ᐅ Kitchen Planning for Renovation: Question About Window and Appliances

xMisterDx schrieb:

With the fixed glazing in front of the sink, you don’t have any way to ventilate the kitchen nook? I wonder if that’s practical in a kitchen.

A little further on there is the large patio door.
And supposedly, with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, you don’t need to ventilate anymore 😉

That looks quite "busy" already.

Two tall cabinets on the left side of the plan, next to them a wall cabinet, then it levels out, and the cabinets rise again a bit (dishwasher) until they are tall again on the far right. This creates a restless impression.

kati1337 schrieb:

We chose the PUXU instead of the PURU, but apart from the surface induction, there’s hardly any difference.

The PUXU costs 1000€ more. In your opinion, is the additional feature of surface induction worth it?
By the way, your kitchen looks really amazing 😎 And the view will only get better once the excavator and scaffolding are gone.

Bertram100 schrieb:

Your design wouldn’t be my preference.
...

evelinoz schrieb:

It looks quite "wild."
...

Thank you for your honest feedback. I have to admit that our kitchen has been planned so far more based on functionality than aesthetics.
In the original plan, the run was a consistent height with many upper cabinets. This made the panoramic window unfortunately very narrow (only 50cm (20 inches) high) and provided storage space for two families. By removing the upper cabinets (and raising the dishwasher), this wild look has now emerged...
The side-by-side refrigerator is probably not exactly an eye-catcher, but it is conveniently accessible both from the kitchen and the dining table. An integrated version would have to be smaller anyway.
An island with the cooktop instead of the sink is fixed for us, partly because otherwise all the pots, pans, etc., for washing would be left there. Also, connecting wastewater plumbing would be more complicated on the island.
We are also not entirely happy with the window seat yet. We would like to have one, preferably in the east or southeast, even if that’s where the kitchen is located. Possibly we could increase the window recess (wood frame) to offer better back support.

WilderSueden schrieb:

A window above the sink usually requires a transom window (otherwise the sash would hit the faucet), so you would not only have a central mullion but also a horizontal profile.

Exactly. I can only get a tilt window up to about 1m (3 feet) height. That means if it should be higher, it would have to be fixed glazing or with a transom, including the annoying horizontal bar. And with that width, side opening is only possible with two sashes, including an equally annoying central mullion. Tilting would probably be sufficient for us. Besides ventilation, you also sometimes want to hear the "nature" outside. Therefore, I am still not fully comfortable with fixed glazing. But you can’t have it all.

I took another look at the plans and I would probably remove the bench seating and instead extend the island.
For people who are so keen on having the window by the countertop, there is actually very little work or storage space there. Plus, it basically faces a wall since it’s right next to the sink.
Reading nooks always look great in photos. However, I’ve never heard anyone say they regret having only a reading chair or a sofa spot instead of a window seat. You have enough windows anyway, so you don’t necessarily need to physically squeeze up against the window 🙂 Unless you want to, of course.
It might help to ask yourself what you really expect from the reading window seat? Maybe just the feeling of coziness without actually needing to use the bench? That’s a perfectly reasonable desire.

In any case, it seems you’ve already considered wanting a side-by-side fridge and things like that. So not much can go wrong. The kitchen should be enjoyable.

One more thing came to mind: if you’re worried that dirty pots would be left “up front” if the sink were there, keep in mind that if the pots aren’t there, something else will take up that space. You don’t have a lot of surface space for the coffee machine or food processor. Depending on the household, this collection of appliances can even be called a “gadget park” because it can get quite extensive. But that’s not the case everywhere.

A full-surface induction zone makes sense to me on a continuous 90cm (35 inch) cooktop, but not on one with a central extractor.

The PURU cooktop has 4 zones: two larger ones at the bottom for bigger pots, and two smaller ones at the top for smaller pots. It’s hardly practical to place and handle 4 large pots or pans at the same time anyway (the cooktop is 500mm (20 inch) deep, and a "large" pan has a diameter of 280mm (11 inch)... simple math…)… and you rarely need that many simultaneously. Usually, you fry in 1-2 large pans (fish/meat, fried potatoes/bacon beans, or similar) and have side dishes or sauces in 2 smaller pots or saucepans. I would much more painfully miss the middle zone on a 90cm field…

The only possible advantage might be when you need a roasting pan…

What makes me a bit skeptical now that I look closer… you’re spending 23,000 EUR on a kitchen… but you only have one oven. Invest the extra 1,000 EUR in a second (steam) oven and/or a warming drawer. Or, if that’s not financially feasible—like in my current situation—at least plan your cabinets with space for those options.

I’m really looking forward to the day when I have jacket potatoes baking at 200°C (390°F) in the oven, vegetables gently steaming in the steam oven, the warming drawer keeping the plates hot, and then after searing, the steak goes in to rest or cook low and slow at 80°C (175°F). For a porterhouse or tomahawk steak, that can easily take an hour… it’s absolutely impossible to do that with just one oven…

That is functional…

Unfortunately, your kitchen isn’t. The dishwasher is elevated but at least 2 meters (6.5 feet) away from every cabinet where the dishes need to go. The shelf on the far right is purely decorative since you can’t properly reach it because of the seating window. I’m also a fan of having the dishwasher next to or under the draining area of the sink because you can conveniently sweep crumbs into it. That only works moderately well with an elevated dishwasher.

I think the countertop space is okay. Have you considered lowering the “counter” for bar stools with a “slope” countertop? The regular countertop height of 92-96cm (36-38 inch) is only somewhat suitable for a bar. A sloped countertop about 10cm (4 inch) higher has many advantages. The bar area is higher, you don’t see every little thing on the cooktop from the living room, and the counter can add a splash of color. A sloped countertop can also overhang one or both sides of the island… I can’t post links here, but just google “sloped countertop Nobilia”—the first result looks way better than an extended countertop on “stilts”...

Mal Bauen schrieb:

The PUXU costs 1000€ more. Do you think the extra feature of flexible induction cooking is worth it?
By the way, your kitchen looks really amazing 😎 And the view will be even better once the excavator and scaffolding are gone.

Thanks for the compliment. =)
I’d say it’s nice to have. Whether it’s 1000 nice to have, I’m not sure.
The kitchen is my husband’s passion. He cooks almost all the time, and he had been eyeing this model. Since he was less demanding about the whole house than I was (he cares less about decorative details than I do), we agreed that he should have the appliances he wants in the kitchen.
I find it a bit more visually appealing than the PURU. And with the flexible induction cooking zone and bridging function, it’s simply more versatile. You can put more than four pots on the PUXU or even a long roasting pan.
The question is how often you use those features and whether the extra cost is really worth it.