What puts you off in a kitchen?

[Gingka]

Just this really. Is there anything you particularly dislike or wouldn’t choose again? Thank you!

Badly designed kitchens. We have just replaced on which had things in completely random places, eg you had to walk around the kitchen to get between the sink and hob, doors wouldn't open fully as too close to the wall, tap kept hittibg against the wall.

If you've got a large island, it should have plug sockets.

We have an enormous island which should provide great working space, no sockets.

If you are not a white wine drinker, don't bother with a wine fridge. It's a waste of space and they have the life expectancy of a gnat.

If you are having a free standing fridge/freezer in a specific space in the fitted kitchen (rather than an integrated one), really look at sizes of fridge freezers first. When we came to replace ours we only had 3 fridge freezers to choose between due to the size of the gap.

It depends on the size of the kitchen. The priority is space maximisation. Personally I dislike cluttered worktops, but it sometimes can't be helped in very small kitchens.

Kitchens made as big as possible for no reason eg. along a long wall.

Kitchens where you can stand in one spot and then turn around to reach everything are better.

High gloss cupboards

Kitchen “island” especially in marble: look like a mortuary slab

Agreed. I came across a stainless steel one the other day during a Google search and thought it looked like an autopsy table!

I should be moving soon in a property with the same layout (sink on a wall, hob opposite wall). I’m dreading the thought of it.

Dont like islands and cant stand stools or trying to sit to eat where your knees or feet cant stretch out or touch the floor

Hobs where there isnt work top on each side so I often see ovens in the space where the traditional fireplace would have been, sort of inset, sometimes with pillars on each side as its like in a nook but what it means is that you have to position the handle so its not hanging over the side because there isnt any room.
Also when you take something out of the oven you havent got worktop either side so thats difficult if its hot and heavy

Looking at newbuilds round us - lack of work surface!! I actually want to be able to cook in my kitchen, not just shove stuff in the microwave.

I don't mind islands in general, but I hate eating at them, so if there isn't enough room for both a table and an island, the island has to go.

I much prefer drawers to cupboards.

Draining channels in worktops by the sink - just NO. They get manky. Use a draining mat instead or better still, get a double sink.

I don't like islands because I think those tall chairs are really uncomfortable. I'd much rather have an ordinary table to sit at.

My kitchen is poorly designed. According to the plans of our extension we have a back door that was put in the wrong place, so it has shortened the length of one of the walls that was supposed to accommodate the washing machine and tumble dryer. As a result we have the dishwasher on the other side of the sink and the washing machine away from the tumble dryer, it means walking across the room from the sink when I’m loading my dishwasher - it’s annoying. All my white goods are integrated and what an absolute nightmare it is, not only are they not as good and more expensive, but it’s a ball ache reattaching the kitchen unit doors. To add to that we don’t have plugs they all have to be hard wired! In an ideal world I’d have a utility room, but that would have meant making one of the rooms downstairs smaller.

I also have a range oven which I HATE, it is hard to clean and I hate bending down to the oven. If I removed it I could probably sort the washing machine/dishwasher situation out, but I’d need a whole new kitchen. My kitchen units have a groove in them, I wish they were all flat as they’d be easier to clean, and we also went for tall units but the top shelf is so high and the shelves are quite narrow - wouldn’t do that again. Also, I’d never get another wine fridge, I have one and never used it. My kitchen is however about 14.5 yrs old so I’d love a slight redesign.

Glass top stoves, gloss finish cabinets, any kind of shiny countertop like granite, quartz etc. (especially if they're white and/or sparkly), and all-white colour schemes.

My kitchen had all of these things when we moved in and I absolutely despise them all and am glad we could afford to rip it all out and start again - though if we were doing it again I just wouldn't have bought the house with all that shite. I just didn't realise how much I hated it until I had to live with it.

No room for an integrated bin
lacking worktop space
not enough plug points
pan drawers - so much better than cupboards

Islands are fine if there is 4foot between them and the edge of any room or worktop so you don’t have any pinch points

wooden worktops are the most impractical things along side Agas

Wall cupboards, can’t each the top shelves and they make the space look/feeler smaller and darker.

As much joined up worktop space as possible.

We lived with it for 2 years and have a better kitchen for it. It really helped us hone in on what we didn't want in the space!

Lack of work space.
Cheap handles.
Appliance's on show
”fashion led” eg colour of the moment knowing it will date.

personally love stalls at a big island. It’s nowhere you sit for a big meal, it’s a snack and social space.

I've a small square kitchen, I gave up a full size dishwasher (got a slimline that does me fine anyway), and used the saved space to squeeze in a pull out integrated bin system. Best. Thing. Ever.

I've a peninsula with very comfortable stools (arm rests are a must for these I found!) at one side, and dining on the other. No other issues since I don't have far to move between sink, fridge and cooker, it's a triangle. Plenty of cupboard space and I have the dual level blind corner pull out units in two corners. Brilliant things, where I store the awkward baking tins and tupperware type boxes etc. in one, and general crap in the other! They hold so much. Worktops are vynil topped, so not the most expensive at all, and honestly they are so easy to wipe down, no water spots or anything like that. I was a bit dubious, but so glad now.

Other than that there's nothing else fancy, just an ordinary shaker style kitchen in a gorgeous (to me) colour called Cashmere. I'm a happy bunny. It's in three years now and I wouldn't change anything.

I hate electric cookers. My parents had a gas all their life and switched to electric for ‘easy cleaning’ (which I get now they’re older) but I just can’t stand them. They don’t look pretty or classic

Islands, bar stools, high gloss cupboards, bi-fold doors, wall cupboards, bevelled tiles, sink facing a wall, fake wood floor, electric hob, no space for small table and few chairs.

Most of this can be changed of course, so wouldn't exactly put me off buying a place.

Badly placed lighting. Lack of triangle between cooker, fridge and sink. Wooden, or grey kitchen cabinets. Kitchen islands.

Small kitchens ( mine is, well planned after I renovated) lack of a dishwasher space, stupid and annoying

Pans and/or utensils hanging from the ceiling/on walls. Just gathering grime and grease