Hi! I’m an interior designer and I often get people coming to me for second opinions on floorplans — usually with exactly the feeling you’re describing, where something just doesn’t quite sit right.

At first glance, Option A does have more positives than B, although there’s quite limited free worktop space around the cooker, which is always really useful to have. Overall, though, both options feel quite overcrowded. When spaces are pushed this hard, they can become difficult to use day to day and uncomfortable to move around in, even if everything technically “fits” on plan.

One thing I’d be curious about is how you plan to use the dining table. Would you want seating on the other sides as well? If so, that immediately creates another obstruction — not only in relation to the main entry into the room, but also along the working route between the sink and the hob. Those circulation routes are really important in kitchens, particularly in older apartments where room proportions can already be challenging.

This is often where layouts start working against you rather than with you. On paper they can look efficient, but in real life they feel tight and clunky. In my experience, when that gut feeling is there, it’s usually worth stepping back and re-optimising the plan around how you actually move, cook, and live in the space, rather than trying to force too many functions into one area.

I hope that helps.

@Emma Lauren Interiors thank you. Yes - I suspect we're trying to fit too much in. There's only three of us and a full formal dining room elsewhere. This is for quick snacks, perching, breakfast sometimes and doing homework. I just want to see if we're missing anything - some clever design that just hasn't occured to us yet.

There’s definitely potential here, and I think there are more solutions worth exploring so you can still achieve everything you want to incorporate.

I’ve quickly shuffled a few elements around to make better use of the space, although this is based on limited knowledge of the property’s constraints. Firstly, by splitting the existing kitchen into two areas: you mentioned there may be scope to move a doorway, and by doing so, one half of the current kitchen could become a relocated guest bathroom, with the other half forming a utility space. This approach retains the existing doorway and takes into account that the sink cannot be moved. An added benefit is that the guest bathroom would be more centrally located, making it easier to access from the main social areas and guest bedroom, while also creating the opportunity for the remaining bathroom to become an en-suite.

When entering your home, I also think there’s an opportunity to create a stronger focal point. This could be achieved by relocating the occasional seating/reading nook to this area, or alternatively incorporating additional storage for coats and shoes.

The centre of the large space (the small seating area) as it’s currently proposed it feels slightly underutilised. I would suggest moving the dining area into this space instead, as it would work well there and create another strong focal point or this could be where the living area and move the dining area into that space currently to keep the dining area more of a shut off occasional space.

Lastly, the kitchen could be relocated to where the dining room is currently positioned. This would allow the living, dining, and kitchen areas to function as one large, cohesive social space, maintaining a natural flow when entertaining. Positioning the kitchen here would also allow for a larger pantry, additional storage, and a scullery (where the guest bathroom was) meaning the main kitchen could remain streamlined despite being fully on view.

I hope this helps 🙂