Kitchen/diner Layout dilema

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Hello all! Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for the kitchen/dining room area in my house? We are planning to knock through and hopefully extend the current kitchen wall to the same level as the dining room wall at the back.

We were also thinking of moving the entrance to the kitchen/diner back to give more space when walking into the kitchen and maybe allow for an island. I was just wondering if anyone thinks we can incorporate a small utility area anywhere (enough for a washing machine and clothes horse) and what kitchen layout would provide enough storage for a family.

It's north facing at the back so we are considering doors the whole width of the wall with an island, to bring in more light or a u-shaped kitchen design with a sink overlooking the garden but smaller doors so less light. I would love any help or ideas?!? Thank you

Comments (6)

PRO
La Vida Interiors
3 years ago
Hi Claire,

What you can do this extend the kitchen length and width ways to fit an island and a utility room but you will need to consider planning permission and how much can extend the kitchen. I hope this helps.
sunshineband34
3 years ago
Hi. I wonder if you use the drawing room as your kitchen diner? You could then use your existing kitchen as the utility and include a downstairs toilet in there as well. I was thinking you could extend the hallway so that the door into the new kitchen diner is moved up slightly so that you enter from the area that is currently your kitchen. This would give you a full run of units along the wall between the new kitchen diner and the living room. You could then have an island, peninsula or u shaped kitchen in front of that run and have your dining table in front of the windows. For what is left of the current kitchen (after a square has been taken out for the extended hallway) you could have the toilet on the right (block the current external door) and a new external door in the middle of the back wall with units either side. The alternative is extend as planned and put the utility between the living room and new kitchen diner which would give more light to the kitchen diner area. All subject to plumbing of course!
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I would definitely go for a larger kitchen therefore a swap. Also if structure allows to remove this little bit of unnecessary wall by current kitchen entrance would make the space more open.( I think in the other plan I see it is happening?) the outside door swap for a window is a very good idea in my mind.
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Hi minnie101, Thanks so much for your detailed reply. Great to know what colour that grey is. It may be a little dark with our floor. We will definitely update the handles - I hate the current ones. We'll probably go with wood to keep within budget. Your non-tiles pic is lovely. We'll probably keep some tiles and try to keep the kitchen a little more modern than country kitchen, which might be a challenge with wood. The room faces south. I like your idea of dividing it with paint. We probably will go with white in the kitchen and then 1/2 slightly darker tones in the tv-couch area. The 'other' entrance into the dining area is narrowed by a non-structural wall, so we should remove this to open it properly or like you say, close it off. Maybe not close it off entirely as we'd lose a lot of light, but maybe put in a counter or breakfast bar if space allowed. I love your pendant light suggestions over the dining table. Details like this and a rug in the couch area will really help divide the room as at the moment it is one big cavernous space. I really can't decide yet what way the couches should face - into a tv in the corner, or out into the room like you suggest. We'll have to draw out some chalk outlines on the floor and see how much space there actually is. Colour-wise we like the idea of keeping walls and cabinets quite stark, the wood counter will add a bit of warmth, and then adding colour with couches, rugs and possibly dining chairs. I've attached a couple of pieces of furniture I like. Some may not work, but we'll figure it out.
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Hi Helen, The fridge position is ideal so I suggest you move the radiator to the other side of the door and turn the door so its opens back against the fridge. This will increase the feeling of space in the whole dining area. You won't regret the length of your breakfast bar so I wouldn't worry about the gap sizes, 1200 is an ideal but 1000 is more than sufficient. Could you turn the door into the utility so that it opens inwards and not into the kitchen area? It would eliminate having to manoeuvre round the door when open and reduce congestion in the kitchen especially with traffic flow past the end of the breakfast bar. Alternatively you could consider a pocket door which slides into the wall if there is enough space. Good luck!
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Claire
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you very much for your ideas! I think moving the kitchen to the back of the current drawing room (as it’s called on these plans!) which is currently our dining room, is a very good idea and possibly the best use of space, as this is the darkest part of the two back rooms. This would leave the lighter space for dining/sitting.

One thing I should have mentioned is there is actually a chimney breast and fireplace that we really like (but never use!) on the left wall of the dining room so that would have to be removed if we went down this route. I also think we’d still knock through the two rooms but as you’ve suggested, keep some of the old kitchen space for a utility area. I don’t want to sacrifice loads of space for a utility room as the whole space isn’t massive. My main priority is being able to shut away a clothes airer so our washing isn't drying in one of the bedrooms!

Thank you for your help, it’s much appreciated, lots to think about.
pannacotta
3 years ago
If you put the kitchen in the drawing room (and use the kitchen as utility) could you open up the chimney breast to house a range cooker?

There was an episode of Old House New Home where George Clarke did this and it worked well.

Having a utility space an downstairs loo would be a great addition.
pannacotta
3 years ago
In terms of drying clothes could you hang a pulley maid/ceiling airer over the stairs?
Claire
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks so much for your idea of putting the cooker in the chimney breast, it's a really good idea and would allow us to run the units in either alcove and have an island parallel if we still knocked through. I think we would still need to do that as the drawing room/dining room isn't big enough to be a kitchen/diner as is. It's also very dark so we want to keep the windows on the right in the current kitchen which gets a bit of light throughout the day. Having the kitchen on the opposite side would save a lot of problems as in its current location we would have to block up one or both windows to make way for the fridge, extractor fan and possible larder cupboard. I just need to come round to the idea of removing the fireplace currently in the dining room as I really like it :( Lots to think about and decide upon. Thanks again.

Kitchen/diner Layout dilema

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