Open Plan Living Kitchen Dining

5 years ago

Hello All, we have Finally built our Extention, woo hoo! I am finalising they layout, ready for the first fix.

What do you think of the kitchen, spacing movement around Island ect.

Pantry Size, Coat cupboard?

Utility room size, is this big enough?

Finally the Living area, My hubby wants a huge 65inch T.V, I know lots of People will turn there nose up at having a T.V in here but the front room Isnt big enough to fit in such a large T.V. He wants it on the left hand wall so the sun doesn't interfear with the picture!

Do you think a corner sofa will be best or Two sofas? We want a good the view of the Garden and of the T.V!

I like the Dining table as it has a good outlook infront of the 2 door bifolds.

Hope you can give me some ideas, thank you all!

Featured Answer

Heather

5 years ago

I also think it looks great! One question though - could your second dishwasher which is in the utility be moved to the kitchen? It just seems you will be trapsing around quite a lot taking dirty/clean dishes to the DW in utility?

I agree I would put dining table in front of kitchen, living area where dining table is, then convert the garage to a man cave and put your husband and his 65 inch TV in there!

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Comments (19)

michtrue
Original Author
5 years ago
Here is the View from my planned Range Cooker
michtrue
Original Author
5 years ago
Dining Area infront of Bifolds
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I'm doing all I can to stop it from crashing but no luck yet! I've lengthened the island from 3.2M to 3.6M to increase the storage for the kitchen but agree the island should be moved down slightly. I'd like a really large seating area but will have a play around to see how I can make this area work better as the settee is a little bit close to the island! I've always wanted a formal seating area and will have the space to do this but may be able to get away with 2 settees rather than the 3 I had my heart set on!! I'd put the TV on that wall so I could see it when I was in the kitchen cooking! But it would be better placed on the other wall for people sat at the Island to see. Your points are so helpful! This is the most productive day I've had in a while!! And I've just watched the George Clarke show 'Ugly House to Lovely House' to see the Crittall windows and I love them!
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Ellie
5 years ago
I would switch the tv and dining area. I think it would make sense, dining nearer the kitchen, also it would look better without the 2 big sofas infront of the lovely doors, less glare on the tv too if the tv is in the area without the huge doors and rooflight above.......
michtrue
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you Ellie, I think your right it make sense to me to Have the dining by thr kitchen. But he really wants the T.V on the other side, I dont think he will change his mind, he is dead set on it there and doesnt care what it looks like aslong as he gets a good view of the T.V!

The Sofas arn't staying I will get a new one to fit the space better! Possibly a low corner or modular one Might work better.
thank you for taking the time to comment!
R countryside
5 years ago
hi there. your plan is so similar to ours (our draft 1). At the end, we moved few things around. Where your kitchen is, we have our TV zone (corner sofa). where your have the dining table, we have our kitchen area.

we have 65 inch TV. looks great to me. suggestion - wall mount it so it will give more space. because we have the TV where your kitchen is, we don't get any sun there.

Your kitchen design looks nice to me.

hope everything goes well for you. put some pics when it's all done. I am sure it will look amazing.
michtrue
Original Author
5 years ago
Wow your House looks amazing, so beautiful!!!

I have drawn about a million plans and tried the Kitchen in each position in the end we kept it at the back of the room so we get to sit and view our outside space and we can utilise the existing water and drainage and not have to move the boiler!

I doubt every decision I make but Just hope it will all work out in the end, we have a tight budget so can't afford a designer!

Thank you for Your lovely pics and taking time to comment!
minipie
5 years ago
I was going to suggest the same as R countryside - put the TV in the back part which is darker anyway - then you can have the kitchen in the lovely light part near the garden doors. This is also what we will be doing with our L shaped open plan room.
minipie
5 years ago
Sorry just realised the extension is already built! so that's probably not an option.

