Slightly awkward kitchen

sibot74

Hi,

So after looking at this 2 years ago and deciding other work needed done first, we're decided to update the kitchen this year.

The current layout has the oven/hob at a 45 degree angle across a corner, which wastes some wall and floor space. I've modelled the current layout fairly approximately in Ikea's planner. The units aren't exactly the same size or shape, but they are a fair representation of the space taken up by the existing units. The wall behind the oven/hob has been brought out so that the angle is filled in, with a stepped shelf on the splashback but the rest of the void effectively wasted.
Link to current layout in Ikea planner.
Current layout plan image.
Current layout 3d image.
(Possibly better representation of current layout from old Ikea planner:
plan and 3d.)

I've tried moving the oven/hob about to open out the corner, and the plan below is about the only one i can make with Ikea units that doesn't have the hob at the end of a run. The main constraint is that I need about 750mm alongside the radiator to allow the door to open (unless I get the door rehung to open 'outwards'). This layout leaves me with 600mm between the hob and sink, and the oven/hob are in the return cabinet to a 1200mm corner unit. Has anyone else done this, and is it likely to cause problems? The 600mm space is less than recommended by the Ikea planner, but i've tried it out and I know it's enough space for me to work with given the extra space on the other side of the hob. Is there likely to be conflict between the oven and the carousel in the corner unit?
Link to new layout in Ikea planner.
New layout plan image.
New layout 3d image.

I've also brought out the units on the wall opposite the window so they protrude a bit past the wall - I'm pretty sure this will be ok, and gives me more worktop space for small appliances or prep. Once the layout is sorted I think it's mainly a choice of colour (cream gloss or white gloss?) and which wooden worktop to go for (Iroko, oak or walnut?).

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Marmaduke123

Your links just take me to the front page of the IKEA kitchen planner.

sibot74

Marmaduke123 wrote: »

Your links just take me to the front page of the IKEA kitchen planner.

Argh really? Thanks. Maybe they only work if you have the Ikea planner already installed. I'll get some shots and stick them up as pictures...

sibot74

Added some images to the initial post, as well as the link to the ikea planner.

Also wondering if anyone had any advice on the following:

1/ For wooden worktops, is Iroko really that much better than oak at resisting stains etc around the sink area?

2/ Has anyone had the Ikea pyrolytic oven and gotten on ok with it? There don't seem to be many reviews of the Ikea appliances about, but there are a few comments saying that they die during the cleaning cycle, which isn't ideal (although this problem doesn't appear to be restricted to just the ikea/whirlpool ovens, and may have been fixed in newer models).

3/ Similarly the Ikea Nutid HGA4K hob, which appears to be 'gas on glass' - are all these types of hobs much the same, once you get over paying twice the price of a basic stainless steel one?

Thanks.

andygb

Looking at the plan, the radiator in its current position is a real spoiler, because if you could relocate it, then you could have a large "L" shaped kitchen with a lot of floor space opened up. Could the rad be relocated to the wall nearest us, opposite the window?
Do you need to use Ikea appliances, rather than tried and tested ones from companies like Neff, AEG, Bosch or the like, which have good reviews, and very often stick to tested designs?

sibot74

Hi Andy,

Can't really relocate the radiator - need that wall to allow the door perpendicular to it to open anyway.

The ikea under-counter freezer gets a very good review from Which, and I'd be using the Ikea freezer and fridge anyway to ensure I don't need to !!!!!! about with fitting other units in. Since my local Ikea has a 25% off deal if you buy 4 or more appliances I figured it was worth a shot to take advantage of that? For what it's worth the current kitchen has Whirlpool oven/hob/extractor and they have worked without a problem for at least the 6 years we have been here.

alinwales

think you misunderstood andy_gb. he said to put radiator opposite window, i.e. where units 14 and 15 are in the new plan. Then you have that wall (put the hob/oven there, move sink under window, perhaps fridge/freezer where hob was...).

oh, wait seen other pics, thats a door, not a radiator! ignore me...

LittleMax

I would move the hob over to the opposite wall - where unit 14 is. It looks like that is probably an interior wall so may not be as easy to vent the extractor and may need to have it on recirculate. But personally I would prefer to cook at that wall rather than be near the corner - means someone else can be doing things in the kitchen at the same time without being in the way so much.

You would then have better access to the corner cupboard and a full sized wall cupboard next to the window will make that run of wall units look better.

sibot74

Hmm. The wall with unit 14 etc on it is an external wall also, and it's solid brick. Moving the hob there but not the oven means the hob would be over the fridge, and I presume it would be a lot more awkward to move the gas pipe to there than to get it extended a few feet? I'm also not sure i'd want the hob sticking into the room that much - the door between the sink and the fridge/freezer section is to the sun porch and the back door.

If I had the microwave and kettle over on the unit 14 wall, I guess that would let someone make a cup of tea etc without getting in the way if I'm at the cooker (I do most of the cooking)? I'm also actually thinking about a metal extractor hood now anyway instead of that fan cupboard thing, since I wouldn't want to reach over the hob when in use and I know i'd just fill the cupboard up there with stuff that lived there permanently until it got moved to the loft...

Do you think the oven next to the corner cupboard is likely to cause a conflict without a fairly large spacer post?

StatisticallyChallenged

If putting the cooker in the opposite wall is a no-go then I think I would be looking at trying to put the cooker round the corner. Try downloading the Alno kitchen planner - it is free and lets you customise unit sizes (press f4) so much more flexible than the Ikea one. We have just replaced our kitchen and I just could not get a good enough design with Ikea due to the limited sizes - we ended up going with DIY kitchens.

I'm wondering if you would be better having the cooker roughly underneath unit 17 (obviously with unit 17 being a shorter one!), with a 150mm pullout unit between the corner and the cooker. I have a similar layout and that little unit makes all the difference, without it you may have problems with the oven hitting door handles and such like. I do think under unit 14 is also a good spot.

You might need to reverse the door to do so but it would probably be worthwhile.

sibot74

Thanks SC - I'll download that planner and have a go. I did think about having the hob.oven roughly under unit 17, just wasn't sure 300 to the left of it would leave me enough workspace, since my most common pan is a 28cm saute pan? And it would be more 'in the way' of someone using the door (that door opens into the living room). Saying that, my mum has had a cooker on the end of a run next to the kitchen door for years and it hasn't really caused her any problems.

edit - how did you find DIY kitchens to deal with, and how do they match to Ikea on price/quality?