Open Plan Kitchen Layout

3 years ago

I am about to start building my open plan dream home and am considering changing the kitchen location layout.
The original design disconnects the kitchen and dining room too much in my opinion. It seems far away and less useable. It would also place the living area in the South corner with floor to ceiling glazing which seems less than ideal for watching TV. This south corner has garden view. The east corner where the window seat is has the best view.
The new layout will make the kitchen a little smaller, and also move it from the east window to a more westerly orientation. The new position is double height and has roof windows though so I feel it will still be very bright and airy all day. I also feel it will be in a better connected more functional position to serve the rest of the house as it will be more central.
See both ground floor layouts below. In
the new layout the sink will more than likely have to go in the island.
I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions before I make this big decision.

Original Design

New layout

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Comments (8)

Pierre Smythe
Original Author
3 years ago
Here is the original and new layouts
CWD
3 years ago
I prefer the original version, although it depends how often you think you'll dine at the table rather than the island. in our previous house which was open plan we very rarely ate at the table as the island was so much more convenient (the table was literally only a few steps away). I also wouldn't want kitchen in double height space, but I don't like double height spaces in general as they lose the human scale and don't feel good places to spend a lot of time (feel too much like a hotel lobby for my liking). I also would prefer not to walk straight into the kitchen from entrance hall when you have so much other space. I agree the TV in the living area isn't great, but you have the other lounge for serious TV watching so it's not a deal breaker. I would probably take that little partition wall with the TV on it away so that the whole space is open - then it gives you more options on furniture layout. you might want to put the living area in the double height space (although then it's right next to the other lounge) which would get the dining table closer to kitchen.
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oooh study idea sound good too.. I sketched that on the plans originally but didnt know how it would work with hip roof but now we are having a flat roof at the back it will be fine! Just sent the planning application off so will have to see what happens, hope it wont cost to much if we have to change it a little. Thanks for all your help every one, I have 3 or 4 contenders now so I think the next step will be to get quotes from builders to see which is most cost effective for our budget!
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Hello, I’m not speaking as a Pro but I have a young family and also having a ground floor extension this year. I would prefer to keep the living room as it is as it’s nice to have a room for some quiet time ( also knocking down walls and having big bifolds will add extra cost to your renovation). I’m not keen on the kitchen units all stretching down the whole wall on the left, even though you have made room for a ‘living area’ as it will feel like you are always in a kitchen. If you keep the kitchen area in the first half of the room and have the ‘living space’ towards the section near the garden/back then you have a defined ‘living space’, you can use that for a dining area, watching tv, sofa and relaxing looking out onto the garden. Also as the area is clearly defined, parents can keep an eye on their young kids in the rear section whilst they are preparing dinner etc. I hope that helps.
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I’m struggling to find a way to have a kitchen/island (really would like an island to have useable counterspace), generous dining table (seating for at least 6 people) and a sitting area in the same room if we don’t open up the wall between the current front and back living rooms. Would it make more sense to have part of the garage incorporated into the kitchen? There is a slight difference in floor level though between the garage and kitchen (Step down into the garage). Or block up the current kitchen door and have the access to a dining/kitchen through the current back living room space and then somehow fit in a dining table and seating area?
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Hi all, Thank you for your comments; I appreciate them! Natasha - the units you have suggested are very much what I had in mind. We will have a shaker kitchen and the media unit would also be shaker style and would have 4-6 cupboards with the TV in the middle with book shelves either side. Part of the reason we kept a partial wall was to make the space more usable. I can’t envision how the fully open plan room will be able to meet all our needs, but I am open to ideas! I feel that open plan would be more impressive, but potentially less usable. With regards to the doors. I do plan to reverse the doors both into the kitchen and family room part, but couldn’t work out how to do it on the app I used for the floor plan. It is a 1920s house and we have the original doors which we are planning to keep. We are also keeping a lot of floor space as when the table is not extended, we still have young children with lots of Lego and trains etc. I plan for these to be hidden in the cupboards at bedtime. J - we haven’t installed the kitchen but we have ordered it and paid a big deposit. Some of the units are bespoke/irregular sizes and I don’t think we would be willing to change this. I have attached a photo of our rendered kitchen plan. Thanks again for your comments. It is good to have other people’s opinions and ideas.
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Daisy England
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I prefer the new layout but I don’t think you have sufficient units.
Pierre Smythe
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks a lot for your feedback and consideration. I've never had an island but I would consider eating most meals at the dining table except breakfast maybe. I don't want it to be like a formal dining area as I feel they are a waste - I want it to be used every day.
Another revision had the living area in the double height space but I felt this was too much of a high traffic junction to be able to relax here as it's the connection between all the rooms. That's why I thought the kitchen would work well as it's the room that's used the most.
I should clarify it's not true double height as it is a dormer bungalow house so will just be sloped ceiling with roof window
Pierre Smythe
Original Author
3 years ago
@Daisy England that's a worry for me too but I think it might be okay. The straight run would be 12ft and the Island is 8ft by 4ft
CWD
3 years ago
We thought we’d only use island for breakfast too, but the dining table was used for homework and art projects and general kid stuff so it was more hassle to clear it for meal times. I agree formal unused dining rooms are a waste of space - but can be easily used for lots of different activities. I agree with Daisy that the new layout doesn’t have enough kitchen units though. And there’s no obvious place to put a big pantry beside it to provide lots of storage. Am glad to hear it’s not a full double height room! sounds fab. I’d still keep as original though and keep the bigger area fully open plan for flexibility. You might be able to add a little round cafe table at the window seat for another informal dining/coffee area which would be lovely in that corner. I know that’s making the dining table even more redundant but think of it more like an activity table rather than just dining table. And I feel like the original kitchen location makes it more of a destination rather than a compromised kitchen which also acts as a hallway between every other area. My advice is to walk through (in your mind) every single interaction you have and see what works best - breakfast, lunch, friend over for coffee/beer, dinner party, kids homework, board games, reading a book (checking phone) while keeping an eye on dinner cooking, bbq at weekend, etc. I feel like I could relax in the original kitchen but in new kitchen I’d be looking at front door just because I could see it and I’d have to sit at island or move to a lounge for a sit down - would much prefer to sit in the window for a few minutes and look at the view! But really, only you know how you and your family live and you should do what suits you.
Jonathan
3 years ago
Alternative
Pierre Smythe
Original Author
3 years ago
@Jonathan thanks for that. We considered this layout previously but with the kitchen on the back wall, as the 3 windows on the gable end where you have it are floor to ceiling. We felt this would be the wrong orientation as it is north west, so wouldn't get much sun until the evening.

Open Plan Kitchen Layout

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Pierre Smythe
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Open Plan Kitchen Layout

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Pierre SmytheOriginal Author

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