hi. What's the width of the dining room? Could you put in a 4ft round table that seats 4-6 and have shallow storage wall to wall storage on that bottom wall of the dining area?

Are they built in cupboards next to the fireplace? If they're built in, wall to wall obviously won't work, sorry I didn't notice the fire before. If not, you could go for a 3ft round extendable table ( which would be the same width as your rectangular one?) but if you have more than 3 eating permanently it wouldn't be big enough. Or could you stick with the table you have and push it and the island up a couple of feet? It's difficult without knowing all the dimensions but at absolute minimum you need 2ft clearance behind the table, ideally at least 3. What is the black line that looks like a door from your coat cupboard? Do you have any storage space under the stairs ( apologies for silly question!)

thats a really good idea minnie101. I hadn't thought of that. The one to the left of the fireplace currently has a nice dresser in it but the one to the right was going to be disguised as a dressier cupboard (so it fits more with the dining room, perhaps a wood finish) but filled with food, tins and pasta and such like but instead, we could just utilise the cupboards we have potentially for that and use this for coats and shoes. I really hadn't thought of that one thank you.

I've just been playing about as well in desperation and tried adding something in between the toilet and the utility cupboard but I don't think it will work so well with the skylight do you?? I think your idea is lots better. Its so hard. thanks so much for your ongoing help.

Oh good, one potential option then! I do think it feels a little close, I'm guessing there's only a foot gap? You could push the sofa up more or less against the door though and have a left hand L? Do you also envisage watching tv a lot in here? We just have a tv over the top of our kitchen door so it can only be seen clearly from 2 chairs. You could have a tv on the wall and just have 2x2 small sofas opposite each other? Ignore the 2nd pic, now i have uploaded it I thought the sofa was against the wall and can see it isn't!

wow, that first picture is amazing, If only I had all that space, even half that garden space actually. The idea is that our 2 boys will use this tv area more and the living room will be kept for us grown ups, so a space for the boys to entertain their friends and hang out really, not that they watch much tv at the moment actually. The 2 sofas opposite would work for now for sure as it will be more of a family thing and more social actually. I think you've just convinced me that the best option so far is the one where we have the coat cupboard next to the kitchen and therefore leaving more space at the end of the kitchen for a family area where children will only grow and need more space. who needs tins of tomato soup and spaghetti hoops anyway. I'll just have to change our diet so that we don't use any of those things ha ha. thanks again minie 101 for taking the time to help me.

Yes it is! Good idea re living room. I don't know if the boys will have a games console at some point in the future so maybe do think about that if you have the tv on the wall. I know it's not ideal but is there a place in the cellar you could store tinned food maybe in those plastic crates? good luck with it all anyway, I bet you can't wait to have it done now!

Yes thank you Minnie101. Yes absolutely I can't wait now, it seems like its been a long time coming. Plus it will be soooo much better than what we currently have. Its just so hard to visualise.

And yes, the boys do already have a boys console which I know they will play more once I let them.

thanyou minnie 101.

Hi, I'm not an architect or anything but we are currently extending our home so I've just gone through the same thing needing larger kitchen/diner, utility room, coat/boot/Hoover room etc cupboard. I'm not sure what all the things are in your plan but what jumps out to me is: could you access the kitchen diner where you have the green block (planned coat cupboard - next to dining room table) or at least a door along that same wall somewhere, or what about glass French doors along that whole wall to let light poor in and then where you have the current door opening which is next to the underside of the stairs I think, you could build a large floor to ceiling cupboard that would take up the same space as the door opening. That way the wall along the table just gets extended on that side and you would access the coat cupboard from the kitchen side, as if coming in or out the current door. When closed it would just look like a door to another room as all plastered and painted (like a built in wardrobe only a small one and you would have access through a door or glass French doors by the dining room table (you can get narrow ones which either side along the wall to open or open outwards into the hall. I hope that all makes sense,