New Kitchen tips?

Pud27

Hi,

I am currently looking around at getting a new kitchen for my home.

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips that may be overlooked by myself, or if anyone got a new kitchen and wish they could change something about it.
Just a but of feedback before it is too late.

I have one design so far that I really like - but the over and fridge are beside each other - but are both intergrated.
Someone pointed out that you cannot do this, but when I asked the kitchen people they assured me it was fine to have them side by side - as there is two planks of wood between each - can anyone confirm this?

Much Appreciated

paddy147

Pud27 wrote: »

Hi,

I am currently looking around at getting a new kitchen for my home.

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips that may be overlooked by myself, or if anyone got a new kitchen and wish they could change something about it.
Just a but of feedback before it is too late.

I have one design so far that I really like - but the over and fridge are beside each other - but are both intergrated.
Someone pointed out that you cannot do this, but when I asked the kitchen people they assured me it was fine to have them side by side - as there is two planks of wood between each - can anyone confirm this?

Much Appreciated

Oven and fridge like that should be fine.

The amount of people I know with fitted kitchens like this,and none have ever had a problem.

braftery

Our oven and fridge are beside each other and all is good

The units are seperated by 2 sheets of timber from the kitchen carcas.

JuniorB

Not sure how big/small your kitchen is.
Some points that we took into account...
* We got a raised dishwasher as we both have bad backs and it was a pain bending down to the lower drawer, just got a normal intergrated dishwasher and got them to build a drawer underneath so it's higher up.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S4K65l1MqsU/TWU4DzKPouI/AAAAAAAAAdE/4YA1099kX7A/s1600/Raised%2BDishwasher.jpg
* Have the dishwasher beside the sink/draining board. Easy to load then without much mess - wash off etc before loading if required.
* Have all plates/cups/cutlery etc stored beside dishwasher - when emptying you can store them straight into their cupboard/drawer. Not traipsing around the kitchen to empty the dishwasher.
*Have a seperate drawer under your hob for cooking utensils - thonges, masher etc. Easy to reach when required and frees up cutlery drawer for just that.
*Try and have some sort of larder/big deep cupboard. Ensure you can fit a large cereal box into one of the shelves i.e. big box of cornflakes!
* Do you need a spice rack?
* Do you need a seperator bin ... recycling etc
* Try and have free counter space near your oven in some way so when you are taking out the heavy turkey you can leave it down without having to walk/balance around the kitchen.
*If you're doing an island then don't have underfloor heating under it if possible - any food stored in it will go off quicker.


Best of luck.

Carlow52

+1 on larder unit
we have 2.4 m high 1200 wide with this shelving
http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/S69829083

being see through its great

other ideas: good extractor

separate circuit for fridge/ freezer

tiled drop zone around worktop on floor

paddy147

Carlow52 wrote: »

other ideas: good extractor

separate circuit for fridge/ freezer

tiled drop zone around worktop on floor

+1 to the above.

I got the sparks to put the dishwasher,washing machine and condensor dryer on 1 circuit.

The gas cooker is on its own and then the oven and fridge are on their own seperate circuit too.

A good extractor hood is well worth the money too.

Pud27

Thanks for some great ideas. I have alot of room to play with in the Kitchen so will definetly consider some of the above.
Love the picture of your kitchen, very similar units for what I am going for.

Elbow

Best piece of advice i can give is to keep things simple, you can still have a stunning looking kitchen but there's nothing worse than trying to cook when you've no free worktop space.
Choose drawers over shelved units as much as possible (Nothing gets forgotten about in the back, easier to see the entire contents, you can get inserts for holding cutlery, knives, spices, rolls of tin foil etc.)
Having you kitchen company, plumber and sparks all communicating makes everyones life easier.

