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Knocking through to make open plan... Help!

10 years ago

I can always rely on you lovely people.
We've just bought this house and need some advice on knocking through and making open plan. We don't have a bottomless budget, but want a great finish on a space which will become the hub. We want bi-fold doors, but would it be strange to keep the shower room at the bottom so it's not the whole way across?
What happens to the door to the kitchen and the wall next to the door of the dining room too?

Featured Answer

minnie101

10 years ago

Hi Deborah. I think this has now been removed from UK building regs? I've copied this as it has some useful info https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/can-a-toilet-be-off-a-kitchen-dsvw-vd~3301778?n=10

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Comments (9)

Doirin Duggan
10 years ago
Hi, looks like a lovely home. If it were me (once there was no problems knocking walls etc) I would knock the wall where the word Kitchen is and then would consider throwing up a wall where the dining area is to make this a utility room and then the shower room would be off this, unless you have a utility somewhere else of course. You would keep the side door then, and the utility would have a window. This would still give you a large space for kitchen, dining, sitting open plan. Love the window in the kitchen. Best of luck
minnie101
10 years ago
I agree with doirin. So the new entrance ŵall to the kitchen/diner runs in line with the top lounge ŵall. Kitchen becomes a bigger L shape. Where you currently have units opposite the L this becomes a wide island with breakfast bar on LHS. Dining in the rear reception with seating By the new bifolds. What a shame to lose the parquet though but house looks lovely!
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Deborah Sneddon
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Where do you live? If you are in the UK you must have 2 doors between a toilet & a kitchen, so you would not get a building warrant for this design. Looks such a lovely house - good luck!
Deborah Sneddon
10 years ago
Interesting - seems like a backward move! I had an old cottage many years ago and the bathroom was off the kitchen. It was termed "below the tolerable standard" and was not mortgage worthy. I bought it anyway with a local authority loan and found the place perfectly tolerable, but was forced to relocate the bathroom with the aid of a grant from said council. I didn't know the rules had changed, but perhaps the rules are different in Scotland?
PRO
Revive Your Space
10 years ago
I'm thinking that the current door to the kitchen could become the door to a utility/shower room, right in the middle of the house. Then you can open up the full width across the back of the house. The kitchen window is beautiful, make the most of it!
Kerry Donnelly
10 years ago
There should be a door separating a space containing a WC, or waterless closet, from a room or space used for the preparation or consumption of food, such as a kitchen or dining room.

Nope same in Scotland, above is the extract from the new 2015 technical handbook, I like how they state we need a door, just incase we where planning open plan WC lol.
Deborah Sneddon
10 years ago
I think just one door is a bit off actually. Imagine the stink.....or the noise of the flush, etc., without being too graphic; and I thought toilet fumes were a health issue - hence hand towels should not be hung too close to the loo?
Kerry Donnelly
10 years ago
Yep but that's different issues completely with sounds, but it does comply with building regulations. Is it something you would want regarding sounds/ privacy, think it's a personal thing. If you where adding a new bathroom that wasn't there prior, then you would have to put in an extract external air fan that will change the air 4 times within the hour and comply with building regs, have to put plumbing in for a shower should you need it in the future, have activity space allowing it to be used by disabled people safely, but that's not the case here since the bathroom is existing.

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