Kitchens

We had our kitchen extended into the garden five years ago, and it still gives me a thrill when I go into it. Like Katek, we have curved ivory gloss units with black granite worktops with a sparkle in them. The floor is cream ceramic tiles which have a bit of a glint to them when the sun shines. The area between wall units and worktops is covered by glass tiles in pale greens and blues. There are feature lights set into the plinths underneath the cupboards which come on with the under wall unit lights. I retained my Neff double oven, and we bought a large side by side fridge and freezer unit with filtered water dispenser.

The extension into the garden has one wall of bifold doors that open right out, large windows, glass door and sky lights, so it kind of resembles a conservatory, but with the option to build upwards on top should anyone wish to do so.

I love it now, but we had the builder from hell, in the end I had to tell him to leave it, pack up and go, his constant demands for extra money (such as paying his workmen for days when they could not work due to snow, or making good when his digger went through our water supply!) left my husband close to a nervous collapse with the strain. We hired one of his sub contracted workmen to come back and finish the job, and heaved a sigh of relief!

I moved from a huge country kitchen/family room in our last house and have never been so glad! It looked wonderful but took ages to clean and I hated mopping the acres of floor. We now have a very nice manageable sized kitchen, all cream gloss and black sparkly glass splashbacks. We can fit a table in for casual dining so it's ideal.

We had our new kitchen fitted 3 yeas ago, we have been in this house 15 years so deliberated for quite a while before we went ahead, but am still happy with it. I made sure that we had a built in conventional and microwave oven that we reach up for rather than the under oven we had before, and which I was glad to get rid of, likewise the microwaves on the work surface they take up too much room. I'm also not keen on range type cookers for the same reason, too big. We have an induction hob, silestone work surfaces surfaces and a pull out larder cupboard. Apart from the cupboards above the housing unit I prefer shelves on the wall rather than wall cupboards. The fridge is an intergrated larder type and again not an under one, the only appliance uner the counter is the intergrated dishwasher, the rest of our appliances are in the garage. We have Fired Earth large earthenware type tiles on the floor. Our kitchen is a kitchen dining room combined we have a circular table that seat about six but the grandchildren prefer to sit on stools at the breakfast bar, where they do their drawing as well as eating. I think they like the feeling of being high up, still being quite young. Our kitchen looks out on to our courtyard garden, where we have our garden table, parasol and plants and that looks out on to communal gardens which go down to the Thames where there are moorings and we can see boats bobbing about.

I love my (reasonably new) house but the kitchen is a galley kitchen - its less than 7 feet wide - but it does look out onto the garden and it has two windows letting in plenty of light which really helps. We did think of losing the downstairs toilet and having it made bigger but didn't bother in the end - we had it done this year and its still a lovely kitchen - although i would have loved a kitchen diner - don't like the middle islands though .

I had my inexpensive dream kitchen installed earlier this year, white gloss units, black work surfaces and white/lime green tiles, white walls, dark grey tiled floors..
It's simple and I love it ?
It's the first new kitchen I've ever had!

We had a kitchen extension a few years ago as although we were happy with the house the kitchen was far too small. It's been great when looking after the grand-children as there is room for a table and they often sit there to draw or paint. Due to load bearing walls there were some funny corners so we decided to splash out on a made to measure kitchen. Something the designer said made me comment that we did intend to cook in there. He replied that he fitted many kitchens where he knew they were just for show as people were coming up with totally impractical ideas! It's now well used but I love it.

It's a wonderful kitchen, Marmight. It's almost like a wide-open space, it's so light, bright and fresh.
My house is quite old and tiny - and so is the kitchen. The cupboards were put in 25 years ago when we moved in, and although the cupboard doors were still not too bad, I thought it might be an idea to get a joiner to put new ones on. He didn't seem terribly impressed by how little we felt was necessary to make a kitchen 'work' for us. We are quite simple souls and like to gather and use old kitchenalia. In the end, we decided to ditch the idea of new cupboard doors, once again painted the old ones and bought a variety of colourful ceramic knobs from Ebay.

Oh that's sad Marmight.

I am very lucky, I have my dream kitchen. I waited 30 years for it - DH designed and built it and then a year later died so only I have really had the benefit which is sad. It is big, has tiled floors with underfloor heating - wonderful - best thing since sliced bread! Next best thing is the induction hob - ultra efficient and easy to clean. A walk-in larder, a plate warming drawer, double fridge freezers, combination microwave, oven, dishwasher and modern gas fire - all the bells and whistles. I have a squishy leather sofa and 2 chairs overlooking the garden, a small dining table + 4 chairs and a desk with laptop etc. so basically, I live in it and just go upstairs to bed. Sadly I shall soon be moving on and leaving the kitchen will be heartbreaking. It was J's swan song......

Ah well- each to their own - I love living kitchens moi ;)

I lived in a large 4 bedroom house for 21 years which had a very small kitchen but learned to live with it, we then downsized to a 2 bedroom Park Home which had a lovely kitchen/dinner. Kitchen had lots of storage space & dining area was separated by a breakfast bar (which we never used) with glass fronted cupboards over & it had a slimline dishwasher, I'd never had one before I adored it.

Following by DH sad death 3 years ago I finally decided to move & came to Devon to be nearer my DD & family. I am now in a one bedroom Park Home - very small kitchen but well designed (less storage space so DD has benefited from my clear out) - as there is only me it suits.

