Kitchen diner extension plan help

[Systine]

Hi,

We will extend the rear of the house to be a kitchen diner for a family of 4. The parents will come quite often, so need a dining place for 6. We don't entertain much, and don't have other guests coming over to diner very often.

The size of the extension is 6m 3.8m (20ft12.5ft) (inner size). We came up with two possible designs for the kitchen.

The first one is a one wall kitchen with an island. The overview of the extension related to the existing house can be seen in the first image. The close-up plan of the one-wall kitchen diner follows.

The second plan is a L shape kitchen without an island. See the third image.

Could you please comment on the two plans? Which might work better in practice?

In the one-wall kitchen plan, the dining table will be stuck under the island, which is roughly 1.3m (4.2ft). Will it be too narrow to put the dining table in both plans? Or am i too ambitious to do that and should kick the sofa out and put the dining table in the sofa's position? Our kids are 5 and 2.5, so need to be in the same room while i am cooking. That's why i need some place in the kitchen diner to engage the kids (sofa, TV on the wall, etc).

In both plans, a radiator panel could be fitted under the side window. If there is not enough space to put the radiator panel, we would probably consider underfloor heating. But at the moment DH is a bit hesitated. Any advice on this?

Thanks for reading. Thanks for your advice!

I think it might be too cluttered with island, dining table and sofa. Personally I would lose the sofa and keep the island, but not sure how this would work for you?

I have to agree with previous poster, it looks way to cluttered with Island sofa and table, you need to get rid of something..

I disagree I think the space could take both but there needs to be a certain amount of space around the island- I'm not sure ?hat the measurements are but I know we didn't have enough space for both. If you go to b and q (and pretend you are buying the kitchen from there) they will draw your plans properly on a computer system and you will get a better sense of space.

Seems a little cluttered with a table and an island. I would lose the island.

Don't do the second option without an island. We bought a house that has that and it is awful to sit at the table to see the counter a messy disaster. I either have to tidy before I eat or sit with my back to the mess. An island really does hide it. If you kids are small, instead of a sofa, why not make a play corner with some ikea kids table / chairs and, maybe a play kitchen etc to entertain them while you're cooking?

Think you need something like 1.2 or 1.5m round an island from memory, but I could be wrong.

I would do the island and have it double sided for storage, perhaps with a countertop overhang on the non kitchen side for bar stools.

Turn the table round 90 degrees so it's parallel to the island and lose the sofa. Move the table further over so you can see outside from the table. The kids can sit at the table and watch the telly then as well.

Does it have to be an island?

I've got a very similar shape main kitchen/dining room to you but without the pantry bit.

I've got the main run of units and hob, oven where you have....against the wall on the right side. And ive kind of made it into an open plan galley kitchen. So I have another run of units opposite, going from the bottom of the room almost all the way to the top. And there's a gap there for entrance and exit into the kitchen bit.

Units are normally a bit narrower than an island so you'd probably be able to fit more stuff in on the other side. Maybe have the sofa backed up to the back of the units and the dining room more where the sofa is on your plan?

I think you could get it all in ...

Blimey - I did this yesterday and uploaded it to the other site you posted on - where I hang out more frequently - and reading VivaleBeaver's post I drew it almost exactly what you've described !

That looks good! I have a friend with something similar, only instead of having the settee backing onto the units (with a raised back), they have a church pew, then the table and on the other side of the table a bench/chairs. The sofa could then go where dining table is on OnePlan's drawings. Just another suggestion!

Thank you so much everyone for giving me the advices! I have never thought about the way OnePlan gave here. Really inspiring.

During the day, i have come up with another two solutions, just to move the fridge, freezer and oven away and get a bigger space in the kitchen diner.

See plan C and D.

I have never used an island before, so no idea whether i will find it practical. :( I have got mixed opinions. Some think it great and social. Other just find it a big obstacle in the middle that cannot be pushed aside when you don't want it. And will building an island more expensive than the L shape?

We might buy an extendable dining table if squeezing in a small sofa. But could also do without a sofa.