Lastly buy the best you can afford, at least once a week i've someone come into the office holding a drawer or a door that they got cheap somewhere else that they want us to fix. Cheap hinges, drawer runners, larders etc are a nightmare as are chipboard carcass!

k123456

why "separate circuit for fridge/ freezer" ?

and thinking of getting under cabinet kights , which work on a motion sensor,
anyone got these and they work OK

Carlow52

k123456 wrote: »

why "separate circuit for fridge/ freezer" ?

Couple of reasons.
1: some people like to run the dishwasher etc at night on the night rate circuit so...
2: if your sockets trip at least the fridge freezer stays on: this means the fridge circuit is not on the socket circuit but if socket is marked then should be okay
3: if u want to work on the power circuits, eg adding sockets etc no rush as fridge freezer stays on.

4: When going on holidays some people like to kill the power circuits for TV's sky boxes etc and other standby stuff

awnow

k123456 wrote: »

and thinking of getting under cabinet kights , which work on a motion sensor,
anyone got these and they work OK

Consider L.E.D strips for your under counter lights - produces good even contious spread of light. Using 'T5' fluorescents are also good. You could put a recessed sensor in the ceiling which will pick up better.

Elbow

k123456 wrote: »

thinking of getting under cabinet kights , which work on a motion sensor,
anyone got these and they work OK

I'm assuming you want the lights under the wall units?, if so you've a few options depending on the style of kitchen your going for.

1: You can get strips of LED's that can be easily machined into the bottoms of the units. A nice neat job & the light is pretty good. I've used them on a good few projects.
2: A strip light fixed behind your pelmet will give good light but personally i find them 2 bulky
3: Spot lights with a mounting depth of 20mm can be got, but 2 use these you need a second panel under the units with 64mm holes 2 fit the lights into, aswell as groves 2 conceal the wires. Again a nice neat job but it depends on the style of kitchen


I cant see any problem with linking any of these options to a motion sensor, but i aint a sparks either so dont take my word as gospel

uptowngirly

On the subject of lights, I love plinth lights in the kitchen, they look lovely and can give a different look at night!

lempsipmax

In the unit under the sink or somewhere like that, sink a little square pit (for want of a better word) it should hold a shallow plastic tray. At floor level under this unit unit leave a 1 inch slot about the width of a brush. When you are sweeping the floor, brush the sweepings through the slot and into the tray, empty the tray periodically. Never have to mess with a brush and pan again.

paddy147

Light shelves and coloured glass bottles do a nice job of relaxation and style.:)

soldsold

Paddy147,

The light shelf looks great - where did you buy it?

Also the dark brown marble is hard to source at a decent price, did you find a good supplier?

Thanks!

Steve

paddy147

soldsold wrote: »

Paddy147,

The light shelf looks great - where did you buy it?

Also the dark brown marble is hard to source at a decent price, did you find a good supplier?

Thanks!

Steve

Thanks Steve.

The 2 Mira light shelves were bought from "In House" (aka the Paneling Centre) in Santry,by me and at trade price.My builder gave me a good contact in In House to deal with.;)

The brown marble border tiles (9 square meters) were bought from the Dublin Tile and Bathroom Center out behind Shamrock Rovers new stadium in Tallaght.

I haggled on it and also 35 square meters of cream marbile tiling (600 x 600 x 25mm size).

It was bought in for another build,but the original build it was intended for,want t!ts up so I got 1st refusal on the job lot.:D

Again,thanks to my builder for the heads up on the marble.

I was actually out in the tile and bathroom centre just to buy the floor and wall tiles for the bathrooms,when I found out about the crates of marble tiles.

Kinda sad to say this,but someone else missfortune and loss was and is my gain.

My girlfriend came up with the coloured bottles and small decorative vazes on the shelf lights,she bought a heap of them in Ikea.She filed up a few of them with some made smelly/scented coloured gravel stuff.
I have to say its really nice and relaxing to sit and watch the TV out there,and even doing the cooking is nice and relaxing thanks to the smells from those bottles.

2 euro per bottle.