Kitchen design - Part I
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
I’m planning a new kitchen. The one in the new (to us) flat is about 15 years old, and getting very tired. The magnetic seal round the fridge door is coming adrift, the microwave is underpowered and turntable-free, the drawers are sagging, the sink is made out of a cream coloured resin that has to be bleached daily to look halfway pristine….it's time for an update.
Following discussion and negotiation with DH* it’s been agreed that the current study will become the new kitchen. It’s a bit bigger, it’s next door so plumbing’s not too difficult, and it means that the new kitchen can be installed before the old one is ripped out.
So now it’s down to ergonomics. The existing door is in the corner of the room. That means the loss of about 2m of worktop. If we move it 1m away from the facing wall, we gain an extra metre. Is it possible (we live in a flat)? How much will it cost? What are the implications for electrical wiring? Can we put in a pocket (sliding) door or will we fall foul of fire regulations?
Assuming we can do all I want – it would be great if casual kitchen visitors in search of tea, coffee, Coke, could be kept clear of the main food preparation and cooking zones. That means the fridge, sink, and beverage zone (kettle, mugs, coffee maker, coffee grinder, glasses) need to be close to the door to stop traffic coming further into the kitchen. At the same time, if I’m cooking a big meal, it’s nice to have company, so long as I’m unlikely to stumble over it and up-end a pan of boiling stew into its lap. So an island unit with breakfast bar arranged to corral sit-down guests outside the work triangle would be great.
Talking of the work triangle, it’s amazing how often I’ve come across the statement: “The sink, hob and fridge should be arranged in a triangle. This is the work triangle.” Well, duh, I think it’s quite difficult to arrange three points in anything other than a triangle (okay, you could have a straight line, but most kitchens have a little more space than that). The point about the work triangle is that it should be unobstructed by a) objects,
major traffic flows. It should also be neither too long in circumference, nor too short (4m to 11m is considered optimum). Looking at my proposed plan – a corner of the island just intrudes on the straight line from hob to sink. Can I live with that? Probably. There are some French windows onto the terrace and the route from the main door to them cuts across the triangle. That’s okay, I can scream at my family and force them to use a different way outside.
An American style side-by-side fridge freezer with ice-maker is a must. I had one in a past life, and fiddling with ice cube trays is now very dull….. European requirements have encouraged manufacturers to come up with models that don’t intrude too much into the kitchen, and it’s easy to find ones with 70cm or less depth – some are being made to build into standard 60cm depth fitted kitchens, though they’re VERY expensive. So my choice is a Maytag model in stainless steel finish with a white icemaker, about 670mm deep.
I hate cleaning ovens. Hence the choice is either an Aga (alas, impracticable in the Mediterranean climate though I do miss the one I had until 6 months ago) or pyrolysis. Most manufacturers do a single pyrolytic oven, but De Dietrich have a double model as well, and also a shallow (38cm high) model. Given the space constraints, and given that I want two ovens and a microwave, I’m going for a De Dietrich single and a shallow, and a DD microwave to match.
Dishwashers need to be quiet. Anything over 49dB won’t be considered. The next most important consideration is the basket configuration. A unit which uses closed loops of wire rather that prongs reduces the amount that can be squeezed in. Currently I’m considering a Siemens model, though I need to locate a physical example to check inside. Lakeland (I LOVE Lakeland) do some “Band-It Dishwasher Loops” which help to hold stemware and plastics securely. Tried, tested, recommended.
The sink will be stainless steel and incorporate two full sized bowls, a waste disposal unit, and a draining board. Composting waste is not an option here (5th floor flat – gimme a break) and recycling hasn’t reared its head yet either. But I’m sure it will – and when I do out the laundry room I’ll build in sorting facilities there. I like to feel that when I do hand washing the clean stuff can drain happily without fear of contamination from dirties. I need a big sink to rinse off debris, separated from the draining board by another big sink. Franke have the goods.
Part II later…..
* DH = dear husband
Following discussion and negotiation with DH* it’s been agreed that the current study will become the new kitchen. It’s a bit bigger, it’s next door so plumbing’s not too difficult, and it means that the new kitchen can be installed before the old one is ripped out.
So now it’s down to ergonomics. The existing door is in the corner of the room. That means the loss of about 2m of worktop. If we move it 1m away from the facing wall, we gain an extra metre. Is it possible (we live in a flat)? How much will it cost? What are the implications for electrical wiring? Can we put in a pocket (sliding) door or will we fall foul of fire regulations?
Assuming we can do all I want – it would be great if casual kitchen visitors in search of tea, coffee, Coke, could be kept clear of the main food preparation and cooking zones. That means the fridge, sink, and beverage zone (kettle, mugs, coffee maker, coffee grinder, glasses) need to be close to the door to stop traffic coming further into the kitchen. At the same time, if I’m cooking a big meal, it’s nice to have company, so long as I’m unlikely to stumble over it and up-end a pan of boiling stew into its lap. So an island unit with breakfast bar arranged to corral sit-down guests outside the work triangle would be great.
Talking of the work triangle, it’s amazing how often I’ve come across the statement: “The sink, hob and fridge should be arranged in a triangle. This is the work triangle.” Well, duh, I think it’s quite difficult to arrange three points in anything other than a triangle (okay, you could have a straight line, but most kitchens have a little more space than that). The point about the work triangle is that it should be unobstructed by a) objects,
major traffic flows. It should also be neither too long in circumference, nor too short (4m to 11m is considered optimum). Looking at my proposed plan – a corner of the island just intrudes on the straight line from hob to sink. Can I live with that? Probably. There are some French windows onto the terrace and the route from the main door to them cuts across the triangle. That’s okay, I can scream at my family and force them to use a different way outside.An American style side-by-side fridge freezer with ice-maker is a must. I had one in a past life, and fiddling with ice cube trays is now very dull….. European requirements have encouraged manufacturers to come up with models that don’t intrude too much into the kitchen, and it’s easy to find ones with 70cm or less depth – some are being made to build into standard 60cm depth fitted kitchens, though they’re VERY expensive. So my choice is a Maytag model in stainless steel finish with a white icemaker, about 670mm deep.
I hate cleaning ovens. Hence the choice is either an Aga (alas, impracticable in the Mediterranean climate though I do miss the one I had until 6 months ago) or pyrolysis. Most manufacturers do a single pyrolytic oven, but De Dietrich have a double model as well, and also a shallow (38cm high) model. Given the space constraints, and given that I want two ovens and a microwave, I’m going for a De Dietrich single and a shallow, and a DD microwave to match.
Dishwashers need to be quiet. Anything over 49dB won’t be considered. The next most important consideration is the basket configuration. A unit which uses closed loops of wire rather that prongs reduces the amount that can be squeezed in. Currently I’m considering a Siemens model, though I need to locate a physical example to check inside. Lakeland (I LOVE Lakeland) do some “Band-It Dishwasher Loops” which help to hold stemware and plastics securely. Tried, tested, recommended.
The sink will be stainless steel and incorporate two full sized bowls, a waste disposal unit, and a draining board. Composting waste is not an option here (5th floor flat – gimme a break) and recycling hasn’t reared its head yet either. But I’m sure it will – and when I do out the laundry room I’ll build in sorting facilities there. I like to feel that when I do hand washing the clean stuff can drain happily without fear of contamination from dirties. I need a big sink to rinse off debris, separated from the draining board by another big sink. Franke have the goods.
Part II later…..
* DH = dear husband