Kitchen layout thoughts
Discussion
Recently I decided to give our kitchen a refresh and paint the cabinets... started with the utility and couldn’t get a finish that I was happy with 
Fast forward a few days and I’m starting to get quotes for entire new units but sticking to the original plan of keeping the same layout... except somehow this feels like it won’t seem like money well spent.
We originally though about extending the house out the back and opening it all up but the likely cost (assuming 50-80k) isn’t do-able.
So I’m open to ideas on whether there are any changes we could make to the current kitchen without extending. The utility wall isn’t load bearing but ideally it’d stay as it keeps the cat food and laundry separate.
Current layout and pic:
The whole kitchen is 3.6m wide and 5.3m long. It is a nice room and works well in practice. The layout of the doors is making it too awkward to look at any kind of island or breakfast bar I think?
Anything you would change from these pics?
Fast forward a few days and I’m starting to get quotes for entire new units but sticking to the original plan of keeping the same layout... except somehow this feels like it won’t seem like money well spent.
We originally though about extending the house out the back and opening it all up but the likely cost (assuming 50-80k) isn’t do-able.
So I’m open to ideas on whether there are any changes we could make to the current kitchen without extending. The utility wall isn’t load bearing but ideally it’d stay as it keeps the cat food and laundry separate.
Current layout and pic:
The whole kitchen is 3.6m wide and 5.3m long. It is a nice room and works well in practice. The layout of the doors is making it too awkward to look at any kind of island or breakfast bar I think?
Anything you would change from these pics?
Nice gaff!
Layout looks a bit muddled to me (separate kitchen/ diner, circulation routes cutting through useful space). Your hallway's massive and could serve the house better. Not sure which walls are structural. However, I'd look at extending the kitchen into the lounge area and creating a large, open-plan kitchen/ dining family room across the back of the house. Maybe hive off the back of what is now the lounge and using this to enlarge what is currently the dining room. This could be a 'snug'/ TV room at the front of the house. Very 'now' and you'd make the best use of the space you currently have.
Apologies if I'm going off piste here - But I always think if you're planning on doing work, do it once and make sure it maximises what you have.
Layout looks a bit muddled to me (separate kitchen/ diner, circulation routes cutting through useful space). Your hallway's massive and could serve the house better. Not sure which walls are structural. However, I'd look at extending the kitchen into the lounge area and creating a large, open-plan kitchen/ dining family room across the back of the house. Maybe hive off the back of what is now the lounge and using this to enlarge what is currently the dining room. This could be a 'snug'/ TV room at the front of the house. Very 'now' and you'd make the best use of the space you currently have.
Apologies if I'm going off piste here - But I always think if you're planning on doing work, do it once and make sure it maximises what you have.
Edited by 30v on Tuesday 16th October 23:03
To me the floor plan is bob on. Nice big hall connecting every room.
The kitchen layout is sensible, if the cabinets are in good condition, consider new doors and worktops. The odd cabinet can always be changed if for instance you wanted an eye level cooker.
If it's just the colour and your not happy with the finish you've achieved pay a pro. They'll either hand paint in situ or you can remove the doors and get them sprayed.
In 35 yrs of house ownership I've never actually replaced a kitchen but have rejuvenated a few. The last one I used a local kitchen shop rather than a renovation specialist and a thoroughly decent job they did too. The previous house was much more DIY, a chippy to fit a work top, and I sourced some ready to paint doors online, which were duly fitted and painted.
The kitchen layout is sensible, if the cabinets are in good condition, consider new doors and worktops. The odd cabinet can always be changed if for instance you wanted an eye level cooker.
If it's just the colour and your not happy with the finish you've achieved pay a pro. They'll either hand paint in situ or you can remove the doors and get them sprayed.
In 35 yrs of house ownership I've never actually replaced a kitchen but have rejuvenated a few. The last one I used a local kitchen shop rather than a renovation specialist and a thoroughly decent job they did too. The previous house was much more DIY, a chippy to fit a work top, and I sourced some ready to paint doors online, which were duly fitted and painted.
Do you actually use the dining room? It looks small but also quite a way from the kitchen and involves walking through the hallway with plates of food, which I’d find a bit odd.
Personally I’d spend the money and do the rear extension as it seems to be what everyone wants these days. I’d also agree with above that it’s nice to have a hallway leading into all the different rooms and that it’s still best to have a separate sitting / living room.
Failing that, move the wall between living and dining rearwards so that you have a bigger dining room and make this your living room. Then remove the wall between kitchen and current living room to make a large kitchen / living / diner. Obviously that depends on what the walls are supporting!
Personally I’d spend the money and do the rear extension as it seems to be what everyone wants these days. I’d also agree with above that it’s nice to have a hallway leading into all the different rooms and that it’s still best to have a separate sitting / living room.
Failing that, move the wall between living and dining rearwards so that you have a bigger dining room and make this your living room. Then remove the wall between kitchen and current living room to make a large kitchen / living / diner. Obviously that depends on what the walls are supporting!
That layout is crying out for some wall bashing.
I'd consider losign the wall between dining & Lounge, maybe dining at the back and also shift the kitchen wall into the entrance hall as above.
You can then have a double depth peninsular in the kitchen or even re-plan to fit a table in there for casual dining.
Simple if they're not supporting walls and just a couple of steels if not.
You could also look at pulling the kitchen out to the depth of the lounge with a half conservatory type extension. Might not even need planning permission for that under permitted development.
I'd consider losign the wall between dining & Lounge, maybe dining at the back and also shift the kitchen wall into the entrance hall as above.
You can then have a double depth peninsular in the kitchen or even re-plan to fit a table in there for casual dining.
Simple if they're not supporting walls and just a couple of steels if not.
You could also look at pulling the kitchen out to the depth of the lounge with a half conservatory type extension. Might not even need planning permission for that under permitted development.
Seems like the general consensus so far is similar to mine... to improve the kitchen we'd need to look at extending and moving walls around. Our long term goal is to extend across the full width of the back of the house by around 2-3m, then open up the wall between kitchen and lounge, move the lounge/dining room wall back a bit to create a separate snug at the front... the main problem is cash flow means we can't do this.
For reference, we love the large hallway and ideally wouldn't make it any smaller, especially given the other rooms aren't cramped because of it! I haven't got any up to date photos as we've redecorated but this gives you an idea of the size.
There is already a table/chairs at the other end of the kitchen but we rarely use these at all. Dining room does get used a reasonable amount when we have guests over and you can get 10 people in without much of a squeeze.
I think given the kitchen itself is in good condition i'll get another few quotes for painting it professionally before deciding what to do. Already had one at £1100, but they'd be coming down from manchester so i'm hoping someone local can beat it.
For reference, we love the large hallway and ideally wouldn't make it any smaller, especially given the other rooms aren't cramped because of it! I haven't got any up to date photos as we've redecorated but this gives you an idea of the size.
There is already a table/chairs at the other end of the kitchen but we rarely use these at all. Dining room does get used a reasonable amount when we have guests over and you can get 10 people in without much of a squeeze.
I think given the kitchen itself is in good condition i'll get another few quotes for painting it professionally before deciding what to do. Already had one at £1100, but they'd be coming down from manchester so i'm hoping someone local can beat it.
What about getting a quote from a local spray finish company? Take the doors off yourself, deliver them and then collect.
Someone like this? http://www.spraytechltd.com/services/kitchensandfu...
Worth a phone call.
Someone like this? http://www.spraytechltd.com/services/kitchensandfu...
Worth a phone call.
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