Which wall to knock down

3 years ago

Hi everyone, we are moving into a new home, floor plan attached. The house has already been extended but we want to make the kitchen bigger. We are not sure whether to knock the snug/kitchen wall or the kitchen/dining room wall down to make best use of the space. There is a small arch (door width) separating the kitchen and dining room.

Also - the lounge and sitting room, I am not sure what to put in the lounge part. Ideally I'd have them separate so I can have one room to watch TV while my partner plays his video games. Especially if we lose the snug from extending the kitchen. But there is no windows to the sitting room and it's a semi detached adjoining wall.

Basically I'm asking how would you work with this floor plan to increase kitchen space while trying to have two living areas. Thanks so much! :)

Featured Answer

keiblem

3 years ago

Looking at the plans for both levels I think Mary Ketchley is right in thinking the snug wall is a supporting wall. It looks like the original corner of the house. It wouldn’t be cheap to remove it so you would need to consider if the outlay is worth what you might gain particularly as you have other more cost effective options.

I agree with Ellie that it would be beneficial to block up the wall between the lounge and sitting room but, as you say, the sitting room has no natural light. You could put in a glazed wall. Dare I suggest a Crittal window wall. You would then need to put a door from the hall into the sitting room. That too could be glazed.

I agree with Lola Okeya that the best wall to take down is the one between the dining and kitchen.

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Comments (11)

Ellie
3 years ago
I would want a proper living room. It's normally taking down walls but here if it was me, I'd brick up that gap in your photo to make a proper lounge.

It would then make that 'sitting room' seem like a room too, rather than being a corridor.

In your 'kitchen' space what would you want - an island,peninsula, dining table, sofa?

Depending on what you need space for, then that will help decide which rooms could be knocked together.

Wit the sitting room without windows, that might be ideal for playing video games/tv.?
Kate Fitz thanked Ellie
Kate Fitz
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks that's a good idea, perhaps more bi-folding doors.

There's just two of us but we are wanting to start a family soon. I'd like a small breakfast bar maybe. My partner loves cooking so he would like more space with modern appliances. You're right though we should think about what we need.

Would it devalue the house if we got rid of the snug and made a bigger kitchen?
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Mary Ketchley
3 years ago
I would imagine the wall between your current snug and kitchen will be load bearing and possibly more expensive to remove than the one between dining and kitchen. That’s just a guess though.
Kate Fitz thanked Mary Ketchley
Lola Okeya
3 years ago
I prefer light and airy spaces so would lean towards knocking down the wall between kitchen and dining room. However, I wonder if a simple “knock down 1 wall” approach would be ideal for how you may want to use the space. The snug looks to be “getting in the way” of the kitchen a bit and I would prefer to have a clear cut/open rectangular space so I would consider cutting out and merging some of the snug with the kitchen and using the rest of snug as a pantry
Kate Fitz thanked Lola Okeya
Lola Okeya
3 years ago
To your question about whether getting rid of snug could devalue your house - my short answer is no. Although a home’s value is really in the eye of the beholder.

The value of a house isn’t just about the number of rooms but more about how functional (to the potential buyer) the rooms are. My priority when embarking on home improvement projects is making sure the end result will enhance the quality of life of my family for the period of time we are living there. If there is a future move on the cards, I’ll keep an eye on not over capitalising the property.
Kate Fitz
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you all, that's really helpful. Really appreciate your advice.
Lola Okeya
3 years ago
Keiblem, good shout on the Crittal window wall. They are lush.
Mary Ketchley
3 years ago
I agree that your current snug interrupts the flow somewhat and that you don’t actually need it. It would make a great pantry. If it was me I’d open up the kitchen and diner, keeping the kitchen minimal with storage in a new pantry space made from the snug. I’d put up a wall so that the front living room was a separate ‘grown up’ space and keep that middle area as the gaming space. In effect, it could be a night time cosy snug if the partition doors were closed so you’re not really losing out. If it’s already partitioned from the dining area with folding glass doors it should be light enough? If you have a young family it’s great to have an open space with kitchen/diner/ seating and rear garden access. You’d have this layout. When kids get older a separate living room/snug space is really useful too. I also wondered if it would be worth converting your smallest front bedroom into an en-suite if it almost above a downstairs toilet with an accessible soil pipe.
Kate Fitz thanked Mary Ketchley
keiblem
3 years ago
I agree the snug might be, in some instances, superfluous to requirements but, having had a pantry, I am at a loss to know why they are becoming popular. For me it added much unwanted mileage to even the simplest tasks. I was glad to be shot of it. I would be more inclined to create a cloakroom with storage cupboards leading off from the hallway. I might even be tempted to bring the utility in from what appears to have been the garage.

Its an extravagance but if that little dog leg in the kitchen gets in the way of your plans then it occurred to me that you could brick it up internally and fit a door to the outside wall creating a garden cupboard for tools etc or if you have a log burner keep it open and stack logs in it. Massive extravagance but it’s always worth throwing in even the daftest ideas to get the juices flowing.
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Katie Older Lighting Design
3 years ago
Hi Kate, I am a lighting designer if you need help designing a scheme and specifying fittings. Kind regards, Katie

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