Hello..I'm new here..

Sauerkraut · #1 22-03-2011, 08:37 AM

Hello Everyone,

What a great website! I wish I had come across it sooner!

I found it by just googling kitchen benchtops and started reading some posts.

Where do I start with my intro?

Lets see... We've been living in our house for about 12 years and we still are not 100% happy with the floorplan. We extended by building a large rumpus/play/everything room.We still have a few more ideas for he house.

Since the children like to gather in our 4.5x 4.5 'eat-in kitchen' room (1920s Californian Bungalow) to do homework while dinner/meals are prepared, I am finding the kitchen is becoming terribly messy and disorganised as it is being used like an office/study/cooking/eating/storage room!
Our plan is to use the current kitchen for making Jams, Beer, Cakes and any other messy hobbies and craft and putting a new kitchen into this "big room" that we built. (We designed the room to allow for a 5metre galley kitchen with a built in pantry on one end and a nice 3-4 metre island facing the rest of the room).
Honestly, we probably should have sold our home years ago, but after having children here and putting all our extra energy into constantly talking about the house and doing various things to it we have become emotionally attached to it...we have gone around in circles about what to do...sell/move, build a new home, extend even more...but for now...we stay..at least until the kids go to high school, or maybe after they finish high school, or maybe when we're older...maybe in the future...undecisive thats me!

Hopefully I will get some further great ideas from this website!

Julie-Ann · #2 22-03-2011, 08:53 AM

Hello Sauerkraut welcome to the Decorating Forum

. You have to love Google for being able to bring people with common interests together

.
You are not alone at being indecisive about whether to move or stay in your existing home. We ask this question every year. But the cost of stamp duty and real estate fees just doesn't make it practical to move.
Do you have any plans you can show us about your extension? I think if the extension is going to add value to the house and you are not going to over capitalise then go for it. And then you save yourself all those fees

.

Sauerkraut · #3 22-03-2011, 09:15 AM

Hi Julie,

Thanks for your reply..
We actually did extend...we built a 7x 6 rumpus/play area/room with wrap around verandah/deck on two sides which links up to a main covered deck.This is the room we are planning to put a galley kitchen into soon.

We've also looked at selling/buying costs, and its not worth it really as we really love our area, and don't really want to change and the kids will be starting high school close by.

Julie-Ann · #4 22-03-2011, 09:42 AM

It sounds like a great extension. If it is a good suburb and the kids are happy it sure is hard to justify those fees.
When are you planning the kitchen being installed? Any ideas yet on what selections you are going to make for the kitchen?

Sauerkraut · #5 22-03-2011, 10:10 AM

Hopefully this picture will upload..
This is the section I plan a galley kitchen to go in.
This sliding door is the pantry 'to be'. The space is there (1.9mx1M)..I just need shelving.
I would like an attached island starting at the surrounding sliding door frame(no walkway on this side)..Hopefully a nice wide one..900cm or more..
(The other door is a small powder room)
2 more pics to come...

Sauerkraut · #6 22-03-2011, 10:15 AM

This is the other end of the galley kitchen 'to be'.
This door just opens to the carports/bin area.
The opening/walkway to the kitchen will be here.
Hopefully the island can be longer than 3metre.
The whole length measures 4.8m
I would like the sink in the island/bench facing the rest of the room...
one more pic left..

dmplus3 · #7 22-03-2011, 10:17 AM

Welcome Sauerkraut! I think that space has the potential to be an absolutely glorious kitchen!

I look forward to hearing and seeing more about it.

Sauerkraut · #8 22-03-2011, 10:22 AM

This pic is much older but it gives you the idea of what the view will be when I am washing dishes at the sink!
(Excuse the mess outside..the picture was taken when the extension was almost finished..and the backyard was overgrown!)

Sauerkraut · #9 22-03-2011, 10:41 AM

We are hoping on getting a big fridge/freezer, but we haven't chosen one as yet, and don't know which side to place it on..near the pantry or the side door...a 900mm wide 6 burner all-in-one oven, which will go right under the middle skylight. Benches on both sides of the oven..perhaps a simple rangehood in a cupboard.
I need to work out how to incorporate the microwave..I want all the cabinets to look balanced on both sides of the stove...
Plenty of bottom drawers.. and I would like the sink to be on the island/bench.
I am looking at white/off white plain glossy doors, a biscuity coloured benchtop..ceasarstone? depends on length/joins..

Kitchen fairy grant me these wishes!!

Julie-Ann · #10 22-03-2011, 12:18 PM

What a great space

. I love all the doors, the skylights, the 3 pendants and that garden view.
The kitchen will look fabulous there. For the fridge- I try to position it near an entry to the kitchen. So that when someone is grabbing something in the fridge they don't have to enter in to the middle of the kitchen and get in the way of the cook. But I also try to avoid a traffic jam happening when the fridge door is open. So there has to be room for someone to go around the fridge door when it is open.
When your ready pop a post showing us your kitchen plans and any questions or ideas you want to bounce around under the Kitchen Forum.