Your opinion on kitchen design, please

vansboy

Hi All

I've bought my new 'project', it's a verrrry run down bungalow (will be asking lots of Q's for input, from everyone, as I go on).

Plan is to extend accross the rear, giving an open plan living space. The kitchen will be 6.5m x 6.5m, with doors onto decked area, the lounge will be extended to be 4.5m wide by 10.5 deep, also doors onto decking/garden.

If you look at these two Ikea kitchen ideas, there is a more conventional kitchen, with range cooker, lots work surfaces and a 2.5m island/breakfast bar.

https://i.imgsafe.org/0797e64222.png

Or the more minilalistic, full wall units, with 4m island, housing sink and hob. I've also included a floor to unit height window, for additional light.

https://i.imgsafe.org/079249e37d.png

I know the images dont show everything, but hopefully, I've not confused too much! But the odd thing about the ceiling height, is thet on the external wall, it will slope up from centre of room to be just over 3m. There will be a run off windows of about 500mm deep, above head height.

Also, if you see the door on the kitchen side, that leads to utility and garage, so no need to consider washing machines etc, in kitchen.

Plus, if someone else buys it, that doesn't like 'open plan', the option to build a partition wall, would be easy enough.

So, your thoughts and ideas please.

Thanks in advance

VB

rob7475

Will you be keeping the place or selling it once done up? If selling, the fact that it's a bungalow would suggest that older people will be viewing it. With that in mind, I'd be keeping a more traditional kitchen layout as in your first picture. Picture two looks nice, but will it still be modern in 5 years time?

A kitchen should be designed to last for 20 years really unless you're happy replacing every 5 years to keep up with the latest trends?

I'd maybe think about putting the sink in the island though rather than against a wall.

glasgowdan

I hate half the kitchen being under an island. You have to keep running around it to get things you need. Keep the kitchen to the walls and the extra bit as an island.

Primrose

Just a few practical things I would want in a kitchen:
1 Hob near a door or window that can be opened to let out steam unless you're having an extractor fan fitted.

2 Dishwasher to be located close to sink so that gunge on plates can be rinsed off first and you don't have to walk far to put dripping plates in dishwasher


3 Cutlery drawer and a drawer or cupboard for crockery to be immediately close to dishwaher. You don't want to be walking miles every day taking stuff out of dishwasher and having to put it into cupboards.


4 You can never have enough storage space for kitchen equipment. Forget the fancy stuff and concentrate on basic essentials!

ellie27

Just wondering if you have a separate living room? Or is that the only lounge space thats part of the kitchen?

Also what is the rest of the house is like in comparison? Are all bedrooms big?

This BIG space might be a bit out of proportion with the rest of the house?

System

Can you show the floor plan as a whole, hard to see how the kitchen works with internal and external spaces - looks like a big space but judging the kitchen layout on just a single image isn't really helpful, what's the layout/furniture in the rest of the space, where's the circulation - how much kitchen do you need?
I've been doing a bungalow renovation and my kitchen is only 8 units and 4 wall cabinets, but have a separate utility

Hintza

Where is the bin? What size do you need? If a family those in cupboard affairs might be too small.

When I designed our kitchen I forgot about the bin

You also need more cupboard space or at least factor in for it to be added later perhaps.

vansboy

https://i.imgsafe.org/1c41b4707b.jpg existing plan

https://i.imgsafe.org/1d519863e8.jpg proposed plan with measurements

Sorry if I'm a bit lacking in detail, but it's early days, yet, only had the keys a few weeks and the place is pretty much as it was, in 1968...so really do appreciate ideas and input, thanks!


The extension of kitchen and living space will be 1om wide x 6.5m into garden.

Garage extended to front by 1m to help accomodate utility room which will be 2.5m wide, accross rear of garage, accessed from kitchen.

New master bedroom, 6m into garden with new ensuite.

New family bathroom replaces existing smallest bedroom.

Existing kitchen to become office/bedroom 4.

New enclosed front porch.

Living room has repositioned double doors from hallway, where existing bathroom was. Hallway extended, with roof lights proposed.

New bedroom, has 3m wide doors onto decking into garden, extended living room has 4m doors and kitchen 5m doors.


VB

vansboy

Hintza wrote: »

Where is the bin? What size do you need? If a family those in cupboard affairs might be too small.

When I designed our kitchen I forgot about the bin

You also need more cupboard space or at least factor in for it to be added later perhaps.

I know what you mean about bins...but I HATE them I do tend to make too many trips to the wheelie bins, but much prefer trash to not be in house any longer than it needs to be!!

VB

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Doozergirl

The kitchen is really down to personal taste. I'd prefer a mix of the two, with the wall of high level units, a run of worktop against the wall with either hob or sink over there, rather than sink and hob both on the island breaking up the workspace run. But that's all it is - preference.

My overwhelming feeling though is that the house is big and it does need a separate living room as there is plenty of room to provide open plan living and something more cosy.

That is what every client we have seems to want, without exception. It's fashion. Some actually have the space to pull off a multi-performing open plan kitchen room and a separate lounge, others are trying to cram it all into a three bed semi and would be better off making it open plan, but the British can't seem to entirely embrace open plan so now want open plan (read 'want to add a sofa to the former kitchen diner) as an addition, not a replacement.

Otherwise, it looks like a good layout. A separare loo for visitors will be appreciated - I think even bungalow inhabitants prefer to keep their own bathrooms private.

vansboy

Doozergirl wrote: »

My overwhelming feeling though is that the house is big and it does need a separate living room as there is plenty of room to provide open plan living and something more cosy.

That is what every client we have seems to want, without exception. It's fashion. Some actually have the space to pull off a multi-performing open plan kitchen room and lounge, others are trying to cram it all into a three bed semi.

I'd thought making the existing living room more of a 'snug' area, thats why the entrance door has been moved.

Also had the image of a lonnnng room, onto decking, with outward views of garden, inward views of woodburner.

OR, seperating it somehow, from the new part and even loosing some of the old kitchen, but chimney makes doing much, awkward.

Unless you can suggest, please.

VB