I hate underfloor heating, my idea of hell, Tiles are fine but as pointed out if you drop something "it doesn't bounce". Don't get me started on Butler's sinks - I HATE them - my Granny had one back in the post 1st WW years & still had it in the 60's , my DGPs lived in Station House owned by the Railway (DGD was a signalman)

Don't things change? Not all that long ago ( historically speaking) only the poor ate in the kitchen! Now ( according to the often ridiculous Escape To The Country) the whole world must eat in 'the heart of the home' next to the Aga and the butler sink.

PS....I can thoroughly recommend an induction hop....so easy to use that even DH enjoys using it for steaming veggies on.
No messy stainless steel areas to clean
either. YAY !!

We kept the good quality carcasses and changed the doors from dark to light oak ones from b&q....very good quality.... and bought when they were a third off the normal price. Worktops are mottled green as are the wall tiles and I've recently revamped it up with Purple items like toaster and kitchen role holder etc and a lovely large glass worktop saver with Purple Lavenders design....I love Purple or Amethyst colours ! Kitchen opens onto the conservatory which overlooks the s/w garden. Dining table and tub chairs are in there and it's my favourite room.

I do have my dream kitchen because I was able choose everything that would make life easier as I get older. When we moved abroad the kitchen measured 10m by 4m but the actual units etc only took up about 2.5m. There was a huge heavy 12 seater table and an equally cumbersome sideboard display unit. Now the kitchen is about 6m by 4m and is all labour saving. I have deep drawers instead of cupboards and the three corner units have those revolving pull out shelves. The two ovens are at eye level and I have a large pullout larder unit. Everything is designed to be easy to use as we get older. I do have a separate utility room but I would have loved to have had a walk in larder. I felt it was the last time I would have the chance to plan a kitchen so I went for everything I wanted. Having moved around a lot I often see houses I like but the kitchens are never a patch on this one so it least it stops me wanting to move which pleases my husband.

Lillie has discribed my ideal kitchen

ahah I get you there- and Iam VERY lucky to have 2 kitchens- so when entertaining do most of the prep/cooking there just across from our kitchen.

I would hate a kitchen where everyone could congregate - I hate having people standing in my kitchen when I'm busy, and I hated our dining kitchen in the last house we had. I do a lot of cooking, and I want to walk away from the clutter of preparation (and with me, there always is!), not eat with it around me. I have a reasonable sized kitchen in this house, but since we had it refitted two years ago, the layout works better and it is much easier to keep clean. We eschewed the big companies and used a small local kitchen fitting firm. Couldn't have been a better experience.

Bijou I want a wonderful kitchen, and I DO know how to cook. I have as I said only a small galley kitchen, but we have a table in it just big enough for the two of us. I spend most of my time in the kitchen, have the laptop on the table now whilst doing this.

Having such a small kitchen though it would be a help if we had a dining room. I have never, and will never have food in the sitting room. Have always set the table properly and we have always eaten our meals, and snacks sitting at the table.

I don't entertain, only Son and his Family and they manage to fit in somehow. Even if I had a HUGE kitchen like the one I described in my first post I would not entertain, I would love the space just for me.
I have done a bit of upcycling myself here as I don't like everything matching. My latest is an old cupboard which has been living in the garage for 10 yrs. Having made sure it has no woodworm I painted it in farrow and ball molesbreath and pitch blue. I have it under the worktop nearest the door and we keep our shoes in it:-)

A lot of people have wonderful kitchens but don't know how to cook. My large stainless steel sink and unit is 40 years old the rest 28 years. It is large enough to have table and chairs, have walkin larder. No high wall cupboards and big window overlooking the back garden. I love cooking and always cook everything from scratch and never eat out. My son offered to have it renewed but it suits me. He can do what he likes when I am gone.
During the ten years we spent travelling by caravan in Europe I was able to cook very good meals and even made marmalade in Seville.

In 47 years of marriage I have just (2 years ago) had my second new kitchen fitted and it's lovely. b&q top of the range which we finish paying off painlessly on interest free credit very soon. Though the new double oven is smaller than my old single one and the fitted fridge freezer has a tiny freezer so need another outside for overflow. I love the little lights under the units.
In all the houses we have lived in over the years we have put up with whatever kitchen /bathroom was there, never had the money or inclination to change it just because we may not have particularly liked it. Not the same now when perfectly good kitchens are ripped out on a fairly regular basis just because! most of our furniture was second or even third hand which we kept for years, I only know one young couple who not having the money to buy new have furnished and fitted their entire home courtesy of free cycle and it looks fine.

Our kitchen has three doors in it. Ridiculous really. Makes it hard to fit it out.

tanith to save money, I kept my kitchen carcases and had the doors replaced earlier this year. I also had 2 new cupboards added. This was done by Kitchen Magic and it was a fraction of what it could have cost.

It is a very small kitchen , my f/f is in the dining area but I do have a fridge in the kitchen with a w/machine and dishwasher.

We are just looking at replacing our perfectly good but very dated kitchen but we have new appliances and I love my oven so its going to be new cupboards with deep slide out drawers instead of opening doors, I want a larder cupboard where the inside slides out when you open the door. We've just been looking at Hygena some of which are lovely... its the planning and sorting out what will go where I'm having trouble with our kitchen layout is very set in stone as we have French doors out to the garden and another door and window which take up one whole wall plus. I might get round to actually installation sometime next year

An old miners' cottage sounds so romantic.

I'm not bothered about kitchens. Mine's ok. Had tthe cupboards doors and surfaces replaced a few years back, as a complete new one would have to be made to measure and I can't stand the thought of the disruption.