Hello Becki,

So you have re-situated the living room elsewhere.. A shame to hide a fireplace.. Is it really awful? It could have been turned into a wood burning stove fireplace.. or even situate a range oven.. depending on the look of it.. and just going by my own reasoning and images.. So my second thoughts were, that you could carry the worktop along from the fridge freezer, all the way to the end and use that as somewhere for eating breakfast.

This would give you more room at that end of the kitchen and a linear look is nice and streamlined as nothing is jutting out into the walking area..

Have you chosen the appliances etc ?.. : ))

Hello Becki,

You're most welcome and I only mention the fire because they do add value but in your case it looks as though it could definitely work as a feature for kitchen but you have to be able to see it! I have a meeting but will come back l8r and take a look at where the pantry could go and advise oh how best to show off the fireplace!

And also advise on the best appliances (in my eyes anyway) any other details you need as you have to keep hubby happy too! Let me know... Will check in l8r on! Kindest. Amber :))

Hi Becki. Do you have the existing floor plan of your house showing measurements and utilities?

Hello Becki,

Yes a plan is always good! .. and in the meantime I had thought that.. if you were to perhaps combine utility room and pantry in one or do away with the utility room altogether you could have free standing lovely appliances like this Eco bubble by Samsung in the kitchen area.. The utility then becomes pantry and then you have food storage close to oven potentially if it is situated where the fireplace is and refrigeration opposite....

Anyone who gets talking to me knows I'm a huge fan of chrome! I do consulting too for marketing companies and discuss design, the psychological element behind sales and marketing and how people shop and what is attractive.. So appliances are a big thing with me!.. Procurement in general is half or more at least of what I provide.... Really my job is the What (and where to get it) and the Where (does it go)... So I will give you a few ideas of lovely and beautiful to see what you like.....

http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/home-appliances/laundry/

This would be lovely seen and so it doesn't need to be tucked away but can be situated near the sink and dishwasher.. next to each other....

Now I tend to always suggest a range oven... I love them! I have used them for years so I like to recommend what I have personally used.... Dual Fuel of course!

Minnie and I have helped someone else with their kitchen and people have very definite thoughts on this ... Aesthetic and what it's running on are the two main important factors.. Do you want a hob and oven together?... Do you want built in? These are all really practical decisions plus aesthetic considerations..

I tend to choose for myself and suggest to clients dual fuel ranges for two reasons.. mainly the appearance and function.. I love electric fan ovens and gas hobs.. Think for cooks this is a must. I use the oven far more than the hob as you can cook most things in the oven.. I don't really fry food.. So risotto is really the only thing or a boiled egg that I do or pancakes on the hob. (I like to use less gas but I still think for cooks it is a must.. ) People will disagree and thats their prerogative.. : ) )

I love Wolf and Subzero but I don't know your budget and so I 'm going to suggest my other favourite the Smeg oven fabulous too and affordable.. Pyrolytic self cleaning functions and all the modern elements can be found in their range ovens.. So you have all the cooking aspects in 1 area.. with oven and hob in 1 place.. It's chrome beautiful, practical. robust and industrial looking and highly desirable to anyone wanting to buy.. (if you sell at any point) : ))

Moving on to extraction. Thinking chrome would be lovely again ( not yet going to add a link.. depends on the oven selected and where you put it! .. The beautiful thing about chrome is that despite being shiny and wonderful it can look amazing in a variety of different kitchens... Look at deVOL and Plain English.. they use these, Wolf and the Aga and they all look modern, current and fabulous.. and chrome or covered extraction to compliment.. (can look at this later)

deVOL and Plain English are the top top of the range kitchens and can be easily copied if you know what you're doing and have a fabulous "chippy" Details are key.. Sebastian Cox kitchen with little holes for handles for just 1 example, and I have many suggestions on handles and details.....

Some people ruin the look simply by choosing the wrong handle or a handle at all. There are lots of ways to open a cupboard.. So I look at the big and small of it all..

Dishwasher would be situated near to the sink.. to the right or left.. Smeg do another chrome slimline washer (not 50s this time).. It's fabulous and would compliment... Just the sizing to decide upon and of course whether you want one that is..

Finishes... I tend towards matt cupboards... Bert and May are just bringing out a new kitchen range as tiles was their thing... Lovely dark grainy wood with carved handles...

Refrigeration.. Double height chrome or I also like the Smeg retro range white one.. depending on what you have.. There are a lot here, so again I am not putting any pictures.. Just see what you feel about the above ideas and then go from there as a definitely no or a route onwards.. Worktops, sinks, taps....tiles or no tiles...

