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Original poster

kitchen planning... what mistakes did you make

46 replies

HerHonesty · 18/12/2009 18:43

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

OP posts:
FabIsGettingReadyForXmas · 19/12/2009 17:33

Should have got more cupboards, had extended work top and a light under one of the cupboards.

treacletart · 19/12/2009 18:04

To maximise storage space in our small kitchen, I put wall cupboards directly to the side of a hob. Because we haven't been vigilent with our kettle spout, the exterior is bubbling a bit - but you have to look to see it. Our blackboard wall was really cheap and easy, it looks great and it's very useful.

FabIsGettingReadyForXmas · 19/12/2009 18:08

Also cupboards to the ceiling. I didn't as I wouldn't have been able to reach the top and we have ended up putting stuff on top of the cupboard anyway and it looks messy.

deaddei · 19/12/2009 18:11

More plugs!
Put them EVERYWHERE.
But I love my space- 45 sq metres which is my haven.

JingleAllTheWay · 19/12/2009 18:11

am really interested here too as we are beginning to think about doing this (gulp)

SleighGirl · 19/12/2009 18:11

get narrow pull out larder cupboards. 2 narrow ones are better than one wide one btw.

FabIsGettingReadyForXmas · 19/12/2009 18:36

Pan drawers are vital too ime.

mamijacacalys · 20/12/2009 15:47

We have recently ditched our breakfast bar 4 years after finishing the extension. We moved the cupboards that formed the breakfast bar to the corner and now have a massive big space in the middle for the table rather than a poky section at the side.

Breakfast bar was never used as such and was a dumping ground for school bags, art work and bills etc. Much tidier now!

We also have cupboards to the ceiling - looks neat.

HTH Happy building!

somethinganything · 29/12/2009 13:48

we extended our work top, which has been incredibly useful. My big regret is that we didn't shell out for a proper stone worktop (got an imitation one instead, which is ok but doesn't look nearly as nice as the real mccoy and obviously won't wear as well). Seemed massively expensive at the time but I think in retrospect it would have been worth it. Time before that we went for a wood work surface, which was actually quite a lot of hassle - cheap but stains easily and requires regular oiling.

also, we went for gloss white doors (rather than matt) - I now think I'd have preferred matt.

Otherwise though, it's worked brilliantly. We went for as much storage as possible below worktop and shelves above to make it seem more spacious, works really well.

MyCatIsABiggerBastardThanYours · 29/12/2009 13:51

My biggest mistake was getting a sink with one of those mini draining sinks in it (IYKWIM). Pointless. Just something else to clean and bleach.

Also, don't let someone who is a lot taller than you but wont actually be using the cupboards much put them up. DH 6'2" and DB 6'4" put them up - I have to get a chair to reach into the top and middle shelves. I'm hardly short (5'7") but the cupboards are way too high!

HerbalHolly · 29/12/2009 14:13

sink with double drainer (one at each side of sink) is absolutely amazing. I love it every day. I have terracotta floor tiles which are great too as they look fine when they really should be mopped and if I do mop them then they look amazing.
I don't have anywhere tidy for the recycling boxes/bins. With hindsight I'd have made some sort of pod with enough space to have a couple of buckets in for sorting out tins from plastic etc. Happy new kitchen!

Rollmops · 30/12/2009 12:23

A naive question if there ever was one, but - what are the small side sinks i.e. draining sinks used for? Dishes go to the dishwasher and everything else is dealt with in the sink. In my next kitchen I will most definitely not have one, Belfast here I come

BikeRunSnowflake · 30/12/2009 12:30

Lights under top units, very useful.

Should have had oven on wall, not at worktop-floor level, as toddling DS can open it easily. Was pg when we got kitchen, but didn't know it.

We were advised against gloss doors, as v hard to keep clean.

Slate floor, nightmare to keep clean.

Wiseoldelf · 30/12/2009 12:49

Why is slate floor such a mare to keep clean? I'm planning on having it all the way through the downstairs of my new house..... take it you think this would be a big mistake??

