Help needed for kitchen refurbishment

7 years ago

I really need some ideas & inspiration for my kitchen. We have a medium size area split between a kitchen & utility room but the layout is not practical. We had to utilise the plumbing in the utility room to have a dishwasher so I have it & the fridge housed in this room! There are lots of cupboards but no space - so non-everyday items sit at the very back of the cupboards. Should we knock the wall between the utility room & the dinning room to make one big kitchen/ family area? Attached are kitchen/utility/dinning room photos. Thank you.

Featured Answer

Jonathan

7 years ago

My first idea was to create a galley by simply moving the door to the utility. The kitchen could then be opened up to the dining room.

My second idea was to keep the dining room separate but steal a little room from the front facing room (bedroom?). The benefit is that you get a deeper room that allows you to have an island that faces the garden. At the end of this island I have put a breakfast/ drinks area. I think this island and the garden door tick the box for social✔️
This is the more expensive option as likely putting in these doors (which are likely bigger than your existing windows will eat up £4/5k.
If you did the second option you could still open up the room to the dining room. Furthermore you might think the Back door becomes redundant and use this space for the washing machine instead of putting it in the middle of a kitchen run.

Option 2 is my favorite but there are likely many options and you might choose to find a concept planner who, for a reasonable hourly rate, will give you a number of options to consider.

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Comments (11)

PRO
Artichoke
7 years ago
Is there a plan of the space? It would help.
mrsnjgordon
Original Author
7 years ago
Here is the ground floor plan. Thank you for looking.
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Personally I would love to see a house plan in order to see how these spaces relate to the rest of the house and garden. If you are seriously thinking about taking down walls it might be worth thinking about if the kitchen is going to stay in the same space if windows and doors might be changes for the better and how you get to your garden. My observation so far is that the kitchen is a cut through from the dining to the utility meaning that the long wall opposite the window can't easily be fitted and this would be the obvious place for the tall items like the fridge. It seems unnecessary to have two tables in the space. There is no obvious route to the garden, the utility room seems dark but the total space seems generous which gives loads of possibilities. Lastly you seem to have specified the practical things like the dishwasher and fridge but you should think about what you would like to be able to do with the space........ For instance- think about if you want a room to socialise in or to keep an eye on small children or room for hobbies or work? Lastly whereabouts do you live and do you know your budget? perhaps someone can recommend a kitchen showroom near you.
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PRO
Artichoke
7 years ago
Do you use the Garage? The obvious approach would be to remove the stud between the kitchen and utility to create a single room, and puncture a door into the garage and add a wall into the garage where utility and freezer goes.
mrsnjgordon
Original Author
7 years ago
I agree, however our house is at the top of a hilled avenue, one side has elevated houses and as you walk up - the houses opposite (our side) step down to access the main house. Our garage sits at an elevated position (street level) to that of the house, hence our quandary.
bookworm987
7 years ago
I would block up the existing dining room door and open an archway to the dining room. You can then get rid of the kitchen table, giving you space to redesign the kitchen so that you have more workspace. With a clever design you should be able to bring your fridge and dishwasher back into the kitchen, and store the non everyday items in the utility instead. This will all make your kitchen/ diner a more pleasant place to be!
Alecia
7 years ago
A big change, but you could knock the wall between the dining/kitchen through and then block the dining room door and move the kitchen to the dining space (entrance through the existing door to the kitchen). You would then have a large l shaped kitchen with island in the old dining room and make the most of the views to the garden in the new dining area - possibly even turn the windows into doors in the future!
mrsnjgordon
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you all for your comments. We now have some great ideas here and we have realised we need to speak to a designer to achieve exactly what we want and that is a large open practical and social space. We definitely need to change the windows as the garden is great!
PRO
House Martin Online
7 years ago
Think about the lighting. Maybe use some indirect uplighter coving to infill the shadow areas with light. Michael.
PRO
Pat Oliver Interior Design
7 years ago
Going back to your question of whether or not to keep the utility room separate, you need to consider how this room is used. Is it strictly for laundry or is it a mud room for dogs, coats, boots, etc?

If it is relatively underused, can you resite your washer and dryer to a large bathroom upstairs or a hall closet (stacking the machines)? Many American homes have their laundry space upstairs where the majority of the soiled items are generated. This would free up the utility room to incorporate into a larger kitchen.
whizzywig
7 years ago
It obviously depends on your budget but I would suggest you consider knocking through from lounge to diner to make a lovely large kitchen/diner/living room there, with a snug/lounge where your existing kitchen and utility are: looking out over your lovely garden..

Help needed for kitchen refurbishment

Jonathan

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