I have so many ideas and suggestions that I could go on for eternity.. so have a look and what your thoughts are and then put some thoughts down for what you like the sound of and what you have been researching so far.. Sink would stay where it is with window- the opposite end has a window too where the utility is? If I have got that right from your drawing.. So ideally you want to have the light filtering from both ends of the room.. which is good as you can do this more easily if you don't build outwards where the fireplace is.. . .. : ) )

Hello Becki,

Thought I would give you some images to look at for some ideas... : ))

Hello Becki,

Most welcome! Of course enjoy the day, look forward to "speaking" (so to speak) to you l8r on..

: ))

You are incredible may I say, wow!

Right to clarify a little, our house is old, 1868 so we were looking for a 'country kitchen' look to compliment it. We really like oak worktops and maybe beige units? Matt works for us. We guessed that chrome might be a little too flashy for the look we were going for and wondered if pewter may be more sympathetic to it?

We were thinking Belfast sink and agree that ranges look great and should suit the age too.

The reason we had thought about a separate utility was to stop the place looking messy with washing baskets all the time as our laundry is endless. We are happy to look at other options that would mean we could keep laundry baskets out of sight though.

I have always wanted a pantry and my husband wants an island for sitting around with family/company.

We do want a dishwasher and do have a good 'chippy' that would be willing to replicate any kitchens we find to our liking so you're recommendations are very useful.

Re: Extractor fan, if you think the fireplace is better to be used than hidden we are open to that just wondered about where the pantry would fit in that case.

Budget wise we are a bit clueless, we plucked £10,000 out of the air really but I guess you could advise what might be realistic?

One more FYI, the window in the utility room is an old sash window that comes down very low so a work surface can't go there and the back window is currently patio doors that look out to the garden. We thought the only way to get the view of the garden from the sink would be to brick up half way and replace them for a window.

Again thank you for your help and I'll get the plan to you ASAP if you'd still like it.

I agree with Amber about the dual fuel range style cooker- they are amazing to cook with and look fab in an old style kitchen. In our previous house we had a black one from belling. The kitchen was cream with oak coloured laminate work tops and it looked beautiful. I really miss that cooker!

if you situated a range in front of the red brick fireplace, you could have a pantry in the corner of the kitchen, the top left of your picture. Remember a pantry doesn't need to be big enough to walk around in, just to stand in. Have the door at an angle, then shelve all the way to the ceiling on two sides, one side shallow for tins, jars etc and one side deeper for cereal etc. keep a step stool in there to reach the top shelves. This solution also means your worktop can run straight to the pantry on each side with no awkward corner units!

Hello Becki,

Thank you!!!! Your compliment is wonderful! I'm going to think about the things you have mentioned and I think it is possible to do the kitchen for 10K IF you have an excellent chippy and you are willing to compromise somewhere, and do your own painting etc.. it may be cupboard husks and you create the doors.... My kitchen was done for 7k including the fitter who charged 2k, he was a perfectionist like me.. They are rare! He was the best trades person I have ever worked with but I didn't have nice cupboards at all, they are not even wood.. I could not afford better with the appliances and the bamboo worktop, so this is what I mean about compromise.. as you will need to think about the materials, labour, appliances.... Now.. Let me have a think about what you're wanting as you want to have a kitchen that looks flash but you need to know where to spend the cash!

I think it is possible to have a range oven where the fireplace is with extraction above and have the pantry where the current utility is, so you're getting the most out of the space as it is so to speak.... So watch this space and I'll come back with more ideas and things... Also if you want to send a plan do so and we can start to place it all.. One thing about the range ovens Chrome is really versatile, unless you want an Aga style oven the best ones really are the ones I had pictured, but I will have a look at pewter... all depends on the cost..

Belfast sink is a nice idea.. they do need to be kept clean.. so if you're coffee drinkers I'd suggest a filter coffee machine..

If you have lovely laundry baskets in the bathroom, they could be situated during the week.. I think you would love a walk in pantry more than a utility... but have a think about this.. Or possibly the idea could be to split the utility into two sections so that where you currently have the washing machine situated, you could add the dryer next to it, have overhead shelving and a worktop, so they sit under and you have space for folding etc.. Have a sliding door... The other side is pantry full floor to ceiling shelving....

Sash window is fine, and doors.. could be bricked up in favour of a window.. let me have a think.... It's rather nice to have the doors and nothing is set in stone to say you have to have a sink under a window... It may be quite possible to situate the sink with shelving overhead... that way you retain all the light and you have nice access out into the garden..

: ))

bookwork987, Thank you, that's a great idea about the pantry, I would never have thought of it. And your last kitchen sounds like just what we are going for. We are definitely 'warming' (if you'll excuse the pun) to the idea of keeping the fireplace in favour of a dual range now too. Oh and I love the picture of the corner larder! You may have now changed our kitchen design there. I really appreciate you taking the time to write, thank you!!

Amber, My compliment was justified!

