Suggestions for New Kitchen??

Jo4

We are getting a new kitchen next summer and we are looking for suggestions. What is the latest must have gadgets in kitchens? What is the one thing you have in your kitchen that you could not do without, scales built into worktop, sliding drawers that close themselves, bin concealed in cupboard?

Is it a good idea to have your fridge freezer with built in units a round it or does this normally cause more headaches than a free standing fridge freezer?

What would be a good book or magazine to buy to help us decide what colour or kind of a kitchen we want?

We have a small kitchen but we want to make the best use of it, anyone any suggestions for what is absolutely essential in a kitchen and what you really do not need?

mah_jong

For me after living with this kitchen for so long I know the changes I would make for me!

It would be more about rearrangement of appliances .... work units and moving the back door! Just small stuff really !!!!

I dont think there is any point in must have stuff that you wouldn't use (unless you are selling and want to market a high tech upto date all singing dancing kitchen! Think about how you use the space...your regular 'I wishes ' .

My fridge is free standing but then so is everything else!!

Get some mags ..... go to the showrooms .... you have plenty of time!

re bin concealed in cupboard...my mum HAD one of those and found it too small. Back to the swing bin. Again think about your usage.

my thoughts!

td

We have just replaced our kitchen and moved our sink to look out of the window. But ours is also a small kitchen and we put in taller wall units which surprisingly makes thekitchen look bigger as they are quite light and gives us masses more storage space.

td

JanCee

I always choose to have a built in/integrated microwave. It looks good and frees up worktop space.

kroome

Having recently overhauled our kitcen I recommend max amout of work surface possible, tall wall units if possible, corner carousels are excellent, build oven and microwave into one tall unit, and lights, lights, lights. Sink in front of window, utilities to outside wall (washer, dryer, dishwasher) drawers essential, and wire pull out trays excellent (available at ikea). Quality of Ikea units and worktop pretty good as are MFI now. Use MFI and Ikeas online planning service and they will plan it for you giving several suggestions and then you can choose! (i do this when planning fitting friends kitchens) use an independant fitter, way cheaper.

Jo4

THANKS to all of you for taking the time to respond to me, it is really appreciated!

Should have stated previously that we are doing more than putting in new kitchen units. We are getting like Kirstie, I think you call her, from Location,Locatio, Location. We are taking down a stone wall which will make our kitchen at least 1 ft wider, every little counts, it will then measure 7 ft by 15 ft with 2 windows, 1 back door and 1 inside door. Not much room you see!

As we are doing other work to our home we have to apply for planning permission. We would like the architect to have the plans drawn by Christmas or the end of January at the latest. apparently it will then take to approximately the begining of August next year before work can commence with planning permission etc.

In case any of you are inventive both of the windows are on the narrower walls and the doors are on the longer walls but at opposite sides of the room. We are considering moving the back door to the shorter wall and having a smaller window, don't know though, what do yous think?

Also as we do not have a utility room our washing machine and tumble dryer are in the kitchen.

Now, any suggestions??

irnbru_2

kroome wrote:

and wire pull out trays excellent (available at ikea).

I had a quick scoot around IKEA specifically for these wire-pull-out trays.

The trays were going for about 8 quid for 500mm width. However, I was really looking for magic-corner and pull-out larder units but they didn't seem to do those

The wire trays are excellent value though.

poppet

We knocked own a wall to make our pokey kitchen inot a light and spacious kitchen/diner.
We then set about redesiging the kitchen space and decided to free up wall space by blocking up a little-used door.

MY top tips for things to include in a new kitchen are:
1 Taps that are tall enough to fit under the kettle - ours were too low and had to fill kettle up with a jug! Eventually we changed ours for one of those taps with a pull out spray hose.
2 a pull out larder or 2
3 somewhere to sit in the kitchen, even if its a small breakfast bar and stool
4 a tall cupboard to put away the brooms and mop and bucket
5 somewhere to put the bin, in a cupboard or a under a worktop out of the way
6 loads of worktops...we have 4 children so needed a worktop run long enough to accomodate 6 dinner plates laid out ready to dish up.....think about how many plates you will be dishing up.


when deciding what kind of cupboard conformation to have, i sat with a pen and paper and wrote down what would go in said cupboards, that way i could easily see how many wall units and floor units i needed to squeeze in.
pots and pans and lids, crockery and casserole dishes, glasses and mugs, food, cleaning stuffs etc etc.

Ive got a photo loaded onto yahoo photos if you'd like to see - they show the un-painted and un-tiled version.
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/happyfamillies/album?.dir=260e

Jo4

THANKS once again for all the replies. Inside door will be moved too as it is on the wall which is going to be taken down and put up again.

Anymore suggestions, we are loving all this help and the useful suggestions? :A

td

Are you doing it yourselves? We just knocked a wall down - fantastic fun by the way - if you know it's safe do it yourself. Get some large plastic sheets and tape them (or staple them) to anything around wall you're knocking down to minimise dirt and dust.

As someone said about kitchen fitters - get your own not a company's - it's much cheaper - same for carpet fitters plumbers etc.

Try to plan how what you're taking out might be used for what you're putting in - eg we knocked the wall down between our kitchen and hall but kept the bricks to brick up an outside cupboard and make an indoor one.

If you're pulling up any old lino keep big bits to work on in the garden when it gets wet or it's really godd for mixing cement on.

Buy a tent or a gazebo to put up in the garden to work under if it rains or to store things under.

td x

Doozergirl

The fridge with built in units looks great but costs a fortune (well over £1000) because the hot bit has to go underneath with ventilation at the front instead of at the back in case it causes a fire. (yawn)

You can get a great american style fridge for £400 or even less and spend the change on my must have but don't need item: a wine fridge with a glass door and a little blue light that you can turn on when your friends come round, to show off!