Should we knock this wall down?

4 years ago

Hi there,

We’re debating whether to knock down this wall to create an open-plan kitchen-diner and would really appreciate your views. (Floor plan and pics below).

We don’t have the budget at the moment to do the full works i.e. a full project including a small extension to even out the shape of the room, bi-folding doors, new flooring etc as we suspect this would be circa £40k.

We’re thinking of knocking the wall down this spring to open the rooms up on a short-term basis. Then doing the full works in a year and a half.

Is this a good idea..? We’re concerned about each room having different flooring, wall colours, decor etc... (as you can see in the photos - excuse the mess - we’re in the home improvement zone). And as you can see in the floor plan, the kitchen is an L-shape currently.

Photos: the first one is the dining room and the wall you see is the one we’re thinking of knocking through - the kitchen is on the other side. The second photo is from the hall, looking into the dining room on the left and the kitchen on the right. The third is the kitchen and shows the other side of the wall we intend to knock down).

Many thanks for any advice!
Vicki

No, wait for a full extension

Yes, knock it down now

Featured Answer

Daisy England

4 years ago

Will you achieve anything though by knocking down the wall as you already have a dining area within the kitchen?

What are your plans when you‘ve knocked down the wall ie. what will you use the additional space for?

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Comments (14)

Sonia
4 years ago
Firstly, thank you for supplying a plan and photos! Makes it so much easier to advise. I think i would wait until funds allowed you to do the whole lot. Knocking down the wall will create mess and dust and building the extension likewise, so you’ll have the mess twice. Will you then be painting the walls to make the area more cohesive and evening out the levels? I know you’re probably raring to get going, but I would wait. Love that green wall colour by the way!
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Vicki Shiel
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks for your replies. Although the floor plan says ‘dining area’ in the kitchen, it’s a small space that doesn’t lend itself to dining, so it’s a wasted space. If we knock the wall down we’d open it up to the fuller dining room which has our big dining table and chairs. The reason I’m keen to knock the wall down sooner rather than later is to make it a more open and sociable space which would encourage us to use the dining table more often (with it being in a closed off separate room currently we very rarely use it).
Daisy England
4 years ago
For me that puts a different perspective on it. We always eat at the dining table as do absolutely all of my extended family. If you have no dining area other than the separate room I would go ahead and also bear in mind this will push you forward in your plans for a couple of months time.

Having somewhere comfortable to sit and eat will give you all the opportunity to sit and talk too which is something that many people don’t bother to do with the busy lifestyle we lead these days.
Ellie
4 years ago
I would leave it and do it properly.

If you do it now, you will have mismatched floors with a huge gap between them with no floor and provably a hole all along where that wall is, then you have mismatched wall colours, then you'll try to tie it all together by spending money on paint, rugs, cheap make-do floor, curtains etc to tie it together.... then eventually all that will go to waste when you go your extension. All your make-do things will still never look right to you as what you actually want to do is the real thing and you will only be happy when that's done. 2 years is nothing to wait! We waited 4 years, lived with red striped wall paper, green carpet etc and done it right.
Carolina
4 years ago
I'm in the wait until you can do it well camp too.

And I would seriously think about the extension and the result that you want. I think that often a non-squared off extension is preferable to a large squared off space. Do you need an extension and what are you expecting from it. How will you use and furnish the space. Maybe just taking down the wall and doing some reconfiguring of the exesting space will work as well. Maybe you only need a smaller extension for the maximum effect.

Perhaps you can then do it all in once and sooner than you think.
Ellie
4 years ago
Definitely rethink the extension plan. You mentioned squaring off the space. Do you actually need extra space? The 3 back rooms look like plenty of space for a kitchen/diner. Rectangular rooms are the norm as that shape is easier to build. Using the space you have will create a room with a lot more character depth to it and if won't be like many other standard rectangular rooms, that's my opinion
Vicki Shiel
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks very much everyone - you’ve given us lots of food for thought here! You’re right - it’s not extra space that we’re after, but better-configured space that better suits our lifestyle. Based on this we’re going to get some quotes and advice for a smaller-scale re-configuration and see what’s possible. Many thanks!

Other suggestions still welcome...
Vicki Shiel
Original Author
4 years ago
Having said that... I would love to have a better configured kitchen with an island, which I don’t think is possible with the current L-shape...
cassandrascott24
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Hi Vicki,

Frustrating though it is, I'm with the 'wait' camp as well though having read a recent post on Houzz where a Victorian pad was cleverly re-jigged without the extension the owners planned, I think you should do ditto. With the money you save on an extension mebee employ the services of someone with vision like this interior designer Cathy Dean.

https://www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/kitchen-tour-a-petite-terrace-gains-space-without-being-extended-stsetivw-vs~129347801

Can't vote as I don't think you should go for an extension but need to wait before knocking it down whether you extend or not!!
Vicki Shiel
Original Author
4 years ago
Fab thanks for the link - I think you’re right about commissioning an interior designer to assess what we’re really looking for and come up with neat ideas for how to use the space. Thank you!
Carolina
4 years ago
As mentioned, hiring a designer, or a space planner (like OnePlan, also on Houzz) could be a good idea.

https://www.houzz.co.uk/pro/oneplan/oneplan
katlucy
4 years ago
Hi,
Have you thought about stealing some space from the garage...to enlarge the kitchen and perhaps create a utility and wc thus creating larger ‘squarer’ useable spaces.....perhaps you could get your island without the extension....

I personally prefer lounge/diners, the dining table gets used more I feel with this configuration, so I would consider knocking through from the sitting room to the dining room. The larger kitchen/diner reserved for breakfast, lunch and cosy dinners....

I don’t have cad skills but I’m hoping you can imagine a new beam/partial wall across the house from the dividing wall between the sitting room and dining room and outside wall of the garage?
Vicki Shiel
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks KatLucy I definitely wasn’t thinking of these as options so will add to our options to consider!

Should we knock this wall down?

Daisy England

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Sonia

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