Wouldn't this be a better discussion on the kitchen forum?

And no, not all of us grab everything we need all at once.

I grab everything I need at once. Then I go back several times for the things I forgot. Then I return things as I use them. Then I take them back out because I didn't realize I needed it again.

I like tight efficient kitchens with lots of room.

I think I would love British house porn! I love the idea of putting the fridge in another room. I personally do not like the gigantic refrigerator/freezers I see so much of now. When designing our house/kitchen, we opted for a regular 36" standard depth fridge. Gasp! All of my friends cannot believe we're not putting in a counterdepth, 48" wide sub-zero/whatever fancy brand. I just don't like them. I'd rather have more cabinets and counterspace than a bigger fridge. Plus the extra money saved can be spent on better cabinets or countertops. We do have a secondary fridge around the corner in the laundry room for beverages and extras when we have a party. But man, if I could get rid of the fridge in the room altogether, that would be wonderful.

And I am more of the, 'grab things as I think of them' type of cook. At least I'd get my steps in if my fridge was in another room! :)

We just discovered that show last week, and we love it. But we wonder, are these people actually house-hunting? I don't care, because I just want to see the houses! And I swear that the last episode I saw had a small washing machine in the kitchen next to the sink. I really don't think it was a DW, pretty sure it was a washing machine!

Our new home will have a large all-refrigerator and an all-freezer in the large pantry directly accessible from the kitchen. There will also be a 2 drawer under-counter refrigerator in the kitchen's beverage center. I planned the kitchen/pantry this way based on long consideration of how and what we cook. I did not want the refrigeration to dominate our kitchen and this design allows the kitchen to have windows on two sides, including a full wall of windows, and to be open on two sides to take advantage of the lovely views, with just one wall for the wall ovens and induction cooktop.

We need a lot of refrigerated storage for all our organic fruits and vegetables. The juicer will sit on a countertop in the pantry. Initial prep (washing of fruit and veg and some cutting) will take place at the pantry sink. The food will then be carried in a bowl to the kitchen island to be completely prepped before cooking or serving. I believe this arrangement will work well for us.

Full disclosure - I am originally from the U.K.! Although I never had a refrigerator in my utility room. And yes, many (especially smaller) homes there have their washer in the kitchen though this would not be my choice. I confess to being nostalgic about my beloved Aga!

Watching this series has made me realize that we have very different expectations about living space than the Brits do. I had never stopped to think that in these old period cottages, there are no full dormers upstairs like we have in the US, thus bedrooms tend to be very small and tucked under the eaves. Some of the houses shown (houses in the £500,000 range) have such small bedrooms that I can't imagine how one gets in and out without a concussion and changing the sheets must be a real treat. And yes, in less expensive, smaller ones, one sees the washing machine in the kitchen as there is no utility room. Most rooms do not have actual closets - large wardrobes instead and they take up a LOT of space. No bath (or WC) on the 2nd floor in many, with the "family bath" on the first floor and only one. An en suite off the MBR is often quite small.

I remember in the two houses where we were guests, I was shocked to see a drying rack above the Aga in the kitchen. My hostesses told me that running a "tumble dry" is very costly and she only uses it for towels and sheets if it's too cold or wet to hand them outside. Everything else, goes on a drying rack over the Aga. As her husband said, "One must be careful or one might get one's socks and smalls in ones soup!".

We just have very different expectations.

But then there are the gardens...oh my! Even a small cottage has a garden I'd kill for, and could never achieve in KY if I had a full-time gardener.

Do give the series a watch. The pictures of the countryside and villages in all the different areas of the UK are just breathtaking. And the ancientness is just astounding. But I'm spoiled by my American standard of housing!

Yes, expectations are very different. Of course most British homes are somewhere between those tiny cottages and Downton Abbey in size! My home in England was a 350 year old cottage but had 4 bedrooms and 3 baths, a large kitchen and separate laundry (and a big garden and orchard).

One of the main differences I notice here is how disposable buildings are. In England they are mostly built of brick and stone and it is taken for granted that, however modest, they will still be standing hundreds of years later! My old house, was originally 3 farm cottages, and had been built with recycled materials, for example spars from old ships for the exposed ceiling beams, fastened with handmade wooden pegs, and from the sails of old windmills.

I grew up in the depths of beautiful rural England with no electricity and no indoor bathroom, yet in planning my new home here find it unacceptable not to have a bathroom for each bedroom plus a pool bath! My new pantry will be larger than many U.K. kitchens! Our expectations certainly change and our new home will reflect all that I love about living here, the space, the light, the innovations and convenience. I probably will not notice the absence of that sense of antiquity, history, solidity and permanence that quietly inhabits most of the houses of England and that those living in the U.K. mostly take for granted!

Thanks for the series recommendation. Now to find out if YouTube carries it.... (since my tele doesn't connect to anything but the wall... and a DVD player...)

Back when I was in high school we spent several weeks (and one case an entire summer) in a large "cottage" in Scotland. (Dad was there on business.) I'm really trying to recall that kitchen. I know the bedrooms were small and the closets tiny, but the kitchen as I recall was large, and I do think I recall the fridge being in its own room with a counter?

One thing that really astounded me about so many homes in England and Scotland was the small yards everyone had... but how they were abounding and bouncing with flowers upon flowers upon flowers! Definitely want to hunt down that show!

Hmm. Interesting discussion. The frig/freezer in the pantry is a novel idea sis. Would love to see your plans when you are ready.

Angophilia you've hit on a couple of my pet peeves in kitchen design - there is no one size fits all layout or work triangle or work flow - and actually that applies to home design in general, too. What one person may view as a hellish kitchen to work in will fit someone else like a glove. Or even if it's not their ideal, they are able to adjust and not let it ruin their life! We were barely started into our build and I was already sick to death of my/our obsession with it and making everything 'perfect'. I love what frontporchfarm said "...people have different cooking habits, but I don't see why one set of cooking habits should dictate kitchen design for everyone." Amen.

Our TV isn't hooked up yet but I will look for that show on Netflix when it is. It sounds lovely.

I've discovered that there are many episodes on YouTube as well as the ones I watched on Netflix. Let the binging begin!

ILoveRec if I can pluck up enough courage I will post our plans once they are finalized. They are being modified at the moment.

"When designing our house/kitchen, we opted for a regular 36" standard depth fridge. Gasp! All of my friends cannot believe we're not putting in a counterdepth, 48" wide sub-zero/whatever fancy brand."

Yes! We have a counter depth in our remodeled kitchen and I'm planning on a recessed standard fridge in the new house. Why? Because the first failed and I had to replace it and I realized just how reduced the selection was! I'd rather know I can buy "off the shelf".