Large kitchen diners - in favour?

[WocketInMyPocket]

Would appreciate a bit of help with my layout quandary - we've just had a new extension but can't decide how to configure the space.

Currently have a medium size kitchen with a small kitchen table, a lounge diner (26 ft by 12) and a new extension (26 ft by 11). The extension was mainly to be a family/playroom, with some extra space for laundry.

So if you were buying a house, would you prefer:

a) a v large kitchen/diner with patio doors to the garden, probably also with room for a sofa etc. Plus a small lounge (14 by 12) and a large play/family room.
OR

b) A large lounge (26 foot), separate kitchen with space for kitchen table, plus combined dining and playroom (the new extension).

Although I know that the large kitchen/dining rooms are all the rage at the moment, I can't get out of my mind sitting eating a roast dinner looking at all the dirty dishes! Also, putting the dining table in the family room would cut down the space in there.

We have a huge kitchen/sitting area/dining area with sliding patio doors out on to the garden. We do have a separate lounge and dining room, but rarely use them! I say we could sell the rest of the house, as we only use the kitchen!

We have a large kitchen, diner, family room. The only time it pisses me off is on a Sunday when I want to cook and read the paper in peace and DH watches the bloody football. Wouldn't it be nice if we had an upstairs lounge with a second tv. Oh hang on, we do

A

I have a separate living room, large kitchen diner and a conservatory playroom.

i have thought about knocking my kitchen / dining room down and having one large kitchen diner but am concerned about reducing number of reception rooms -would this de value my house?also is it just fashion ?in 10 years on will they still be the fashion ?

a

And yes older kids would prefer a playroom. I had one when I grew up. It's fairly common in NZ though. We have our own sofa, tv connected with playstation and dance mats. Friends have pool tables, or drum sets.

Definitely A.

Our extension is near.y finished and will be a kitchen/diner/lounge with doors onto the garden and separate playroom and living rooms ( playroom accessed through the kitchen but with bifold doors and its own doors to the garden). I think our living room will become dusty and unused!

What nemo said - no kids at home so I don't want a playroom.

neatfreak I thought that about our lounge when we had ours built 18m ago. The only thing I have found is that in winter a smaller lounge is much warmer, the bigger space in the kitchen/diner gets cold quickly and is more expensive to heat.
Or I may just be a wuss

We have something like A in the house we are moving to and it was the kitchen diner that really made us fall for the house. One thing I love about it though is that there is a half height wall across the middle, marking out the kitchen bit from the dining room if that makes sense. So they are definitely one room and yet the kitchen feels a little bit separate when you are sitting in the dining area.