Heywood 25 Porter Davis

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has built a Heywood 25 with Porter Davis? I am over critically analysing our plans, the kitchen in particular. We have chosen to have a canopy rangehood and side cupboards. However with the overhead cupboards on one side of the rangehood we have 1 cupboard and 3 on the other. I think this looks really odd and I just want some advice on it. Does that make sense. I think this is one thing that really lets PD down is there kitchen design, although something we decided to sacrifice on for the rest of the house plan. TIA

Emi

PS. Yes I really am getting bored waiting for our house to start building (June) and should file our house plans away and not look at them.

Hi Emi,

I am feeling your pain. I have done all the contract and blah and now I want to see some action......grrrrr

I havent built the house you are talking about, however I agree with your statement regarding some of the PD kitchen designs.

I had a look at the pic on the internet and I think it will look fine. The design could have been better if the extra cupboard wasn't there and the cooktop was moved into the centre, but i think the kitchen was designed without a thought for overhead cabinets.

What colour cabs did you go for?

Matt

Be patient, guys. Your site start date will come around sooner than you think. A couple of months ago I was SO eager to see the construction start. Now that they have started (and working fast) I half wish they would slow down! Haha It's only been two weeks and we have already received the first invoice. If they keep going the way they are the next one will be just around the corner.

Anyhoo, I don't think your kitchen will look odd at all, Emi. I haven't built the Heywood, but I think your kitchen layout will be fine. I disagree with your comment and don't think that PD's kitchen designs are a let down. However, may it be noted that my personal preference for a kitchen layout is one with an island bench.

I'm also a graphic designer and as I keep telling my clients not everything has to be centrally aligned to balance. And I believe this applies to all things and not just 2d form. There are other factors that help make a design work. Looking at the pics on the PD website, the layout of your kitchen is not symmetrical so the position of your canopy does not need to be in the absolute middle. Also, the size, shape and angle of your bench is balanced and anchored with the fridgespace's size and location. And yada yada yada. I think that's enough babble.

Your kitchen will look beautiful once it's done. It's got heaps of bench space and has that all importan triangle layout (cooktop-sink-fridge) that I've heard about before.

Thanks for the advice. I know I am perhaps being slightly anal about it all. Like I said over analysing. I do agree with you YSSIM that island benches are better. That is what I prefer also. I was more referring the the 'G' benches in many of the Lifestyle designs. Do you think that the 3 on one side 1 on the other overhead cupboards will be ok? Or would a slideout rangehood be better for the overall look? I think a long drive to Pakenham is in order for me to ease my mind and remind me why I love my house!

I really think that the whole '3 on one side and 1 on the other' will be fine. Supported by what I posted previously.

In regards to the slideout rangehood, again that's personal preference. For days I agonised over wether to get the overhead cupboards with slideout rangehood (all part of a promo) or get the canopy (part of the promo) and get the cupboards on either side built for extra cost. I thought that I should just settle for the first option so that we wouldn't have to splash out for extra. But I've always wanted the canopy. And even for the brief moment I considered the slideout option it didn't sit all that well. So, I'm going to have my canopy, island bench and butler's pantry.

We often go visit the display homes just to remind us what our house will be like. You forget sometimes when you sit and analyse over things too much. So a trip to Pakenham might do you good. Just go there, sit down and let it all soak in.

Is there an option to perhaps change the layout/shape of that bench and get an island bench instead? Or are you too far into the process already?

Hi Emi, we were going to build the Heywood 28, which is very simillar to the 25 and the Kitchen did bother me but it was mainly the fridge in the hall, I really wanted the kitchen the same as the 29 but it could not be, but it is a great kitchen but one of the things that was more of a problem to me when I visited the display 25 was the shower in the bathroom, I thought the shower door was way too narrow I don't have young children now but I do have granchildren and I would fine it hard to reach them in such a narrow door, we did have it changed on our plans, but we are not building with PD we are building with Pro-Struct and now I have all that I wanted in a house, but I still think after one year of looking at display homes the Heywood is one of the better designs. If you haven't been to the display's go and really have a good look lots of times as we did. Good luck with it all.

I haven't seen the kitchen in question, but in the Met...cons they seem to have the canopy range in the middle with 2 overhead cabinets either side... to me it looked like someone had stuck a box either side up on the wall... until I walked into one of their displays and saw the kitchen with open shelving on the cut corner to angle towards the wall either side of the canopy rangehood (2 doors, shelving, rangehood, shelving, 2doors). It seemed to finish it really well instead of the overheads looking like an add on. I have included this in our kitchen even though it wasn't displayed like that in our house and I hope it's worth the bit extra to make it look finished.
Just an idea

Ray.