Kitchen-diner or seperate dining room?

[vvviola]

We're looking at buying a house. It's split level, so sitting room and office/playroom are on ground floor and kitchen, utility room and dining room are up a few steps.

I'm very tempted to knock the wall between the kitchen and dining room. They are both ok sized rooms, but the 3 doors in the kitchen means you are a bit limited with wall space (door from hall, door into dining room, door into utility room).

Pros: could make a really nice living space, potentially with a seating/tv area - long term could put french doors out into garden. Gives more space in kitchen if we don't need a kitchen table. Dining room less likely to become a dumping area if it's connected to the kitchen.

Cons: could be pricy. No seperate dining room for entertaining. We lose a room (but there are still two reception rooms on the ground floor).

Anyone got any thoughts or opinions?

I'd knock it. I love a big bright kitchen diner and it sounds like you have plenty of options still with downstairs reception rooms. You can always talk to an architect and get input. Or get the room computer modelled and see what you think.

I find that a separate dining only gets used occasionally - when you have friends for dinner, Christmas etc. Whereas a kitchen diner we used the table all the time and it was a much more sociable space. In an ideal world and with a big enough budget I'd have both. But without I'd go for the kitchen diner rather than have a room that doesn't get much use.

Knock it through, definitely. I did this and with children it works so much better having them in the same room drawing, doing homework etc while you are cooking, washing up etc.

If you have a small table in the kitchen too you'll barely use the other room. Is it really worth having a whole room dedicated to guests? How often do you entertain?

I'd rather have a lovely big kitchen, even when entertaining, otherwise surely you end up in the kitchen on your own while they are in the dining room all having a laugh without you.

I watch a lot of cooking progs and it always amuses me how Barefoot Contessa instructs her guests not to have any fun without her while she toddles off to the kitchen to finish off dishes and serve up etc. Also on Dinner Date or Come Dine With Me when the host buggers off to the kitchen the guests are left bitching about the host twiddling their thumbs while the host is in the kitchen!

And yes, it means the table gets cleared off every meal time, whereas with a dining room table I imagine it gets stacked up with ironing, paperwork etc in between functions!

And yes, it means the table gets cleared off every meal time, whereas with a dining room table I imagine it gets stacked up with ironing, paperwork etc in between functions!

And yes, it means the table gets cleared off every meal time, whereas with a dining room table I imagine it gets stacked up with ironing, paperwork etc in between functions!

Sorry stupid internet!

Depends how you live. Have a friend who would absolutely not live without a separate diner. For us it's dead space and a clutter magnet.
We rejigged our layout to keep one reception room and made the rest open plan - everything needed completely renovating anyway as hadn't been touched for 35 years. (Have sep utility room for all the mess.) Also got rid of the split-level and moved the kitchen to the darkest room. Is so much better.

I think you might know me MarkRuffaloCrumble I'm a nightmare for using a dining room table as a dumping area. Even the layout where we are now (l-shaped living/dining room) hasn't stopped me. It's one of the reasons I don't want a dining room.

I think I might compromise - I've seen what is described as a "kitchen walk through" on Pinterest - so a bar/window and a wide doorway without a door between the two rooms. So keeps the feeling of two spaces, while still being a bit more open plan.

Now to persuade DH/actually buy the house/see can we afford it!