ᐅ Is it possible to design an open-plan kitchen with special custom features in only 29 square meters?
Created on: 20 Dec 2020 18:58
K
knalltüte
Hello,
I would like to reconsider my current plans for the open-plan kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, and use the collective intelligence of this forum for inspiration.
Over the past few months/during the construction, my priorities have shifted slightly (preferably furnishing with higher-quality items right away, not taking existing furniture with me), so I now require professional help especially with the kitchen/dining corner layout (this was planned from the start). On-site appointments at kitchen studios will likely follow as soon as possible. But perhaps I can already find suitable ideas here.
My desired kitchen features (designed for myself, maximum for two people):
Sink + dishwasher (preferably the dishwasher installed at “mid-height”). The sink location is roughly fixed due to the existing wastewater pipe options.
An oven with pyrolytic self-cleaning, nothing special otherwise. The oven can be installed “low” (as there is probably only one built-in spot at “mid-height”). I don’t need a microwave (not even one integrated into the oven).
The cooktop can be induction, possibly with a downdraft vent (preferably from Berbel, as I like their cleaning and technology best). It should not be too wide; do models around 60cm (24 inches) wide exist?
Alternatively, I am considering a two-burner gas cooktop combined with a teppanyaki grill. I would even prefer if this combination could be paired with a recirculation hood or downdraft vent—is that possible? The gas supply would come from a bottled source in the technical room.
My wishes for the cooktop include front-facing knobs (instead of touch control), and easy cleaning (with gas, probably only “Pitt Cooking” works).
I want a refrigerator with one or two freezer drawers or an integrated small freezer compartment. I would prefer the fridge and dishwasher to be integrated into a wall-mounted cabinet.
I need about 60-80cm (24–31 inches) of free countertop space for food preparation, plus about 40cm (16 inches) for appliances (only a small portafilter espresso machine + grinder). All other appliances should be stored in cabinets or drawers. The kitchen overall should not take up too much space and should appear clean, elegant, and floating. (I really like the design of many Bulthaup B3 wall-mounted kitchens.)
Directly adjacent to the kitchen, I want a comfortable counter/dining area mostly for myself, but it should fit up to four people (even if that is a bit tight), preferably with a view towards the terrace/pool/south-facing windows.
It would be nice to have the option to expand the dining area significantly for larger groups when “social gatherings” become possible again.
I am aware that the actual living area (entire apartment excluding the terrace) is only 59m² (635 square feet). Are my wishes even remotely feasible?
I certainly don’t expect space for gatherings with 20 people. My idea would be to compress the living area and add another table to the existing dining corner to significantly enlarge it.
What doesn’t exist in suitable space-saving dining furniture can of course be custom-built ;-)
I am very open to “wow effect” suggestions. I just don’t have the creative knack for this myself.
There is no fixed budget planned for this. Everything so far has always changed spontaneously, so why not here?
Since this is an open-plan kitchen, here is my (unfinalized) wish list for the TV/living area as well.
A comfortable but small corner sofa for 1–2 people. It should also serve as a possible sleeping space.
A small coffee table (height-adjustable) with multiple functions (dining, mini workspace).
Possibly a small side table of about 35cm (14 inches) diameter.
The TV will be integrated into the wall (I left a suitably sized recess for this). Therefore, I don’t need a lowboard or similar. All equipment including cables (except for the TV) will be hidden.
If there is still some space on the sofa side (unlikely), I could imagine a small (mini) wall-mounted sideboard. I like the design of the Interlübke Cube models.
Comments like “that’s something you do before floorplanning and construction” are a bit late by now :p
I would like to reconsider my current plans for the open-plan kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, and use the collective intelligence of this forum for inspiration.
Over the past few months/during the construction, my priorities have shifted slightly (preferably furnishing with higher-quality items right away, not taking existing furniture with me), so I now require professional help especially with the kitchen/dining corner layout (this was planned from the start). On-site appointments at kitchen studios will likely follow as soon as possible. But perhaps I can already find suitable ideas here.
My desired kitchen features (designed for myself, maximum for two people):
Sink + dishwasher (preferably the dishwasher installed at “mid-height”). The sink location is roughly fixed due to the existing wastewater pipe options.
An oven with pyrolytic self-cleaning, nothing special otherwise. The oven can be installed “low” (as there is probably only one built-in spot at “mid-height”). I don’t need a microwave (not even one integrated into the oven).
The cooktop can be induction, possibly with a downdraft vent (preferably from Berbel, as I like their cleaning and technology best). It should not be too wide; do models around 60cm (24 inches) wide exist?
Alternatively, I am considering a two-burner gas cooktop combined with a teppanyaki grill. I would even prefer if this combination could be paired with a recirculation hood or downdraft vent—is that possible? The gas supply would come from a bottled source in the technical room.
My wishes for the cooktop include front-facing knobs (instead of touch control), and easy cleaning (with gas, probably only “Pitt Cooking” works).
I want a refrigerator with one or two freezer drawers or an integrated small freezer compartment. I would prefer the fridge and dishwasher to be integrated into a wall-mounted cabinet.