Flower3554 · 30/12/2009 13:21

Having lived in this house for 18 years with my sink facing a wall I longed, nay, yearned, for my sink to be facing my large kitchen window so that I would have a view at last.

In reality, once my dream came true it became my nightmare

In summer the stainless steel sink burns the unwary if they touch it, the glare from the sun is blinding which means the blind has to be permanently pulled down making the kitchen look gloomy and dark.

In winter its so drafty your knees knock together.

Best thing about my new kitchen, leave it with me, bound to be something I like about it

CoqAuVin · 30/12/2009 13:24

i have cupboards to the ceieling ( like)
BUILT INMICROWAVE is fab fab fab

ice dispencer - LOVE it
dotn have pan drawers - wish we did

skybluewinking · 30/12/2009 13:31

Slate floors,why are they so hard to keep clean? I was also planning to have the WHOLE of my ground floor done. Can someone tell me about them?

ilovepiccolina · 30/12/2009 13:34

Radiator is in the wrong place, in the gap between end of worktop & the wall. I would have it all along one wall, behind the table so that you're kept warm when eating.

Make sure your mixer tap reaches into both drainers . Have a huge draining board.

Have granite or 'granite-style' worktops - wood gets scruffy/stained, what with people leaving cups on it, cutting veg on it etc. I've had both & would defo recommend the 'granite'.

One thing I love is my larder - we took out the downstairs wc & basin leading off from the kitchen (ugh!) and put in shelves. It's storage for everything - saucepans, cereal, candles, caketins etc. I love looking at my row of home-made jams!

Enjoy your new kitchen.

NorbertDentressAngel · 30/12/2009 13:35

I wish that we'd got one of the pull-out larder cupboards -at the time it would have been massively expensive and, as it was the first room we did in an entire house that needed renovating, we didn't deem it as essential.

I love the big pan drawer. Ditto the sink with an extra half-sink as I find that really handy, despite also having a dishwasher.

Re; the height of things. One thing I love about our kitchen but hate about a lot of other peoples is the height of the extractor hood over the hob. For some reason a lot of people have them so low that you bang your head on them whilst cooking but ours is high enough to avoid that (and the extractor is powerful enough to still be efficient).

hanaflower · 30/12/2009 13:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rollmops · 30/12/2009 14:00

Regardless of how clean the sink is, I never put my vegetables directly in the sink, always wash them in a colander or large bowl.
Must admit that I rarely hand wash anything, well, apart from the large wine and champagne glasses and some handpainted stuff. I also always use the running water. One is admittedly very wasteful

midnightexpress · 30/12/2009 14:06

Wooden worksurfaces around Belfast sink (again, d'oh), with no draining board. Don't do it.

It's the first Belfast sink I've had though and I'm unconvinced. It looks lovely and is huge, but I actually miss the wee half sink (useful for putting dish brushes and veg and stuff in), and I'm never sure what to do with the washing-up bowl - it usually ends up stood on its side in the sink getting in the way.

Corner cupboards with a twirly thing or a pull-out thing are great for that space.

MaHumbug · 30/12/2009 14:14

A ceramic sink stands the test of time much better than a stainless steel/granite one.

A good dollop of bleach overnight makes even the most neglected sink look brand spanking new.

I know you're all going to scream "shiny sink" at me but I have that cream and I think it gives off a residue if you don't wipe it every day.

MaHumbug · 30/12/2009 14:14

We have a butler sink which also comes in handy when our boiler broke down and we needed to bath the dcs.

NorbertDentressAngel · 30/12/2009 14:24

We had a huge Belfast sink in our last house -it was beautiful but a bit impractical TBH.

We don't like washing-up bowls but without one you had to fill a entire sink which took a lot of water. It also then left you with nowhere to pour /drain stuff when full.

It was also very unforgiving -we lost god knows how many glasses to it, and a cafetiere.

It was great for sitting a toddler on the side and letting them have a paddle though