Open plan kitchen/family room
I've a draft of architect's drawings for a remodel/extension. I'm thinking of involving an interior designer/ planner but am even struggling to work out the questions and am concerned I will just have even more questions afterwards! Would any of you lovely people be willing to take a look and help me a little further along the way? I've included my version of the plan below - almost anything can be changed to some degree, except width of the area. Extension could be expanded so rear wall of kitchen (with window) continues in line with the sliding doors. I keep dithering over width of the patio doors, how sofas & dining table fit in, what to do with internal window, where to put television & storage... Any comments at all appreciated! We do have a separate living room, but are looking for this as our casual family room.
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Comments (19)
sarh123
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Layout dilemma
Comments (3)Thanks for taking the time to help. I hadn't thought we could move the stairs so definitively worth looking at that angle. Thanks again....See MoreDifferent flooring in open plan kitchen/dining/family room?
Comments (10)It will look fine, seen and done it several times. Key thing to remember is to ensure that levels between the two are the same, you don't want a lip running through the room or you'll constantly curse it when you're walking barefoot. Where the wood meets the tiles, you want some sort of trimmer, whether its a row of small decorative tiles, a border strip of wood, a sunken threshold etc Reason being you will have tiles edges against wooden edges and it will look messy....See MoreExtension and new layout - Help needed
Comments (15)Where is your plumbing/drains going to be? I at the back or on the right side where the old wc was? I was going to suggest using the 3m side next to the lounge for your wc & utility but if the plumbing is on the other side then it’s best kept there If that’s the case then few things to consider... Are you having doors across the back? Is your preference to have the dining area looking out into the garden OR the living/tv area? I presumed the tv room would be the old living area and the new lounge in the open plan would be more of a social/casual tv area. Are you wanting a kitchen island? Would be helpful to have some ideas of your ideal space to work out the logistics...See MoreOpen plan kitchen family room layout help
Comments (1)Keeping the kitchen near where it is now saves on moving utilities. My suggestion would be to reinstate the kitchen wall by the side door - gives a long run for full height units. You could also relocate the door into this new space to opposite the front door - you now have an even longer wall and could have an L shaped kitchen along that wall and the kitchen window wall - then you would have options of an island or peninsular....See More
PROi-architect
4 years agosarh123
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago
Maths Wife
4 years agoI too would put double doors in the kitchen and two sets in the lounge area.
I don't like the window at the end, and i would definitely change the internal window for more french doors on the inside.
Two different layouts for the kitchen. I actually like the simplicity of the one bank at the back with the longer length island for 6. ( as below )
sarh123 thanked Maths Wifesarh123
4 years agosarh123
4 years agoYour comments above have been invaluable. I've spent the day playing around on HomeByMe - first time I've used it so excuse my lack of sophistication and some odd furniture placements/choices!!
I put the plan through as previously drafted (but with limited kitchen) and it gave me this
I then switched to French windows (I couldn't find an exact match, so just took a patio double door) which gave this. Whilst it loses the panoramic view of the garden, the windows really help define the different areas of the room and give it a much better feel I think. I think I might have them too far apart (I know Maths Wife put them adjacent)
I also changed the door to a double door and dropped the 1970s feature internal window, which has completely changed the seating area of the room.
It would have been nice to have the double doors opposite the front doors, but I think having the access almost in the corner would compromise the whole seating area. I was worried the offset door would look bad from the front door, but I think even that will look OK once I get a nice chair and console in. Here is the view from the front door.
Here is the plan which generated the above pictures
I've obviously got lots more work to do on kitchen planning etc, but I'm finally starting to feel we're getting somewhere.
I did wonder whether we should take the kitchen out further (it will be an extension so can still be changed), but this plan leaves the back of the house symmetrical (at least downstairs). Here's my artist's impression - the two middle patio doors stand forward, those on the end are set back with the original building line.
By the way, i do have an architect on board - we did change about a month ago as we didn't really gel with the first one. We had kept going despite doubts but in the end just had to cut our losses. The new one seems to be great and open to suggestions.
If anyone does have any other suggestions for improvement, I'd be really pleased. And I do have two specific questions for anyone who has read this far:
1. How wide would you go with the patio doors and how far apart? The wall is around 7.2m that the two doors are fitted in.
2. I'm not a great fan of the simple sloping roof extensions (the roof shaded brown below first floor level), but realise it is done to match the existing house. Any other ideas?? We can't extend any further along to the right as there is a protected tree, hence the sloping roof suddenly stops.
And again thank you Jonathan, minnie101 and MathsWife for the inspiration (and the courage to abandon the enormous doors!)
Maths Wife
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoI am very impressed with you. You may have missed your vocation!
Well done.
I think the Hallway looks lovely, and yes you're right about the doors impacting the seating area, and yes, I think it looks super in the Hallway. As you say, add a console table and a mirror.
I've gone with these spacings to allow for your standard walk through's. I think everything lines up well.
Just understand the limitation with the seating area and type of door. They need to be french doors from the Hallway for practical reasons. They will impact the seating area, and I already thought that putting a second sofa in it, would not work. There isn't the room, thus I put armchairs in my render.You could go for a corner sofa, and I think it still looks nice with the adequate room around for the doors.
At the end of the day, the door width is down to personal preference. I prefer the way the doors fill more of the wall and let the light in with the size above.You can of course drop down in size. Dropping to 1800mm, which in the grand scheme of things isn't a lot, I think is a little on the small size for the large wall. They work well enough in the hallway and kitchen, but too much wall on show in the lounge area.
this is the comparison with the 2250mm doors below . All depends on what you like, i like the larger doors.
sarh123 thanked Maths Wifesarh123
4 years agoMaths Wife
4 years agoJonathan
4 years agosarh123
4 years ago
PROOnePlan
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agosarh123
4 years agoJonathan
4 years agoI think being able to see from the front door through to the garden is very desirable. Glass partitions are not just reserved for the office but I think unless your whole home is contemporary it is difficult to imagine a single pane of glass in the aperture.
Personally I would get matching French doors but opposite the front door have no door furniture and put a console table in front of it.
sarh123 thanked Jonathansarh123
4 years agoMaths Wife
4 years agoI do agree with a sight line straight through, and that's particularly important with straight hallways, however, not at the expense of the look and feel of the living room.
I would not add glass at the end as I think it spoils the lounge, as you would in theory be sitting on a sofa looking left through the glass to a front door.
My son's hallway and lounge doors are identical to this layout and it looks lovely with the console table and mirror.
However, it's all down to personal preference.
If you get a good concept planner on board, they can produce property specific & accurate 3d drawings for you and you can get a really good feel of walking round, and seeing what it would look like.
Worth the money all day long.sarh123 thanked Maths Wife
minnie101