Separate kitchen and dining room or kitchen-diner

[AliceRR]

I have just moved into a new house with my DH. It’s a spacious 3 bedroom detached house in a really nice area (60s / 70s built?) Well looked after but dated decor. Needs new kitchen and bathroom.

Downstairs there is a large hallway, living room, dining room and kitchen. Upstairs three bedrooms and the bathrooms (separate rooms with toilet 🚽 in one and sink and shower 🚿 in the other). We plan to knock the bathroom into one. Rooms are good sizes.

Can’t decide whether to knock through the kitchen to make a large kitchen diner. The kitchen is a decent size (not huge) and the dining room is fairly small / average size. The back garden is really nice and overlooks a park so it could be a really nice, bright space overlooking a nice view.

DH now isn’t sure whether to knock through as he likes the idea of three rooms downstairs instead of just two. I can understand that but think a dining kitchen is more versatile.

Any advice? How do you use your dining rooms or dining kitchens? Anyone done this / not done this and what were your reasons.

I have just had Howdens measure up to do a plan and it is based on knocking through so that might help. Maybe I can get them to do a plan based on not knocking through as well.

TIA

We had a kitchen and dining room and have knocked through, it's great.

I think a larger kitchen proves more useable than a separate space. Unless you can use it as say a proper office space, dining rooms often end up a bit cold and unused.

Do you have children? I think it is much easier when they can eat in the kitchen.

Definitely kitchen diner, dining rooms are old fashioned and it seems odd carrying your food to a separate room to eat.

We have separate.
The dining room is a relative haven of calm, gets used for all meals.
I can close the door on the mess in the kitchen while we eat.
The DCs do homework in the dining room, and I can listen to the radio in the kitchen.

Much prefer a kitchen diner. I like it because my dc can eat their dinner whilst I potter about in the kitchen and get chores done. It's much more practical for a family.

I think a larger kitchen proves more useable than a separate space. Unless you can use it as say a proper office space, dining rooms often end up a bit cold and unused.

That’s what I’m thinking

Do you have children? I think it is much easier when they can eat in the kitchen.

I don’t have any living children. I recently lost a baby girl to full term stillbirth in February. We plan to have more children though and bought this house when I was pregnant intending it to be a family home.

The dining room is a relative haven of calm, gets used for all meals.

I can see this point too as I like to have radio or TV on when I cook.

That’s why I can’t decide 🤔

I’m leaning towards knocking through to a dining kitchen but my DH seems to be the opposite so the dilemma is still there!

I don’t think havint three separate rooms, rather than two, is something we really need. It’s often just the two of us at home. It’s not often we have a house full of people.

I do like a separate dining room but how you describe your house I think a kitchen diner would be more suitable.

Unless you're planning on appearing on Come Dine with Me, then a separate kitchen is essential.

So sorry to hear about your loss, OP. Must be so raw for you still

Your new house sounds lovely. I'd definitely turn the kitchen and dining room into one. Create one gorgeous big space that will be constantly used. A more modern way of living. I say this as you have a separate living room. An entire open plan ground floor would be a no from me! We all need to be able to shut a door on our nearest and dearest from time to time

Knock through unless you can get a table/ breakfast bar in kitchen to eat?

I had my poky kitchen and decent dining room knocked through before Christmas. It’s fabulous. Most used room in the house now and has stopped people eating in the sitting room in front of the telly.

@Schmoople. Thank you. Yes it is but we moved two weeks ago (ten days after the funeral) and the house is something to focus on I suppose and something to do while I’m on mat leave on my own

I agree complete open plan would be a no from me. Having said that, there are doors between the living room and dining room and dining room and I like the idea of keeping those so it would be mostly closed but we could open if we wanted

Knock through unless you can get a table/ breakfast bar in kitchen to eat?

I don’t think there’s room for a table. The previous owners had a table in the centre of the kitchen but with no chairs which I found odd bit I don’t think it’s big enough for a table. Mahbe a breakfast bar but I feel we’d just use the dining table instead

I have in mind a shaker style kitchen with wooden worktops and a wooden table in the dining area

So sorry for your loss.

So sorry for your loss.
We moved to a house with a large kitchen diner and I love it. Fantastic space and well used. We snack, sit and chat, dcs do homework etc st the breakfast bar but use the dining table for meals.
Definitely go for it. If I moved this would be essential in my new house. I do have radio on on too and doesn’t disturb anyone in the lounge.

Definitely knock through.
Is there room for a small sofa too?

I like a kitchen diner for the kids to be able to do their homework, play games, do crafts or eat breakfast while I’m doing stuff in the kitchen and when people like my sister are there it gives her somewhere to sit while I’m preparing food.
I guess the downside is that when you have guests they’re potentially right there while you’re serving up etc and it doesn’t have the calm of a separate room but I prefer big open plan rooms over more smaller rooms every time

So sorry for your loss OP

I definitely think you need to knock through if you are planning kids, and I hope you get that joy soon (ideally get the work done before they arrive as living in a house full of builders is no fun at all with a little one)

We bought a house with a tiny kitchen and separate sitting room and dining room when our little one was still quite little but it took us literally years to get around to doing the knocking through that was always the plan. It is such a delight having all one room as the kids can eat or draw or do homework at the dining table while you a parent is unstacking the dishwasher of preparing the next meal or clearing up or whatever. If the rooms are separate you either have to leave the child alone while you do stuff, or not leave the child alone and everything takes much longer as fewer opportunities to multitask, or the child is in the kitchen instead and probably in the way. I wish we had had the knocking through done immediately or had bought a house already knocked through. Separate kitchen and dining room are an archaic idea from the days when it was OK for mum to be isolated from the rest of the family, doing all the work whole everyone else was sitting. That simply shouldn't happen any more so a large open space where everyone can move around clearing and helping without being restricted by a narrow doorway between is more beneficial for families.

I wouldn't consider having a separate dining room now unless I had a large enough house to have both a kitchen-diner and a "posh" dining room for entertaining and special occasions.

I’ve just read the thread back - I’m sorry for your loss

I am sorry for your loss, I hope you are both ok x

I had a kitchen diner now have seperate rooms and much prefer the kitchen diner. However, as you will be having children I would suggest you get a chest level oven !

The house must be a welcome distraction at the moment. I lost a baby almost 3 years ago so feel your pain.

Kitchen diner is def the way forward esp when your rainbow children arrive! We spend most of our time in our kitchen diner.

Also if you don’t have another loo in the house don’t knock loo and bathroom together. No one wants a shower whilst someone takes a shit :)

Pre children I preferred separate rooms. But now I have children being able to eat in the kitchen is a great joy and makes life easier. From how your house is described, I think knocking through sounds good.

I hope that the new room, forged in sadness, becomes the future home or many happy memories.

In a previous house I had a separate dining room. We probably used it twice a year! My current house has a kitchen diner and no separate room. I practically live in the that room, it looks out onto the garden and is a lovely room

We have a large kitchen with a casual table and chairs in and a formal dining room. When we moved in I wanted to knock it through but tbh I'm glad we didn't. I like having separate rooms, the dining room is an oasis of calm. We use it fairly often, but for breakfast and lunch we just sit in the kitchen.

If your kitchen and dining room are fairly small then yes, I would create a kitchen diner. They seem to be the in thing at the moment.

So sorry to hear of your loss.
All good wishes for the future