Where to start? planning a small kitchen refurb and storage layout

[mustwashmycurtains]

I have a tiny kitchen as part of a small open plan combined kitchen/living room. We badly need more cupboard space built and various bits need replaced. I've never done a kitchen and I don't know where to start

I have half an idea of what I want but I don't want to miss a trick when it comes to making best use of the small space so am after early stages advice. I've looked on a couple of the kitchen planners online but they seem to need more knowledge than I have. I think I need a professional to see the space in person and make suggestions.

If I get a consultant from one of the kitchen companies (eg Wickes) will they send someone out? Do I pay for the plan?

I know I can get the kitchen itself fitted separately but not sure if I can get just a plan done? and if so - do I get more than one plan from various suppliers?

What we need: floor to ceiling cupboards built along one wall (2 metres long), plus replacing all cabinet doors, countertops, hob/oven, fridge and removing extractor fan. Also need the floor tiles replaced. I have some money aside for the project and potentially also enough for some additional upgrades if I can understand better what would make the space work. I also want some examples of colour options and tiles vs marble vs granite - again so I don't miss the opportunity to do something really clever/pretty/functional.

I feel like I'm going around in circles and could do with some advice on where to start. Please guide me wise DIYers

Wide kitchen drawers hold more than any cupboard.

Also cupboards in corners are a poor use of space. Do you have a floor plan of your downstairs.

You could try ChatGPT - I asked it about layouts for my sitting room.

What would you do instead though, assuming you have to basically use an L shape layout? How do you get round the issue of access to the corner space? I find the corner cupboard good for stuff you don't use that often (and should probably just give to the charity shop 😂).

Measure the space, including doors and windows and take a few photos, and just call in to a few kitchen places. You can have a browse while you’re there and see different materials, colour schemes. Try and hit a few in one day.

I used the ikea planning tool to design mine and then brought it around to a few kitchen places to see what they suggested.

Some of them were a bit clueless, fixated on things like symmetry, or more focused on upselling than the design. I settled on someone who understood my priorities and then. made practical suggestions based on knowledge of design principles more than aesthetics.

Think about the tasks you do and cluster the relevant spaces so that things are in easy reach and you can pivot more often than step (or take less steps)

• dishes - sink, bin, dishwasher, crockery storage, cutlery storage
• food prep- counter space, sink, bin, fridge, freezer, pantry
• groceries - counter space, fridge, freezer, pantry
• cooking - hob, utensils, spices, oven, hot thing landing space
• making tea - kettle, cups, spoons, tea, milk

Clustering the plumbing can be helpful, and keep costs down. So if you have boiler for heating, washing machine, consider those too.

Eventually think about your storage needs. Do you buy multi packs of 2ltr drinks, bulk buy, large cereal boxes. Do you need somewhere for an iron, cleaning supplies, the hoover? Those things will determine the configuration behind the doors but that’s not essential yet, so don’t get overwhelmed!

You don’t necessarily have to have a U or L shaped layout. Depends on the configuration of the floor plan.

Do you have extra space for a utility room? I’ve got a lean to which is the utility room. I could do as neighbours do and use one of the sitting rooms as a huge kitchen but I don’t want to, so stick with a small narrow kitchen. Suits me fine. I went to a kitchen design place last time I had it redone. I went to Schmidt in Fulham. Not cheap mind. But it’ll last.

My hoover and ironing board go in cupboard under stairs.

I reconfigured the sink which was opposite one wall and put it against back wall, dishwasher next to it. Much better. Was next to oven before.

Thank you for you replies and advice. Sharing photos to give an idea of the space - you will see that it’s not big!

thankfully I have space in cellar for boiler and laundry so no need for those elements

I'm not much of a cook and it’s a single parent, one child household - we don’t need a n all bangs and whistles kitchen. What I want most is:

• organised storage (currently nowhere for food!)
• no open shelves - I hate clutter and it's avoidadable in this set up
• needs to look tidy - ie less obviously a ‘kitchen’ ie I want flat cupboard doors no handles ideally, very minimal clutter, things out of sight

Need to head out for a couple of hours but will start with a floor plan - even if I need to draw it on paper Old school style. I thought it not worth visiting kitchen showrooms until I was ready but maybe I need the inspo

Go on the DIY kitchens site. They have an online planner but also you can pay a small amount to get a plan. In my experience of fitting 3 kitchens in recent years in different properties, they have the best range of drawer/cupboard sizes to maximise every inch.
Things I love in my kitchen:
wise drawers for pots pans, spices, plates and cutlery etc.
Bin drawer. This is a game changer and enables me to put a full height cupboard (although a shallower depth than normal) in the space where the bins were before. Win win.

