Renovation Renovating a kitchen with difficult layout
My mother has a very old kitchen that she would like to renovate.
The kitchen is a separate room, with two doors and two windows. The windows are very low one the wall. That makes the layout kinda awkward.
Presently we have cabinets one one wall, and the sink and dishwasher in another corner, vis a vis the fireplace in the living room. The layout is alright now but the bench space is tiny, so we'd like to have more benches.
We were thinking about knocking down the wall to the living room and make it a diner, but one third has to stay because it's the chimney.
I would love some input on this. First of all the layout, solutions on the windows etc, but design suggestions are also welcome.
I'm sorry for all the mess in the photos, but we aren't exactly minimalist in my family. This is an everyday picture. And yes that is my mom.
Also, dont you just love the floor? ;)
Comments (8)
E D
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoIngrid Fragått
3 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (7)I like option 2, but i don't think the shower area and Utility / Coats is going to work. A short projection toilet ( smallest you can get ) sticks out 600mm. You have 1250mm, leaving you with a gap to walk through to get to the shower of around 60cm. You should have a gap either side of the loo of around 30cm and you also have to fit your basin in and have room to get out of the shower and dry yourself. You shouldn't put the toilet by the shower as that takes up the most room and cuts down on your drying area. All of that spaced out with just an 800mm wide shower would take up around 2500mm, depending on the width of basin and toilet. You have a total of about 3150 ( had to guess ) Even if you cut the gaps down a bit to 250mm between everything, you'll take up 2255. Then you add in 100mm for the pocket door, 800mm for coats and another 100mm for the last pocket door. ( Total 3255 ) You could therefore buy a combination vanity unit ( smallest is 900mm wide ), however, the toilet would then stick out by 740mm . You can't push the vanity unit up to the shower because you wouldn't have enough drying room, or room to really walk around the toilet - So i wouldn't use the combi vanity because of the toilet issue. You need a separate short projection one in order to walk past it. Even if you move the vanity away from the shower, the toilet sticks out too far. THERE IS NO PROVISION FOR A TOWEL RADIATOR I would keep the design to this, I put shower 8800mm, Gap to allow for standing in front of shower without banging too much in to basin 250mm, Basin 350mm, gap 300mm, toilet 350mm, gap to door 300mm ( Total 2350mm) I also put in a Towel radiator You could make the Coat room a little bigger by moving the door in line with the right hand wall. Moving the wall allows you to put in an integrated washing machine and tumble dryer. They're less deep than standard machines ( they should just fit with the door opening ( which has to be the smallest door you can buy 24".) By putting the machines in here instead of coats you have a tidy functional area to walk through to the bathroom instead of lots of coats and shoes. Of course you could put all of those in a cupboard and not have them on show, but I think they're better off in the hallway under the stairs as it's a better use of tight space. With regards the living area, i might be inclined to swap the two sides over. If you have the dining area on the right and the sofa where you have the seating area marked, you would have a wall on which to place a T.V ( if you want ). By having it the other way around, the sofa has to face the wall opposite ( which is fine- all down to personal preference. ) I would say however, that for me that central pillar really spoils the whole room, so I would put an RSJ in side to side so that you can get rid of it. You may benefit from a good concept planner, there are many on here. Space is tight and they know all the tricks to make the most out of every inch. It's not easy, and when you know all the products, the depths and widths of what is available it really does help, as I think I've demonstrated. I just come from a building background, but I do have a fair amount of knowledge with regards to products. The concept planners on the other hand take everything to a new level and will get everything perfect. The thing is with tight spaces, that unless you plan for everything to the nth degree as they say, things can go wrong quite quickly....See MoreRenovating Main Floor - Layout Ideas Needed Please
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PROqudaus living ltd
3 years agoIngrid Fragått
3 years ago
HU-840414730
3 years agoarc3d
3 years agoHi Ingrid,
I really like the way it looks. Not sure if it's the wood panelling in the kitchen or the cosiness of living room.
However, I'm guessing the house is old, and given all the blankets in the living room, you mum sitting in doors with a jumper on, the log burner, and electric radiator I'm going to assume it gets very cold in there!
So I would reconsider going open plan. I think, unless you have a healthy budget for thermal upgrades, the log burner will struggle to heat the bigger space and electric heating will work out expensive. I would instead just replace the pocket doors with bigger ones so that your mum can have them open in warmer weather and close off the living room in colder weather.
I would flip the kitchen door so that it opens into the entrance or replace it with a pocket door. Then I would swap the dining area over with the sink area, by raising the window ledge slightly, giving you mum a much more efficient L shaped kitchen. The fridge I would bring round to the pocket wall door and I would put the sink under which ever of the two windows has the better views.
I think this layout would allow your mum to have a nice open plan kitchen/diner/living area in warmer weather and keep the cosy living room in colder weather. It would be achievable quite easily on a modest budget.
Sonia