kitchen planning... what mistakes did you make

[HerHonesty]

have suddenly realised htat with the builders in in feb i need to get a move on with my kitchen planning... so what mistakes did you make that you can pass on... or even what's the best thing in your kitchen that you are glad you did..

all help most gratefully received

Just in the process of having our kitchen done, and I thought I'd add a few comments to this thread.

I had a strong idea in my mind of what I wanted it to look like and very little money. None of the affordable kitchens did it for me, so I've had my builder knock up some units, mixed them with Ikea units, and he's making the doors to match a drawer unit that we're hanging on to from our old kitchen. The whole kitchen is designed around this drawer unit (which I found in a skip 8 years ago!) and our one luxury: our falcon deluxe cooker that we bought 7 years ago. I'm having the drawer unit mounted on casters (Ikea) and it's going to be used as an island unit for extra work-space.

I'm having open shelving, solid oak, which I bought from a church reclamation yard (pew seats!) and Ikea stainless steel brackets. No wall units - think they'll make the kitchen too dark (the units are black). For food storage I've got a Victorian cupboard like this: here, but higher and wider, with double doors and shelves all the way down inside, including shelves tall enough to get cereal packets and bottles in. Also got this cupboard out of a skip outside DD's school, when they were refurbishing it! It's in fabulous condition and it's massive actually - I can get all my food in it, and because it's shallow, everything is accessible. I'm going to get shelf stands though, so I can double stack things.

Made the decision that instead of having loads and loads of storage space I'm going to go through the cupboards and get rid of all the crap I've accumulated over the years, leaving just enough storage for the things I use regularly. Other stuff (like the ice-cream maker and pasta machine) which I only use once in a blue moon, can go in the side passage next to the kitchen, on a shelving unit.

Pans go on pan racks on the wall either side of the cooker, implements hanging underneath, so everything's accessible. Getting a decent, powerful, quiet cooker hood too so the kitchen doesn't get too greasy (big problem with open shelves!).

We've spent most of our money on structural improvements in the room, getting solid oak tri-fold doors fitted, which go out into the garden. The room is full of light and looks lovely now. I think a fully fitted kitchen would be easier to use and more convenient in the long run, but you have to cut your cloth etc............

I'll post a picture when it's finished.

I would also recommend having more sockets than you think you'll need - we did this and haven't regretted it. We also have the under-plinth lighting (brilliant for seeing what you are doing on the work surface) and we have uplighters on top of the top cupboards too (as well as the main halogen lights in the ceiling). This way we have several different combinations of lighting we can use. I love having the up-lighters and under-plinth lighting on - looks really good.

I would also have the sink under the window if possible. Do remember to leave room for a bin.

I prefer having lots of cupboards/drawers rather than open shelves, as find that open shelves gather dust really quickly.

good decisions for us:

having a tall larder with pull out cupboards has been a life changer - can see everything so no overbuying because stuff gets lost at back, and makes cooking a joy when you're not having to scrabble round on your knees. wasn't expensive either (pull out wire drawers in a tall cupboard as opposed to the fancy pull out larders where the whole thing comes out).

having a socket in the island is essential as well.

having the granite corners rounded off

keeping a bowl and a half sink instead of one big one

have fun!

Get designs from several places, including at least one non-Magnet kitchen showroom. They should have lots of good suggestions that you don't go in with already in mind.

A big pull out double bin - one for rubbish, one for recycling. You will thank me every day .

My only small regret is that we didn't give more thought to an extension so that we could have a kitchen diner. But not sure we would have done it as would have cost £££s more.

"A big pull out double bin - one for rubbish, one for recycling. You will thank me every day."

That's a great idea. Will pass that on to He Who is in Charge of the Refuse.

We're in the same position as HerHonesty, but we've got quite a bit of building work to be done first, e.g. knocking down a wall. It's only when all the space has been opened up that we can begin to think about detailed planning.

I like the idea of pull-out cupboards - we're both getting on a bit in age, so trying to get something at the very back of our present cupboards is becoming a bit of trial.

We're thinking about under-floor electric heating - has anyone got any views/experience of that?

at uglymugly. Of course, it was the kitchen designer's idea...

Also, pull out larder cupboards are fabulous - you just keep chucking stuff in, but nothing is ever at the back.

I did do a bit of thinking for my MIL who could do with a new kitchen (but not sure she will get round to it), and as she has dodgy knees, one suggestion I had for her was to think about a built in oven that's raised, with a separate hob, so there is no bending down to get hot things in and out, or to see how things are grilling.

