Help changing kitchen layout

RyanAsh

Hi all i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for how we can change our kitchen layout. We've just bought a new home and its newly built, everything is perfect except the kitchen layout. I've attached a schematic (not to scale as i dont have the dimensions on me) but basically its a very large kitchen in an L shape, the long part of the L runs practically the whole width of the back of the house. The builder has put in a single wall kitchen along this long wall which i dont think will work at all, the quality of the kitchen units he has in are great though so i dont want to just sell it and start again if i can avoid it, we would have a small budget to work with - any suggestions for how we can make it work - by adding extra units or an island etc? Or should i look to start all over again and if so any suggestions for a good layout? Thanks v much!

nice1franko

I'm no expert but I'll throw in a general suggestion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_Work_Triangle

Also, it kind of annoys me when the the fridge is beside the dishwasher or cooker since, I'd imagine, the fridge needs to work a lot more to keep the temperature down.

RyanAsh

ya id like to have the work triangle alright but its how to get that is my issue

rcdk1

Well if you want to form a work triangle then you'll have to move something (obviously!). It's unlikely that you'll re-plumb the sink so I would suggest moving either the fridge or hob to the wall opposite the sink (possibly both???). Is there enough room to do this? Also if the kitchen is already fitted can you get the same units to form a new counter and fill any gaps in the existing counter?

Even if you have a different brand of kitchen you might find the kitchen planner off the Ikea website useful to plan the kitchen
(Note: the version I used before was downloadable where as this seems runs within the web browser. Also, it doesn't run in Google Chrome, only Internet Explorer and Firefox).

pride of place

If you don't have a large budget, I would leave as is - there are a lot of kitchens that function well in one line. You can add other things to make the room feel right. Try open shelves opposite the fridge and dishwasher and add a big table in the room to make it feel homely. I have attached a link to a blog post I did with some kitchen images with open shelves and large tables to show what I mean.

http://www.prideofplaceid.com/2011/04/kitchens-scandinavian-style.html

Good luck whatever you decide to do

Ectoplasm

The 'work triangle' is a little bit dated actually and also, as you have an in-line kitchen, isn't really achievable. This link has some pretty detailed information on optimal kitchen design. Hope this helps.

Edit: This page has details on different type of kitchen layout.

antoinolachtnai

I think the layout is fine. Anything else would encroach on the serving area. If you want to do something with it, I would suggest purchasing a counter unit on castors. You can move this around if you need to.

In terms of the 'work triangle', what you have is actually fine. A flat work triangle is still a work triangle. The point of the work triangle was to allow you to get from point to point without running into anything. If you have ever hit your hip off a counter whilst dashing around a kitchen, you understand the basis of the work triangle. That is all there really is to it. If you put an island or something in there, you might create obstructions either as you work, or between the kitchen and the serving area. (As stated above, the work triangle is no longer a fashionable tool for designing kitchens, although it is far from being completely worthless. Just remember the thing with banging your hip.)

You'll see Islands and peninsula arrangements in kitchen showrooms. They look nice in that setting, but they aren't necessarily practical. Even in a pretty big house, they don't necessarily work. A unit on castors or a trolley can give you the same workspace, but in a much more flexible way.

The other thing you can do is with lighting. You can more strongly define the eating area from the preparation area using lights. You could also consider some sort of divider to informally break up the space.

I would go along with that layout for at least a couple of months and see how it works out.

I wouldn't worry about the fridge being next to dishwasher. The dishwasher keeps most of the heat in.

Pinky123

Hiya,

Its kinda hard to know what will work in your space without dimensions but the general rule of thumb is to allow 1.2 mts clearance around an island/peninsular unit to make it feasible. The straight run that you already have can definitely work as long as there is sufficient work top between all the appliances to allow for prep and serving. If you do go with the idea of an island, either matching or contracting the existing units, it can be a great prep area and I also find mine perfect for serving up plates to the dining table. The other benefit is that it brings the working space closer to the area the family or guests will be sitting in and therefore less isolated.

Standard double round worktop comes in at 900mm deep and 620mm deep so if that is the type of worktop you are planning on using than these are the two depths you will have to work with. I generally suggest that if you can make up a dummy island/peninsular unit from cardboard box's and see how you manage working around it, it can really help you make a decision on size and orientation

To increase storage you could add units to the wall running off the utility room, by the looks of your plan it might be quite shallow but even units that are 400mm deep will dramatically improve your storage.

HTH

paddy147

I had a similar problem,I wanted a large kitchen and I also wanted maximum floor space,so I went for more units and also had a nice floor space too.

In House designed and then redesigned the kitchen so many times for me (due to me changing my mind all the time) that Im sure they were kinda glad to see the back of me.:D

The carpenter also did a bit of custom work to build in the condensor dryer too,as I wanted a clean flowing look and didnt want a white dryer sticking out like a sore thumb and ruining the overall look.

Dee42

paddy147 wrote: »

I had a similar problem,I wanted a large kitchen and I also wanted maximum floor space,so I went for more units and also had a nice floor space too.

In House designed and then redesigned the kitchen so many times for me (due to me changing my mind all the time) that Im sure they were kinda glad to see the back of me.:D

The carpenter also did a bit of custom work to build in the condensor dryer too,as I wanted a clean flowing look and didnt want a white dryer sticking out like a sore thumb and ruining the overall look.

Lovely job Paddy147. Where did you get the doors going into the kitchen? Are they sliding doors?

niceoneted

Rather than have a separate oven and hob would you combine them where the hob is. Put the Fridge where the oven was to go and I would put in a tall larder unit where the fridge is due to go. That is what I would do. It also brings the fridge/cooker/sink closer.

ParkerNicole

When thinking of ideas for designing your kitchen, you can either consider one- one part of the kitchen at a time or pick up a complete theme. You can choose a particular look for the kitchen floor, the walls, the storing place etc. this can be done in various ways depending upon the amount of money you are willing to spend, the lay out of the kitchen and your taste.