New kitchen advice - sink dilemma!

7 years ago

We are in the throws of obtaining planning permission for an extension which will double the size of our kitchen to allow us to include a living area for a sofa too. We have been to Wren kitchens to have a kitchen designed which we really like. However, when showing friends and family, a lot of people have commented that you should have a sink in front of a window. To be honest, I always have but wonder what the advantage is and if it is actually necessary?

Also, we have a solid floor which we want underfloor heating on but wonder how that will be affected by an island with an electric hob? We're also not sure on where plug sockets will go in the island, does anyone have any ideas?

The first photo is design we are likely to opt for, the second one is one I found on google which we originally thought we wanted. Which would be the most practical?

Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

PRO

OnePlan

7 years ago

Hi - there's a lot of tall storage ! Would you not benefit from a bit more prep space ? As the 2.1m on the sink run has a sink bang slap in the middle, which only leaves approx 600mm (above the DW) to the left and approx 550mm to the right of worktop to actually use ... the island will have a hob on it too - and it's not looking like there's much prep space either side of the hob either ?

I don't like to critique someone else's design if they haven't asked for it to be critiqued - and for all I know your brief might have been 'we need lots and lots of tall storage and don't need much worktop' but that doesn't ring true with your inspiration picture - which offers you more worktop than tall storage. So thought I'd mention it !

(We would have included the seating and dining area in the design too, if this was one of our freelance designs )

Comments (15)

Jean Moffat
7 years ago
Hello both design are practical but I would prefer the second one. However, I would swap the placement of the ovens with the fridge freezer. It is important to have a surface to the side of the ovens on which to place hot trays, casserole dishes etc. With regard to where to place sockets on an island, either go for a pop up multi socket or place a standard double socket on the cabinetry below the work top. Good luck. We are about to renovate and convert an old pier cottage and restaurant, so I may be asking you for advice soon.
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Susan
7 years ago
You don't need a sink in front of a window - that was before dishwashers when people wanted to look at something while they washed the dishes.
But Oneplan is right about worktop space. Unless you are very condensed when preparing food you are going to have chopping boards, oils, veg, seasonings, wine etc around you with little space for actual movement.
PRO
Create Perfect
7 years ago
Hi. No it's not essential to have the sink in front of a window. When washing up was done more often people didn't like the idea of standing staring at a blank wall when washing up. If this is something you don't do often or don't mind then it doesn't matter that it's not.
I think your design is better for what you are looking for.
obobble
7 years ago
Re underfloor heating, if it is a wet system it should normally be designed so it doesn't run under units be they at the edge of the room or in an island. You will need to have your unit layout firmed up before the UFH is laid.
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
7 years ago
To answer the basic question, no, there is no particular requirement to have a sink at a window, though many customers like this for the reasons stated. Given the layout of your room with the full height windows?/patio doors, it would not be a practical suggestion.

On first looking at the Wren design, my thought were much the same as OnePlan's - there just isn't enough workspace and I can't see any particular dimensional constraints to have caused the design to end up this way.

I much prefer the second design, and see no reason why this couldn't be achieved in your kitchen - incorporating seating as OP mentions.

Wrt underfloor heating, this would normally be laid around the island/peninsula and not under it or the other units, so no great issue. Planning a cable route to the island/peninsula is also straightforward - just make sure it is properly planned for the first fix.

Wrt plug sockets - pop up would, I feel, be more attractive than a standard socket under the worktop, though they achieve the same. And if you want a bit of "wow" factor for a very reasonable cost, check out the "S-box" pop up sockets/spice racks/knife blocks to really liven up an island!

Wrt Wren - make sure you have a good handle on the total costs of all aspects of a kitchen installation, as they do not always declare all of these to you until you are committed and deposits paid. After conversations with other customers, I'd also urge you to carefully read online reviews (for example Trustpilot) to be sure you are happy with their ongoing customer service.
Rachel
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for all the comments, your advice is all gratefully received.

We had a 3x3m kitchen extension built 7 years ago and we fitted it out with a B&Q kitchen. We have loads of worktop space that just gets cluttered with all sorts of rubbish so I was thinking that with less surface to put things on, the more likely I'd be to keep it clear (an example of the mess is in the pics, although this was before a tidy up). Having said that, I do enjoy cooking and entertaining so worry now that there won't be enough worktop for what I will need.

We have an American fridge freezer we will be keeping and that has an impact on the design and where it can go. We also are restricted in the design because of the placement of some brickwork to support the steel to sit on (I've put a picture of the extension plans although we've decided not to have a window next to the patio doors in the extension at the bottom).

I like the idea of larder units to house all the stuff that ends up on the worktop (microwave, bread bin, slow cooker etc).

We've so far only been to B&Q (wasn't impressed with the designer) and Wren and our budget for the kitchen, appliances and fitting is about £14k and not sure where else to try.
whizzywig
7 years ago
I actually quite like plan 1. but would suggest a much larger, double depth island and perhaps not so many tall units. It is a great idea to have the extra gadgets away in a cupboard/pantry though when not in use, but that issue can sometimes be solved with integrated appliances.

Have you tried Crown kitchens? www.lifestylekitchens.com or www.crown-imperial.co.uk. They have both budget and mid-range kitchens and sell through local independent kitchen showrooms. If you are looking to keep the cost down take a look at J-profile doors as they don't require handles or special cabinets (like handless ones do).

It's going to be a great space - have fun planning it!
LTS
7 years ago
Try DIY kitchens (google them they get good reviews). Send your plan to them (they don't do design) & they will cost it up & put all the items you need into your basket. Good luck!
Jean Moffat
7 years ago
There are other suppliers, of course, but we have just had a plan put together by IKEA and I simply can't believe how wonderfully cheap it is. If you are on a tight budget, it would be worth spending an hour with one of their kitchen designers. It could result in you getting all the kitchen you want.
Susan
7 years ago
I second Jean with Ikea.
obobble
7 years ago
You could try Benchmarx or howdens, they supply the trade but provided your fitter has or sets up an account there it's no prob. Benchmarx have cad designers, not sure about Howdens. Benchmarx units come ready built except for legs and doors.
sksj1
7 years ago
If you're having a dishwasher you won't be washing up much so not having a window won't matter as much as if you were whiling away hours scrubbing pans!
Annie Par
6 years ago
If you haven't placed your order with wren, then checkout the facebook page dedicated to Wren Kitchen disasters. I wish I'd seen it before we ordered. Awful customer service, half a kitchen delivered and they couldn't find the rest for weeks. Then they wanted us to go without a worktop (even a temp one) and integrated sink (so no water) for 7 weeks, over Christmas! So stressful. Avoid
Daisy England
6 years ago
Oh yes the Wren FB page is laughable. I wouldn't recommend them in a month of Sundays. I feel so sorry for customers who have been abandoned. They don't care.

New kitchen advice - sink dilemma!

OnePlan

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Jean Moffat

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New kitchen advice - sink dilemma!

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