Ground floor layout. Opinions wanted.

[ftm123]

We are reworking our downstairs, and wanted some feedback before we commit. The plan is to put the kitchen in the side return, which has velux windows and is open to a dinning room. The dinning room then opens to a living area, we were planning to use folding doors to make it optionally open plan. The odd thing about this layout is that you effectively have the walk through the kitchen to go to the living room. The alternative is a dark corridor. We weren't keen on going fully open plan, so thought this was a good compromise, but it is not a standard layout so I wanted some opinions! Thanks in advance.

Can you put the loo in the far left top corner, thus creating a better lay out of utilities /sink and and larder, it also puts the loo as far away as possible, avoiding noise pollution.

you could also rotate 45 anti clock wise and have a side door, which would give a better layout.

I would fill in the existing door to the living room or put a beam in rather than a lintel to open up the wall between the dining and living areas. Think you may struggle with locating sofas as is. (Would want to do a sense check with what furniture fits where tbh.)

Would also do without the island to keep it open as possible. But can understand that's personal.

I'm struggling with the top R/H corner at the end of the kitchen. Would it be better partitions and becoming part of the sitting room? Music corner/study area/armchair?

What's the overall sq foot. Am guessing this is about maximising limited space.

On balance I think it's ill-advised. Utility/larder area is wasteful and takes up too much space. All you need is a wc. The kitchen then needs to be more rectangular incorporating a dining area. The living room then needs to be more discreet. Ask architect to work it up again for you.

What are the dimensions of the various rooms?

Would it be better off to have living room where dining room is with its own entrance off the hall, and the dining room where the living room is open to the kitchen. I'd retain the walls around the living room so that it would then be self-sufficient and the dining room - which is less of an independent room in my opinion - would be the only room that one needed to access via the kitchen.

Thanks, I am trying to go through and process your comments. This is about maximising light, not space. Currently the kitchen is where the utility/WC are on the plan, and there is no window, just veluxes in the adjacent dinning area. The rest of the side return is closed off. Part of the thought process is prioritising which rooms most benefit from light. TheWC and utility go where there is none, as they are least priority. The living space gets maximum daylight/access to the garden.

Total square footage, excluding the WC/utility area is a bit over 700 square feet. Not exactly small! Just dark.

Can't you run velux along wc/utility bit? If they have to stay where they are then my first post stands. Imagine this is a terrace already extended as far as possible. What have neighbours done? Is there a good local agent you can talk to for advice?

It's really difficult to think of a way round this. (by the way can I please ask you, very politely, to write dining with one n in the middle, as it's doing my autistic brain in!!) (sorry!)

I have never seen a house with such a big hall at the front. That in itself makes it quite hard to imagine.

I think the current plan is quite good, with the sliding doors making it open-plan-or-not. I don't think the 'snug' is necessarily going to work though if that's the main way out into the garden.

Or do you have doors in the living room?

I don't see any issue with having a large family kitchen/dining room as the first room you go into.

This is an over extended semi. The WC/Utility bit is two story, and adjacent to a very narrow alley way. A new window there would let in very little light, and a door would be hard to use. All the agents, architects, builders, whatevers I have spoken to have thought there is no way to get light there, and utility/toilet/shower room would be the best use of space.

The "snug" has deliberately not been closed off, so that the view to the garden is open to the kitchen. The bit of kitchen going into the side return was going to be the washing up area,so it's out of sight from the dining area.

The "snug" is a bit of an unknown space. In the early years it will be a kids play area, and "messy entrance" to the garden - i.e. where they come in with muddy boots. There are also doors out from the living room.

I am not aware of any other over extended houses in the area to compare it to. Once option would be taking the extension away - but that seems quite drastic.

Oh Pipistrella - can't believe I didn't notice that (dinning). I will politely mention to my architect..

To explain the layout, there is an additional reception not shown, at the front of the house. We plan to have that as the adult space, but live day to day at the back. The total ground floor must be about 1000 square feet. bigger than my last house

That last bit is key. Do it . That's why I couldn't get my head round it. But if you have a separate grown up room it will work. Good luck.

Sounds a bit like my in-laws'. Hope apostrophe is in the right place pipistrella

Thanks BeaufortBelle, I realised as I typed it I had withheld crucial information!

Is there space for a dining table in the snug area? I think I'd prefer that and then put more of the kitchen and the play area into the current dining area.

Haha no the architect has spelt it correctly, PP was referring to you adding an extra 'n' to dining room....

Oops. I am so embarrassed about "dinning". Unrelated, I have decided that confirms I have baby brain, and cannot go back to work just yet! yay!

I think the snug area will be too small for a dining or dinning table. I plan to leave it interchangeable though, so over time we can rearrange furniture to suit.

Quoteunquote made a good point about toilet noise, it will be a stud wall between kitchen and WC. So I need to revisit that layout of the toilet/utility.

Thanks everyone.

Oh gosh I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it to take over the thread, it doesn't matter at all. I'm just unable to cope with funny spelling, it's my stupid brain

Anyway - if there is another reception at the front, that makes a huge amount more sense. I can see how it would work now.

I really like the double doors. I can imagine it being a really good space.

pip you didn't, you shared your humanity, were affectionately teased and lightened us up. I'm sorry, I wasn't sufficiently sensitive to realise you would take it literally.

I hope you have an easy and nice week.

It's fine, and thank you so much, I wasn't sure how you meant it so am v grateful to you for that

OP have you thought about flooring in the kitchen/snug bit? In terms of mud on shoes, sort of thing. I think tiles would be good but not the slippery sort.

I am really struggling to decide on flooring. Tiles were first preference, but I am concerned about how practical they will be with little ones toddling about. i.e. they are a very hard surface to fall on. Next alternative was engineered wood or bamboo, but not sure how good that would be for a muddy area, and with little ones there will be mud. Also we would then have to use the same flooring through out downstairs, as I wanted wood elsewhere and I think two types of wood next to each other would look odd. So maybe Kandean(?) is the answer, but sounds very expensive for something I don't really want.

I think engineered wood would be lovely. We had engineered wood here, well I think it was called that - like a thin layer of oak on top of whatever.

It was about 5 years old maybe and seemed very resilient, though of course the surface was scratched - but it might depend on the coating you put on top and also on the hardness of the wood itself.

Tiles are hard and also cold unless you have underfloor heating.

I think with such a massive space, wood would be a lot calmer, quieter, warmer and more 'living area' style iykwim - it will absorb noise more than tiles and be softer to fall on.

So I've changed my mind, on your behalf