We also had the idea of "zones" for our kitchen. Okay, that's probably sounding a bit grand, all I mean is that we have a run of units along one wall with the fridge at one end, larder cupboard at the other, microwave above and nice run of work surface, so that you have the kettle there, mugs, tea/coffee and cereal. So you can make a cup of tea and breakfast without going into the other part of the room other than to fetch a cereal bowl. It works well for us.

If you can afford it - granite worktops.

Had ours done this summer after an extension. It is beautiful!

I love:

• The pan drawers with built in cutlery tray.
• Pull out wooden baskets for veg
• dual bin inside cupboard this one
• massive belfast sink

The space works for us. Agree about the sockets. I had a lot put in as I hate having to use ugly extensions just to be able to plug in the breadmaker etc.
Also, lots and lots of cupboard space means that I can keep the counters clear. Looks so much better and so much easier to keep clean.
We shopped around and got units from homebase, but worktop, sink and taps etc from a local company as it was MUCH cheaper!

We have a new kitchen (new self build)

Things we did that I love:

• No cupboards under the worktops - only big drawers. It is so easy to find everything, as you look at everything from THE TOP so nothing is hiding behind anyting else.(aside from under the sink)

• Cupboard under the sink with pull out recycling system. One bin for plastic recycling, one bin for general waste, one bin for food waste, one bin for carton. Plus storage space for washing up liquid, brushes, etc.

• built in tall fridge, (no freezer, the freezer is in the larder)

-corner unit with rotating shelves for pots/pans

• lights under the cupboards above the worktops, with extra sockets, 4 in total hidden under the cupboards, which is perfect when you bring out your waffel maker, kenwood mixer, or a food processor. There is a total of 6 free sockets (not used by cooker, fridge, dishwasher etc)

• Dishwasher next to the sink, so you can quickly rinse off and put away.

-Cups and glasses stored logically above the sink. Kettle and coffee maker also near the sink.

• Only ONE overhead cupboard with glass fronts and internal lighting - lets face it, you dont have THAT MUCH crystal or fine china to show off, you really want to hide away most.....

Things which are not so great.

• Furniture front on the fridge, it looks great but I miss not having a magnetic surface to put important info on, using cool fridge magnets. Instead I have a cork board on the wall, and it looks messier.

• We did not tile it right away, as we wanted to spread the cost. Guess what, a year on we still cant afford to tile it. Should have done it then.

• I did not add a shelf for cookerybooks, so now they clutter the worktop next to the breadbin.

• Really regret not getting a kitchen island with bar stools. It would provide style and fab storage space. As it is, we have kitchen table big enough to seat 8 people, but no storage under the table, only crumbs and crap the boys dropped....

I wish I had spent more on a decent tap.

That's the only regret really.

Also second the pull out larder-we have a double one and it's fab.
Also glad we put in 2 cutlery drawers ,one for knives and forks etc , the other for cooking utensils and sharp knives.
And drawers for the pots/pans/plates and bowls -so much better than cupboards.
Cupboards on the wall that reach the ceiling to increase storage and decrease dusting.

oh and one more regret.

Not getting a double sink. We got a sink with a small "pour out sink" next to it. We should have gotten a proper double sink with two sections of similar size, such as : this sink, instead of this not so great alternative

The people who did the kitchen in our house clearly never cooked. Example problems:

• no extractor fan so the tops of the cupboards were vile when we moved in, and it gets really steamy

• three doors opening into a room that's approx. 3x3m

• shelving in the corner under the worksurface that is only accessible if you remove all the contents that are near the door

• worksurfaces that aren't horizontal

• wall cupboards that are 8" higher up the wall than normal people have them, yet to do the washing up you still have to duck underneath - sink faces the wall not the window

• no kickboards so the space under the cupboards is full of unmentionable spillages, lost spoons etc

• no tiles or splashback behind the cooker so the wall gets really filthy and hard to clean

Oh and if you're putting down tiles and fitting a new back door, it's probably a good idea to make sure there isn't a 5mm gap where your tiles stop and the door doesn't fill the space. I've just sellotaped round the gaps (!) because normal draught excluder tape doesn't do the job, even three layers.

We're so looking forwards to getting a new kitchen...!

oh and re underfloor heating, apparently it's only really useful in addition to other heaters, not instead of. That's what we were told anyway.

