How should we lay out a new kitchen?

last month

last modified: 23 days ago

We're about to complete on an Edwardian ground floor 2 bedroom flat in London. I want to move the kitchen into the back room and am still trying to figure out whether we could afford an extension. The difficulty with the room without an extension is there are so many doors going in and out it limits where kitchen cupboards go. Does anyone have any bright ideas on layout?

Also, the utility room is more of an outbuilding, with no insulation - I think originally a storage area. Would it be cheaper than an extension to make this part of the kitchen and enlarge the room that way, without building an extension into the garden?

Edit: Thank you all very much for your useful ideas! I have attached the full floorplan here - it is an interesting idea to knock through the kitchen and reception room but I had planned to make the kitchen the second bedroom - I am keen to keep the flat a 2 bedroom flat and I am less keen on having the bedroom in the front room as it's close to the road, although I could change my mind on this if this is the most convenient layout!

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PRO

Smart Design Hub

29 days ago

Don't mind the colors and shapes for now, but in my opinion, the easiest alteration you can make is to remove the kitchen wall into the living room, close the external door from the kitchen, and keep the cooker where it is, turning it into a U-shaped kitchen. Removing the chimney is like ripping the spine out of a skeleton; though it can be done, it may be costly to maintain the building's structural integrity.

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Comments (8)

Isla Cherry
last month
Congratulations on your new home in my favourite period. You have some really good ideas budget wise but the chimney between the kitchen and utility would make combining the two an expensive exercise if you wanted it removed. I totally agree with moving the kitchen into the lovely reception room. It's always good to try and rework the existing space before eating into the garden. If you moved or removed the hallway access door that would give you a continuous wall for a lot of your appliances. If you took down the wall btw kitchen and reception that would give you a much bigger space. It depends on whether the internal walls are structural or not. You might also have the option depending on permissions, etc to extend the exising kitchen sideways up to the utility line or maybe further. You have so many options. Move in first and get to know your new home before deciding anything.
Annabel T thanked Isla Cherry
siobhanmcgee90
last month
Moving the kitchen to the reception is a good move but the cost of removing the chimney is prohibitive as Isla says. You need to deal with the chimney stack through the house so it’s a big deal. In time knocking the walls with the current kitchen will be a better option to make a large open plan space. I assume the kitchen opens to a courtyard so you could transform
This into a lovely courtyard garden and have a large window to connect and bring light into the space. As Isla says, move into your new home as you will learn more about how the space works and does not work for you. It will also give you time to save.
Annabel T thanked siobhanmcgee90
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chloeloves
29 days ago
Can you explain a bit more? You want to move the kitchen into the lounge, will the space have to function as both kitchen and lounge or will you utilise another room for that? Where is the entrance to the flat is it through the current kitchen or elsewhere? Could you post the whole floor plan as that may inspire other ideas. Do you have a use in mind for the current kitchen space if you move it, another bedroom perhaps?
Su L
27 days ago
Smart Design Hub has suggested almost what I would say. Taking out a fireplace and chimney is an expensive exercise, it would be better lined and made usable.

I think I would keep more of the wall/put a peninsular in on the corridor side of the kitchen rather than into the living space making more of a U shape and possibly with a small island so circulation is easier, stopping the cabinets with a tall cabinet at the utility door.

For storage, I think I would also look at putting shelving cabinets up on left of the fire and having the door changed into the utility so you could have matching shelving cabinets to the right of the fire and a hidden door into the utility, cancelling out the feeling of so many doors and making the LR more balanced.

Other than that congrats on a garden flat in London.
Annabel T thanked Su L
PRO
Smart Design Hub
27 days ago
@Su L I have to agree.. U shape keeping the hallway wall would look better. Smaller sofa would do the trick.
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Annabel T thanked Smart Design Hub
Su L
27 days ago
You could also move the door back down the corridor for more space and have a 50/50 peninsular/wall or some form of open wall, vertical battens? But the sensible part of me just says what a hassle to clean :)
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Annabel T thanked Su L
Oraanj Interior design
26 days ago
Hi Annabel!

Moving the kitchen into the reception room is a great idea, but removing the chimney stack could be costly and complicated. You might want to wait on that and consider knocking down the wall between the kitchen and reception if the walls aren’t structural. This would open up the space significantly.

For the utility room, converting it into part of the kitchen could be more cost-effective than an extension. If you insulate it and adjust plumbing/electrics, it could give you extra room without extending into the garden.

Another idea is to remove the hallway access door to create a continuous wall for appliances, making the space more efficient.

Best advice—move in first to get a feel for how the space works before making major changes.

Good luck with your new home!
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Annabel T thanked Oraanj Interior design

How should we lay out a new kitchen?

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Isla Cherry

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