#design #kitchens #appliances #baking #reno
Ok, planning of our kitchen has begun! Not sure when it’s going to actually happen, but it will, so I want to be ready. I’m looking for tips re good & bad ovens, freestanding vs under bench or wall mounted. Combo vs separate microwave. Steam oven, is it a wank? At this stage I’m looking at 2 normal size under bench ovens beside each other , I really can’t wrap my head around $7-$8000.00 for an oven with reviews no better than a $1000.00 one. Fridges, cooktops and range hoods, energy efficiency, noise levels when operating, knobs and handles etc. With dodgy hands ease of knobs and dials is essential. Any other tips such as cupboards vs drawers, or the second small bar sink I’m considering adding would be greatly appreciated. Sink in island bench vs sink in countertop. Love the sleek look sinks but I reckon you need a pretty decent draining board, especially when a lot of heavy pots get used. 2 drawer dishwasher vs normal dishwasher, it just goes on and on but I think a lot of you have probably wished you’d done things differently and I’d like to know about it.
From what I’ve been researching it certainly doesn’t equate that the more $$$ you spend equals more quality when it comes to white goods. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.
Around The Mulberry Tree 
I have a 2 drawer dishwasher and love it. It is perfect for just the 2 of us as does not take ages to fill. Top from the cabinetmaker: Make sure you alternate the use of the drawers because if you tend to only use one drawer most of the time the seals will perish on the unused one.
Sink – I have a double sink but only one draining board – I wish I had one on both sides. I do not like staking dishes on the benchtop – would rather they were on the sink. Maybe that’s just me…….
I have mostly drawers rather than cupboards and they are so much easier to access. The corner cupboards have swing-out shelves so all the space is usable. Definitely get the soft-closing drawers and cupboards.
I have a gas cooktop, separate electric wall oven and a microwave in an alcove under the bench. That is not ideal but better for me than having it on a high shelf as I am not tall and I worry about pulling hot things out from higher than my shoulder.
My favourite thing is the appliance cupboard which I designed to fit the jug, breadmaker, juicer, toaster and sandwich maker with a roll down door.
Don’t forget the lighting. We have 8 downlights and 4 switches – 2 on each switch. 2 lights over the bench near the stove, 2 over the sink, 2 over the breakfast bar and 2 centred in the middle of the room for general lighting. This works really well and we usually only have 4 on at any given time – depends what I am doing.
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Thanks, hadn’t thought too much about lighting as part of the kitchen plan so will make sure Ive got that covered. Hard isn’t it, oven too high worry about dropping things and I’m concerned under bench ones may be too low. Everyone seems to be touting drawers! Thanks.
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Editing – “Tip from the cabinetmaker” and “stacking dishes”!!
By the way, we renovated our kitchen from scratch about 6 years ago.
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Microwave at bench height rather than above.
Roll-out drawers for pots.
Corner cupboards with swing-out shelves.
Most used spot (?sink) below window looking out onto garden (if you have one…window I mean…I know you have a garden 😉 ).
Good lighting over all benches.
Pantry with roll-out drawers for small items (a friend just put one in…it’s great…nothing gets lost at the back).
Under-bench oven (easier/safer to lift hot dishes up than down).
Wall cupboards higher than you can reach are useless.
Not rapt in island benches….like everything round the edges and plenty of space to dance around in the centre.
Plenty of power points.
Space for hanging frequently-used utensils (I have my electric knife, stick blender, etc hanging on the side of a cupboard which would otherwise be a blank space).
Exciting times ahead for you!!
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Swing out shelves? Haven’t seen them anywhere, sound interesting. I’m aiming not to have any corner cupboards, just straight lines. Not doing overhead cupboards either, I like open shelving at an easy to reach height. Lucky I’m not too concerned about having things stark and hidden so it looks like no one uses the room! Got the design nailed I think just need to know more about whitegoods, sinks and get some more tips. Reviews seem to indicate they are all pretty poor. Thanks for your input. PS, I have got about 6 seed heads on the elderflower, how/is yours going? 🙂
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After only having our cabinet full of draws for only a few weeks I’m a draws girl all the way.
We have a SMEG freestanding oven and I knick-named it “Shit Made Electrical Goods” in the first year we had it. It had/has dodgy knobs that get red hot when you have the griller on and we have done that many door seals I should have shares in the company. Having said all that, it has been a trojan and it’s coming up 10 yrs with no other problems and I’d always go for a free standing unit…I wish you could get one with a separate grill though.
I love my microwave a bench height.
I’m dying for a double sink and it will have a draining board at each side.
We have 2 rows of lights that are both have their own switch – I very rarely use both at once.
Fridge is a Samsung Silver nano – awesome – freezer above fridge.
Hope that helps with the decisions 🙂
Jan x
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