First post - Please help! L-Shaped Kitchen/Diner dilemma(s)!
Dan Tree
5 years ago
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Need help with small 1930's kitchen/diner design
Comments (29)We had a similar project and gutted the house. Rewire replaster all walls and ceilings. We restored the original parquet flooring and then new carpets everywhere else. Knocked through between kitchen and dining room, new garage roof. New doors and work surface but kept the original kitchen units. Kept the bathroom but put in a new floor. Did this for about £10k. Now 18 months later we're looking at extending the kitchen diner into a big open plan room going out the back as you have suggested but also out to the side. Our neighbours have done similar and we think we can get it done for about 30-40k not including the kitchen. The side extension means a fair bit of structural steel so if you don't do this then it saves a fair bit - our other neighbours have done this. We want an open but defined space so we're looking at keeping a pillar (also cheaper) then having an L shaped kitchen diner around a more relaxed sitting and entertaining area. The idea being that for dinner parties you mill around and have drinks in here before going to eat. Also can have friends round for coffee etc while the front living room remains the primary TV watching area. We'd keep a small boot room off the back for the dog, a pantry in the middle and a toilet at the front. See below for some pictures that illustrate our plans. These are mine and just awaiting our architects plans. In summary I'd get it up to a basic standard until you've got a bit more then go big, although as you say with your cheap labour you might get what you want for the money!...See MoreKitchen diner layout help please :)
Comments (7)I like the layout- I don’t think you can do much else and there is not enough space for an island and a peninsula would cut down the kitchen space. Personally I think the extra storage at the dining end is useful. Personally I think there are a couple of extra things you could consider:- Firstly there are drawers under the hob flanked by cupboards. Personally I would rather see a wall of drawers to give you longer horizontal lines to make the space seem wider. Secondly I would prefer the storage at the dining end of the room to stop 300/400mm from each corner for an unfitted look which I think also contributes to a feeling of space. If there is no bin planned then you need that planned in a cabinet on the sink wall. Personally I prefer to see a wider raised cabinet over the hob as I think the likely lower cabinets each side crowd the hob. It looks like your fridge opens the wrong way and doesn’t fit in the units. I would rather see an integrated fridge- if it has to be free standing don’t build cabinets around it, put it at the end of the run. I think fitting cabinets around a fridge frames it and I think normally we only put a frame around treasured pictures not the plainest lump of metal in the house. Next you say the dining area feels too formal- I would make it more comfortable , choose a round table and upholstered chairs with a chandelier over. Flooring- your choose kinda depends on the kitchen cabinet choices. If you choose wood in your kitchen then porcelain tiles laid on the diagonal will help it seem wider. A wood floor direction can also help it feel wider. A rug under the table will also help the room seem less long. Lastly consider the lighting. Of course it needs to be light enough to cook but when you are sat relaxing or entertaining at your table you need to be able to switch off the ceiling lights in the kitchen and create an ambiance from under cabinet lighting, an over table light (with a dimmer), lighting in the dining end storage (glass cabinets?) or walk over lights that spill light up the wall...See MoreKitchen/Diner & Groundfloor Plan Dilemma
Comments (14)Richard hello I'm intrigued by your dilemma Could I ask you a few questions ? I am assuming this is a detached property.Y/N? 1. How far are the boundaries on each side of the house ? You mentioned the one to the rear is only 6m or 18 feet away. What would be the approximate distances on the : -Front side of the house? -Garage side? -Current living room side ? 2. What or where is the best part of your garden ? 3. Where is the most expansive side of your garden? 4. You mentioned that you are on a sloped site - do you have any good views and from which part of the house? 5. Do you have the plan of upstairs as well for reference? 6. Is this rural setting or in a city or town? I'm not going to begin to put a plan up as I think it would be important to understand the settings and allow this to influence where to expand or whether to expand the house. The basic organisation of the house is an L shaped volume LDK ( LIVE/DINE/KIT) around two sides of an entry hall with access to an upper level and a garage on the other side. The question in my mind is how does one enhance that and instigate a change or modification to the arrangement that produces a cohesive spatial result. I believe the context of the surrounding would influence that significantly- so some pictures would be great. The last thing would be taking space from the centre of a deep plan space leads to dark spaces. Particularly, if the alterations are on the ground floor only so I would try to persuade you otherwise with respect to an approach in that direction ....See MoreHelp with designing kitchen diner please
Comments (23)Sorry I had trouble with the app, had to delete and re-install! I am really grateful for your suggestions and a lot to think about. The box st the top right hand corner of the last picture is the garage, and that’s what we are joining to the house. We can’t extend longer or wider, as it has been extended before, and the house is only about 7m wide if that. The hallway would probably about 1.5 to 2m wide if that. We have a footpath about 1m to the south facing aspect, from where the left hand side of the house is hence why we would rather not do much to that side, due to space, as you would be stepping directly onto the footpath bar a thin hedge, more’s the pity. And we are slap bang in the middle of fields with hedges surrounding us so makes planning a little difficult. Does that make sense at all? Really appreciate all your input!...See MoreDan Tree
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