Kitchen hatch or breakfast bar?!

3 years ago

Hi everyone,

We’re in the process of designing our kitchen / lounge. Original plan was to knock down the wall between the 2 rooms and have an open plan area.

Now we’re in and have started measuring we’re worried that knocking down the wall and having a breakfast bar extended out slightly is a lot of work but no extra space (it makes the space for our dining table a lot smaller) so I’ve started to think maybe we could keep the hatch but make it bigger and more modern.

Has anyone got any advice on the hatch option, is there a way to make it look modern?? Should we just stick with knocking down the wall and making a breakfast bar?

Any insight would be so helpful! Pictures attached of current wall - excuse the mess we just moved in!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

rookie1986
3 years ago
You’ll get a huge amount of light in opening up the wall and adding a breakfast bar, looking at the space I think it would be a choice of one or another (table or breakfast bar) not both, otherwise you won’t really benefit from the modification as far as space goes. Do you have an alternative location for the freestanding fridge freezer and how do you feel about loosing the wall storage (my guess is you are going to use the one over the hatch as the new end-unit?).

One thing to remember is that if it’s your main living area and open plan kitchen/living area can be very noisy when cooking, there’s also the smell‘s etc to consider.
Claire
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks for the response. If we knock down the wall we can push the kitchen out and make room for an integrated fridge freezer - otherwise it would have to stay where it is which makes the hatch smaller.
It’s a really frustrating space to work with as it’s not huge and none of the houses nearby have done much for us to look at and get ideas.
Noise and smells from the kitchen is definitely something we’ve thought about, the hatch option would definitely be better in that sense but I worry it looks old fashioned
Related Discussions
Help! Taken wall down in kitchen, breakfast bar or small dining table?
Q
Comments (3)
Hi HH, I think the "liberated" corner next to the window would look better with table and chairs. If you build a bar with stools you will live some space unused and the kitchen will become very long creating an energetic tunnel between the doors. There is many doors in your kitchen... It is not recommendable to work, cook or sleep in such a tunnel as in long term it can have negative influence on people. The table would close the kitchen space and stop this energy making the whole kitchen more cosy. It's still small space so please avoid black or dark furnitures as the "eat" a lot of natural light and make it look smaller. Don't forget to put some small plants around when you have everything done ;) /Marcin
...See More
Do I block up large kitchen hatch or open the whole thing up?
Q
Comments (17)
Hi, before you get the sledgehammer out, there’s a house tour on Stories where they extended but kept the original wall and window as a sort of huge serving hatch. It looks amazing! Just go to Stories above and it’s the first story. Worth a look!
...See More
Kitchen Breakfast Bar Dilemma
Q
Comments (4)
Cheapest option would be to replace countertop with extended version that allows use of flat wood flooring for a stool but this cuts into your living area. You could add thin kitchen wall units or shelf unit, floor mounted at back of breakfast bar to detract eye from change in height of the flooring. This extra storage would be great for occasional use items or cookery books. If you kitchen is a knock through, The step probably incorporates the bricks that made up the base of the removed wall or plumbing , electrics, so it could be expensive and messy to try to extend or reduce the higher level of flooring.
...See More
kitchen breakfast bar support
Q
Comments (2)
The worktop fabricators will generally refer to the quartz manufacturers guidance, and best practice is of a maximum unsupported overhang of 30cm. If you ever had a problem you may find any worktop warranty is null and void if you disregard this. In the image it looks like you still need a back panel, and you could simply space this back from the units to achieve this maximum overhang?
...See More
minnie101
3 years ago
There are some good kitchen planners on here (not me!) so it might help to add all the dimensions if you’ve got a floor plan
Daisy England
3 years ago
Get rid of the hatch. The light flowing in will be lovely.
Claire
Original Author
3 years ago
Good point Minnie, I’ve attached the floor plan we have. And agreed daisy, personally I think the breakfast bar will look better but just need to figure out if we can fit everything we want!
PRO
DEMA REFURBISHED LTD
3 years ago
DEMA CONSTRUCTION LTD
07957573616 LONDON KENT
keiblem
3 years ago
I don’t think the hatch adds anything to the rooms so I would remove the wall but not in its entirety.

It’s a narrow kitchen but I wonder if a U shaped kitchen might work. This would necessitate blocking the kitchen door that leads into the hall. Access to the kitchen would then only be from the lounge roughly located where the hatch is now. Leave the base units that house the sink and hob where they are and run slimline base units along the kitchen/hall wall. I have heard of people using wall cupboards for this purpose. You could perhaps have open shelves above.

Going back to the wall with the hatch. Take it down to base unit height on either side. Or slightly above to screen the work surfaces from the lounge/dining room and take it down to ground level where the hatch currently is to allow access.

You would of course need to relocate the radiator but that shouldn’t be too much of a job.
PRO
OnePlan
3 years ago
Do remember that open plan isn’t always great for everyone -if the kitchen is your one place to escape to, opening it up to the lounge will see that evaporate and you may find you don’t get a moments peace anymore !
keiblem
3 years ago
That’s true OnePlan but not for me. I created an open plan living, kitchen, dining with large French doors opening out into the garden a good many years ago, long before it became fashionable. The reason was simple I was fed up being tied to the kitchen sink and missing out on all the fun in the other rooms. I had a means to shut off the kitchen but I never used it. My family grew up in that space and we shared many memorable times with our extended family and friends there. Not once did I regret taking down that wall.
Sonia
3 years ago
We had a teeny tiny kitchen for many years, and one day we decided to knock the wall out between the kitchen and the dining room (after checking it wasn’t load bearing) and it was the best thing we ever did. My house is small but being able to open it out created so much space and light, at least compared to how it was. With you, I would keep the hall wall, but knock out the hatch wall. You may have space along the right hand wall for another cupboard or two and the fridge. I would add a nice table and chairs rather than a space consuming breakfast bar, but I have included one in the pictures below.
Claire
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks for all the responses, really helpful! We hadn’t thought about blocking up the hall wall and knocking down the hatch, this could definitely be an option.
Whatever we decide on, we definitely want to try and get as much light into the kitchen as we can. Thanks again 😊

Kitchen hatch or breakfast bar?!

Comments (11)

rookie1986

Claire
Original Author

Related Discussions

minnie101

Daisy England

Claire
Original Author

DEMA REFURBISHED LTD

keiblem

OnePlan

keiblem

Sonia

Claire
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Kitchen hatch or breakfast bar?!

Comments (11)

ClaireOriginal Author

Related Discussions

ClaireOriginal Author

ClaireOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Claire
Original Author

Claire
Original Author

Claire
Original Author