or a more neutral colour, not wood as our previous kitchen is a wooden shaker style kitchen and can’t get the same type of doors and that has been in over 20 years so its well past its best) also what colour white, dark or very non traditional unusual and what type of surface would you opt for blow the budget and have granite or quartz or except a good quality laminate with similar markings to quartz/granite except wood and what colour knowing you would have to live with it a goodly long time.

Also any things you were pleased with or displeased with in a kitchen?

DH happy with laminate worksurface, minimal lighting and sturdy units but wants to blow the budget with a Quooker tap. I would rather use a kettle and have nice lighting, mid range units and granite or quartz.

You could check out inframe slab if you aren't loving shaker but want something that looks traditional and won't date. Although inframe can be more expensive.

Glad I was able to help you, with yours. I'm still dithering with my own, the only two decisions I've made so far are it will NOT be handle less '& I'm buying it from DIY kitchens (as sadly I do not have my own tree or the funds to get it hand made even I did!) I've been to their showroom twice, it's FAB & they're excellent quality!

I suppose I've made another decision, but it wasn't really much of one- I won't be getting a Quooker - way more hasssle & expense than
its worth TO ME.

Thank you! ☺️ price wise it… well I can’t pretend it was cheap, but it was less than half what someone like Plain English would charge (who still make everything from ply). A good joiner can often find a way to customise standard components to get you exactly what you want at a competitive price point. If you happen to be in the North East let me know and I can pass on my joiner’s details :-)

Thank you! (And totally agree on hide everything in a larder cupboard - it looks SO much better!)

Can I ask which coffee machine you have….im desperate for one!

We redid ours about 4 years ago. Knowing it would be our last one in this house that we wanted to last for years we did push the boat out and got a local kitchen design/build company to make it. Wooden in frame shaker design. Painted by them - we chose teal and pale blue and love it. We also got a Quooker tap and I really wouldn’t be without it. We do drink tea and coffee but I use it all the time and find a kettle a real pain in other houses (a total first world issue of course).

We could repaint ours in the future if we wanted. We have pale granite worktops as our kitchen isn’t very bright as north facing.

We have the Sage Barista Impress. It's amazing. Actually spoils the novelty of going out for coffee a bit because you can make equally nice coffee at home.

Grinds, tamps and froths. The frother is pretty easy to get the hang off. Doesn't take up too much space, easy to clean.

It's spendy. Currently around £700. But I got ours from very.co.uk that had it reduced to £600 plus had a "20% off up to a max of £100" if you opened an account. Which i did. Ordered it for £500, paid it off in full, closed my account. So there are deals out there if you keep an eye out.

Still haven't really dealt with our kitchen since we moved in. It was just a wooden top with a sink in the middle and a separate cooker. And it's now that with a fridge/freezer, sideboard and washing machine. Nothing more. I cook and clean in it every day. It can annoy me, but weirdly it kind of works, where many other kitchens seem to fail. We have a belfast sink, and I really like it, but would like two sinks ideally. I find shallow sinks difficult, I find under counter sinks horrible. And our belfast sink surrounded by wood is a 'mare. I think I've decided to have something all sink in the future, because I don't want to mop around it. With the cooker I like to have somewhere to move pans to. With the kettle I like it being on the right of me and pouring to the left. And I like to be able to clean the work top easily close to the sink, rather than walk a cloth to it. Have no want for a dishwasher. Have want for plate rack and storage close to drainer or to use the drainer as storage. Have no want for low cupboards. Have want for pantry.

Anyway main point is, that you don't actually need much, but it needs to be functional.

Definitely spend some time thinking about lighting - which is often an after thought. I decided against spot lights as just feel too clinical for me. We have ceiling lights and my favourite - wall lights dotted around. Much nicer in the evening to have on. Also under cabinet lighting and a few lamps (ours is a kitchen diner snug).

Sounds lovely do you have a photo?

Thank you so much! I’ll check k it out in John Lewis later today.
my son has a ninja which is both bean to cup but also takes pods…don’t think it’s available in uk though. Thanks again xx

Deep drawers instead of cupboards for dishes, pots - everything! You use the entire space instead of things lurking at the back out of sight. Much easier on backs as well.
Tower storage / space towers - I stayed somewhere with a narrow handle amongst the kitchen units that piled out a tall, narrow rack with metal racks - you could store Ann your sauces, seasoning, bottles, tins or whatever. Nothing was sat behind anything and you could view/ use from both sides. So simple, easier to use than cupboards and maximise use of space.
Internal drawers - an extra drawer layer inside a drawer.
Under sink pull out shelf - no rooting around the pipes to find things.
My friend renewed her old galley kitchen and the clever use of space transformed the place. She found a whole new love for cooking as everything needed was easily stored and easily accessible. I walk bloody miles around my kitchen island and envy her more usable small space!

@Studyunder :

"Tower storage / space towers - I stayed somewhere with a narrow handle amongst the kitchen units that piled out a tall, narrow rack with metal racks - you could store Ann your sauces, seasoning, bottles, tins or whatever. Nothing was sat behind anything and you could view/ use from both sides. So simple, easier to use than cupboards and maximise use of space."

My mate got this built into his kitchen, thought he would love it, but once loaded up couldn't pull it out, and really regretted the choice.