Kitchen diner design dilemma

2 years ago

Hi - we had this kitchen design layout produced by a kitchen supplier. We are planning to remove the wall between current kitchen (on left) and rear dining room (I have marked the position of the current wall in red on plan below). My dilemma is - does it make sense to have to walk through the kitchen area to get through to the dining area and the double doors out into the garden. I have marked the route (as a blue dotted line) you would take from the front of the house into the kitchen and then through to the dining room with the external double doors on the top of the plan near the end of the blue dotted line.

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Daisy England

2 years ago

I’ve seen many similar situations, but if you add another door direct into the dining area you will loose potential space. I would leave it as it is. After all when the wall is knocked out it will just be one big room.

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Comments (15)

pjdklm
2 years ago
It depends upon how much household traffic you expect through the kitchen, and to what extent that will drive you crazy when cooking. Perhaps an angled corner entry doorway to the 2 rooms might work instead? You could flip the kitchen peninsula to the other side to accommodate the change.
Tom Burke thanked pjdklm
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Hi Hans If you are considering knocking down the wall between the kitcchen and dining room then I would block up the door from the dining room to the lounge. This would then give you more usuable space in both rooms. Are you looking to change the layout of your kitchen too ? Or just remove the wall ?
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Hello Darren – I found you postings especially interesting and reckon your ideas for Layout 1 and 2 work very well. I would suggest that maybe Layout 1 might work a shade better – I have learnt from my experience that plans do not always include people and people do occupy space. Looks like option 1 has a touch more space to mill around, (ergonomics). I note that you may want to build an extension at a later date and that is fine. The wall between your lounge and the reworked Kitchen/ Diner could be a timber stud wall and that will be very straight forward to build. The reason why I have pointed out these suggestions is because recently I was referred to a paperback which I found very useful. You might want to have a look at: www.KeithJamesClarke.com It has got a Case Study that includes a Kichen/Dining space and packed full of useful skills/ design ideas with an end of book Action Plan that shows you how to get your project built... all at a reasonable cost. I hope your project continues to progress and I wish you all the best at taking it onto the next stage. Best wishes, BBSB_2
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User
2 years ago
How about a U shaped layout for the kitchen units, then you can access the dining area where the peninsula is shown?
Tom Burke thanked User
Tom Burke
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks to those that have replied so far - I should point out that the unit at the top of the plan (where the red line joins to the outside wall) is meant to be the fridge/freezer location, which is why we didn't think a u-shaped plan could work - can't find a space for the fridge otherwise !
Ellie
2 years ago
If the external doors are already in place, then for me it would look much better to walk into the room and into the dining area first. Are you able to change the entrance into the space?
Tom Burke thanked Ellie
Tom Burke
Original Author
2 years ago
Thanks Ellie - that is my dilemma. What you say makes sense but the entry point into the kitchen is from the hall, we want to keep the cross wall as we have a piano and we want to keep the chimney breast in dining room (right wall) because it gives the room a bit of character and has a nice fireplace. The only thing I can think might be to dispense with the peninsula section but it does contain some really useful storage space as well as worktop area and sort of defines the kitchen area.
User
2 years ago
You could replace the tall fridge/freezer with an undercounter fridge and freezer.
Tom Burke thanked User
88wj88
2 years ago
Would it be possible to remove the peninsula and put in a small island to make the passage through the kitchen more direct?
Tom Burke thanked 88wj88
PRO
OnePlan
2 years ago
Could you create ( SE to advise ) an entrance here ?
Tom Burke thanked OnePlan
penniejb
2 years ago
I agree with OnePlan above. If you could create a door there, you would gain the extra wall space where the entry is now and you could have another look at the kitchen design. Maybe the fridge/freezer could go on that wall? If you did change the door, I would change the peninsular too because you don't want to have to walk all the way around the peninsula to get into the kitchen but just walking immediately left and left again would not be a problem.

I wouldn't have an undercounter fridge and freezer that someone suggests. We have a big fridge (fridge section above freezer section) and then an undercounter fridge (in a breakfast area) for condiments and drinks. It is amazing how much one uses the "main" fridge and imo it would be a pain to use an undercounter one twenty times a day. Others may disagree, of course.
Tom Burke thanked penniejb
penniejb
2 years ago
Could I also add that having a dining table in front of a fire can be a problem. The people on that side of the table get roasted if the fire is lit/on, and if the fire is for ornamental purposes only, you won't see it anyway with the table and chairs in front of it.
Tom Burke thanked penniejb
ofabat
2 years ago
I would move the fridge on the corner left to the hob, I would replace it with a normal unit in its place to gain more workspace and then add a big larder or more units for storage next to the piano. No peninsula.
Tom Burke thanked ofabat
Sarah Kelly
2 years ago
Would you consider removing peninsula, putting dining table in the centre of the plan parallel to the windows/doors, run the kitchen along the fireplace side and wall shown with the piano, and put the piano on the wall with the cooker shown above. If you didn’t wish to move the kitchen to the other side I would suggest foregoing the peninsula and utilise the alcoves in the dining area to the max with built in cupboards at bottom and glass doors/ open shelves above, you could really fit a great deal in here if you went full height on both sides and keep same as kitchen cabinetry to tie the spaces together.
Tom Burke thanked Sarah Kelly
Marie
2 years ago
I would knock down the whole central wall, put the entrance in the middle of the wall rather than to the left then have an island rather than the peninsula. Might cost more tho xx
Tom Burke thanked Marie
Linda
2 years ago
How about...Move the fridge to the wall to the left of the hob. Move the peninsula so it's a U-shape. Put the hob on the peninsula. I agree that having the traffic flow go thru the work area is not good.
Tom Burke thanked Linda

Kitchen diner design dilemma

Daisy England

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