Kitchen layout advice

5 years ago

Hi there. I'm after a bit of advice relating to kitchen layout (extract of floor plan here) - we're in the process of building a new house and the kitchen will be an L shape and have a high level slot window above the sink and sliding doors onto the patio. We would like a large island with enough space for 4 kitchen stools.

My main question is where best to put the hob? The architect has put it on the island but I'm wondering if it would be better on the counter where the sink is. Also would it ramp up the costs if we have to put in a fancy extractor if the hob stays on the island? We have two young kids and so I thought the island would be a great space for them to spread out any crafty bits plus we can have some pendant lights over it.

We were thinking of having floor to ceiling cupboards where you first walk in to the kitchen and include 2 ovens side-by-side in those. The fridge-freezer will be next to those cupboards. As you can see we are also having a large utility space which will be multi-purpose - laundry, extra storage, boot room and pet stuff!

Any thoughts, suggestions and ideas would be fantastic, thank you!

Featured Answer

Tea Tea

5 years ago

I think the kitchen layout is great, however instead of a traditional hob on the island, I would personally opt for an induction hob/cooktop. That way you won't have to fear that your children will accidentally touch it and burn themselves (read how induction cooktops work). It's also completely flat unlike traditional hobs, so when you are looking at the kitchen from different angles, you won't even notice it, and when you do, it's just nicer, it's just more modern and elegant. I've also seen induction cooktops designed for islands, instead of the traditional 2x2 arranged in a square, you can find one that is rectangular, all 4 circles in a single line, and I think those look great. Also they have some that have built-in ventilation (that goes into the island), so you won't need a huge exhaust hood above the island in the middle of the kitchen. Also I've noticed the design on the sink, and I personally think that that style of sink takes up a lot of space without providing too much function (I've had it in my previous home). I would 100% swap it for a double sink, it takes the same amount of space, but it's so much more useful and convenient.

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Comments (9)

Daisy England
5 years ago
How nice to plan it from scratch. That’s a lovely project.

I‘m a lover of floor to ceiling tall units and especially what you’re planning for the ovens. Fridge freezer next to it to continue the flow sounds great.

I have my induction hob in my island but we don’t sit at it and mine is a double depth whereas yours looks like a single depth base unit with a breakfast bar hangover (may be wrong here).

What do you mean by fancy extractor? Do you mean downdraft? If so you need to allow for the ‘workings’ within the space.

I’ve found that we use the island more than any other worktop.
Colleen Finn thanked Daisy England
PRO
Luke BORA ASM London
5 years ago
Colleen think how social it would be to have the hob on the island , cooking in front of your family & friends.....rather than with your back to them if you placed it against the wall. have a look at my company www.bora.com & i would start with the BORA Pure. amazing bit of kit at a very good price.
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Andrew
5 years ago
We have a similar design with a long run and an island being installed at the moment. We had the same thoughts and opted to put both the hob and the sink on the long run and leave the island clear. The thinking was:

(i) the sink is on the island it is going to fill up with washing up. If it is on the long run it is more hidden and leaves the island clear after a meal.

(ii) if the hob is on the island there is the risk of splashing anyone sitting the other side with hot fat. It also made extraction a lot harder.

So we have gone with a single large island space for food preparation from the kitchen side but anything else arty from the living side. The units for the island don't arrive until after Christmas so we won't know until then whether we made the right choice.
Colleen Finn thanked Andrew
PRO
OnePlan
5 years ago
Andrew said what I was coming in to say - children and sitting near hobs is something I try to avoid in our designs when we work with clients - it’s an uphill struggle when so many pictures show it - maybe a few pictures from A&E should be shown too.
You home is probably your largest investment. Fitted elements like kitchen and laundry rooms need to be designed well, as they too are expensive and you live with the results for a long time. In all honestly ( and not just as I’m a designer ) the best advice I can give is book a design consultation with a credible professional who will work with you to get this right for you. It has to tick all the build control boxes too - so not really a ‘do it yourself’ project.
Colleen Finn thanked OnePlan
PRO
OnePlan
5 years ago
Lol that reads like I try to avoid children ! I don’t !!
Colleen Finn
Original Author
5 years ago
Many thanks @OnePlan, I've just sent you a message!
Colleen Finn
Original Author
5 years ago
Many thanks @Andrew. That's the way I've been thinking for a while. Hope you are happy with your kitchen when it is finally in.

I do agree with you @Luke BORA ASM London that it would be more social to have the hob on the island from an entertaining point of view but the majority of the time it will be just the family using the kitchen...plus we are a messy bunch so confining the mess to one side of the kitchen would probably be for the best! Thanks for your feedback and I'll take a look at your company.
Ann-Marie O'Hudson
5 years ago
We had a hob in the island when I was a kid (40 yrs ago) as a typical seven ur old I was standing on a stool trying to put a hat on my Dad, slipped and fell and fingers landed on hot job plate... 3rd degree burns and very traumatic !!
Never ever would put a hob on an island-too many potential accidents.