Which layout?

[ihavetogoshoppingnow]

I hope my ramblings and wonky (but to scale) floorplan make sense to someone other than me

We currently have an open plan lounge diner, then a separate kitchen and utility room. We want to make a kitchen diner instead, DP thinks we should just take the wall between the kitchen and utility out and leave the lounge diner as a massive lounge as demonstrated by the green squiggle. I think we should put the wall back up between the lounge diner and take out the wall between the diner and kitchen and then have the utility room as a snug/playroom as demonstrated by the red squiggles. My way would be more work and more expensive obviously

The little box bit by the diner is the excess of the understairs cupboard - the ceiling is full height there.

Which layout would you do?

I would go by your plan. No way I am tripping in a massive lounge diner on toys if I have the option of doing what you are trying to do. Once DCs are bit older, your plan will still stay relevant. His plan somehow looks more like made by someone who doesn't do much tidy up of their home and specially the toy tidy up. Does he do it?

It would depend on cost and how long I intended to stay in the property. Id get a quote for both and then see, but if money wasn't a factor I'd go for your plan. I'd miss the utility room though

I'd prefer a separate sitting room, a kitchen come dining room for most of the living space and keep a utility room for the dirty jobs, coats and shoes etc. In the full height under stairs space I'd either move the mop, bucket, vacuum, ironing board etc. from the utility room and put other shelving in, or, shelve it out and use storage boxes for toys.

Yes to your plan, but keeping the utility room or moving it elsewhere if you have the space.

Thanks everyone. Cost will come into it, the wall between the kitchen and diner is the original back of the house so it would need a steel putting in. We’re doing all sorts of renovations to our house though so I hope we can stretch to it to make it exactly how we want. There’s nowhere else to put the utility and if we make the lounge smaller there wouldn’t be enough room for the toys in there. I don’t think I’ll miss the utility room though our last house didn’t have one and it didnt bother me, planning on getting the appliances intergrated and put the hoover and mop under the stairs.

Keep the utility. Maybe put good quality double doors between lounge and diner?

Yes to your plan for a family two big rooms and a playroom kids craproom would work much better than one huge room and smaller kitchen. And you would have the bonus of a seperate living room to keep nice for you and DH to snuggle up in in the evenings.

Also adding that if you go with your plan the snug/playroom can become a study once the kids have outgrown their toys.

Can you fit a downstairs loo under the stairs (if you don't already have one?) Will make house more saleable in the future.

Yes! notangelinajolie I love the idea of throwing all the toys in a playroom and not having to look at them in the evening. Unfortunately the stairs are quite narrow and the gas meter is under the stairs so I don’t think we’d get a downstairs loo in, I did mention it to DP when we first moved in (he’s a plumber) and he didn’t look impressed 😂

Depending where the doors are maybe it's worth considering making the utility into a downstairs loo/cloakroom combined? If you think you'd benefit from the extra toilet or even shower/wetroom. I suppose it also depends on how long you intend staying and how much it might increase the value or saleability of the house.