Kitchen/Diner & Groundfloor Plan Dilemma
Since we moved into our house, we've always said that we would knock through from the kitchen into the dining room and create an open plan living environment.
As part of the project, we would also do a small extension to give a bit more living area and move some doors to improve flow.
We've got a point where we have two designs and we cannot figure out which way to go:
Option 1 - Knock through kitchen diner, pinching some space from the garage to create more a bigger kitchen, with a 3x2.5m extension in the dining area.
Option 2 - Maintain the dining room in it's original form as a family room/study. Then pinch around 1m from the garage and do a 6mx3m extension to create the kitchen/diner/living room.
Some of the main sticking points that we have with either option is the outside appearance. Option 1 may look like a small/pokey extension in the middle of the house. Option 2 may feel cramped, with only 3m from the external wall to the boundary.
This is the current floorplan:
Please help!
Comments (14)
Rich Jones
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Kitchen diner living and utility room layout dilemma!
Comments (16)Hi there, We had exactly the same problem about 6 months ago and despite all the squared scale paper in the world, I just couldn't imagine how it was going to look and went round and round in circles! Have you considered a concept planner? We used one and despite the fact I was standing in 3 separate rooms with doors, windows and openings in completely different places, she worked off the architect's plans and came up with photo quality 3D renders showing exactly how the different options would look. We even had a YouTube video of the 4 different layouts, so you could see how it would look as you walked around the room. The pics below show the room I was stood in as our concept planner did the 3D renders, how they actually looked and how the room as turned out. I am a huge fan and find the whole thing quite fascinating- it's like looking i to the future :) Thanks to using them, we were able to order our kitchen before the building work was done, so didn't have to go without a kitchen for ages! How the 3 separate rooms looked when the plans were done by our concept planner... A few of the 3D renders that she did at exactly the same time... And how it turned out.. It's completely cheating but it makes it a lot more fun and in our experience a lot less stressful :) Best wishes, Claire...See MoreKitchen / diner layout dilemma
Comments (2)Hi Hans If you are considering knocking down the wall between the kitcchen and dining room then I would block up the door from the dining room to the lounge. This would then give you more usuable space in both rooms. Are you looking to change the layout of your kitchen too ? Or just remove the wall ?...See MoreKitchen / diner / living dilemma
Comments (8)Hi! I can help you with sketch designs. If you'd like a taste of my unique way of working, you can get my free Design Your Home Vision Checklist here: https://www.i-architect.co.uk/dyhvchecklist.html Without understanding better what you're hoping to achieve, along with things like what daily frustrations you have with the space that you want to design out, I'm wondering if you might be better including the pantry within the kitchen. Alternatively relocating the stained glass window could be a way to keep it but stop it's current location from blocking what could be the best access point....See MorePutting internal bi-folds to separate open plan kitchen/diner/lounge ?
Comments (6)sometimes its good to take a breath and really think about how you live - rather than all focus being on the plans, which can seem immovable. For example, I have a largely open plan ground floor but on the advice of my sister whose kids were older at the time, I kept a small snug living room that is separate and as my kids have grown up through teenage years that has been a saving grace - we can all go to separate places,! I dont have to listen to video games whilst cooking etc :) Does one person often watch tv and the other like to read? Where do hobbies take place? Would it be a simple solution to just turn that dining table round to make more space for those doors? If you like to entertain would you like to hide the mess inthe kitchen to be cleared up later? I for example insisted that I could close my kitchen off from the front room and hall (and stairwell) because one of my pet hates is cooking smells lingering everywhere! Also consider if the doors could be retro fitted - and l ive in the space for 9 months first to see if you really need/want them?...See More
rinked
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago326 is quite narrow for an island, even if the wall behind the tall units is 'pushed into' the garage.
326-60-90-90=86. No stools. Before going into extension-mode, look at the space you have. When closing off the livingroom door, your sofa's will fit in better. Add a new door from hall to diner. Open up the dining-kitchen wall and recreate the current layout with a peninsula with seats behind the hob. The dining and top of the lounge are big enough for a nice dining table.
Rich Jones thanked rinkedRich Jones
4 years ago
Maths Wife
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoI'm not really a fan of pinching room from garages unless they are of the single type, which were built long ago and can't house cars anymore due to their lack of size. A Double Garage adds value to the house. I also think that if you can you should provide a second living room, and the play room / study also helps with giving you ground floor accommodation to suit needs / privacy going forward.
I think you're trying to pinch room where you shouldn't and not extending enough where you should.
I'd go more one of two ways:-
Rich Jones thanked Maths WifeRich Jones
4 years ago
PROStudio O+U Architects
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJonathan
4 years agoThere are some really good points on this post so far- and this helps inform your brief to the professional when you instruct them rather than replace their advice. For what it’s worth this is how I would do it.
- PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoI thought I'd explore given the open brief and play a little...
The 2 storey L shaped configuration of the house has lots of potential ways of reconfiguring the internal layout on the ground floor. It also has even more potential when one examines the 3rd dimension..and looks at the house as a whole.
I have made some assumptions and deduced the upper floor plan from the ground floor.
I'am pretty sure this house does not look like the elevation ...that's just the modernist eeking out in me.
As I said before knowing where the boundaries are helps a little bit:)
I think the solution to your remodelling should be a simple one. Perhaps less than below but seeks to align the spatial arrangements with your ideal lifestyle within the house.
Potentially a great little project.
PROi-architect
4 years ago
PROSarah Beeny's Renovate Don't Relocate
4 years ago- PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years ago
i-architect