Kitchen Design

Interesting question, Hemulen. ;-)

1st house
Kitchen was small but opened from hall and dining room so I wasn't too claustrophobic.
Did not have pantry but I had the cabinets replaced with taller ones so this wasn't a big issue.
Didn't have a dishwasher so we added one next to the fridge.
Microwave took up valuable counter space.
Gas stove (preference).
No room for a table set so all meals were in dining room or family room.

2nd house
Kitchen was open, but I didn't calculate losing cabinet/cupboard space.
Small pantry offered easy access to non-perishables and spices.
Dishwasher was between sink and fridge so easy to load/unload.
Microwave built in above the stove saving counter space.
Gas stove (preference).
Table set off kitchen near back windows (nice view).

Apartment now
Kitchen is small but it's just me now so it's okay.
No pantry but I have a large storage closet in my unit that I use as a pantry.
No dishwasher (it's me! -).
Microwave is on a cart outside my kitchen, closer to the dining table.
Electric stove (don't care for it at all but am learning to cook on it).
Table set is in small area off from the living room.
 
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I sort of designed my very small galley kitchen - or rather I should say that Wickes designed it but I got a say in what went where, the types of units etc. I also suggested the curved units at the end. This was wasted space otherwise as the counter (if square ended) would not be able to extend that far. No big fridge freezer just a small fridge under the counter. I've got a big fridge freezer under the stairs. I like the pull out 'larder' which maximises space too.

It leads from what is currently used as a sitting room and goes through to a downstairs bathroom.

49889


View from bathroom end:

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The pull out (crammed) 'larder'

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The kitchen of our summer shack/cabin (where we spend most of our time in the summer) is very low key but sufficient. We just bought a new microwave which sits on a stool on top of a breadbox in the left corner (out of the shot), next to an old fire stove which is no longer in use. There's a basic electric hob/oven range/stove with cast iron hobs next to the sink. The plumbing is basic: just cold water from the lake, a natural pebble infiltration well/gully outside and an electric kettle for heating a small amount of water for dishwashing (by hand). I love the simplicity and traditional feel there albeit I'm fond of ultramodern design. We don't even have a shower there; we just dip into the lake and warm the sauna stove and the adjacent large water container 4-5 times a week with firewood.

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Morning Glory said:
I sort of designed my very small galley kitchen - or rather I should say that Wickes designed it but I got a say in what went where, the types of units etc. I also suggested the curved units at the end. This was wasted space otherwise as the counter (if square ended) would not be able to extend that far. No big fridge freezer just a small fridge under the counter. I've got a big fridge freezer under the stairs. I like the pull out 'larder' which maximises space too.

It leads from what is currently used as a sitting room and goes through to a downstairs bathroom.

View attachment 49889

View from bathroom end:

View attachment 49890

The pull out (crammed) 'larder'

View attachment 49891
Click to expand...
Your kitchen looks really nice, Morning Glory! The light turquoise/egg shell color on the wall is adorable and I love the thick countertop. The pull out (crammed) 'larder' is similar to the one next to the fridge at our modern villa. I find it extremely practical as you have trouble-free access to all bits and pieces.
 
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MrsDangermouse said:
Yes that's another thing I'd change too - the hob. We currently have a gas hob, but though I love cooking on gas, I hate the cleaning...gas hobs are just so fiddly to clean.

I really really want induction.....but that requires a new 32A circuit and the consumer unit is at the opposite side of the house. So we either have to run armoured cabling around the outside of the house (about £250 which isn't too bade, but I don't really want to do it for aesthetic reasons) or make lots and lots of holes in the downstairs ceilings to run it along the joists (cost...unknown! mess and disruption......a lot!).
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NEFF do an induction hob the Neff T36FB41X0G Induction Hob. It plugs into a normal 13 amp socket and is designed to do so. The glass top will smear but is easy to clean. It has 4 areas of cooking, If you require one that you can cook on any area of the hob then a wiring change will be required. We have used the Neff T36FB41X0G 8 years without any problem.
 
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Hemulen said:
The kitchen of our summer shack/cabin (where we spend most of our time in the summer) is very low key but sufficient. We just bought a new microwave which sits on a stool on top of a breadbox in the left corner (out of the shot), next to an old fire stove which is no longer in use. There's a basic electric hob/oven range/stove with cast iron hobs next to the sink. The plumbing is basic: just cold water from the lake, a natural pebble infiltration well/gully outside and an electric kettle for heating a small amount of water for dishwashing (by hand). I love the simplicity and traditional feel there albeit I'm fond of ultramodern design. We don't even have a shower there; we just dip into the lake and warm the sauna stove and the adjacent large water container 4-5 times a week with firewood.