I agree with a lot of what QuintessentialShadows said , so I'm copying and pasting from her to add my agreement:

• No cupboards under the worktops - only big drawers. It is so easy to find everything, as you look at everything from THE TOP so nothing is hiding behind anyting else.(aside from under the sink)

YES YES YES. DO THIS

• Cupboard under the sink with pull out recycling system. One bin for plastic recycling, one bin for general waste, one bin for food waste, one bin for carton.

YES YES YES YES YES

Plus storage space for washing up liquid, brushes, etc.

OH YES! It needs to be a deep drawer under the sink to fit the washing up liquid in. And you can also keep your dishwasher tablets there.

• built in tall fridge, (no freezer, the freezer is in the larder)

Here we vary - we have an under the counter fridge, because with a small family, we can't get through a big fridge full of food without it going off. Our food lives in the freezer, in the cold larder, or in the garden!

• lights under the cupboards above the worktops, with extra sockets, 4 in total hidden under the cupboards, which is perfect when you bring out your waffel maker, kenwood mixer, or a food processor. There is a total of 6 free sockets (not used by cooker, fridge, dishwasher etc)

YES, extra sockets do come in surprisingly useful.

• Dishwasher next to the sink, so you can quickly rinse off and put away.

YES

-Cups and glasses stored logically above the sink. Kettle and coffee maker also near the sink.

Good idea - we actually don't have this because of the shape of our kitchen, but the kettle is next to the sink (with a special plug socket) and cups and glasses are also stored logically.

• Only ONE overhead cupboard with glass fronts and internal lighting - lets face it, you dont have THAT MUCH crystal or fine china to show off, you really want to hide away most..... grin

YES! We don't have any, because of the shape of our kitchen, but I agree that in our last kitchen, we didn't even have ONE cupboard that actually only had nice china in.

Things which are not so great.

• Furniture front on the fridge, it looks great but I miss not having a magnetic surface to put important info on, using cool fridge magnets. Instead I have a cork board on the wall, and it looks messier. hmm

• Don't agree here

• I did not add a shelf for cookerybooks, so now they clutter the worktop next to the breadbin.

YES - we have a big shelf in the larder, and it's very useful.

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Extra ideas

Generally, we're really, really pleased with our kitchen. I don't really think I'd change anything much, although DH would have liked a corian worksurface (but cost would be prohibitive).

I trusted the kitchen designer too much - I should have gone over it all, rethinking it all in the context of our room. Our kitchen designer was well recommended, but was rather a disappointment! In retrospect, I would have considered everything in the kitchen they suggested with as much detail as if I'd been thinking about it for myself - instead, I trusted their ideas.

The best thing I did was to march in and stop the builders doing what the kitchen designer had designed when it looked crap.

We should have used kitchen and bathroom paint, not ordinary paint. I think I probably need to repaint it again.

Best of luck with it!

Fab thread.

I'd love to see your kitchens if you don't mind posting a picture?

There is a picture of my new kitchen in my profile.

I made a list of what I needed to store and then made sure I knew where everything was going to be kept before I finalised the kitchen design.

Worktops in uninterrupted runs can make it easier/cheaper to install them, especially granite.

Think about how you will use the different areas. For instance I keep all my cups/mugs/coffee/teabags/etc in the wall cupboard above where the kettle is. Likewise all my bowls are stored in the same cupboard as the breakfast cereals, which is located under the breakfast bar. Or the dishwasher being next to the sink.

The thing I do regret is not getting some sort of pull out system for my tall larder unit. It is really difficult to find anything, so think I may be getting one fitted retrospectively! The ones I have for my corner cupboard is good, as are the pull out drawers for my veg, which I keep inside a cupboard too.

Thanks Cece!

Here's the link to the huge thread a while ago here

I love the under cupboard lights with blue l.e.d. bulbs which I have (from homebase I think) - they are sort of triangular prism shaped in a metalic grey finish so they sit on show under the cupboards so you don't need those extra boards. They don't actually throw a lot of light out, just enough to move around the kitchen in the dark, but look really pretty at night and on gloomy days - a real luxury which lifts a cheap kitchen, and not actually that expensive.

Oh, and also my cupboards are on legs (which you can buy extra in packs) which show the tiles under the units and make the kitchen look bigger. It's also easier to stand closer to the worktop, and you don't get those boards at floor level getting wet and tatty. Would def recommend getting wall to wall tiles.