Kitchen Layout advice/ideas
Discussion
Hi Guys -
Hoping for some advice on the last (and probably most fundamental) element of our renovation.
We have an unusual ground floof that had been extended about 20 year ago across where the old garage used to be,
This gave a very large (for the size of the house) lounge, that still feels like two rooms and lacks the cozy-ness/escape the kids feel that we would really look for in the space.
Our kitchen has been partially knocked through into the other half of that older existing extension, but as the doorway beween goes through the old (thick) external wall, there is limited connectivity beweek the functional kitchen area and the breakfast/dining area.
As such, we have the classic issue of when we (used to) have people over, either everyone congregates in the kitchen and gets in the way, or sit in the dining bit and whoever is cooking is excluded from proceedings.
So - long and short, we are thinking of getting the thick external wall fully knocked though to open the kitchen as much as possible, whilst removing a stud wall to eat into the lounge and putting a new stud up to halve the size of the lounge.
This will give is the L shape kitchen diner per the below:
wouldn't mine some thoughs on the layout - there is part of me that thinks we should just knock through the thick kitchen wall (i.e. not moving the other one and leaving the lounge as it is for now - but the cost of re-doing flooring/moving services etc. really make me want to get this one right first time.
Here is what it currently looks like (with vague kitchen layout within):
& this is the L-Shaped fully open look:
The front door is just to the left & the existing kitchen faces out south west - so gets evening sun and is slighly dingy in the morning - (hence opening up to the back would make it more airy)
Anything we're missing - i.e other ways to re-configure essentialy these 'four' rooms into two more functional living/chilling spaces?
Gas water and drainage are all above the current kitchen - assume this would preclude shifting it to the back without significant expense?
Hoping for some advice on the last (and probably most fundamental) element of our renovation.
We have an unusual ground floof that had been extended about 20 year ago across where the old garage used to be,
This gave a very large (for the size of the house) lounge, that still feels like two rooms and lacks the cozy-ness/escape the kids feel that we would really look for in the space.
Our kitchen has been partially knocked through into the other half of that older existing extension, but as the doorway beween goes through the old (thick) external wall, there is limited connectivity beweek the functional kitchen area and the breakfast/dining area.
As such, we have the classic issue of when we (used to) have people over, either everyone congregates in the kitchen and gets in the way, or sit in the dining bit and whoever is cooking is excluded from proceedings.
So - long and short, we are thinking of getting the thick external wall fully knocked though to open the kitchen as much as possible, whilst removing a stud wall to eat into the lounge and putting a new stud up to halve the size of the lounge.
This will give is the L shape kitchen diner per the below:
wouldn't mine some thoughs on the layout - there is part of me that thinks we should just knock through the thick kitchen wall (i.e. not moving the other one and leaving the lounge as it is for now - but the cost of re-doing flooring/moving services etc. really make me want to get this one right first time.
Here is what it currently looks like (with vague kitchen layout within):
& this is the L-Shaped fully open look:
The front door is just to the left & the existing kitchen faces out south west - so gets evening sun and is slighly dingy in the morning - (hence opening up to the back would make it more airy)
Anything we're missing - i.e other ways to re-configure essentialy these 'four' rooms into two more functional living/chilling spaces?
Gas water and drainage are all above the current kitchen - assume this would preclude shifting it to the back without significant expense?
Sure - excuse the crappy powerpoint bodging:
The front has the existing kitchen/breakfast room - it looks onto the garden which is about 30m from the actual property boundry and is enclosed - so we treat it as the garden (hence patio doors out onto it)
The rear is much smaller and faces out onto the neighbours side wall - so a less pleasing view. The lounge ares has sliding door out onto this.
hope this is of use!
The front has the existing kitchen/breakfast room - it looks onto the garden which is about 30m from the actual property boundry and is enclosed - so we treat it as the garden (hence patio doors out onto it)
The rear is much smaller and faces out onto the neighbours side wall - so a less pleasing view. The lounge ares has sliding door out onto this.
hope this is of use!
Would it not be much cheaper to leave the thick wall in place which means the current breakfast area becomes the new lounge and the kitchen and current lounge combine? You could put another set of doors out in to the garden from the current kitchen too.
No idea if that suits your lifestyle but it might be the cheapest option.
No idea if that suits your lifestyle but it might be the cheapest option.
