Saturday 8 November 2014

Our Kitchen

Sometimes when I talk about what I'm doing on our little homestead people suggest things that would be useful in the kitchen. Our kitchen has one major downside - It's not very big! This limits the gizmo's I can have and limits me to a little hand blender and hand kitchen tools, not that that's a bad thing.

It measures just 10ft by 7ft but it has three doorways in it so making the usable space just 7ft by 7ft. This space includes the washing machine, dishwasher, fridge, sink, cooker and hob, plus just enough workspace to make a sandwich! In the 1950's, when they built this house, kitchen space wasn't such a priority as it is now.
Don't feel sorry for us though, we've got planning permission for an extension which will include a nice sized kitchen and this little kitchen will become a utility room. I plan on making the kitchen from scratch myself and we're going to spend a bit of time designing it so it works well for our little family and will last along time. a little more space would be nice though, it soon gets messy and some and when I'm dishing up food it can be a juggling act.
How big is everyone else's kitchen? Anyone got one smaller?

25 comments:

  1. Our kitchen is a lounge and a kitchen combined. I often eat my meals on the coffee table watching the television. We also have a utility room for all those white goods that make lots of noise. Is your extension going to be a kitchen and a sun room?

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    1. Kitchen dinner, so should have a table in there as well. I think a utility room would be really helpful, there's a huge one at mum and dads farmhouse and it's so useful.

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  2. Our first house had a kitchen with a similar usable space. Our next two kitchens have all been long and narrow but nothing very roomy. I dream of a lovely farmhouse style table in my kitchen but British homes all tend to have small kitchens unless they have a combined kitchen diner. What a cute little presenter- what a natural : ))

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    1. She's a good presenter! Yeah I'd love a big kitchen where we can all eat so hopefully when the extension is built we should have that. We could take the one wall out here and make the space much more usable but it's pretty pointless as we're building the extension.

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  3. Kev, what does it mean "planning for permission?" From who? Or, I guess, since I am betting it is government, from what?

    I like your kitchen. Functional, and that's what counts.

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    1. It's rather like building permits in the US to ensure that what you're putting up is safe, actually on your land, has the required facilities (sewage etc) and isn't made of materials that are harmful or clash with its existing building.
      Most British houses are brick, block or stone walled.
      Like local government services it's variable in its quality and standards.
      The real trouble starts when, like my brothers house, it is a listed building. Parts of his house date back to the 12th century with additions by practically every generation. However this leads to Grade 1 listed building status and almost every alteration require the input of CADW heredin Wales or a different body in England and Scotland.
      But then this does prevent unscrupulous development of historic buildings so it does have a meaningful role.

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    2. Like Ro said! Although planning permission is very dependant on the current planning officers opinion, one might pass something whereas another won't. It's an infuriating process. Also when you apply to make changes to your house in this way other people can offer their objections. We went for planning on a barn here and got turned down, one objector lives in the next town over!

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  4. Our present kitchen is the size of the bathtub we took out - all courtesy of a cowboy builder.
    We will probably extend across the end of the living room just to gain a little counter space but our nice planned extension is now out of our price range. We need to spend what is left on the bathroom and two bedrooms which are also unfinished. I think what annoys me most is that the builder was registered and we spoke to his last clients too. I think he saw us as a cosy way to fill in the winter - until we pulled the plug - way too late for our budget though.

    viv in nz

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    1. That's the trouble with some builders. I'd recommend never going for the cheapest price and get the recommendation of a friend. Sounds like you did the right thing but still got done, it's a shame as it gives all builders a bad name and you've obliviously lost out. Hopefully you'll be able to do something to make your space more usable.

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  5. Every house we have been in has come with compact and bijou kitchens and every house we extended the kitchen, our last one we built a massive 23ft kitchen with an island hob we wont be doing something as grand as that here but we have plans to increase the kitchen.

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    1. Your last kitchen sounds nice! Just a little bigger would do me but our plans will make for a nice sized one we can all enjoy.

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  6. The old kitchens were not very big, neither were the bath rooms. A lot of our kitchen is not very usable because of poorly designed cabinets.

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    1. This one isn't too badly designed but I would alter it if it was staying. Our bathroom is a good size though, although it's going to get split into two when the extension is built to allow access through to a new bathroom.

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  7. I've had a smaller one but it was not real fun. Ours is an "eat in kitchen" which is convenient. Also planing a remodel soon.

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    1. The "eat in kitchen" is what we want. I could cook and watch the kids at the same time then.

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  8. How DO you manage?! Your kitchen reminds me of the kitchen we had in our first house in the UK..standing there with a pot in my hand with nowhere to put it.
    The kitchen in this house is butt ugly..not enough counter space and poor design...it's on the reno list.
    Jane x

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    1. We just manage I guess, no other choice! It's not too bad if I keep it clean, but it can soon slip into an usable space if I'm not careful.

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  9. I have had a smaller one, it was about 6ft by 10ft, and had two doors off it, one into the living room and a back door in exactly the same place as yours is. I made it feel a bit more spacious by having the door re-hung to open outwards, it was surprising the difference that made, especially in the summer when we could keep it open.

    I only had a washing machine, and fridge hidden behind doors in the kitchen with a hob built into the worktop above a fitted oven. The freezer lived in the front room and the dishwasher was ....me!! With only two single wall cupboards there wasn't much room to store food or plates etc, but I loved it and we managed.

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    1. Only the outside door has a door on it, but having that open outwards would be better. Our freezer is in the dinning room, humming away but it's a handy place to keep it really.

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  10. Our's isn't much larger and then only because I did some renovating to make it larger years back. It used to have a mud room entry way into it and a total of four doors leading out and in. I blocked off 1 door and removed the mudroom wall but it's still small.

    The wife complains about it all the time but then again I have never met anyone who didn't complain about a lack of counter space :)

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    1. I'd imagine you'd have a much larger kitchen as space in the states never seems to be as of much an issue as it is over here. I could have an acre of counter space and it still wouldn't be enough!

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  11. I hope you will give us a day by day account of your new kitchen extension and carpentry works. Really looking forward to seeing what you will do, when's it all going to start?

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    1. It's been going to start for a year now! The porch will be first as we're all fed up of tripping over boots and wellies. We're not borrowing any money to do it and I'm going to do as much as possible so it might not be as fast as DIY SOS!

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  12. I find that amazing you have to get permission to expand your kitchen oh your own home on your own farm. I hope yall get to build yalls dream kitchen and no one objects! :O).... I have been missing in blogland as I am working A LOT right now outside the farm at the Interior Design shop... Though I have managed to peg 100 blackberries :O) as of today!

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  13. My kitchen is 11ft x 5 1/2ft. I really don't like having a tiny kitchen, but it was what was available at the time. I plan to find a bigger place when I can though

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