kitchen/ downstairs loo design dilemma
Lisa R
5 years ago
Can you help with how to organise our kitchen?
We have a lovely semi detached house in need of full renovation. It's in a conservation area so there are lots of restrictions on what we can do.
We would like to extend the kitchen to the side as shown below. (Going out into the garden to make the kitchen deeper is not an option as the garden is small and this would not be allowed in the conservation area).
I am thinking we should get rid of the downstairs loo altogether so as to have a rectangular space for the kitchen/ diner. The current plan with the toilet as shown seems to result in the kitchen configuration being compromised as there is not a lot of space.
We don't want to reposition the toilet in the cupboard area as that is crucial for storage. The whole thing is slightly complicated as the floor levels (toilet and current kitchen) are different but I imagine this could be sorted out somehow.
Would the larger kitchen be worth the lack of toilet? Any ideas for kitchen design? I'm a first time houzzer and have never done any work like this before. We don't plan to sell the house for many years and have no need of the toilet downstairs ourselves (no children or old people involved).
Thanks in advance for any help/ ideas.
We have a lovely semi detached house in need of full renovation. It's in a conservation area so there are lots of restrictions on what we can do.
We would like to extend the kitchen to the side as shown below. (Going out into the garden to make the kitchen deeper is not an option as the garden is small and this would not be allowed in the conservation area).
I am thinking we should get rid of the downstairs loo altogether so as to have a rectangular space for the kitchen/ diner. The current plan with the toilet as shown seems to result in the kitchen configuration being compromised as there is not a lot of space.
We don't want to reposition the toilet in the cupboard area as that is crucial for storage. The whole thing is slightly complicated as the floor levels (toilet and current kitchen) are different but I imagine this could be sorted out somehow.
Would the larger kitchen be worth the lack of toilet? Any ideas for kitchen design? I'm a first time houzzer and have never done any work like this before. We don't plan to sell the house for many years and have no need of the toilet downstairs ourselves (no children or old people involved).
Thanks in advance for any help/ ideas.
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Comments (6)
Ribena Drinker
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
Carolina
5 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (49)Clever lighting is a must for small spaces - for a fun element here commission a neon word or phrase and have some low level floor wash - all on dimmers - dimmer switches placed outside bathroom door....See MoreI need an en suite and a downstairs loo - advice on layout please!
Comments (8)Hi Missy, Have you thought about having a shower fitted instead of a bath in the en-suite? Showers can be a lot more space-saving and economical done right. Plus, the technology's come a long way, giving you just as luxurious an experience as you'd have in the bath with options like rain jets, cascade (waterfall-like), lights, aromatherapy and speakers to play music through. What kind of style are you going for in the en-suite? The above are all quite contemporary but we have some traditional bell-shaped rain showers as well. Best of luck with it all, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch! Thanks, Maxine, Smart Showers Ltd...See MoreIdeas on where to move our downstairs loo so we can be more open plan
Comments (48)Having suggesting taking down the wall around your living room door, I’ve just noticed your lovely wood flooring which woudl get messed up by that - unless you can get spare planks? If you don’t want to mess with the floor then you could consider inserting an internal window next to the door, where you currently have the square white mirror and cabinet. You could also replace the sitting room door with a glazed door. Another couple of ideas to help make your living room feel more spacious - without making the actual room bigger: 1) I wonder if there is storage taking up space in your living room? For example the cabinets each side of the TV? If so then if you re jig the loo into a small loo and a small storage room, you can move some storage there and free up sitting room space. 2). I notice you have a big dining table in the sitting room - is this used much, seeing as the kitchen is big enough for a table? If not, then removing it or replacing with a small extending table would free up space....See MoreBeautiful Victorian downstairs design dilemma
Comments (18)Personally I would want the low ceiling parts of the house to be rooms you sit down in and the kitchen to be in one of the best spaces as for me it’s an important room. And I think being able to circulate around the house helps you use more of it. If it were mine I would have the kitchen in the whole of the left side and use the former kitchen as a dining room. You might consider moving the laundry upstairs and turning the current utility into an entrance near your parking.... you could even use some of this space for a big guest wc too. I would get rid of the downstairs shower room because I think when parents become too frail to get up your stairs they won’t be prepared to travel. For me it’s more important to connect the areas so I would get rid of the shower. I would open up the two reception rooms on the right to each other but I concede a family might prefer separate spaces. And rather than extend I would be investing in the garden. I would put a patio in the sunniest part and create some new doors to the back from principal rooms (as opposed to going through the back lobby or utility as you must now)....See More
Lisa R
5 years ago- PRO
User
5 years agoBringing the wall in, helps the dining room gain light, and solves your drain / soil pipe problem. I actually think it makes more sense for the dining room with both walls coming in. I also think you'll have plenty of room for your kitchen island.
Depending on the depth of your walls, around 300mm plus your plasterboard etc, you'll be limited to the width of your Island. You could either turn it around like this, which I think looks nice
Or move the Island over and put it against the wall. You'll have a larger gap around 1.5m between it and your work surface behind you to the left though.
Lisa R
5 years ago
User