Budget wise I'm more than happy to get stuck in with any work I could do but we could add some to it if it meant we got a kitchen we would be happy with for a long time. I'm on the perfectionist side too and it would bug me if we saved a few quid on something I had to look at every day knowing I preferred something else....within reason of course, we aren't millionaires quite yet ;)

I think the dual range oven idea is decided now after your advice and looking into it, and we don't drink coffee so will stick with a Belfast sink too :) I think I liked the idea of having the view of the kiddies running around the garden from the sink but if you have an idea that would save us loosing the patio doors we'd be happy to hear it as they're only a year old.

I think your idea about the utility/pantry would work but what do you think about bookwork987 thought about a corner larder on the back corner? I thought it looked great.

Still working on getting the plan and dims sent over. Sorry :-/

Hello Becki,

So some appliance ideas for you to see what costings look like... Don't worry about rushing the plan... Not a problem at all.. : ) )

Belfast sink from £189

http://www.sinks-taps.com/item-10883-VECCHIO_G8_Belfast_Kitchen_Sink.aspx

Kitchen tap £79.99

http://www.screwfix.com/p/grohe-startedge-monobloc-mixer-kitchen-tap-chrome/4814g

Dishwasher £367

http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/d4ss-1/smeg-d4ss1-slimline-freestanding-dishwasher

2 size ovens here- if you want a larger oven and hob!

Dual fuel oven £589

http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/suk61mx8/smeg-suk61mx8-concert-60cm-dual-fuel-cooker

Dual fuel 6 burner oven £807.97

http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/suk81mfx8/smeg-suk81mfx8-concert-80cm-dual-fuel-range-cooker

Or Dual fuel 6 burner with double oven £799

http://www.appliancecity.co.uk/smeg/cookers/cc92mx9/product-18292/

Extractor hood 60 wide to be hidden into fireplace.. £269

http://www.appliancecity.co.uk/caple/cooker-hoods/zc620/product-15453/

American style fridge freezer £499.99 (to build cabinet around)

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/refrigeration/fridge-freezers/kenwood-kff2ds14-american-style-fridge-freezer-stainless-steel-10002072-pdt.html

Washing machine £ 549

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/laundry/washing-machines/samsung-ecobubble-ww80j6410cw-washing-machine-white-10132356-pdt.html

Graphite model £699

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/laundry/washing-machines/samsung-ecobubble-ww80h7410ex-washing-machine-graphite-10005438-pdt.html

Washer Dryer £629.99

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/laundry/washer-dryers/samsung-ecobubble-wd80j6410aw-eu-washer-dryer-white-10131838-pdt.html

£2621.99 includes 4 burner 60 wide oven and washer/dryer combo

£7378.01 to spend on cabinet fitting and extras...

http://www.worktop-express.co.uk/wood_worktops/oak_worktops.html

Hello Becki,

That's really lovely! Me neither and my eyes have not worked that out yet!

: ) )

I think that bookworms idea is good but my thoughts were that you want to work with the space you have rather than build extra if possible... So by finding a way to house both needs in the 1 space... Like bookworm said you don't need a huge amount of room for pantry and so I think you could easily situate both cleaning and pantry in two slightly uneven halves.. Really all you need for cleaning is room for either washing and drying or washing/drying in 1 only.. possibly a little worktop or fold down ironing board.. House the iron on the wall and have a shelf or two.. The more ideas the easier it is for you to see what you want to do... : ))

Make sure extraction works for the washer/dryer and the window is gr8 as you can create a breeze through when you're cooking.. The other thing of course is the proximity to the cooking area... If the two are close by, you can grab a glass jar of flour when making something lovely. It also means that the other end is free for the brekky area. See what you think about the appliances I have selected... they are a guideline and of course you may not like them... I wanted to see what sort of cost it could leave you with..

For splash back.. you could have a slim line of oak above the wall end of the worktop and then consider what to have above that... If you don't want tiles you could focus on the paint colour and have a clear glass panel... This is rather nicer than the coloured varieties... so another little idea here.. I'll try to find a few more pics to show these suggestions.. It is easier to see and decide if you like it or not then or it sparks another idea for you.. : ))

Here's a more traditional but still really modern interpretation which I love more. I also love the taps made from copper piping but they aren't for everyone.. Also you can see the idea of a sink situated away from a window.. . :))

Lastly I drew a rehash of your drawing to show what I am suggesting.. I have kept in your existing worktops which go round the corner towards the doors so you can see the original.. I would suggest having galley as an alternative so they stop at the bottom 1 galley in a linear style, so there is worktop either side of sink and cupboard space for pots and pans underneath.. . So if you had no worktop either side of the doors to garden you could probably fit in a table to dine as well as eat breakfast.. I'm just going by the sizing of your plan and I have put in doors where yours are. Above the sink and worktop areas wooden shelving for crockery etc.. It's the least amount of reconfiguring and also less work for chippy. Simplicity is key and this gives you the most space. Please bear in mind the drawing is basic and not to scale and is exactly as yours so it's what might be possible as a reconfiguration so dimensions not to scale : ))

Shelving idea.. painted wooden shelves to match wall colour or white shelves on coloured walls and wooden brackets... Ikea specials! (these are my shelves.. I have 5 going all the way up the wall.. but they can also work well above worktops.. : ))

Finally got some dimensions!