Back to your original questio, I would choose two sofas so it leaves more of a clear path and view from the kitchen to the garden.
Jonathan
5 years ago
I agree with hubby. In a living/dining space 65/70% should be living space. There is no doubt that sofa seating for 6, a coffee table, an over sized TV and circulation room takes up twice as much space as a dining table and 6 chairs. The living space will likely get used for more hours a week so it doesn’t make sense to squeeze the living space into the smaller area.
Personally I think a sofa, footstool and chair gives you the cost flexibility
michtrue
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you all for your Ideas, minpie thank you for your comment yes will get drawing tonight with different furniture Ideas.

Hahaha Heather man cave in the garage not sure he would fancy that! I was Just thinking to put my old dishwasher in the utility for dinner partys ect throw all the dirty stuff in there to keep the kitchen looking tidy!

Johnathan somebody on his side for once, he will be pleased! I will have a look at Sofa and get drawing after work!

thanks guys!
Jonathan
5 years ago
Possible furniture layout
Jonathan
5 years ago
I realise the last pic had the wall to the utility in the wrong place so have moved it
Jonathan
5 years ago
With the living area at the other end
Jonathan
5 years ago
Alternative layout
Emily
5 years ago
One thing I noticed is the double doors from the hall open into the kitchen where you need to walk around for the most direct route to kitchen. The doors could be pulled back so that the coat cupboard would technically be in the kitchen that way the left one wouldn’t be in the way. Or you could have one standard size centralised door opening to the right. Also I have dogs so since I like to keep my door closed I had a full glazed door to my room which means even from the hall I still get sight of outside. Just a little thing to think of to make it easier and nicer to use each day.
And re the tv, whether contemporary or traditional I’d find a material to clad or paper or even paint tv wall that is very dark. It makes a massive difference to not letting tv dominate. Also if he wants to fix tv high that great for people on their feet or sitting at further away dining but less comfy for sofa watching. If you are buying new sofas, ones with a low back which allow the head to rest further back will make tv watching comfier. And agree with Jonathon, one sofa plus footstool and either one or two chairs enables more people to be sat comfortably plus allows circulation when you have extra people in room.
Emily
5 years ago
Forgot to say I much prefer Jonathons peninsula kitchen in this space since I think it will stop people traffic through the sofa area. In openplan spaces I think the sofa area needs to be “protected” for want of a better word from traffic routes since otherwise they don’t feel relaxing. When I knocked my day room kitchen and dining room together I’ve realised I designed the space with a main corridor and a side one. They are both “invisible” but are just natural feeling routes through the space that mean the living area doesn’t get walked though to get to dining or kitchen even though you could walk through it. And tbh I’d go one step further and not have bar stools. But I know bar stools are often on the must have list. Anyhow really nice extension! :)
PRO
Allium Interior Solutions
5 years ago
I can't see the propose dimensions around the island but they look about bit tight; ideally you need a meter of flow space between cabinet runs around each edge of the island.

Suggest the dining table would work better in the other half of the room below the lantern light and TV/sofa in the area to the right which allows a cleaner flow of movement through the kitchen to the garden doors and a much clearer delineation between 'kitchen' and 'relax' spaces. This will also reduce light glare to TV (vital if you actually want to watch it!) and will be cooler in summer if you're not sitting beneath the lantern light.

Would consider a peninsular layout like Jonathan has suggested - there should be room for a worktop over hang on the long edge so you could still have a bar type seating arrangement if that's what appeals with an island arrangement...
michtrue
Original Author
5 years ago
thank you everyone Just finished work going to have a good think tonight!

I really wanted an Island as my friend has a peninsular and gets very annoyed when people get in her way when cooking!

I hoped by having a narrower entrance 900cm into the cook zone it would put people off coming around that side and thought they would stay on the side by the fridge and bar stools!

I think sofa and armchair and footstool will be best as a few of you have suggested, keeps the space more open!

thank you all soo much for you Ideas, it a big help for me as I am a very bad decision maker!

Just sat here now watching the sunset, I am very excited to get finished!