Like you I have a tiny kitchen adjoining a dining room which isn't huge either.

I decided against floor to ceiling cupboards in the kitchen because I needed work surfaces.

Instead I built floor to ceiling pantry type cupboards in the dining room. One either side of the chimney breast.

Now in the kitchen I have worktop and storage for all the things I use on a very regular basis. The pantry cupboards house all the things I use less often like baking stuff. In the cupboard nearest the kitchen I had electric sockets installed so now my blender, microwave and toaster are in there leaving the worktop uncluttered.

To get extra cupboard space I moved the washing machine from the kitchen to bathroom. I now have a shower but no bath but that suits me and it's a boon just throwing towels and dirty clothes in the machine when I shower.

Wren do an amazing virtual reality design service. You don’t have to go with them (although I did and I’m still very happy with my kitchen). My experience was they were very good at helping solve layout issues. I had a very narrow space and the VR really helped me see what would work.

We've recently renovated. Some retailers did send someone out to measure the space and gave us a free floor plan- but I can't recall who they were now. I 'think' Howdens, B&Q (Benchmarks) and another one. We ended up finding a local man who has access to multiple brands/styles/colours and we had our carpenter install it.

-Get drawers in every cupboard
-Consider plinth drawers if your floors are flat/even
-We had the space for an island, but went with a peninsular instead and have storage on both sides
-Consider an appliance garage (I'd never heard the term till renovating!) but have a think about drawers/cupboards large/deep enough to hide away the blender, mixer, slow cooker etc
-We have a pull out, 3 sectioned bin. It came with a flimsy, plastic 'lid' which constantly comes off the runners and there is a 25cm gap between the top of the bins and the bench top. Its a waste of space and due to the plastic lid, I can't use it as a shelf. Ideally, see/feel any pull out type drawers/bins before buying.

So my plan is to get rid of that wooden sideboard under the mirror and make that wall floor to ceiling cupboards. Effectively one big pantry cupboard. I’m also thinking I would have space there for all the contents of the current white open shelves (will get rid) and also add a shelf where I can store air fryer and kettle etc out of sight to clear the counter.

I want Light neutral colours, and to get rid of the dark counter top and also the dark floor

any tricks I am missing?

So this is what I’m thinking - these countertop items in a cupboard out of sight. I could do that where they currently are but it’s not as easily accessible as it needs to be for such a high traffic area

Have you posted pics/floor plan OP? I can't see anything.

I had added earlier but doesn’t look like they appeared first time. Hopefully will show now

Completely agree - under counter cupboards are far less useful, and less efficient from a storage perspective, than drawers, IMO!

Can you sketch a floor plan too?

Mine is a similar layout with 2 crappy corners. What I do have is drawers on the dining side of the peninsula to maximise useful storage. We only have one small wall cabinet as I find them claustrophobic.

The 2 sets of wide drawers we have make a huge huge difference.

Sorry I got lost on the DIY planning tool and forgot to post. Hopefully this floorpan will attach.
You can see kitchen layout as is. I've added a black box where I want to add large kitchen cupboards.
I also want to slightly reduce length of existing peninsula - but will need to investigate cost of moving the dishwasher if I want to do that.

My my question is - how can I make better use of the space to be smart about it? I'm now wondering if my tricky corner cupboard - recessed corner next to the hob - might be better used as a floor to ceiling corner pantry - as it's quite hard to get into either top or bottom cupboards there as it is so perhaps that would make better use of that corner

Do you have/use a table, where is the sofa etc

Yes sofa is against the wall on the sink side of room, under the big X which is a skylight.

Dining table is opposite that - hence why I don’t need a breakfast bar - it’s literally a metre away and it made the room feel cramped so I removed the stools

I wonder about having an L shaped kitchen with the table as part of the kitchen?