I need about 60-80cm (24–31 inches) of free countertop space for food preparation, plus about 40cm (16 inches) for appliances (only a small portafilter espresso machine + grinder). All other appliances should be stored in cabinets or drawers. The kitchen overall should not take up too much space and should appear clean, elegant, and floating. (I really like the design of many Bulthaup B3 wall-mounted kitchens.)
Directly adjacent to the kitchen, I want a comfortable counter/dining area mostly for myself, but it should fit up to four people (even if that is a bit tight), preferably with a view towards the terrace/pool/south-facing windows.
It would be nice to have the option to expand the dining area significantly for larger groups when “social gatherings” become possible again.
I am aware that the actual living area (entire apartment excluding the terrace) is only 59m² (635 square feet). Are my wishes even remotely feasible?
I certainly don’t expect space for gatherings with 20 people. My idea would be to compress the living area and add another table to the existing dining corner to significantly enlarge it.
What doesn’t exist in suitable space-saving dining furniture can of course be custom-built ;-)
I am very open to “wow effect” suggestions. I just don’t have the creative knack for this myself.
There is no fixed budget planned for this. Everything so far has always changed spontaneously, so why not here?
Since this is an open-plan kitchen, here is my (unfinalized) wish list for the TV/living area as well.
A comfortable but small corner sofa for 1–2 people. It should also serve as a possible sleeping space.
A small coffee table (height-adjustable) with multiple functions (dining, mini workspace).
Possibly a small side table of about 35cm (14 inches) diameter.
The TV will be integrated into the wall (I left a suitably sized recess for this). Therefore, I don’t need a lowboard or similar. All equipment including cables (except for the TV) will be hidden.
If there is still some space on the sofa side (unlikely), I could imagine a small (mini) wall-mounted sideboard. I like the design of the Interlübke Cube models.
Comments like “that’s something you do before floorplanning and construction” are a bit late by now :p
If you place the sink in the center of the room, you lose flexibility later on. You will always have the water pipes running under the floor, and during your brunch, the dirty stack of dishes will pile up in the sink next to your buffet. I wonder why people wash dishes more often than they cook.
I see this argument frequently, and yes, I do wash dishes often too. But it usually only takes about 30 seconds and has to do with dirt, which is temporarily stored in the basin. And everyone who has a sink on the island also has their dish soap, sponge, and cloth sitting on the island. It doesn’t look nice, especially if the space isn’t very open. I would think carefully about this.
superzapp schrieb:
Surely true, because the sink is used more often
I see this argument frequently, and yes, I do wash dishes often too. But it usually only takes about 30 seconds and has to do with dirt, which is temporarily stored in the basin. And everyone who has a sink on the island also has their dish soap, sponge, and cloth sitting on the island. It doesn’t look nice, especially if the space isn’t very open. I would think carefully about this.
K
knalltüte31 Dec 2020 12:58ypg schrieb:
If you have the sink in the center of the room, you lose flexibility later on. You’ll always have water pipes running in the floor, and during your brunch, dirty dishes will pile up in the sink next to your buffet. I wonder why people wash dishes more often than they stand by the stove.
I see this often, and yes, I also wash dishes frequently. But usually that only takes about 30 seconds and involves dirt that is temporarily stored in the basin. And for everyone who has the sink on the island, the dish soap, sponge, and cloth are all on the island too. It doesn’t look great, especially if you don’t have a spacious room. I would reconsider that. Thanks, these are valuable points! At first, I immediately thought, of course, I stand at the sink more often / longer (washing vegetables, cleaning larger pots and pans, expensive knives don’t go in the dishwasher…), but how long do I actually watch over vegetables and fish on the cooktop? How often and how long do I stir sauces?
Do I now have to keep a log to figure this out? 😎
And yes, the kitchen island with the sink would definitely be fixed because of the water and drainage. At least changing that later would require a lot of work.
I’ll think it over … and I’ll probably listen to the kitchen salesperson’s opinion on it too. The placement and type of downdraft extractor will probably also play a role in where and how it can best be installed.
B
Bertram10031 Dec 2020 15:16Well, a kitchen just looks like a kitchen. The room isn't that large, so it doesn't feel lost. Personally, I wouldn’t find that a problem. I have a 1.5 bowl sink, where I use the smaller bowl as a draining area. You can stack things there quite creatively. Even that doesn’t look too awkward (though not exactly attractive) enough to be bothersome. After all, it gets washed and can be put away in the cabinet.
I think you need to observe yourself a bit.
When I wash vegetables, it only takes a few seconds. The vegetables then go into a bowl, I turn towards the kitchen island and chop thoroughly – then straight into the pot or pan. I collect the vegetable scraps in a container for the compost...
When I wash my hands, gather the knives in the sink, clean an apple, get a glass of water to drink, refill the coffee machine with water, and so on, crumbs always accumulate—the sink looks untidy and unclean (not dirty). So it’s wet or crumbly. When hand-washed items (pots, plastic containers, knives) dry, they don’t look nice either. Personally, I don’t like having that where I want it to look nice. My kitchen island is generally always clean and nicely decorated.
