Majjie's Blog

One of the most common complaints my clients have - about their old kitchen - is that it doesn't have enough worktop space. There are usually two reasons for that. The first is that there isn't enough storage space in the kitchen either ... and the worktop is being used to store things that would be better kept in a cupboard ... and the second is that there are lots of small appliances sitting on the worktop. Here are a collection of cluttered kitchens - from my "before" picture album - look anything like yours?

It wasn't such a problem years ago ... when it was just the toaster and the kettle that were left out ... but nowadays people have a lot more gadgets and gizmos. The microwave isn't all that new - but there are breadmakers, juicers, coffee machines, food processors, toasted sandwich makers, deep fat fryers (still a few), sodastreams (making a comeback), steamers, free standing grills, halogen ovens, rice cookers and slow cookers ... I've even come across food slicers ... as well as radios, televisions and even laptops. So how can the worktops be de-cluttered in your new kitchen?

The first thing to do, when planning a kitchen, is to decide which of those appliances really does need pride of place on the worktop ... and which are used less often and could be stored away until needed. You might even consider (just possibly!) getting rid of a few. When did you last use that toasted sandwich maker?

You can also consider getting built-in models of microwaves, steam ovens and coffee machines, so that they're part of the furniture, rather than sitting on the worktops. Do bear in mind, though, that built-in versions are usually a lot more expensive than the free standing alternatives.

If you've got several appliances that are to be stored on the worktop, then consider carefully where you're going to put them. Try to avoid the stretches between the sink and hob, and the sink and fridge. They're likely to be the areas you're going to work on most. Sometimes, in a small kitchen, you can't avoid storing appliances in those crucial areas. If that's the case (and you have enough floor space to spare) consider having extra deep worktop ... so that you have a decent amount of worktop to use in front of the appliances. With bespoke worktops this is no problem. With laminates, it means buying a 900mm deep breakfast bar worktop and cutting it down - so your worktop will end up anywhere between 600 and about 850mm deep. With a laminate it'll cost you an extra £70 or so, plus a bit of extra fitting time, perhaps (the units themselves can just be brought forward).

Another idea is to have a peninsular area coming out into the middle of the room - especially useful for square kitchens, because that floor space might otherwise just be wasted. The appliances can sit on the worktop at the back and you can use the peninsular area for working on. In this example, the worktop at the back is reduced in depth, in order to fit the peninsula in:

For the appliances that are going to be stored away, when you're not using them, the least efficient place to put them is in a base unit. It means that you'll have to bend down and lift them up, every time they're used. You can get lift mechanisms to help - but I'm not a big fan - just one more thing to break down! Tall storage cupboards are better ... you can use the middle shelf for the small appliances and just lift them across to the worktop. In the picture below, the tall cupboard was partly fitted into an existing recess in the wall:

The best solution of all, though - if you have the space - is an appliance garage ... or, in a more traditional kitchen, a housekeeper's cupboard top ... both of which are basically tall wall units, sitting on the worktop. Appliance garages usually have tambour doors. The one on the left is from PWS (suppliers of Second Nature kitchens), whilst the one on the right is an interesting frosted glass version from Hafele, which comes as a complete unit with a double socket inside and lights (and no base panel - see below) - most independent kitchen suppliers would be able to get hold of one, or the other (or both):

Tambour doors vary from 500mm wide to about 1000mm - although you can always fit them side-by-side, as shown above left. If they come as standard units, then they're likely to be only around 300mm deep. If you're getting your kitchen from a supplier who can provide made-to-measure carcasses, though - have it made at 400mm deep. That's a much better size for accommodating microwaves and the like. The Hafele model, above right, comes at 350 deep - but they also do an 800mm wide version which is available at 400mm deep.

If you can - position your appliance garage in a corner - with worktop in front of it. That way you can just pull the appliances out to use them:

A housekeeper's cupboard top works in exactly the same way - it's just that it's made as a piece of furniture, usually as part of a bespoke kitchen - and it usually has folding doors and sits directly on the worksurface without a base panel. That makes it even easier to pull out your appliances and use them.

A true housekeeper's cupboard is a free standing piece of furniture - like a dresser - but with the top dedicated to practical storage, rather than displaying your best china ... and with a bit of useable worktop inside. It often has two sets of bifold doors which can be left open whilst you work and then closed up, to hide the contents, when not in use.

I rarely design a true, free standing, housekeeper's cupboard these days ... but the tops can be usefully incorporated into many bespoke kitchens. Small ones are used for storing small appliances; microwaves and the like, whereas large ones can be used in the way described above, with useful worktop inside. Either way they need to be fitted with electrical sockets on the inside of the back panel.

Here are two, three and four door versions which I've designed:

Two of them show microwaves sitting on the worktop - and that's fine, if it suits you best - but also consider putting the microwave on the first shelf, leaving the worktop free for smaller appliances that can be pulled in and out.

So - before you finally decide on the design for your new kitchen - give some careful thought to your small appliances. How many do you need, how often are they used ... and where's the best place to store them.