Talk kitchens to me, LJ!

[radegund]

...I love it when you talk kitchens!

We're planning ours, and I'm gathering tips.

Kitchens You Have Known: what has worked for you, and what hasn't? What seemed like a crazy idea but ended up being invaluable? What seemed sensible but was actually a nuisance? What's the niftiest kitchen storage arrangement you've encountered? What would your Dream Kitchen feature?

Our kitchen will be medium-sized, at 4.2m by 3.2m (excluding dining area). We'll have an island unit, with everything else along two walls, but other than that it's all pretty much up for discussion. I think I get the "work triangles" principle - can anyone tell me whether it makes a difference in practice? Someone told me recently that kitchen layout should reflect [right-]handedness, but was unfortunately unable to elaborate. Anyone heard of this? (I'm mildly ambidextrous, but comfortable being right-handed in the kitchen, if that makes a difference.)

mollydot kindly sent me a link to this article, which I find interesting but vaguely worrisome :-) I mean to say, what if, for instance, we believe we are following the doctrines therein set out, but in fact WE ARE DELUDED FOOLZ and will therefore suffer forever from improperly positioned drawers (hurr hurr) or a surfeit of focal points? Have you picked up any nuggets of layout theory that you'd care to share?

Bring on the kitcheny wisdom! I thank you.

Comments

[buzzy-bee.livejournal.com]

I loved my Ikea kitchen in the old house - we had some issues getting it installed but they were the installer not the kitchen. Advantages were that it had *loads* of pull-out shelves in the units (only the under-sink cupboard was just a shelf, but the wall units were shelves) and the cupboards go all the way back so you have extra space. They also do extra high wall units so you can go all the way to the ceiling, reducing dead dust/crap collecting space on top. Ours cost 1200 quid, plus fitting and appliances, for a 3 x 3 kitchen plus a reasonable sized utility area.

They have a lot of different cabinet sizes so you can play with them to fit your space - not quite custom but close. Quality was fine, you can spend as much or as little as you like depending on door units. Carcasses are all white, but you can add decor panels on the ends if you want that look.

My understanding is that a trip to Belfast is well worthwhile, price wise.

They have an online planner I'd recommend having a play with, even if you end up going with someone else, its great to get ideas from.

Photos at my photo blog and a floor plan and a 3D image from the Ikea software

Not sure you will be able to access it but this contains before, during and after pictures

[ailbhe]

I like a trayspace, and I really like enough space on both sides of the hob to swivel even the longest handles right back without having to pass my hand over the heat.

My dream kitchen has as little storage space as possible because my dream is to have much less stuff but I also really, really like a shallow-shelved pantry cupboard.

Friends of my mother's had a drop-down table which covered a cupboard deep enough for one jamjar. I've always loved that.

[sshi.livejournal.com]

I saw a really nifty thing in IKEA, although this is not restricted to them - having a cutlery drawer with built-in partitions. Lots more space and no horrible cutlery yokes sliding up and down the drawer.

Also, consideration of space for bin, green bin and brown bin caddy. I disremember if yis have the brown bin yet over there, but either having or planning a space for it would be an idea.

[blue-monday.livejournal.com]

Our kitchen has a really rubbishy use of space, and I have dozens of ideas on how to improve it if we put a new one in. I was reasonably pleased with the kitchen in the old house.

Right handedness - I'd never really thought of it much, but it would feel more right, to me, to have the sink/drainer oriented so that the drainer is on the left. That's the main thing I can think of just now for that. Also, I like having the sink in front of the window.

Do you have any preference to having oven and hob close to one another, or oven low down or higher up? I have a preference for having oven higher up - partly for ease of use, and partly for it being out of the way of animals/children.

Um... I quite like some of the corner cupboard solutions with the turning baskets/shelves, because they're a reasonable way of making sure stuff in the cupboards is accessible through a small space.

It seems to be the little things that cause annoyances afterwards. The work triangle principles do seem to help.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

Right handedness - I'd never really thought of it much, but it would feel more right, to me, to have the sink/drainer oriented so that the drainer is on the left.

Oh! That's it! Have the drainer on the side you prefer to wash to.

[biascut.livejournal.com]

The other thing I always think of is "things to reach for when cooking". So if I'm standing over a pan at the stove, I want a cupboard on my right with salt, pepper, oil, spices, herbs, and anything else of a "chuck in" nature on my right, which opens on the right hand side. (We had that cupboard on the right at C*** E***, but it opened on the left, so wasn't nearly as convenient as it ought to have been!) On the shelf above that I'd have pasta, rice, couscous and so on, and the kettle on the worktop there.

If possible, I want to be able to get the kettle, pour the hot water into a pan, add salt and possibly cardamon, let it boil and then add pasta/rice/ without ever stopping stirring the other pan on the stove! Obviously, the times when I actually *need* to do this are pretty rare, but if it's set up for that, it's incredibly convenient for everything else.

Which way the cupboard doors open is a huge thing for me, though - no good having everything within reach if the door open towards you so you actually can't reach!

[blue-monday.livejournal.com]

Oooh, yes! I can't believe I forgot that one, given that it bugs me permanently in my kitchen. We have a double wall cupboard to the right of the hob, and the door opens to the left. Not very useful in terms of being able to reach quickly and easily. I can guess why it was designed like that, but it's not ideal.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

BTW, have you gone to kitchen places to see what designs they come up with? B&Q will let you take away the design. There's another place called InHouse, or something like that that will do up a design for free, but only let you take it if you pay money (refundable if you buy a kitchen from them, I believe)

[kasku.livejournal.com]

In one of my recent posts is a picture of the best kitchen bit in the world, and it's in my kitchen. It involves shelves and blue, and makes me very, very happy. : )

[ainetl.livejournal.com]

i'm not a fan of a lot of cupboards on the walls, i'd rather have more space up there along with some artwork. i tore out the upper cabinets and just put a row of ikea open alum shelving where we keep our everyday dishes. it's handy. also put an ikea rack for things like potholders. and one of those magnetic knife rows which i love love love.

then i had new pro cabinets installed along the bottom or floor of the kitchen with new counter-tops. some of them are pull-outs which i also love.

it hasn't been a pain at all to not have upper cabinets. minimal bending over once you get out the right pans etc. otherwise everything is VERY hand, don't need to open anything to grab things like a dish or knife or potholder.