Amber, I really can't get over your knowledge, thank you again! All the pricing are a great help and your suggestions for splash backs etc are really useful (such a lot to think about isn't there!) Sink wise I think we both are keen on being able to see the kiddies in the garden from it so can't think of a way to avoid bricking up the patio unless we have one in the island. Oh and that won't be needed to be used as a dining table as part of our reconfiguration will include a large dining room so it's more of an entertaining/cooking with the kiddies area really.

Jonathan,

Thank you so much for taking the time to do that. My fault as I didn't have dims/details, but the window at the front is an old sash window that comes down really low so we couldn't have any sort of cabinets in front of it. Good thinking about the flooring too, I'd never have thought of that.

Hello Becki,

Most welcome and thank you again! I'm thrilled! I think in that case subject to sizing.. If you could have a galley along the left and an island with sink. Really want to stress that you keep the doors as it really will emphasise the kitchen if you're then able to walk outside, it also means that in the future if you wanted to extend onto the back there you could still have another room through the double doors..

Having a separate dining area will also be fantastic... So what I would suggest is a sink on the side facing the doors so you can see outside.. You will benefit from the light too and have seating and enough room on the other side for eating and so forth.. The island can double up as a preparation area to compliment the galley worktop.. If you were to create a wooden cover that acts like a chopping board.. you could in fact hide and cover the sink if you want to use the space for canapes etc.... It is also a useful way of using the off cuts when worktop is being cut out. Will try to get something drawn out for you to scale from your plan, I have some meetings today but will hopefully post back a design for you as an idea to visualise my suggestions.... . : ) )

Oh you're a clever lady aren't you! I love it, love the thought of the big chunky wooden chopping board over the sink! My dad says a London sink might be better so we don't get drips on the wood surface? I don't suppose you know how people with those sorts of sinks keep scrubbing brushes etc out or sight?

Hello Becki,

Thank you again! : ) ) Yes it's true you could have a separate drainage board.. I must admit I don't have one as I don't like them but.. It entirely depends on what you need to do washing wise and your preference.. I put everything in the dishwasher that I can or I put things on a tea towel and dry and put away straight away rather than leave them on show to drain..... With regards to brushes and things... I have a little collection that are nice looking... I'll try to find a pic to show you and I have a little plastic pot in the sink that they sit in...out of site.. Or I hang them on the tap! I have this exact sink and as long as the tap isn't dripping the board sits directly on top.. I can try to take a photo and show you l8r on - may possibly be this evening.. : ) )

Those would be prefect, very posh looking so I wound't mind them on display. I don't suppose you remember where you bought those? (Really stealing your ideas now ;)

Hello Becki,

Here we go.. You can possibly find them in other places too... Summerhill and Bishop too I am sure. : ))

http://www.labourandwait.co.uk/collections/kitchen/products/dish-brush

Ordered and on it's way Amber, my first new kitchen purchase :)

Ah that would be good bookworm thank you, I'll get googling for those too then.

Super Becki, That sounds fantastic!

Summerhill is a little pricey... but you may love a thing or two... I tend to look for inspiration and then do some research.. I'll send some others along when I get a moment.. . : ))

Great I'll have a look :)

Hello Becki,

Yes so you see you can easily situate a sink within as seating area.. .. That drainage board is nice too... : ))

Yeah I love that

Becki I just wanted to show you my old kitchen as I know you liked the sound of it - and my sink wasn't at a window! In a perfect world it would have had a Belfast sink, a pantry and a different splashback, but...

By the way it wasn't always this tidy, this pic was for the estate agent!

Lol, it is very clean I must say :) Thank you so much, I can't believe you are all so nice to take the time to do these things! I'm just looking at designs for a belfast/London sink in an island. You had our current door knobs too, lol great minds!

Hello Becki,

So here is a shot of said board over the sink. It's not perfect as I didn't plan it to start with.... Ideally it would need a lip at the back so it doesn't dip. There are various ways of mounting the sink.. so depending on how you do this affects how you can situate a board over the top.. Front is fine as it slides and sits on the front of the sink..

I usually sit the board next to the hob as I put pans and things on it which is useful... With any other offcuts.. I made these into chopping boards.. cut to size rounded off the edges with sander. I stack them all 1 in front of each other.. Really useful way of using anything that might be going to waste... It doesn't have a sheen as it is not treated... I don't oil my chopping boards but wash and dry quickly.. Vegge oil could be wiped over with a cloth if you want to...

: ))

Hi, my most labour-saving idea