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Original poster

anyone got a biggish kitchen with no wall units?

27 replies

jasper · 17/03/2010 13:34

took down the old wall units yesterday and the kitchen looks so much bigger.

Considering leaving it like this but not sure if can do without the storage.
looks great

OP posts:
BariatricObama · 17/03/2010 13:35

shelves? i hate wall units at eye level but shelves are more acceptable somehow

schroeder · 17/03/2010 13:40

I have a great big kitchen, but only 2 fitted cupboards and no wall units.

It does look big and people admire it, but it is not practical.

I would love lots of cupboards-can I have yours?

meatntattypie · 17/03/2010 13:43

mine is big, i have wall units (3) on 1 wall.
Other wall i have shelves, they look nice.
Got lots of floor units, and tall units on one wall to put my ironing bourd, hoover etc.

looks big and is quite pratical.

Original poster
jasper · 17/03/2010 21:21

Thanks all. Anyone else?
Or anyone know ay good online sites for ideas?

OP posts:
choosyfloosy · 17/03/2010 21:31

apart from under work-surface units, I have 2 metal shelves for saucepans and other bits (4 x IKEA grundtal), a hanging rail for metal utensils (2 x IKEA grundtal), plus 1 wall cupboard on the opposite wall, and a full-height pull-out larder.

I agree with you about the wall units. It was dh's idea originally but i love the shelves, the room looks much lighter than it otherwise would. Would be very nice if you could find room for a plant that would hang down from the shelf.

here are the IKEA kitchen pictures - I hope it comes up at number 10 of 11 which shows the Grundtal shelves, though I think number 6 probably shows how much lighter a room with shelves can feel, better.

Original poster
jasper · 17/03/2010 22:02

choosy thanks for that, most helpful

OP posts:
taffetacat · 17/03/2010 22:16

I have a big kitchen and no wall units as such. Have a big isalnd with lots of storage underneath and a wall with floor to ceiling units - white - same colour as kitchen wall - so it all blends in and you don't notice them.

There is masses of storage but people often not looking closely and seeing it for the first time ask where I keep everything. They don't notice. I love it.

It similar to a Poggenpohl design, but at a fraction of the price. Tis Ikea plus some old wood off the front of the house.

choosyfloosy · 17/03/2010 22:32

forgot to say i also have a dresser which my sister gave me. it's from la redoute and is very nice but was expensive originally. however you might be able to find a second-hand one if you have room. mine is painted pale grey which i prefer to a wooden one, again i think they can be a bit overwhelming.

stealthsquiggle · 17/03/2010 22:39

We have a big kitchen and only 2 wall cupboards - which are handy for keeping stuff out of DC's reach. We do also have floor-to-ceiling pull out larger units each side of fridge-freezer, but any more would make the kitchen look very crowded IMO - best decision we made was the big deep drawers which hold all crockery and pans so no rummaging at the back of cupboards.

Original poster
jasper · 20/03/2010 14:20

anyone else?

OP posts:
cyb · 20/03/2010 14:24

Yes we have no wall units. BUT on the oppsite side to the base units we have 2 large floor to ceiling cupboards, a pantry if you will, where I keep all the tinned stuff, veg, bottles etc.

I have a painted dreser top fixed to the wall on the base unit side with tea, coffee, fairy lights! on

Pollyanna · 20/03/2010 14:26

we have no wall units. We have lots of base units, and the unit at the end is floor to ceiling - it has all of our dry food in. We have shelves on the wall though which have things like tea/coffee jars on and wine glasses/dinner service. I think it looks better, but probably couldn't do it if I didn't have anywhere to put all the tins/cereals/packets etc.

MadameCastafiore · 20/03/2010 14:29

We don't have any wall units as our house is so old the walls wouldn't support them - we have a huge larder type cupboard for all the food stuffs and a built in full height fridge and then lots of floor standing cupboards for pans and the dishwasher and then a big dresser for all the crockery and a butchers block thing on wheels too. We then have a seperate little room for the washing machine and laundry things so we don't use under unit space up for that.

I think it is the way forward - if you have a big enough kitchen I can't see why you would make it smaller and encloed with wall unit.

Oh sounds like we almost have the same kitchen as Cyb!

bunjies · 20/03/2010 15:41

No wall units here only open shelves and eventually I want a large freestanding larder. One thing I also like is that we don't have any cupboards. All my base units are actually deep drawers which house our cutlery, utensils, crockery (except for cups, glasses which go on shelves), pots , pans & bakeware etc. I cannot stand rummaging around in the back of cupboards to find things and this makes it much easier. they've all got those soft closing mechanisms in them as will so no trapped fingers.

MadameCastafiore · 20/03/2010 15:48

Ikea and Habitat do quite nice free standing units that aren't mega expensive and you can take them with when you move house too.

ConnorTraceptive · 20/03/2010 15:51

We just took down our wall units and the difference is massive! We just have two shelves on one wall now side by side but staggered (if that makes sense.)

cyb · 20/03/2010 15:57

if I knew how to do it I would show you my kitchen

morethanyoubargainfor · 20/03/2010 16:05

we don't have any wall units as i can not stand the feeling of being shut in, nor do we have any shelves up.

When we designed our kitchen i too was worried about storage so i comprmised and one wall has floor to celing cupboards, which also houses the intergrated fridge, freezers, oven and microwave.

All of my appliances are touch control for the same dislike of buttons i have and i have to say i LOVE our kitchen and i am so glad i never had any eye level units.

HinnyPet · 20/03/2010 22:45

Would anybody consider posting pictures of their kitchen? Am looking for inspiration, this seems like really good idea, as I have a huge dresser that could be sanded/ painted and I wouldn't then have to sell it..

Original poster
jasper · 21/03/2010 14:10

I would like to see pictures as well

I just can't get over how much better the kitchen looks with the wall units down - even with bare crumbly plaster and wires hanging out

OP posts:
HinnyPet · 22/03/2010 17:43

Shameless bump, really would like to see pics for inspiration!!

HerHonesty · 23/03/2010 06:50

liking this thread. considering having just to large glass units either side of aga and leaving space above aga bare, but worried it will look a bit... bare. its about 1.6 m wide in all. so photos would be good..

bobdog · 23/03/2010 16:42

We've got a low ceiling so lack of top units is great. Also means you use your work surfaces rather then just the front 12 inches with tha back storing junk under the shadow.
Attempt at link www.thisismyhabitat.net/en/gallery/view/9 picture 148

2ofeach · 10/04/2010 19:25

Hi - I'm getting a new kitchen with no wall units, and I don't want a dirty great extractor fan mucking up my nice walls. Anyone not have one? Or have a nice one??

taffetacat · 10/04/2010 20:13

2of each - hate extractor fans. We have a very small one hidden on the back wall, we had to have it for building regs. If I cook something esp smelly, we have big folding/sliding doors so unless there's a blizzard, I just open them for a few seconds.

k/poggenpohlkitchenrange/plusmodo/index.phpHere's a pic of what ours looks like, we have floor to ceiling units on the wall you can't see to the left of the pic