Open plan living / dining / kitchen layout - advice please

3 years ago

We are in the process of opening up the upper level of our house which, until now, consisted of 4 bedrooms, family bathroom and a hallway. The lower floor will then become three bedrooms, family bathroom and laundry room. There is no need for laundry facilities to be considered in the new layout. The fireplace on the front wall will be built to incorporate a built in fire, tv and all of the gadgets will be concealed in low level cupboards. i would appreciate any advice on our planned layout. We don’t want to move the living room area as the external wall leads onto a balcony which overlooks the pentland hills. The rear of the house overlooks a golf coursE. This is why the window at the dining table will be enlarged to allow us to take in the view. We plan to have 2 caramel / camel leather sofas. Any input on colour for accent chairs would be appreciated. We are swaying towards either terracotta or dark blue. The floor to ceiling, base units and main island structure will be in cashmere colour. The work surface we like is calacatta gold quartz / granite. we would like to install a wood effect floor but not sure if we should use real wood, tiles or vinyl. We don’t have underfloor heating. This brings us to window dressings - I like curtains or blinds and I am thinking about having Roman blinds made in the same fabric as the living and dining area curtains - comments please. Next question is colour / pattern of curtains / blinds. Any suggestions please. I’m sorry that this has been quite long winded but I want to make sure to include everythin.

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Comments (3)

PRO
Hannah Hopkins Interiors
3 years ago
Hello Karen,

WOW what a fantastic project and this open plan space looks incredible. I feel the positioning of the living area and dining area works well and makes complete sense from what you have said about the views etc. My concern is the kitchen as I feel the current position/layout is a bit of an obstruction and to me the space does not flow efficiently and effectively.

I would switch the island around so it sits the opposite way and then you could potentially have your hob on the island which will sit in front of the tall units where your ovens and fridge will be. This way the kitchen layout will work a lot better. I have attached a quick sketch below so you can see what I mean. Also this way it will give you more room around your dining table meaning the whole space will flow a lot better.

You have asked quite a few questions here so I would be more than happy to discuss all of this through an online video design consultation. I provide a personalised design service by working closely with my clients to create a space that reflects their personalities and way of living. I would love to talk in more detail with you about this exciting project, so please do get in touch and we can look at ways to see how I can help to create your dream space.

Regards, Hannah
Karen Manderson
Original Author
3 years ago
Hi Hannah, Thank you for your comments. I agree with your suggestion to rotate the island. I just wasn't sure if there would be too much space between the kitchen area and the dining area and this is one of the reasons I was looking for some advice. By reducing the length of the base units, as shown in your amendments, we will be able to have a tall wall radiator installed which will free up the corner to the right of the window and allow us to have a tall plant or something similar there to add some height to the room at that end. Thanks again for your help. I may contact you later to discuss the other items in more detail - once we are in a position to put these items in place.
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PRO
Hannah Hopkins Interiors
3 years ago
Hi Karen, you could even turn the dining table around which might help to connect the spaces better and by doing this there will not be such a big gap between this and the kitchen island. Yes definitely by reducing the length of the base units you will be able to then fit in a vertical radiator.

Please do get in touch if you do feel you require further assistance. I can put together 2D scaled layouts to give you a better understanding as to how the whole space will work and I can even provide a 3D image to help you to visualise it better.

Regards, Hannah

Open plan living / dining / kitchen layout - advice please

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Hannah Hopkins Interiors

Karen Manderson
Original Author

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Open plan living / dining / kitchen layout - advice please

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Hannah Hopkins Interiors

Karen MandersonOriginal Author

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Karen Manderson
Original Author