How about this..
Load of extra space for the kitchen and incorporates the dining area, with light all the way through.
The lounge gets the front of the property and still plenty of space for an office/quiet room at the back.
The stumbling block would be whats going on with the cooker/that wall, but could be an easier fix than removing (previous) external wall?
Load of extra space for the kitchen and incorporates the dining area, with light all the way through.
The lounge gets the front of the property and still plenty of space for an office/quiet room at the back.
The stumbling block would be whats going on with the cooker/that wall, but could be an easier fix than removing (previous) external wall?
I'd do that, but I'd also knock through into the 'study' to create an informal tv/games lounge area linked to the dining/kitchen. That way you get communal living space, but with the option to retreat to a proper lounge.
Depends on how old/how much you like your kids. I like a family lounge as it creates more opportunity for time together.
Depends on how old/how much you like your kids. I like a family lounge as it creates more opportunity for time together.
Hitch said:
I'd do that, but I'd also knock through into the 'snug' to create an informal tv/games lounge area linked to the dining/kitchen. That way you get communal living space, but with the option to retreat to a proper lounge.
Depends on how old/how much you like your kids. I like a family lounge as it creates more opportunity for time together.
Depends on how old/how much you like your kids. I like a family lounge as it creates more opportunity for time together.
bristolbaron said:
How about this..
Load of extra space for the kitchen and incorporates the dining area, with light all the way through.
The lounge gets the front of the property and still plenty of space for an office/quiet room at the back.
The stumbling block would be whats going on with the cooker/that wall, but could be an easier fix than removing (previous) external wall?
thats a good shout, cheersLoad of extra space for the kitchen and incorporates the dining area, with light all the way through.
The lounge gets the front of the property and still plenty of space for an office/quiet room at the back.
The stumbling block would be whats going on with the cooker/that wall, but could be an easier fix than removing (previous) external wall?
the wall where the cooker currently is has gas running down it, where as the old external wall - has an the electrical box which will need moving (£1500) - have the builder round tomorrow so will figure out which will be lease disruptive/most functional
E36GUY said:
Seems to me like there's a lot of wasted space in the centra hallway. Perhaps this as a suggestion of something to think about?
yeah - it's a little misleading - the hallway is a dining room area,
I do like the idea or knocking into it for extra kitchen size -
it would mean removale of the chimney and two fire places and doubles the number of steels needed too - so would probably be cost prohibitive for what we want to do now.
do keep the ideas coming - really appreciate the feedback
Another idea to consider - move the Kitchen/Diner in to the lounge .
Is that a fireplace /chimney on the lounge/hallway dividing wall?
Move the door a bit to the new lounge with the French Doors, other room becomes a study/snug. Block up the thick wall or the study will just become a corridor.
Is that a fireplace /chimney on the lounge/hallway dividing wall?
Move the door a bit to the new lounge with the French Doors, other room becomes a study/snug. Block up the thick wall or the study will just become a corridor.
[quote=talksthetorque]Another idea to consider - move the Kitchen/Diner in to the lounge .
Is that a fireplace /chimney on the lounge/hallway dividing wall?
Move the door a bit to the new lounge with the French Doors, other room becomes a study/snug. Block up the thick wall or the study will just become a corridor.
I like the idea of that - it also minimises the steel/build work.
The reason we'd not considered that before is that the gas / drainage & plumbing are all to the front of the house (i.e. in the existing kitchen) - so we always considered them to be limiting factors
However - now knowing that the movement of the power box is going to cast 1500 quid before we connect anything else to it is making us reconsider options that we'd previously discounted.
We arent trying to do this on the cheap - but just after the most cost effective means of improving the kitchen living space and 'flow'
Does anyone know the costs of removal of a double skin wall (the old external wall) vs. a single skin brick built internal wall are similar? (install of right size RSJ etc.)
Its a bunglow - so only loftspace above both areas.
Thanks again all!
Is that a fireplace /chimney on the lounge/hallway dividing wall?
Move the door a bit to the new lounge with the French Doors, other room becomes a study/snug. Block up the thick wall or the study will just become a corridor.
I like the idea of that - it also minimises the steel/build work.
The reason we'd not considered that before is that the gas / drainage & plumbing are all to the front of the house (i.e. in the existing kitchen) - so we always considered them to be limiting factors
However - now knowing that the movement of the power box is going to cast 1500 quid before we connect anything else to it is making us reconsider options that we'd previously discounted.
