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Kitchen design

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Pepper Pig » Fri Apr 09, 2021 7:07 pm

I’ve stayed in holiday cottages which are open plan downstairs. They are also very noisy.

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Stokey Sue » Fri Apr 09, 2021 7:14 pm

I think in the last year of lockdowns I'd have felt very confined with only one room to be in during the day
It's fine in holiday villas abroad when the sitting room is the terrace or garden, in fact rathe nice
Less good in London

For me personally, I'd like a kitchen diner and a separate sitting room but then I'd want a utility room, or at least laundry equipment in the second bathroom rather than the main hub

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:13 pm

The other thing about open plan houses is that they need to be very well insulated/heated to stay warm all over! It always annoys me that the house programmes where they rip down walls and open up conservatories never mention that part.

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby WWordsworth » Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:19 pm

When we moved here 11 years ago and had to gut the place
(Empty for 18 months, previous owner was here 30 years, blown air heating, avocado bathroom etc)

We moved a few downstairs walls, and changed the shape of the kitchen from corridor to square.
Hate galley kitchens, only room for one person at a time.

I insisted on a walk in larder and a breakfast bar.

The BB is 1.5 times the usual width so you can easily have someone working at each side.

When alone we eat all our meals there.
When we have a few people round we remove the seats as people take root.

Horrific memories of the pals who plonked themselves there one evening and didn't leave until 4am.

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:46 pm

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Pepper Pig » Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:54 pm

We’ve been here forty years come September. I feel sorry for the next occupants. The problem is that a lot of things need doing again and we don’t have the means or the inclination. The first estate agent did say he’d advertise it as in need of decoration rather than renovation though.

My masterplan does include clearing the sheds and the garden this summer. One of Tim’s chums is coming to collect the (scruffy) barbecue this weekend, hopefully. The kids have promised to come and help at some stage. We shall see!

ETA WW. We inherited an absolutely ghastly lilac bathroom here. Also our breakfast bar was, on reflection, not deep enough.

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby OneMoreCheekyOne » Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:27 pm

I wouldn’t have wooden worktops again. They always look like they want a wipe down even 10 minutes after being cleaned.

I would love to combine the 6 ring hob/double oven of our first house, the deep soft close kitchen drawers of our second house and the space and walk in pantry of our current house. It’s on the never ending list of house improvements.

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Pampy » Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:35 pm

PP - my (now ex) next-door neighbours had lived in their house for over 30 years and never done anything to it. That, combined with 3 large dogs who never had their feet cleaned before coming in from a walk meant that their house was in desperate need of both renovation and re-decoration. It was sold 2 days after it was put on the market, before the for sale sign had even been put up!
If you are reasonably realistic about the price, I doubt you'd have any problems selling if you wanted to.

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Sloe-Gin » Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:48 am

All very interesting comments.
We've been here 20+ years and had a maple kitchen fitted, with mouldings on the doors and a kitchen sink in white material. Never again. It was a Franke, but got quickly discoloured, however much bleach was applied. We had it taken out and SS put in. With dogs, it's also difficult to wipe the doors down and keep the mouldings clean We do use the BB daily, as the dining table is used mainly for laptops! Things I like; pull out shelves, spice shelves, corner opening cupboards and under cupboard lighting, though that could be modernised.
Whilst the kitchen is not open plan, the previous occupants made the rest of the downstairs mainly open plan, which gives it a bright, airy feel
Next house is having:

plain, wipeable doors
a halogen hob
More drawers
A bigger utility room with dog shower

In my dreams....

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby mistakened » Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:32 pm

Our first house here had a utility room, the washing machine was there, the washing line was a few steps away under the car port. The utility room also had a sink and a lot of cupboards.
Purely as an observation, years ago my Brother did what was then called a Work Study course, as part of his course he studied my Mother in the kitchen. This resulted in the kitchen in their next house being designed in more logical way

Moira

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:42 pm

Moira, looking as PP did on Rightmove it amazes me how illogically many expensive kitchens are laid out, one recurrent theme is high level ovens sited a day’s route march from any surface on which you could put down a hot heavy roasting pan

In fact one thing I learned from watching Kitchen Cousins on tv was that people leave too much open space in kitchens, and you end up walking way too many steps carrying things like big pans of boiling pasta

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Earthmaiden » Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:42 pm

I remember not too long ago seeing a well known person in a luxurious kitchen they were clearly proud of which had a vast island in the middle. There was an obvious side to stand near cooker etc but they kept large utensils - pans, bowls etc - in cupboards built into the opposite side of it. It looked like a half mile walk round every time they needed something!

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Pampy » Sat Apr 10, 2021 2:51 pm

Stokey Sue wrote:Moira, looking as PP did on Rightmove it amazes me how illogically many expensive kitchens are laid out, one recurrent theme is high level ovens sited a day’s route march from any surface on which you could put down a hot heavy roasting pan


I thought of that when redesigning my kitchen - there's a work top right at the side of my built in ovens.

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby PatsyMFagan » Sat Apr 10, 2021 5:55 pm

When I first moved into my house, I spent some time deciding what to put where when I eventually got round to fitting a new one ... 15 years + later, I still love the layout, but as others have mentioned, (deep) drawers would be more useful than cupboards. As my kitchen was bog standard B&Q one, I realised that their range had changed slightly to include pull out drawer units that would fit inside my cupboards .. so, I got my BiL to retro fit pull out drawers wherever I could fit them. This included the cupboard under the sink, the 2 under counter cupboards on the far side of the kitchen (2 drawers fitted in each cupboard), and both deep drawers under the oven and hob, each got another pull out drawer too .. This has made life so much easier :thumbsup .

The next problem is how to be able to (easily) use all the shelves in the 2 cupboards above the sink. Somewhere I have seen an internal unit that pulls down, allowing even the top shelf to become within reach ... when I have found it they will be installed .

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Earthmaiden » Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:01 pm

DD bought me a small step ladder :lol:.

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:50 pm

Earthmaiden wrote:DD bought me a small step ladder :lol:.


I have a Kick step - wouldn't be without them, my previous flat had a small area and high walls, and I had a lot of shelves to reach, my last step lasted at least 25 years, this one seems to be better made - this is the current version

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PAVO-PREMIUM-R ... 316&sr=8-7

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby PatsyMFagan » Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:01 pm

I would be continually tripping over that, although I do agree, would do the job :thumbsup but nowhere to store it either :roll:

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Pampy » Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:09 pm


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Re: Kitchen design

Postby aero280 » Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:00 am

The same folding step is available in grey only from Wickes for £5... ;)

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Plastic ... y/p/121019

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Re: Kitchen design

Postby Earthmaiden » Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:06 am

I wouldn't be able to reach the top shelf with those. Mine's like this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0853QPVPY? ... th=1&psc=1. It lives folded up behind the door in the adjoining room.

(BTW, off subject but the ones that aero showed should never be used for toddlers to stand on as they stand on the middle and it automatically folds up!)

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