Advice Needed for kitchen with the 'wow' factor

bigg2001

cheeswright wrote: »

fascinating discussion..
just been through this recently
my suggestion would be - dump the 'trophy fridge' they ruin the lines of most otherwise decent designs - and arnt realy nice to look at at all.
we had a double fronted stainless steel undercounter one put in
and I think its altogether more attractive - although this is just opinion- and my worksurface is clear and attracive because of it
proof ?
notice how any design brochure dont show these fridges in their designs...they dont match.... (they never show washing machines either)

He did say we didn't have to have it after we had been through every option but it was in a stroppy aside and I have already shelved his integrated coffee machine!! Will he be able to take a second loss??!!

Doozergirl

bigg2001 wrote: »

He did say we didn't have to have it after we had been through every option but it was in a stroppy aside and I have already shelved his integrated coffee machine!! Will he be able to take a second loss??!!

Give him the coffee machine. It will look better

I do agree with cheeswright. We made space for an amercian fridge in our kitchen, and had the water plumbed to the area as well. I bought a bargain integrated fridge for another house and then realised it was perfect for us. So glad. I think they're clunky too and don't seem to hold as much as they look like they do

Doozergirl

bigg2001 wrote: »

Doozergirl

So how do you get all handles horizontal (on a cupboard for instance??) You just place them horizontally. They still open! And how do you end the run of floor to ceiling units in the corner where it meets the run of floor units? There are two ways of doing it. Either butting the worktop directly up against the unused door of the final larder unit, or you use a corner unit, run the worktop over and put separate units above - harder for a fitter but gives you more storage. Do you have a wall unit or do you have a taller unit which ends in line with the rest and sits on the worktop? We would not be able to fit this flush as our window starts at this point so would look odd and need something as it houses our boiler! You can run some slimline units aabove as you approach the window. Found a fab picture in one of my magazines - need to find one online for you!

My 2 main options that I have narrowed it down to are -

First option - 1 wall of floor to ceiling units with 2 500mm larder units, american fridge-freezer integrated and 2 ovens (although one on top of another not side by side), second wall base units only with integrated dishwasher & therefore hob on island or peninsular with island extractor don't put single ovens one on top of another - you won't be able to use one safely, plus it's the look of them being side by side as well as the extra space for Xmas dinner!

Second option - 1 wall made up of 500mm larder unit, oven tower, extra wide hod & hood, 2 500mm wall and floor units, second wall base units only with integrated dishwasher.

Not sure which one is most stylish?

Do you have any pictures of your latest kitchen yet as have seen 2 others of yours and they are very impressive!!

Would you go for a peninsular or island and is it easy to site a hob on these? easier on a peninsular. Which one you go for depends on the space you have!

Finally, you made a comment about Burford - does this mean steer clear or go with it? If I go for gloss there seems to be option of flat slab door or a shaker style door. Draw your own conclusions from that!

Thanks for all replies - really appreciated - you are all helping to finetune the whirrings of my brain and believe your combined brains and ideas will probably give me more than a very expensive designer!!

:T:T:T

It would be fab if we had a picture of your kitchen!

You can upload photographs to photbucket which you can then paste the URL of into a post (not entirely necessary)

Or just upload to photobox, make sure your album is public and post a simple link!

dukesy_2

we went for black gloss doors and a white glass worktop, side by side twin neff ovens, and a black feature extractor...

were quite happy with it

QTPie

Doozergirl, why isn't it safe to have single ovens one on top of the other? You can guess what configuration I have....

(you ought to be a kitchen design consultant - ie advise - in your spare time... you are better than most designers)

QT

Doozergirl

QTPie wrote: »

Doozergirl, why isn't it safe to have single ovens one on top of the other? You can guess what configuration I have....

(you ought to be a kitchen design consultant - ie advise - in your spare time... you are better than most designers)

QT

I was just thinking that one of them mightn't be accessed easily and you'd have trouble getting your joint out! But then in my head I'd envisioned the top one quite high - so I hadn't thought it out quite properly. If one was low you wouldn't have a problem.

Thank you. I'm quite consicous of lines and styling but I also have the luxury of quite large kitchens to play with which does make it a bit easier A smaller kitchen I think would be a bit more of a challenge for me but then I'd probably knock all the walls out to make a big kitchen for a small house as well! Kitchens really should be the heart of the home - I just love food, and when the oven is on, it's warm in there as well! My own kitchen is off round a corner. I really wish I'd bitten the bullet and swapped the positions of the dining and kitchen areas.

trumpton

There is a great Irish tv show called Room to Improve. It's sometimes on the Home channel, though not at the moment. They often have very nice modern kitchens fitted. If you can be bothered to go through the programmes and look at the 'gallery' there are some good ideas:

http://www.rte.ie/tv/roomtoimprove/programmes.html

QTPie

I think that ours should be ok... will post a photo later when I have laptop access (on iPhone at the mo...). One is fairly low, but higher than it would be if a range cooker: would put anything heavy in the upper one. Definitely think side by side is better - given room...

Our kitchen is pretty big, but a few restrictions (plus half is for a playroom, initially, and later a breakfast room - once we get the conservatory knocked down and rebuilt as a garden/sun/family room... Which will take a few years to afford!).

Would love to see some photos of your kitchens, I bet they are divine . Although saying that, I bet they will make me think "if only I did that...." . As you say, hindsight is a wonderful thing! No matter how you think through things... there are still thinks you don't realise until afterwards...

Doozergirl wrote: »

I was just thinking that one of them mightn't be accessed easily and you'd have trouble getting your joint out! But then in my head I'd envisioned the top one quite high - so I hadn't thought it out quite properly. If one was low you wouldn't have a problem.

Thank you. I'm quite consicous of lines and styling but I also have the luxury of quite large kitchens to play with which does make it a bit easier A smaller kitchen I think would be a bit more of a challenge for me but then I'd probably knock all the walls out to make a big kitchen for a small house as well! Kitchens really should be the heart of the home - I just love food, and when the oven is on, it's warm in there as well! My own kitchen is off round a corner. I really wish I'd bitten the bullet and swapped the positions of the dining and kitchen areas.

Doozergirl

I think they've a couple of pics doing the rounds but I honestly don't really like doing it, I generally only post pictures of stuff I've done if I'm drunk, lol!

I posted EA shots of this kitchen before:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/809413
But this is the lived-in view Not my house anymore but looking back at it, it was nice! It had space for the american fridge which I didn't buy for it.


It's very odd reading old posts - my opinions evidently change constantly, my taste becomes more expensive but I seem to pay around the same each time.
Appliances arrive tomorrow for the new kitchen so I might have a photo of that soon.

bigg2001

Thanks for all the ideas - have just had Magnet round and will be getting the designs by Tuesday. The guy remeasured and turns out Howdens had measured some of my walls wrong by 200mm

Have gone for white gloss Neve range and will see what ideas he comes up with! Seemed to be more receptive than Howdens and could see what I was saying.

Fingers crossed he comes up with a stunning design or Husband will definately start talking about moving again!

He told me to lose american fridge-freezer by the way! So have semi-agreed on an integrated fridge in kitchen, a single free-standing one in utility and already have a chest freezer in cupboard under stairs which when building work is complete will be in kitchen / family room anyway and will fit my ironing board and iron too!

Hopefully this will mean keeping lines as clean and simple as poss - thanks again though - have incorporated lots of your ideas - will have an mse kitchen (with less emphasis on money saving!!!!) xx