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Open Plan Layout and Kitchen Ideas

9 years ago

I'm looking for some feedback or suggestions on my proposed plans if anyone fancies helping me out?!

We're in the first stages of trying to redesign the downstairs of our house and are going to go ahead and get a large extension (8x12m) put on the rear of the property, removing the conservatory in the process. We recently visited a friend's house who's also had a large extension put on and their kitchen / lounge / diner felt a bit like an aircraft hanger as there was way too much dead space and it wasn't well 'zoned'.

We'd like to have the kitchen near to the open corner as we have a nice view into the garden and it will also be close to our outdoor eating area. I'd quite like to move the kitchen much closer to the doors but am not sure about it not being 'attached' to a wall.

The location of the existing utility and study could be swapped (which would make more sense as the staircase in the study is likely to go. Other things are that we have a working log burner in the existing lounge which we'd quite like to keep being used (doesn't need to be in the same room or facing the same way). Eventually the large part of the garage will be converted into a games room.

Any thoughts on the kitchen layout or how best to utilise the space in the top left of the design?

Thanks in advance,
Chris

Featured Answer

boundsgreener

9 years ago

You need at least one solid wall for a kitchen and you could have a large island further toward the right corner, but you want to be careful that it is still incorporated into the kitchen area or it might just end up looking like a office reception area! Would you then move the dining area over to the middle part of the extension?

See if any of the pictures help:

Milnthorpe · More Info

Family kitchen · More Info

Contemporary Kitchen · More Info

Grosvenor Crescent · More Info

Bespoke kitchen in new extension · More Info

Manor in the Weald · More Info

One Plan might be able to do something clever with the floorplan for you....

Comments (9)

boundsgreener
9 years ago
Hi Chris. There are lots of clever people on here who are whizzes with floorplans and groovy software who I am sure will pitch in. In the meantime, it helps to know what you'll be looking out on. Am I right in understanding that the outdoor eating area is to the right of the floorplan, there is nothing worth looking at in front of the double doors or window near the question mark in "More Lounge?" and that you won't be using the garage for a car? What do you use the back of the garage for (with the sliding doors and extra door into the new extension)?

Apart from the views, you want to think about flow and light. Do you have a side door or just a front door? At the moment you - and everyone else - will have to go in the front door, through the playroom, round the corner and only then be able to put down your shopping...and see your great new extension! Ideally, the door to the kitchen and living area should be where the utility door is, or at least just to the right where you have marked the lounge. If the utility is swapped with the study, you won't have any windows in there, which might not be fun, but you are right that the utility should be nearer to the kitchen.

Without additional info from you, I would do EITHER:
Kitchen where you have written "More Lounge?", dining where you have written "Lounge" with a door to the hallway, and lounge where you have "Kitchen" and "Dining", leaving the Utility and Study as drawn; OR
Study at the back part of the garage, "Study" becomes the utility and get rid of the "Utility" where it is now, making it a large entry/double doors into your extension, with the Lounge furniture turned around to face the wall with fireplace/TV, etc. and more seating in the corner where you have "More Lounge?" written.

I hope that is some help!
Chris Wilton
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi boundsgreener, thanks for the feedback.

All along the back and side of the house is a nice view onto our garden, hence wanting to bring as much of it into the house as possible. The outdoor eating area is kind of diagonally up from the corner of the house (probably more up than right).

The garage won't be used for a car, however I want to keep the back area of the garage as the place that all my tools etc are stored, so that needs to stay ideally.

We currently have only a front door, and opening onto the utility room is something I'm not keen on either - we've only been in here a month but I would ideally like to get it moved to somewhere else other than as the first thing we see!

I hadn't thought about it being either a utility or playroom as the way through - good point and I think maybe that may push the playroom to where 'more lounge' is at the moment and we don't put a wall up to form the playroom. The study needs to have some degree of light - we've just moved from a place where my study had no natural light apart from whatever was reflected off a mirror and don't want that again.

I think the kitchen needs to be in the top right quarter - it's where it feels 'right' for the property and the outside space - we've got two young kids and they play all around that corner of the house so would be perfect to allow us to be in the kitchen and keep an eye on them.

Chris
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boundsgreener
9 years ago
Now I get it!

So "man shed" is the back of the garage, right hand side is Dining near the bifold then Kitchen as you have it, then make the "Study" into the Utility. Do you have a side return and are you interested in changing the window on the right in the current Study to a door so that you have a side entrance and then the Utility becomes a mudroom, too, and entrance for bags of shopping and kids with stuff?

Make the "Playroom" the Study and decide whether you really want/need two doors into it.

Playroom area where you have "More Lounge?" is great because then you can see the kiddies from all parts of the open plan area.

Now what to do with the area currently drawn out as "Utility".... I'll see if I can describe a suggestion without the aid of software or pen and paper.... Have a big door or doorway from the hall lined up with the front door, keep the current outside wall opposite and fill in the doorway that used to go to your conservatory, build a wall to the right of that that is wide enough for you to have your TV - marked in blue on your plan, right? - and then on the playroom side of the former exterior wall build deep cupboards or drawers and shelves to put the extra kids' toys and on the side you will see from the front door make it a sort of reception/coat hanging/bookshelf space - maybe bookshelves all along this side of the exterior wall, a console table and mirror on the left hand wall so you can see it all the way from the kitchen, and a coat rack or stand in there somewhere? From the lounge you'll have a solid wall in the middle for your tele but it'll actually be hiding storage either side of it. I don't know if that makes any sense! Let me know if I'm totally off track or if I should look for some pictures for examples.

Don't have pokey little doors between the front of the house and the extension - let the light flow in and make it more to scale with the big lovely extension and the giant windows and doors.
PRO
OnePlan
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi - just trying to figure where the 8m x 12m is ? The blue sketch is 8m x 12 and the grey is about 4m x 12m - there's a big difference !!
PRO
OnePlan
9 years ago
This might work - hiding the laundry area behind sliderobes - having coats etc opposite - keeping a snug with the fire and book shelving - going through to family room with dining and round the corner to kitchen and play room - with the study nearer the man cave ...
PRO
OnePlan
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
nb - in the family room bit (yellow) - if you had a faux or gas fireplace on the internal wall and your TV mounted on a swivel pole ( floor to ceiling ) infront if the glass openers opposite fire place - you could turn the TV round to watch TV outside or to be viewed from dining table or even study too !!!
Chris Wilton
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi, thanks for the feedback again... you're right, it is 4x12m (I was thinking about the existing property in parts too.)

I quite like your design, but wonder if there's any other way to move the kitchen into the top right corner? I'm thinking maybe a curved island that looks towards the top right corner, facing into the garden... not sure if that would look unusual or not?

I think the snug is too big, I could see us spending most of our time in the open plan bit so wouldn't want to give up that amount of space to it.

Cheers

Chris
hzdeleted_30866147
8 years ago
Very nice layout

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