New house - updating floor plan

last year

I will be moving to new home in next few months and trying to plan in my head best approach for layouts.

Its currently not got a great flow, but is already a very large U shape kitchen, with a seperate snug off from it, from which there is double doors into what may have been a dining room, with french doors opening out into the back garden (there is no other internal door into dining room aside from double doors from the snug).

Red lines indicate what I am thinking, knocking down wall and opening up between the kitchen and the dining room, and closing off the double doors into the snug to allow useable space along that wall on both sides(And closing off seperate door from the snug into main living room).

Does this sound like best use of space? Any other ideas/suggestions. Would you keep the double doors from snug to the kitchen?

Ideally we want to make this the main living space, so would like to install a stove in whatever becomes the "relaxing" space, which I guess would the current dining room.

Thanks for any thoughts!

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Comments (5)

PRO
The Living House
last year
Hi Jason W, congratulations on your soon to be new home! You may find two of our blogs helpful which is about extending your home and open plan spaces there are useful design tips in both blogs. I have linked these below.

https://www.thelivinghouse.co.uk/blog-interior-design-tips/the-6-most-common-mistakes-we-see-when-you-extend-your-home

https://www.thelivinghouse.co.uk/blog-interior-design-tips/10-design-mistakes-to-avoid-with-an-open-plan-room
PRO
Phillip Brewer Architecture Ltd
last year
Hi Jason,

It looks like you have a lot of floor space to work with but its currently split up and hasn't got a good flow. I initially tried a layout as per you sketch but i think it compromises the kitchen layout. I then tried incorporating the snug into the open plan room which i think gives it a much better layout. It seems like there are other rooms at ground floor that could also be a separate living space as well as this open plan one (to replace the loss of the snug.)

Please let me know what you think? I have a few more alternative ideas as well. And I wish you all the best with your new home and project!!

Phill
Jason W thanked Phillip Brewer Architecture Ltd
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Jason W
Original Author
last year
Hi Philip, thanks for your suggestions, and for the provisional idea on what it could look like. Appreciate it!

On the 2nd idea of opening it up fully, it is possible, but ideally we want to keep that snug as a kids play room/area with the goal of hopefully keeping most of the toys in there!

The room adjacent to that at the bottom in the main living room, and the only other room adjacent to the right of the kitched is currently a covered side yard with washingmachine/dryer, that we plan to integrate a bit more permanently, so thats it part of the main house as a nice big utility/boot room at the back of the house. So if we knock the kitchen fully open, we'd only really be left with one main living room, and the new living area as part of the open plan kitchen.
Jonathan
last year
I agree with Philip that have three separate living areas does work because two of them are undersized. Smaller spaces are difficult to keep tidy - in my opinion it’s much better to have the bigger family space at the back, then add lots of storage to the front room for toys. This plan means you have to be determined to reclaim the front lounge for yourselves the moment the kids prefer their own bedrooms.
Nicola Rhodes
last year
I would go with the open plan idea then just get a huge ikea Kallax unit (or similar) to throw all the toys in so it keeps it tidy!! I think realistically the kids will end up pulling all the toys into your living area as they will want to be with you so you could end up with wasted space - a glorified toy cupboard!!

New house - updating floor plan

Comments (5)

The Living House

Phillip Brewer Architecture Ltd

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Jason W
Original Author

Jonathan

Nicola Rhodes

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New house - updating floor plan

Comments (5)

The Living House

Phillip Brewer Architecture Ltd

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Jason WOriginal Author

Jonathan

Nicola Rhodes

COMPANY

EXPLORE HOUZZ

CONNECT WITH US

Jason W
Original Author