What do you love / hate about your kitchen?

amother

Wed, Feb 14 2024, 12:33 pm

I’m currently redoing my house. I have a very small gally style kitchen. The kitchen is 90 inches wide and 171 inches long. It’s right next to the dining room. The back wall has a window. The kitchen is ideally shaped like a sideways ches. The open side would have a peninsula with the option of floating cabinets they would be shorter at eye level.

I would like to include:
2 sinks
2 dishwashers (dairy can be 18 inches)
2 ovens
1 microwave

Since the house is small, there is no coat closet on that floor. I would love somewhere to put a broom and mop.

Any ideas on how to be strategic with the space to fit everything and maximize?

Or have a recommendation on someone who can help?

amother

IndianRed

Wed, Feb 14 2024, 2:36 pm

Since you don't have a lot of space to work with, I would suggest you consider a kitchen designer to make sure you get it right. You also need to consider how you like to cook and bake, how you like to organize things, and what things would be practical for you, and what would be annoying. And what you might like, and what might work for you, may not be the same as someone else.
Some of the features I like in my kitchen are a set of 2 deep drawers that I keep my pots in. It's a lot easier than a cupboard to store them. I have my ovens mounted one above the other, with a half size cupboard below the oven that I keep my trays in. I love how my ovens are high enough that I'm not bending down, also it's safer as children can't reach or touch the hot door when at the baby and toddler stage.
We have the boiler in our kitchen in the corner and we built a full floor to ceiling cupboard to hide it, and that's where my broom and mop live.
One of the things I regret is that I don't have deep enough sinks. My sinks are regular sized and I find it's really difficult to wash pots up as I don't have the space. And I can't pile much up in my sink. My sil has these full sized sinks that you can fit so much more in.
Something I only saw much later that I would consider if I ever redid my kitchen is kick steps. This is a step that comes out where the skirting board would be under a cupboard. I thought that was really clever for when you need a step to reach things.
And the classic junk drawer, where I have keys and all the random things that somehow exist and need a non home.
Something the previous owners had done which is useful, is that the dining room is back to back with the kitchen, and they made a serving hatch window through. It's great especially when we have guests as I can start serving or plating food and just pass it through, rather than having to walk all the way round. It goes faster, plus it's safer with full bowls of soup.

amother

Ivory

Mon, Mar 04 2024, 4:28 pm

Know your hard budget before you start!!
All those drawers, which are phenomenal, and all the pullouts and kick toes and extras are so so so much more money. I would recommend drawers and a pullout trash and yes they are worth the money, but know that all the pretty things you see in people’s pictures and homes cost a lot of money.
Be realistic with what you can afford and be super clear about allowances and what is and isn’t included in your contractor’s quote.

amother

NeonPurple

Mon, Mar 04 2024, 10:11 pm

If you can in any way spend the money please use a kitchen designer. This is what they do every day so the knowledge and experience is worth a lot.
As someone who did my kitchen a few years ago , and cooks a lot :
- Pay attention as you go about your work in your current kitchen before you renovate , eg do you find yourself walking too far to your garbage ? Reaching too far for your towels ? Do you work better with your counter to the right side of the sink or to the oven or the other way around ? Paying attention will give you information what works for you , you’re the one who counts the most in this project.
- go for the deep sinks. It makes a difference. And if you can get a square shaped sink instead of a D or round shaped.
- lower drawers for pots pans are easier than lower cabinets
- if you can put a narrow vertical cabinet on the side of your oven, or where ever you find room , it is great to store cookie sheets, trays etc.
good luck and try to enjoy the process