We arent trying to do this on the cheap - but just after the most cost effective means of improving the kitchen living space and 'flow'
Does anyone know the costs of removal of a double skin wall (the old external wall) vs. a single skin brick built internal wall are similar? (install of right size RSJ etc.)
Its a bunglow - so only loftspace above both areas.
Thanks again all!
So - I spoke with our builder & the structural engineer in the week on the logistics of each potential route -
Going to go with a varient on bristolbarons plan - with the kitchen knocked through front to back into the existing lounge, and a new smaller lounge formed tucked away at the back of the house.
I think this work on a number of levels -
1) splitting the lounge away from the noise of the rest of the house (3 kids, 6 pets - NOISY household which i'd not really factored into the open plan style of our initial renovation
2) having the kitchen as hub of the home - accessible from both sides
3) retaining access to both front and back for summer BBQ's etc.
now just to get the layout right for the kitchen itself - its a c.32 sqm space so quote a few options to explore!
thank again PH - delievring value and advice as ever!
initial thoughts on layout below:
Going to go with a varient on bristolbarons plan - with the kitchen knocked through front to back into the existing lounge, and a new smaller lounge formed tucked away at the back of the house.
I think this work on a number of levels -
1) splitting the lounge away from the noise of the rest of the house (3 kids, 6 pets - NOISY household which i'd not really factored into the open plan style of our initial renovation
2) having the kitchen as hub of the home - accessible from both sides
3) retaining access to both front and back for summer BBQ's etc.
now just to get the layout right for the kitchen itself - its a c.32 sqm space so quote a few options to explore!
thank again PH - delievring value and advice as ever!
initial thoughts on layout below:
I think you should close up the hole in the kitchen wall and make the entrance door to those other rooms opposite the door from the rest of the house. It would give you more useable space in the kitchen and mean it isn't effectively a corridor. If you are not going to move the wall to put a larger lounge at the front just have the flow so you go into the lounge then the snug/office at the front. If you move the wall and have the larger lounge at the front then the original suggestion with two doors from the dining area would be good.
Where were you going to put the big fridge/freezer?
Where were you going to put the big fridge/freezer?
I think Toltec has a good point about the hole. If you did that you could then have that wall of full height cupboards
with ovens or fridge in which is an efficient use of space for storage/appliances.
Ps. One top corner cupboard on its own looks a bitcrap lost.
with ovens or fridge in which is an efficient use of space for storage/appliances.
Ps. One top corner cupboard on its own looks a bit
Edited as advert hiding some text in some browsers
Edited by talksthetorque on Sunday 6th December 09:58
The only downside that i can see of that layout is this:
(again excuse crap powerpointery - but you get the gist....)
food and drink going out the front will have to go through the lounge..... maybe thats not such a pain after all....just have to not spill the beers!
(or maybe its a route to an outside kitchen
(again excuse crap powerpointery - but you get the gist....)
food and drink going out the front will have to go through the lounge..... maybe thats not such a pain after all....just have to not spill the beers!
(or maybe its a route to an outside kitchen
Definitely a trade off, access to the garden vs storage in the kitchen. If you don't want to move the lounge wall how about moving the door to the left so the path is more direct?
My wife wondered if you could just pass drnks and food out of the kitchen window? Depends where the garden is separated I guess.
My wife wondered if you could just pass drnks and food out of the kitchen window? Depends where the garden is separated I guess.
Edited by Toltec on Saturday 5th December 20:18
Toltec said:
Definitely a trade off, access to the garden vs storage in the kitchen. If you don't want to move the lounge wall how about moving the door to the left so the path is more direct?
My wife wondered if you could just pass drnks and food out of the kitchen window? Depends where the garden is separated I guess.
Serving hatch. My wife wondered if you could just pass drnks and food out of the kitchen window? Depends where the garden is separated I guess.
Edited by Toltec on Saturday 5th December 20:18
PositronicRay said:
Serving hatch.
Haha!old school, but may work between kitchen and front room -
I think the trouble is, if that room is disconnected from the kitchen, it wont really have a role (i.e. its not a cozy lounge as it has door out onto the front & its not a breakfast room either...)
may have to go back to the drawing board and consider flipping the whole layout as was suggested above.
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