View attachment 49892

Your kitchen looks really nice, Morning Glory! The light turquoise/egg shell color on the wall is adorable and I love the thick countertop. The pull out (crammed) 'larder' is similar to the one next to the fridge at our modern villa. I find it extremely practical as you have trouble-free access to all bits and pieces.
Click to expand...

Yeah - best I can do with what is essentially a small corridor. I manage but I don't have many appliances. No mixer, blender etc. It has poor light although I shoot most of my food photos there in front of the window (smart phones are amazingly good in low light).

Your summer cabin is lovely - I can only dream of such retreats! I rather like cooking in basic kitchens.
 
Morning Glory said:
I was looking at those - but doesn't the glass get smeary all the time? I really need a new hob and have done for a while. I wanted an electric ceramic glass top as it would be easy to clean - but MrsDangermouse (I think) said they get smeary all the time and never look perfect. I also found out that I need an isolator wall switch (which I don't have).
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I have a ceramic cooktop now. It is easy to clean, which is why I chose it, but it is still an electric cooktop. It performs exactly like the old-style electric cooktop with the coils. I don't worry about minor smears, but if I want it to look perfect, some glass cleaner works. Anything you would use to have smear-free windows and mirrors will do the same on the ceramic cooktop.

CD
 
Morning Glory said:
I sort of designed my very small galley kitchen - or rather I should say that Wickes designed it but I got a say in what went where, the types of units etc. I also suggested the curved units at the end. This was wasted space otherwise as the counter (if square ended) would not be able to extend that far. No big fridge freezer just a small fridge under the counter. I've got a big fridge freezer under the stairs. I like the pull out 'larder' which maximises space too.

It leads from what is currently used as a sitting room and goes through to a downstairs bathroom.

View attachment 49889

View from bathroom end:

View attachment 49890

The pull out (crammed) 'larder'

View attachment 49891
Click to expand...
That's a very nice kitchen!!!! :whistling:
 
It all began with a leaky Refrigerator, about a year ago. And that prompted a complete hulling out of the kitchen, dining area and living room. First went in new floors, new wall and ceiling paint. Then the windows and sliding doors were replaced with new ones. This was followed by new cabinets, new stove and new refrigerator.

As time passed, dust was at first every where, along with the noise of saws, drills and hammers. And finally, it was done.

Sorry that I cannot post pictures as it is not my kitchen, but my housemate's. It is impressive. And it all started with a leaky refrigerator that threatened to rot the flooring, why BTW is laid down panels on a concrete base.
 
flyinglentris said:
It all began with a leaky Refrigerator, about a year ago. And that prompted a complete hulling out of the kitchen, dining area and living room. First went in new floors, new wall and ceiling paint. Then the windows and sliding doors were replaced with new ones. This was followed by new cabinets, new stove and new refrigerator.

As time passed, dust was at first every where, along with the noise of saws, drills and hammers. And finally, it was done.

Sorry that I cannot post pictures as it is not my kitchen, but my housemate's. It is impressive. And it all started with a leaky refrigerator that threatened to rot the flooring, why BTW is laid down panels on a concrete base.
Click to expand...

Must have been a lot of expensive work!!!! :whistling:
 
Shermie said:
Must have been a lot of expensive work!!!! :whistling:
Click to expand...

It wasn't my budget, but hers. She let on that it was indeed quite expensive. I helped shave costs by participating in painting the walls.
 
So I've finally ordered my new appliances and I decided to treat myself :hyper:

New hob: I originally wanted a white hob to match the worktop, but there aren't many around so the few on the market cost quite a bit more (and I preferred to spend more on the oven instead). The two zones on the left can be combined into one cooking zone for large pans which will be very useful.
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New oven: only a singe oven, but it has pyrolytic cleaning, a meat probe, steam injection, and more programmes than you can shake a stick at (fan, conventional, grill, bottom heat, bread proving, etc.) I probably won't use all 19(?) of them, but it'll be nice to be able to experiment a bit :chef:


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They should be delivered tomorrow and then we just have to get the electrician in to do the work needed to install them. After my experience trying to source a new dishwasher I made sure I only ordered from places that actually have them in stock!

I'm still waiting on my new dishwasher.....I ordered it back in September but stock has been delayed and delayed so its now not expected until April :( Seems to be a combination of Covid and Brexit affecting supply chains. I got it for a really good price though, and nowhere else has that model in stock so I'll just have to be patient!
 
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