Best downstairs layout

[lorisparkle]

We are planning a two storey extension. The upstairs layout is sorted but we can not decide on a downstairs layout. The options are....

Option a
Have the new extension as a moderate size kitchen diner, convert the current small kitchen into a large utility and leave the current lounge diner as a long narrow lounge.

This is probably the cheaper option but I worry the kitchen diner is too small and the space were the dining table currently is will be an odd waste of space.

Option b
Put up a wall to create a smallish lounge, shrink the current kitchen to make a utility and open up the rest of the space to make a largish L shaped kitchen/diner/family space.

I like the idea of the large kitchen/diner/family space but worry about the smallish lounge

So any opinions and questions welcome.....

Could you do some sketches to explain further?

If your house is one of many very similar ones in your road /area, have a look on Council planning website to see if anyone has reconfigured in either way that you are considering.
If you're feeling brave, stick a note through the door asking if they would let you have a look.
I did this with one of our neighbours and seeing the result made us confident to do the same type of work on our own house

Option B sounds better to me. We’re moving to a house with a downstairs layout like you describe and I can’t wait. I think it’ll be great to have most of the space as a communal/family area, but to keep a small separate living room for when you want to get away from it all. We’ve not moved in yet, so I could be proved wrong - but the downstairs space is what sold it to us.

Option B would make more sense if you want a large family area while keeping a cosy room for snuggling up. It would help to see a floor plan.

Option B sounds better, but it depends on what the actual sizes of the rooms are.

Same. B sounds better but depends on actual layout. Chuck up a floor plan?

Option B. I see you also have an office too. Definitely go for bigger kitchen diner .

I have tried to attach photos of plans. Hope it works!

The 'study' is really a part converted garage so needs work on it to make a proper room.

Would there be space in larger kitchen /diner for any seating?
I mean non dining seating?

They both look great - but I still say B. The cosy living space and bigger open plan kitchen area win for me.

I'm not a fan of very long thin lounges so losing some of that length seems ok to me. I'd need to see the dimensions though.

Can the piano go in the study?

How about A but still shrinking the utility to maximise kitchen area?

A small lounge/snug works really well along side an open plan kitchen/dining/living room. Especially as kids get older, we have 2 tv's. Saves arguments

Thanks for all the comments my idea is to have a small sofa / comfy chair near the french windows.

Unfortunately the study is not converted enough for the piano, however if we are able to afford to convert it in the future it certainly would be ideal.

Our concern with plan b is that the small lounge would be quite dark. In an ideal world we would have double doors to open the space between the small lounge and kitchen / diner but we are concerned that it would be awkward walking behind the sofa to access the doors.

If you are installing a new wall for small lounge option, you could easily put in double pocket doors.
Glazed ones to increase the light

You do need to consider noise travelling upstairs if the stairs are open to either room

Can you give us some dimensions? B really hinges on there being a decent living room space that you can put decent sofas in. But if it's just 2/3 of a current, perfectly adequate lounge diner then it should be fine.

Why would the smaller lounge be dark? It's just a normal room with a window isn't it? The current dining area looks like more of a worry with light.

Re sofa dimensions, the JL Arlo is a good example to work with for planning. There's a small 2 seater and large 2 seater version. You can get smaller sofas, but the nice thing about this one is it feels more like a full size sofa.