Extension kitchen and utility layout: any tips for family and dog? (images/plan included)

[gloriouslyunfinished]

Hi there,

About to start an extension and have created a kitchen and utility plan (DIY kitchens). We are planning to have a family (and hopefully a little dog!) so want to make sure that it works, and as much as I rate my design skills/have done my research, I am a little nervous about future proofing well and worried there are glaringly obvious things I just don't know yet!

I would very much appreciate if anyone has any thoughts at all, even if it's just that it looks good/suitable, or anything I missed etc!
Utility area:

We don't have a massive space and there are quite a few doors, so I want to make it helpful for us but lord am I struggling, especially not having kids yet but wanting to future proof! This is best i came up with but a few things:

• Washer dryer stacked to save space ideally
• Not sure whether to do a broom cupboard or some kind of drying cupboard for clothes? We could find space elsewhere for brooms
• No idea what to do about ironing, is it going to be awful if we do it in the kitchen?

Floor plans didn't attach, so here!

Utility sink, go for something large enough to wash big roasting pans/ scrub boots/wash a small dog. A swivel tap with pull-out hose helps with dog washing!

Also consider ceiling or wall hung clothes rack for drying if space allows.

If stacking washing machine and dryer, it's a pain if the doors open in different directions.

Definitely a sink in the utility if you a planning a dog! Also worth thinking about where all of the dog stuff might be- bowls, coats , leads, toys...

I love my broom cupboard so I wouldn’t be without that but depends what your alternative option is to put all the big bulky items.

I’ve never heard of anyone having a room to dry clothes in - if it’s only cupboard size and presumably unventilated from your floor plan, I’d worry about it getting mouldy or damp. If you have a dryer (and a clothesline outside for warmer days), it seems a bit superfluous.

Quite a niche one - but be very mindful of what floor you get, particularly if you do decide to get a dog (and particularly a dog prone to hip/joint issues).

Wooden/Vinyl floors are a nightmare for dogs as they get old, or as their joints are developing, because they slip a lot and can hurt themselves, but they're very easy for cleaning. My parents have wooden floors in the kitchen, so they have basically every part covered by rugs because their elderly dog slips a lot and they worried she might injure herself. We have stone in ours, which isn't slippery but a nightmare to clean as dirt gets into the chips.

Personally, I wouldn't have the oven in the middle of the island - you'll need to pay a fortune for a decent extractor unless you get one of those overhead eye-sores. I know someone with a cheapo Wren one that rises up out of the worksurface...sounds great in theory, she's had it eight months and I've already broken twice. We were quoted well over £4K for a hob with a built in extractor when we went to get ours done - ended up deciding to get the hob by the wall for a fraction of the cost.

That looks like very little work top space in both utility and kitchen. Why not have a complete run along wall c in the utility? Do you really need what looks like two sofas in your kitchen, will everyone sit there together? Nowhere to hide cooking smells and dirty dishes from company.

Wide drawers in the kitchen are useful to have china beneath the counter rather than lifting from overhead in a cupboard. I personally see the point in bifold doors, it is a big area that can’t have cupboards and they intrude into the kitchen limiting what can go on the floor there. Our hob is on an island with a ceiling mounted extractor, it has been placed too close to the units against the wall by about six inches. It’s fine if two people are stood still whilst cooking but we bump bums if both cooks are moving around a lot 🙄

Put a ceiling clothes airer in the utility room. I alao agree about more worktop in the utility.

Would you be better with u shaped units around the bottom of the room and not stacking the washer and dryer

IdeaIly I wouldn’t stack the washer and dryer as I prefer to have counter top space to fold/organise clothes. Sink is a must. Your layout has wasted space on the end wall. I like open shelf storage in the utility but I am fairly tidy.

With that layout I would opt for sink on the island and hob facing the wall. 1.5 bowl sink at least. Put dishwasher on the same side as sink. Get drawers for everything. More sockets than you think you will need. Don’t leave a small gap between top of units and ceiling. Those open shelves on the island will be dusty and grubby. Where is your bin and recycling going? Not sure I would have a wine fridge in that position.

Is that enough cupboards for you? I have more in a smaller kitchen and still don’t have enough space. Also get the taller wall units if space allows. Make sure you have ironing board storage and also storage for bottles and cereal containers

Washer dryer is more than 580 deep. Make the sink smaller. Cannot see any option re doors.

In the utility you seem to have 1700mm of space on the right and I would change your layout so that - working from the backdoor along - you have a 600mm sink unit (with a 550mm sink and cupboard underneath) and then your washing machine and tumbledryer side by side which need approx. 650mm each including end panels in between to make it look neater = 1700mm total. This will give you worktop space to fold clean washing and you could also have wall units above for extra storage. Then on the opposite side of the room I think you need 1 x 600mm tall broom cupboard to store vacuum, ironing board etc and then leave space for 2 x wall mounted airers to dry washing which need approx 700mm width (they can go one above the other, not side by side). Then you can have your coat hooks and shoe storage next to this.

I have a sink with a plumbed in draining board attached. This is the best solution for handwashing clothes. You wash in the sink and then put the washing on the draining board. Otherwise where do the wet garments go? I would just have a high hanging rail above the work surface, but it’s useless for dripping hand wash pullovers! You could have the two tall units next to each other and this releases a wall of lower units. I would also recommend a big towel radiator somewhere! Great drying potential!

I'd have a pulley to dry clothes on then make the drying cupboard for dog stuff and brooms and ironing board with plugs in it for recharging the hoover etc. (depends on what storage you have elsewhere). We put shelves sideways in a similar cupboard and then hooks up for hanging the ironing board up. Lots of storage. Also a hanging rack for shoes on it.

Agree with Draining Board - it's handy enough. We made sure the utility sink was big enough for the BBQ grill bits to soak and clean in. It's got a handy pull out spray tap. We could wash the dog in it at a push.

I don't think there's enough work surface.

Units in utility in L shape don’t stack washer dryer have them side by side to give you bigger run of worktop

@Gardenquestion22 I have a spray tap. Very useful. I’d not have a drying cupboard. Too much space wasted. A big rad works well! Takes up far less space.

I would reduce the width of the sliders/bifolds and put another mid-height window there instead, so it’s symmetrical to the right hand side (where sofas are). This would then enable you run the kitchen units further along the wall giving you more space. You could place the sink under the window (nicer view) and then place the hob and extractor where the sink currently is.