Shall I put a wall back in?

[Dahliasarebeautiful]

Hello lovely mumsnetters,

I have a quandary, I currently have a 19th century (I think built roughly 1880's) two up two down end of terrace cottage (with downstairs extension kitchen and bathroom). The previous owners knocked through downstairs into one room, but I'm feeling like I want to reinstate the wall so would be back to two rooms, cosy lounge and dining/other room.

For me I love a cottage because it's supposed to be cosy. It's currently not cosy and the previous dining room has become a dumping ground.

The position of our current furniture lends to a cosy front room but I feel the old dining room is an undesignated space, in the same room.. (appreciate I've overused the word cosy).

I'm not thinking a proper brick wall, so potential new owners could reinstate to one room should they wish, should we decide to sell at any point.

I'm not worried about the light as the extension offers no light into this room as it is and I'd have a glazed door between the two rooms, to allow any potential light possible from that end of the house from a badly positioned window at the bottom of the stairs, (stairs are in the potentially reinstated dining/other room). The "lounge" has a window and glazed front door in.

Has anyone actually reinstated walls previously removed and for what reason?

I can definitely supply photos if that would help?

I have to say we’ve lived in an open plan flat (combi dining/living/kitchen) for the last 10 years and it’s put me off ever doing it again. There’s nowhere to go to relax apart from the bedroom if someone else is watching TV or cooking, it’s a constant battle to clear the dining table of random shit and there’s laundry everywhere. We’re now buying and one thing we’re both agreed on is some kind of separation between some of the rooms. I also read something in the FT the other week saying that open plan kitchen/dining areas are falling out of fashion.

One thing I’ve seen in some places is those sort of semi walls where it’s like a semicircle/rounded at the top but no actual doors so you have a feeling of some division but still get all the light and flow through.

But basically in answer to your qs I think it’s worth doing but worth investigating a bit to see what works.

Do it. I hate open plan, especially in small houses. You could always put doors in if you think you may need a large space for entertaining at some point.

If you want to be edgy and modern you could look up "broken plan" which is inbetween one plan and normal rooms and see if there are some ideas you can steal.

Do it. I hate open plan, especially in small houses. You could always put doors in if you think you may need a large space for entertaining at some point.

If you want to be edgy and modern you could look up "broken plan" which is inbetween one plan and normal rooms and see if there are some ideas you can steal.

We had what you're planning. Lots of our neighbours took down the wall in between but I'm so glad we didn't. We used the dining room daily as we had a small kitchen and it was having 2 separate spaces so me and dh could do different things.
I would put the wall back up.

I am an open plan person but it is your home. Unless you plan to sell imminently do what makes you happy.

I've just bought a cottage which has the two separate rooms, and I love it. I load at a few in the same road, and deliberately chose this because of the room layout.

At the moment, we pretty much live in the dining room, which I using as an overflow from the kitchen.

Thank you all for your comments, my next door neighbour has her wall still in and it's much more cottagey, like it's supposed to be! I agree open plan can be lovely if you have a big space, but I don't unfortunately.

You have helped me decide, it's definitely going back in!!

Thank you again!

I'm not a massive open plan person, I feel like I would have to have all areas tidy at all times otherwise it would drive me crazy that I can see mess in rooms I could otherwise shut the door on 😂

I'll look up broken plan thou thanks, never heard of it before! Sounds interesting

This is exactly how I feel, especially as the front door opens into the room. At least I can pretend everything is just fine in the front room as long as no-one needs the toilet 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

@Dahliasarebeautiful for me it was always having to make sure the washing up was done and put away or that there was no recycling on the side waiting to go out. Used to drive me mad. 😂