Large kitchen or large lounge?

[batfuttocks]

We've just moved into a new (old) house and the existing small kitchen needs ripping out. We think we should move it into one of the other two rooms: one is currently a dining room at the front of the house (big room) the other is a lounge at the back of the house, overlooking the garden (even bigger room). Apart from a little utility room, these are the only rooms on the ground floor. It's all pretty open plan, both possible rooms have good light and existing fireplaces.

What would people choose?

If you moved it into the rear room, would you be able to get sofa seating in there as well as kitchen-diner? If so, I'd do that and keep the front room as a separate reception room.

What will you do with the current kitchen area?

Front-facing kitchens are a bit non-traditional: plus if it's a good size I'd definitely say the rear facing should be a kitchen and the small ex kitchen could either be a utility, a downstairs loo/shower room, or a playroom/study. (oh for a large kitchen!)

Definitely bigger room over looking the garden. Much better for BBQs, watching kids play whilst you cook etc and all the better if you can fit a decent sized table in too. And yes, lots of options then for the old kitchen.

You've all come down on the wrong side of the fence! I was arguing not to lose the nice big sitting area as I didn't want a lounge on the front of the house (its right onto a road that side) and the porch opens directly into it.

Very interesting that you all say big kitchen diner. Yes a sofa would fit too. Old kitchen could become dining area or study etc.

Kitchens should not be in the front of the house. That just feels wrong. Better to have a kitchen/diner at the back that opens out into the garden.

It is what we have and it works rather well.

Do you have an option to extend instead of moving the kitchen? I'd have thought moving the kitchen would be quite a big job but I would rather have it at the back of the house given the choice.

Holidaybug, good point about the extra work involved in moving the kitchen. Best to keep all the pipes together.

My friend had a standard layout three bed semi where the previpus residents had made the front room into a big kitchen, so she retained it. It felt highly weird, the sink looked out onto the road, she pootled around in her dressing gown to make the morning cuppa and felt thoroughly on display!
Seriously, especially if the size is big enough for a sofa, you will practically live in a rear facing kitchen diner. It's what I'd pick....

Could you knock the current kitchen through to the large back room? That way you could keep parts of the kitchen in the same place/nearby to minimise moving pipe work and have a really big kitchen/diner/snug room!

The kitchen is already knocked into the lounge, but the ceiling is low only in that part of the house. It would always feel a bit odd I think. We could potentially extend the loung and add a kitchen behind it (so it would be the rear most room) but it would cost is ££££ and I'm not sure we will be able to stretch to it for a good few years yet. Really useful to know how many people would prefer rear kitchen diner though. It's such a lovely room that I just feel sad that I couldn't keep it as a lounge. Maybe I just need to minimally tart up existing kitchen and save like hell to do the extension??

Without doubt, large kitchen at the back. When we were last looking, I discounted one house simply because the kitchen was at the front and it would have been a lot of work to move it to the back. I'd always rather a larger kitchen/family room and a smaller lounge.

Could you add a conservatory to the existing kitchen? This would cost far less than an extension, maybe as little as 10 or 15k.

No unfortunately no chance of a conservatory off the existing kitchen. The major issue with it is the low ceiling, it will always seem small I think. Bugger. You are all saying what I don't want to hear! My problem with the front room being a lounge is that it has the porch and the stairs opening into it, as well as the arch to the existing kitchen and lounge. It feels like a hallway with a fire not a cosy lounge.

I think an extension is the answer but it'll take years!

I wouldn't be put off by a kitchen at the front, as long as it was not too overlooked. I think it's nice to have your living room at the back, looking out onto the garden.

If you are considering resale appeal, then definitely kitchen at the back. If its big enough to be a kitchen/diner/family room then that sounds perfect!

I think you need to knock two rooms together to create a good sized kitchen diner at the back of the house. The lounge can be a snug. The kitchen diner tends to be where we spend all our time xx

Definitely kitchen at the back.Why not get an architect to look at what could be done to make the lounge more inviting, its also worth looking at the low ceiling and see if that could be changed.Older building work tended to have low beams due to steel but that doesn't tend to be the case now.

You seem to have sufficient place but might just need the space to be rejigged.My friend bought a house and by moving some walls she transformed the house.

Our kitchen is at the front and back!

We opted for larger kitchen over larger lounge but will be fairly easy to change this if we wished due to layout.

You mention its all pretty open plan with an arch from the front room into the kitchen?

Just to be a bit old fashioned different, I'd thought I'd pop in with a possibility which we have in our house. Its a very old house with a postage stamp sized kitchen with a very low beamed ceiling, located at the back of the house. It has an arch to the front room (used to be the old kitchen - inglenook, flagstone floor, butlers cupboards etc) which eventually (when we get the time and money) we will do up to be a sort of kitchen extension (we can't fit a fridge freezer in the tiny existing kitchen, so one will be built in some tasteful cupboards in this room, near the arch) come dining room.

Perhaps you could do something similar with your front room - turn it into a dining room/snug/spill over kitchen, and keep the current kitchen where it is, just big enough for cooking in. (I don't hold to this new fangled modern kitchen diner thingy, but then I like to escape to my own space whilst cooking (listening to Radio 4 not Disney Junior) and not have to look at my messy kitchen whilst eating/playing with kids..)

Just an idea...all depends on how you like to live and the ease of changing the layout you have I suppose (our walls are stone and 18 inches thick - not too easy to knock through!)

have you got an image of the floor plan ? I'm trying to think of a compromise that may work for you and the family ? was the house on right move ? with floor plans ? you can inbox me or email direct on [email protected] - will see if i can see a possibility if you like ?! :-)

We live in an old cottage and have a small kitchen at the front of the house. Everyone thought we should move it to the larger room at the back but i'm so glad we didn't. I love having our main living space at the back of the house as it looks out over the garden, gets loads of light, feels more private and we don't get the road noise that we'd get in the front (it's only a minor road through the village but quite noisy at times). I'm not a fan of big social kitchens though as I like peace and quiet when i'm cooking). Unless you're planning on moving in the next few years do what you want rather than what you think you should do. It is your home first and foremost.