Run out of ideas to make this narrow space work, help!

3 years ago

Our current kitchen is falling apart (approx 30 years old) and the joining utility room is too big for what we need. Our plan is to knock down the wall between the two and make in one open plan living/kitchen space. That would make it approx 2.6m by 11m. The back door and one of the windows would be replaced with french doors.

We had always envisioned the living area where the current utility room is but with plumbing restrictions we’re finding it in really difficult to fit all appliances (washer, dryer, dishwasher) into the kitchen.

We’ve tried different plans with the kitchen at either end but nothing seems to work. Now we’re wondering if we should keep the utility room and just make it smaller?

Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas would be much appreciated, thank you!

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Comments (5)

PRO
OnePlan
3 years ago
With a length of room like this it can be tackled in lots of ways - if you were my client - I’d take your needs and wishes and turn the space into a working area that suits you.
Would you consider investing in good design ?

Using one plan to shop around with can end up saving you money in the long run - but as designers like me don’t sell product - so we don’t offer a free design service.

Ok not strictly, true as I do free charity design work, but with years of experience and no hidden agenda an independent designer will be putting your needs first. Worth considering if you don’t just want a ‘corridor kitchen’.
Picasso
3 years ago
Can you move the washing machine etc into a different room? A bathroom or on the landing or somewhere else? There are loads of ideas on Houzz for that.

My only other comment, which I make slightly reluctantly as I'm a fan of wall cupboards, is whether the kitchen would look and feel wider if you only had wall cupboards on one side of the room? You could have wall cupboards up to the ceiling on the other side (more storage and no dusting).
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Hi new house It looks like you are doing a really nice project and definitely as OnePlan has suggested you really need to see a professional kitchen designer. To be honest it looks like you have left it rather late! As a professional kitchen designer I suggest you go and visit 2 or 3 independent kitchen specialists, have a chat with them, see if this is the sort of project they often do. Now this is the important bit - be honest with them, tell them you want the space designed properly then get the design costed by 2 or 3 other suppliers. If they are sensible then they will suggest you pay a reasonable fee to cover their time and advice, and you get a design that's right for you and can get like for like costings - well as much as you can. You will also save a lot of time and repeating processes. In fact I had a customer in last week, they are building a beautiful German timber frame home, very modern, and they said money is tight for the internals so want to get several costings for the kitchen and other rooms. I suggested we design the space for them for a reasonable fee, they get all the alternative costs they want and then hopefully they will come back to us in the end so they will get their design fee back on the order. They emailed me yesterday and are coming in this afternoon with their house plans to discuss their requirements! New house where abouts are you in the UK? I might be able to suggest / recommend someone or company. CK
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Hello. I think there are a fair few options here so you are probably best looking for a layout package with a concept planner who can give you a few options for space - giving you some options to consider and to see what is possible. When I create these, I use your plans to create 2D and then 3D plans so you can get a real feel for space - it's often much easier to understand the space in 3D. For me personally, I would start by moving the bedroom door into the hallway, so the bedrooms entrances are opposite each other. I would add the door to the open-plan space ( as above) opposite the main front door to maximise those spaces and keep the bedroom area contained. You could then increase the bathroom slightly to add a shower in and create an open plan area with the rest. Or you could move the bathroom entirely to then keep the larger open plan area looking on to the patio. As concept planners, I usually look at a lot of detail to create your plans - for example how big does your kitchen need to be? what is missing from the bathroom now? Where does the plumbing run and what walls can be removed? How do you use the space? We look at all this and more to enable us to design three layouts for your space that work for you with your budget and with the property. Best of luck.
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CJ
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks for the suggestion Picasso. We’ve considered moving the washer and dryer elsewhere but there’s no where practical they can go, or enough space for where is (it’s an old house with a complicated plumbing system, which is also under concrete)

We will definitely have tall units as part of the design, which we’re hoping would house the fridge, freezer and oven/microwave. Potentially the washer and dryer too but we’re a family of 5 and used to having large drums (10kg+) and struggling to find integrated larger than 8kg. We would prefer to use our existing appliances but getting mixed messages from the kitchen designers we’ve been to see which is adding to our indecision’s. Some saying we can’t stack them some saying you can and others saying it’s better integrated.

Apologies for all the extra info, we have so much to consider and never done this before so want to make sure we get it right.
T Gray
3 years ago
I would seriously consider using services of someone like OnePlan. As they have said, you will get someone who will be able to spot the pitfalls and suggest solutions whilst staying objective and cogniscant of your wishes as the client. In the grand scheme of thousands in a kitchen redevelopment, their fees won't be that much and would reduce the risk of getting it wrong.

I have no connection with OnePlan whatsoever, but have read many posts extolling their virtues. So much so that when I start my kitchen revamp, I will be calling on their services.
CJ
Original Author
3 years ago
I’ve heard a lot of good things about them, and their page on here is very impressive. I have got in touch with them, hoping they have the solution we’re looking for. Any suggestions from anyone else in the meantime would be helpful. Thank you!

Run out of ideas to make this narrow space work, help!

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Run out of ideas to make this narrow space work, help!

Comments (5)

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