That’s something to keep in mind. There are certainly arguments against this, but I guess everyone has to decide for themselves.
When I wash vegetables, it only takes a few seconds. The vegetables then go into a bowl, I turn towards the kitchen island and chop thoroughly – then straight into the pot or pan. I collect the vegetable scraps in a container for the compost...
When I wash my hands, gather the knives in the sink, clean an apple, get a glass of water to drink, refill the coffee machine with water, and so on, crumbs always accumulate—the sink looks untidy and unclean (not dirty). So it’s wet or crumbly. When hand-washed items (pots, plastic containers, knives) dry, they don’t look nice either. Personally, I don’t like having that where I want it to look nice. My kitchen island is generally always clean and nicely decorated.
That’s something to keep in mind. There are certainly arguments against this, but I guess everyone has to decide for themselves.
K
knalltüte3 Jan 2021 19:51The kitchen is also getting a "refresh."
No more “charade” that was never really intended anyway. I’m now quite confident that this kitchen design will work. So here is my current status after a well-used weekend. Once again, I had to realize that the family analyzes their own behavior better than I do 😎
At some point, I was pretty sure I’d settled on this or a similar layout. But I had to accept that neither an L-shaped nor a U-shaped kitchen fits well into the space if I want to fit a reasonably sized table and also give the living area the space it deserves (which it should). All other layouts besides a simple kitchen run (which definitely accommodates all the necessary “appliances” and enough storage I need as a single person) were less suitable.
😎
Despite Photoshop, I couldn’t quite get the run to look exactly how I want it. The software doesn’t offer matching cabinet widths (e.g., a 30cm (12 inch) pull-out pantry cabinet). The cabinet on the far left is supposed to be that type.
My daughter has a kitchen run that’s 382cm (150 inches) wide with an island.
But she has a family of five who cook a lot and fresh. I’m “miles away” from that. I’ve carefully planned every storage need... and it fits perfectly.
Food supplies, oils, powders, sauces, etc. (just like in the current Nobilia kitchen) will go into the 30cm (12 inch) pull-out pantry cabinet. The remaining drawers provide ample storage for dishes, cutlery, pots and pans, glasses, cups, and so on. There is plenty of room for everything. I probably could move out with just a suitcase, figuratively speaking. The rest, if needed, will be newly purchased.
The design will be simple and clean, with a glossy light gray finish. The handles will be slightly contrasting in color (dark gray, up to anthracite).
Only the spot for the small portafilter machine and grinder is still undecided. But nothing else needs to be on the countertop except maybe occasionally a toaster.
A small, matching sideboard (to be custom-built by the kitchen fitter) may be added for this purpose.
I’d like to thank once again those experienced planners who offered sometimes “blunt” (but necessary) advice, as well as my family—especially since they are not following this thread here.
Now I can finally approach the rest of the planning (flooring, electrical, smart home...) with a bit more freedom.
No more “charade” that was never really intended anyway. I’m now quite confident that this kitchen design will work. So here is my current status after a well-used weekend. Once again, I had to realize that the family analyzes their own behavior better than I do 😎
At some point, I was pretty sure I’d settled on this or a similar layout. But I had to accept that neither an L-shaped nor a U-shaped kitchen fits well into the space if I want to fit a reasonably sized table and also give the living area the space it deserves (which it should). All other layouts besides a simple kitchen run (which definitely accommodates all the necessary “appliances” and enough storage I need as a single person) were less suitable.
😎
Despite Photoshop, I couldn’t quite get the run to look exactly how I want it. The software doesn’t offer matching cabinet widths (e.g., a 30cm (12 inch) pull-out pantry cabinet). The cabinet on the far left is supposed to be that type.
My daughter has a kitchen run that’s 382cm (150 inches) wide with an island.
But she has a family of five who cook a lot and fresh. I’m “miles away” from that. I’ve carefully planned every storage need... and it fits perfectly.
Food supplies, oils, powders, sauces, etc. (just like in the current Nobilia kitchen) will go into the 30cm (12 inch) pull-out pantry cabinet. The remaining drawers provide ample storage for dishes, cutlery, pots and pans, glasses, cups, and so on. There is plenty of room for everything. I probably could move out with just a suitcase, figuratively speaking. The rest, if needed, will be newly purchased.
The design will be simple and clean, with a glossy light gray finish. The handles will be slightly contrasting in color (dark gray, up to anthracite).
Only the spot for the small portafilter machine and grinder is still undecided. But nothing else needs to be on the countertop except maybe occasionally a toaster.
A small, matching sideboard (to be custom-built by the kitchen fitter) may be added for this purpose.
I’d like to thank once again those experienced planners who offered sometimes “blunt” (but necessary) advice, as well as my family—especially since they are not following this thread here.
Now I can finally approach the rest of the planning (flooring, electrical, smart home...) with a bit more freedom.
B
Bertram1003 Jan 2021 19:57Just don’t get an L-shaped sofa now. :p You had a regular sofa before, which I thought looked nicer. 🙂
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