End panels either side of freestanding range...

Do you need decorative end panels - is that what you're asking? Or an end panel that comes right to the front even at plinth level so's the plinth has something to butt tidily against?

Well, no, you don't. But your call as to what looks best.

I presume your plinths are continuous lengths which are clipped to the unit's feet afterwards? In which case are you planning to return it down each unit side so that from the front it looks as tho' they step in at the sides? Or will you just continue them along the front until they end level with the unit side and you won't see the plinth end due to the cooker?

If the latter, does the cooker have legs? If so, you'll see under it to the unfinished side of the units.

Gap? Your call. Mine is barely 10mm 'cos - like you - I hate the gaps. And my units haven't gorn on fire yet.

Yes, the manufacturers play safe because they don't want any comeback. As you say, modern ovens are far better insulated - they have to be to be energy efficient. But, that gap might also be to allow the oven itself to keep properly cool.

So, your units pretty certainly won't get scorched, but you have to be prepared to fully take the risk of other possible issues (warping doors, peeling laminate, etc) before you decide on a smaller gap.

I couldn't possibly tell you "it's ok..."

 

The gap for most built-in appliances is 600mm - exactly. So that is the gap you should leave - exactly.

Some appliances need a 'housing' unit and, if so, this unit will be 600mm wide exactly and the appliance itself a lot less so's it fits inside.

Other 'built-in' appliances (often dish washers, tumble driers, washing machines, etc.) don't need a housing and simply sit on the floor inside the gap. In this case the appliance will typically be around 595mm wide.

So, 600mm in either case.

If the unit run doesn't quite fill the wall width, I would fit any filler strip at the wall end. I wouldn't entertain fitting it either side of the dishwasher.

 

Ah, I see.

That's always a blugger.

Depending on the actual dimensions involved, the solutions range from inserting a variable-width unit like a wine rack in the 'bottom' row so that it can be tailored for size and still look ok, or else going slightly over-size on that bottom row of units, and then trimming a small amount from the backs of all the base units up the two (or one) side rows. This might also mean that the worktops on these two side rows also need trimming to suit, but that's part of the package for a kitchen fitter.

Or, by all means insert additional panels in between existing base units.

But I don't think it'll look 'right'.

If you must add filler strips, I think the best place would be against the corner posts only - done carefully it should look like just a slightly wider post.

What sort of width are you looking to 'hide'?

 

The 'fillers' don't need to be whole panels going down the sides of the units - they can simply be strips the required width cut from your existing panels and the height of a base unit (less legs) - they only have to sit at the front.

Eg - if you wanted a single 54mm filler, the strip you would cut would be ~740 x 54 x 18 (panel thickness).

So what I think I would do in your situation above is to cut two 27mm wide strips of decorative panel, each one 740 long (the exact height of your base unit (and which is also the exact height of a corner post...)

Then attach them to each corner po...

Oops, wait a minute - chust had a second look at your drawing - you are using them 'L'-shaped 900mm corner base units? They don't have corner posts...

Hmm, not quite sure what I'd do there - there are a number of options.

You could decide to chust use two 27mm wide strips where the two corner units meet their adjacent units - that would be more consistent, but would probably be more obvious.

You could decide to cut four slimmer strips - 13.5mm wide - and fit one between every bottom row unit - at least it'll be more balanced. No idea what that would look like.

You could decide to swap one of these 2 bottom row units by one a 100mm less wide and then construct a 154mm wine rack.

You could decide to swap one of these 2 bottom row units for one that's 100mm wider and then trim 27mm off the backs of all the base units coming up on each side (yes, the worktop would need trimming that much too, so the unit would be as deep as the tall housings or the cooker...)

You could move all the 'side' base units further out by 27mm and then fit a deeper worktop to suit (a 640 wide breakfast bar with one rounded edge trimmed off...)

You could...


I think you need to make a judgement on what having slim infill strips in between each base unit would look like - and I think 4 of 13.5mm wide ones would look hopefully less obvious - and will at least be consistent - than 3 of 18mm ones and one unit without.

Or go the 154mm wine rack route.

Or, go the 154mm wide gap but find/cobble a nice chrome rack to sit in there that holds your dishwasher ingredients...

Or summat.


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