DIY kitchen design advice, esp island & seating combo
This is my 1st post on houzz, although I refer to it a lot but I’m after some advice on our planned kitchen extension. We are knocking our long thin kitchen and long thin garage together to make a better sized space (~6m x 7m). There is not much wall space because we are adding orangery-style doors, windows, roof lantern at one end, and there are 3 internal doors, plus a pair of external doors at the other end - we want to keep these, as we have no side access to our garden.
We’ve received completely uninspiring layouts from the kitchen designers we’ve spoken to so far, so are now trying ourselves. The attached Mark Wilkinson kitchen has the kind of brasserie look I’m after, with the antiqued mirror and nice symmetry. I’ve attached my attempt at adapting this look for our kitchen.
My husband loves cooking and we like to entertain - a couple of times a year it’s about 30 people for a sit-down meal (normally a much smaller number), or we host a kids’ party, or evening drinks, so we want our kitchen to be flexible. In this plan the left of the kitchen has non-movable units, but we could push things on the other side around as needed.
I’m fairly happy with the actual unit layout, but welcome any input. I’m aware that we have a working ‘line’ rather than triangle, but this is still much better than our current (inherited) kitchen, and my husband is a spectacularly messy cook, so a sink or hob on the island unit would be a definite no, even if the seating wasn’t right next to it!
- Food storage: fridge freezer and food cupboards at one end of the unit run, furthest from the heat/light.
- Prep: long island unit counter, prep stuff in drawers underneath
- Cook: range oven and microwave in the middle, away from any cross-traffic; plenty of counter space either side of oven with cookware drawers underneath
- Clean: sink, cleaning materials and dishwasher at far end, next to crockery and serveware cupboards. Bin may go in that end of the island unit, or may stay freestanding.
- Entertain: bar area with soft and alcoholic drinks, cups and glasses on opposite side of the kitchen, solving my husband’s pet peeve of people intruding on his cooking zone while making themselves drinks.
I am less sure about these things:
- Island format: the kitchen designers we spoke to all automatically included an island/stools and separate dining table in their designs, although I think it’s a bit tight. I’d wanted a banquette seat anyway, so combining things to have one really spacious central area seems sensible to me. Also, although they look good, we’ve barely ever used the stools at our current island unit in 6 years, but am I missing something, as EVERY kitchen seems to have them?
- Island dimensions: I currently have the island at 60cm x 270cm. I kept it this narrow so the right-hand edge of it aligns along the ceiling joist that will be visible from knocking the rooms together, and also so it doesn’t block visual or actual access to the French doors. The length is to provide additional storage and serving space, also to suit room proportions and table (140cm when not extended, 200cm half extended, 250cm fully extended). On its own, this would look too long and skinny, but I think it would get balanced out by the banquette, table and chairs? I’ve not seen any similar photos though. Also unsure how long to make the actual banquette.
- Roof lantern: I don’t feel I’m making best use of the roof lantern (although none of the kitchen designers did either…). It’s too narrow to have the table lengthways underneath it, and that would also block the doors and view of the garden. So other than some comfy seating on one side, there’s just a big space in front of it. I know this is also a common problem with bi-folds. Is there any trick I’m missing here? There will be low level plants all the way around the outside of the kitchen, except where the actual doors are, so maybe it won’t look too bare?
Thanks in advance!
Comments (10)
Sam Potter
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Good kitchen plan?
