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Design Dilemma Kitchens

Help with kitchen layout - side return

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I am about to start a side return extension - Victorian mid terrace.

But I'm having cold feet about the layout and constantly worrying the room isn't wide enough for what we are planning - island and dining area in new side return. (attaching a picture for reference)

I'm attaching current pre build layout (first picture below) and the (rough hand drawn) sketch the kitchen designer has shared (second picture below).. But if it's going to be too narrow with a dining table there, I'd rather re-consider the whole layout (e.g. not absolutely wedded to having an island - using kitchen as dining space is more important).

Would be great to canvas some other opinions. The plans for the build which have been approved involve the wall looking out onto the garden having french doors pretty much all the way along (and these are now ordered), so there's no room to put units on the back wall.

But I don't think it's too late to make changes to the kitchen units themselves, e.g. would I be better with a layout like the final one which I have found online? That would involve blocking off the walkway to the second reception room and having an internal window instead, but I think that's an option. Although even here, is this layout better suited for a longer narrower space than what we will have?

I'm possibly catastrophising and the current plans will work. Part of the issue is I don't know exactly how wide the new space will be until the shell is in place... somewhere a little under 5m I think, making the room almost square.

Anyway - help would be much appreciated! It feels like it'll be a decent size and I don't mind about island or not, the priority is lots of glass to make it lighter as we are north west facing, and a decent sit-down dining area.

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Comments (5)

My Name
3 years ago
Looking at the first plan looks like you have 4800 width. 600 counter, 900 clearance to counter 900 island, 900 clearance to dining, 900 dining leaves you with 600 for a bench on the wall which should be sufficient I think
Hannah Martin
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks.. and you think that is a better layout given the space, than the final one I posted?

I think fundamentally it's unclear whether it will definitely be 4800 or could be slightly less, as the shell isn't built yet, which is what's causing my nervousness. It feels like 4800 is probably what you realistically need, so even shaving 100mm off that starts to make it feel tight.

Kitchen designers have suggested we can go a touch narrower on the island to give more space to dining, which I might explore if the shell ends up less than 4800.
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My Name
3 years ago
I think you updated the sketch? The last one doesn’t look like it’s blocking off the walkway to the other room - is it? I agree you can shave 100 here and there but I’m the same as you, I’d rather not built it all and feel it’s too narrow if you start getting into 700-800 area. Also personal preference for me is an island over a peninsula but that’s just me. Let us know about the final sketch
Hannah Martin
Original Author
3 years ago
The final sketch I found on houzz for a similar sized kitchen. we currently have two entrances into the kitchen, one from the hall, one from the second reception room.

That second reception room entrance would need to be would need to be blocked off if you built the kitchen to the houzz plan, because it has units going right around that corner.

It would look a bit more like this (similar reference I found online, obviously slightly different dimensions to our room):
My Name
3 years ago
Oh ok I think I see now. Personally the entrance to the kitchen from the lounge looks like more of a corridor than an open plan connection. If that’s the case then maybe the hallway access is enough and then you can add units on that run

Alternatively you could have the tall units on the RHS and just a counter with no shelving on the bottom section if you wanted a connection to the living room

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