I'd keep the separate living room. Swop the garden access to come out the dining room window, onto a raised deck - close up kitchen external door or make into window. Knock a door (as per option 2) between kitchen and dining but I'd keep the kitchen in the back room - it would mean redesigning the window wall to take counter height cabinets but should be more usable. The now defunct 'down' steps could take washing machine or even a loo?

Thanks for the suggestion, always good to get a different perspective.

I don't think the door in the current kitchen can be sealed off. See photo below (taken from the hall towards the kitchen door) - the space outside is basically in the stairwell, so not sure how it could be utilised.

We have considered keeping the kitchen where it is, but there's limited wall space. The window issue is not easily solved - the sill is probably ~50cm from the ground, and it's an original window, so a shame to brick the bottom up (if it's even allowed, as the house is c-listed). Add the fact that the current door can't be closed off, and the right-hand wall has two alcoves, it's a tricky space to make work - overall it feels more compromised than the two original options. I do like the decking idea - it's a shared garden, but would probably be ok in that small space.

How come you would keep the living room separate? We're keen on opening the space up, and I think even if we kept the kitchen where it is we'd still do it. I didn't say in the original post, but ideally we'd put some sort of door in between so it can be opened up or separated out as needed.

Putting utility there would mean raising the floor level and putting a wall alongside the stairs - that 'room' would also need a ceiling so might be too much hassle for a utility of about 1.5 x 2m. Looks like you need access under the stairs too. Just an 'outside thd box' idea, that ironically requires building a box...

Re separate living room, I can see the current open plan houses longing for a bit of privacy and your middle room has more usable space with a wall rather than double doors. If you do put in doors, I'd reccomend pocket doors to save space. Your plan needs people to walk through that space to access the kitchen though so they might be noisy being opened and closed.

You know your house and your needs best and have put lots of thought into your plans. A good kitchen planner could come up with a design for made to measure shallow cabinets.

Another wacky idea is to pull all your current kitchen (or dining room) into the middle of the room into one island, 120cm deep 180cm long, (containing sink, hob, under counter fridge) and put a tall larder and cupboard in the opposite room.

you cant make an opening from dining to kitchen without the same downward step since the room and kitchen has floor level difference, unless you made new steps or raise the kitchen floor

Yes, we would add steps into the old kitchen if we added that doorway.

Hi you have a tricky space to rework with the floor change level and restrictive window heights. I really think you need to work with an interior designer or architect to come up with the best solution for you as there is lots to think through in terms of space planning, storage and how you will use the space. I can see currently with 2 small kids that open plan living connected to the kitchen makes sense so you can keep an eye whilst preparing meals and not be shut away in the kitchen.
Would you consider moving kitchen to front of house, dining in middle and using current kitchen as sitting room/snug? I am pretty sure you will be unable to link the current kitchen to middle room as I think the stairs down would need to be within the middle room rather than in the lower level. You would also be making big structural change which would involve steels etc
Where are you putting laundry, is it elsewhere in the house or does it need to be within the kitchen? If you are hosting family how many do you need to seat at the dining table? Do you think you will spend more time in kitchen diner than sitting room space as the larger group? All these questions need thinking through before you design something to make it work for your needs. Personally if I used your proposed set up reusing the kitchen as a utility/ kitchen storage and I had to traipse out of the new kitchen, through the sitting room, back along the corridor and down I would get fed up! I hope they are some helpful pointers

Saw this and thought it might work for you https://www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/room-tour-colour-confidence-revitalises-a-family-kitchen-diner-stsetivw-vs~157842415

Might this work but I suspect this will be expensive: opening the wall to the left of the kitchen doorway, keeping a half wall to the left and moving the steps into the current kitchen, cupboards flanking either side. Raising the floor so the dining room and sitting room become almost the same width, a compromise perhaps ….the boxing in of the stairs.

This would allow an island in your new kitchen, the larger of which at right angles to the chimney or smaller off the new half wall…..dont seem to be able to post a plan at the moment

chloeloves: All good questions. Laundry will go upstairs, so not an issue. We'll probably have max 8 (up to 10 with kids) at the table, but only occasionally, and our current dining table is extendable, so that's not a huge concern - we can move things around/squeeze when required. I think with visits both the kitchen and living space will get used, which is why opening it up I think adds flexibility. Finally, we've been told the stairs would (ideally) go into the old kitchen, so the space in the dining room is what you see.

I agree it's tricky, and our architect hasn't really offered anything too creative beyond the two options I outlined in my original post (and the only other one we got recommended felt our budget was too small for them to take it on, as they mainly do bigger jobs). I do like the kitchen in the link you sent, but at the narrowest point our dining room is 2.90m, and I think even a narrow island would not comfortably fit.

katlucy: I like your suggestion a lot, I think the added space in the new kitchen opens up lots of possibilities. We were planning on storing bikes under the stairs, but I think we could work something out. The main issue is budget - we probably have around £70k for everything (structural work + kitchen + flooring), and I suspect your plan would be too expensive. I can float the idea to our architect to see what they think, although there is a bit of an annoying chicken and egg situation, where nobody wants to give a cost estimate until there is a proper plan, but it's hard to come up with a plan without knowing if it would be in budget or not!

I feel your pain with the chicken and egg situation!