Comments (108)Thanks so much! I took a look at the page but couldn’t quite figure it out..so the cupboards on the wall are standard wall cupboards (I guess 60cm deep?). The banquet is then built out below that? So there is 60cm of hollow space behind the seat under the wall cupboards? Sorry if I’m asking a silly question! We’ve been looking at building a stud wall to hide some stuff but this could work much better, just feel that the hollow space could possibly be put to use to store something!...See MoreOpen plan kitchen/dining/living layout dilemma
Comments (8)Hi there, We recently reconfigured our downstairs as part of a complete renovation and have to say that having a professional on board was a life saver! We used Gina from Create Perfect (above) and she helped us work out how to configure the space to work best for our life. For what you'll spend on the building work and / or a new kitchen you'll probably be very pleasantly surprised by the cost (hundreds rather than thousands) A good designer will come up with 3D images of different layouts and configurations and from there you can pick your favourites and get them to take them a step further so you end up with 3D renders and also YouTube videos of 'walk arounds' in the space, so you can see exactly how the space would look and feel. Here's a few from ours if it helps... we're not finished but it does show how much Gina helped us with a vision to take three separate rooms through to a new layout for our downstairs (we have a separate lounge not included) Separate rooms to start with and a floorplan I was brain dead from looking at... The 3D pics we had to help from our designer... And a few of how it looks so far (lots still to do and most of the furniture still missing / makeshift at the moment but you'll get the idea) Without the help of a professional designer in deciding the new layout goodness knows what we'd have ended up with! There's only so many times you can look at a floor plan and try and imagine how it will all turn out! Good luck whatever you decide- sounds like an exciting project...See MoreKitchen colours
Comments (14)Thanks for the comments to date! We're thinking of going white counters (prob with speck) and darker matt grey perhaps RAL 7015 Slate Grey or RAL 7016 Anthracite) for the island and lower sink run cabinet doors. Then either all wood doors for the oven wall (although we can't get handleless so might not be ideal) or the off-white matt and keep the wood surround and drawer fronts.. An idea to make the island counter less bright is to do as in the image below. We could use the same Grey Oak wood as elsewhere by double boarding and edging it. Similarly, I think we could get the Quartz people to create a deeper counter (as in pic) so we have a different level between the two mediums. Does anyone think this could work? Also, the upper units on the sink run wall are still undecided. As is, they stand out as are deeper than the steel column (to right) and aren't symmetrical (one to left, two to right). Does anyone have any ideas on how to design this section, especially the gap where the steel is? Right now we are thinking of just replacing with open shelves but if there's a more stylish way of redesigning this section, I'd appreciate any ideas!...See MoreSmall kitchen island design advice please, two-tone or single
Comments (8)Normally i think islands in a small room work better if they’re in the same colour. Personally I prefer Matt and think shaker style would work. The kitchen will probably look bigger minus handles but I think shaker handleless are more expensive but might be wrong. You could have discreet handles anyway. Have you considered an induction hob? It’s sleeker and will give you more worktops space when not in use. It also looks as if you could have a deeper than normal worktop on the back run (more storage space)? i added some tiles for texture but you may hate the colour (Apologies for the bad photoshop!)...See More
Maths Wife
4 years ago
Kit Kat London
4 years agoThanks for your comments so far; it’s really helpful to get other points of view.
Maths Wife, I’m with you on the pantry idea! In fact, I spent a long time trying to work out if we could put one there by getting decent-width access to the garden via another route. But coming through from the front door involves a narrow hallway and getting through several internal doors, and coming via the utility room would involve losing washing space to add a door, and a sharp right-hand turn. Apart from the fact that we’ll ultimately re-landscape our entire garden, which will all need to come through the house, I also sometimes use a mobility scooter, and although I don’t intend to take it into the house, I’d rather be safe than sorry in terms of access. We’re compensating for the lack of pantry by planning on turning the area outside those doors into a little shaded patio with small table/chairs. So in theory we could have those doors wide open in the summer, and have garden views from both ends of the kitchen.
minnie101, I didn’t explain the meals for 30 very well . We set up another table in the playroom in those cases, so about half the people in each room. So in the kitchen I just want to make sure that we can have table fully extended whenever we need it, which seats about 14.
For the drinks area, yes we’re debating having bifold doors so there is max countertop space for a small sink, kettle etc. As you say, it makes sense and saves the countertop space elsewhere, just makes for an expensive cupboard
The roof lantern size is indeed limited by the fact that’s the only area of the kitchen that isn’t double storey. Other than squaring out a corner, we are keeping to the current footprint, as it’s just about on maximum extension already. That area, in a bizarre design choice by the previous owners, is currently the utility room, which just about blocks any view onto the garden - we need the lights on even in summer, despite that being a south facing view. I’ve spent most of the last 6 years trying to understand WHY someone would choose that layout as part of a fairly substantial extension, even going so far as to move the kitchen, which was south facing, to the other end of the room. I’ve yet to think of a sensible explanation…. We are going for a fairly timeless/modern country look, hence the orangery rather than bifolds, and also want to maximise the light as it’s a long room. Fingers crossed, it will look something like this, although with a lot more planting around it and step-free patio.
PROOnePlan
4 years ago
rinked
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoI rather like the design! And that inspirational photo!
Here's some small tweaks:
Bar with sink and dishwasher, because unloading glasses from the other one would require a trolley. Upper cabinets with glass doors of course.Island 65cm deep (because 60cm + paneling on the back) and just slightly longer, added a trash cabinet near the 'main' dishwasher.
Buy a combination oven, because baking a few croissants in a range that large requires a lot of elec/gas.
Love the banquette idea too, have one built with a lid on for easier access, paint it the same color as the island cabinets. Do keep island left and right the same width.
Don't hang lamps over the banquette, people look awful with a lamp straight above heir heads.
And a messy cook with mirrored splashback? Brave! ;)
I do think the roof light is a bit large.
caro7342
4 years ago
PROBrandler London
4 years ago- PRO
OnePlan
4 years ago Maths Wife
4 years ago
minnie101