Chance to have a dining room -but downstairs

[Handsfacespace]

We have a 5 beds +offices Victorian which we have brought back together from flats. We bought the basement a couple of years ago and haven’t figured out what to do with it as it’s too dark to become the “new ground floor”. It’s a nice space though with original features (stonework).

Our kitchen is relatively small for the size of the house. Christmas dinner for 8/9 requires garden chairs and a sense of adventure....and I wondered about having a dining room downstairs.

Questions/ thoughts
Is a dining room a good choice for a naturally dark room?
How much prep surfaces/facilities would we need down there? I think a dishwasher and warming oven and fridge would be a must....carrying dirty dishes up the stairs would be a nightmare....

Also, it’s fun to imagine being able to entertain again!

I think a mini kitchen would need a fridge for drinks or puddings, oven to keep food warm, sink and small amount of counter space.

She definitely prepared food in her proper kitchen then popped it downstairs, so no need for prep space and no cooking smells.

I can see why you'd want to keep the original kitchen where it is. I can't imagine that a dining room without any natural light or ventilation would be very much fun. If you're not willing to dig out the garden so that the basement can open up into it, allowing natural light, I think you're a bit stuck with a function that makes a virtue of the lack of natural light - cinema room or a gym really.

A dining room with no natural light would be brilliant for entertaining in winter. Fab and cosy.

I don't know about everyday but I think the cellar would be gorgeous for occasions. On my honeymoon the place we were staying gave us a romantic dinner for two in the wine cellar and with candles and lights it was really super lovely. But it would need to be evenings only and for occasions rather than every night I think.

I would make it a space for your kids tbh - unless you see them leaving home sooner rather than later!

really appreciate the further replies - I can see you lot know what you are talking about.

Joey - there is a lightwell downstairs - so there is a little natural light and you can open the window. Excavating further would probably just lead to flood risk/neighbour disputes and who needs that? It's a south-facing light-well so you get tantalising beams of light in mid-June at noon! At present it has patterned glass and the original black metal grid over the well - so there are some improvements that could be made. But to make it bright is probably not achievable (put it this way, the builder I like and trust said "don't do it").

ooh how lovely. I want to measure mine now!

@Handsfacespace

“Is it a whole separate basement flat? In which case would it be a good guest area/separate space for Teens/grown kids?”

Hi there Despairing. Yes, exactly. Kids are nearly 18 and 15 so who knows??

But yes was thinking that and that’s another reason to keep a functioning kitchen -keeps many options open.

Is it a basement flat that you bought into your property?

There was another thread recently re value of a house with a basement flat under& selling separately so much more lucrative

I’d keep them separate if that was the case, also gives you lots of flex re a granny flat or whatever. Tiny kitchenette & little loo & shower to be self contained if need be. I lived in a flat like that of a v large (university owned) house - 3 bed flat & prob 10 rooms above (it wasn’t super dark though, semi-basement)

There are also lots of positives to a ‘lodger room’ vs a flat if not fully self contained - better security for you so if you have space and think some kind of kitchen is useful I’d do that

Could you get a pool table which you can put a cover on for a dinner table and maybe the option to also convert to table tennis.

Thank you despairing.
“Lodger flat” sounds like the way to go.... and that works with dining room....

2013 the kids said no to table tennis because they feel guilty if they don’t use such stuff.

An atmospheric dining room (thinking dark walls, lots of candles, sparkling glassware on table) would be fab. I think you'd need a fridge, something for keeping dishes warm- hostess trolley? - dishwasher, storage for cutlery, glasses, mats/tablecloths/napkins, candles, corkscrew, condiments. Music system. Wine storage.

Would love to be able to do the same - especially as you can just walk away from it at the end of the night and sort it out in the morning.

I would definitely not want a dining room on a separate floor from the kitchen. Our garden is downstairs from our kitchen and even the small number of occasions we eat out there, it is a right pain getting all the stuff downstairs, and even more so to then bring it up again afterwards.

With the ages your dc are at though, a 'teen den' or party room will get a lot of use. Ours is loved by teens far and wide. We have table tennis, darts board, a fridge and it is very well loved and used a lot. I presume it would be even more so with a few more electronics - whether your youngsters are into watching films or sporting events with their mates, or into gaming.

I just remembered if you have 2 kitchens it limits what house insurance you can get...

Crikey Random I haven’t heard that one! Have you got some more details?

Inspiring post, thank you!

“An atmospheric dining room (thinking dark walls, lots of candles, sparkling glassware on table) would be fab. I think you'd need a fridge, something for keeping dishes warm- hostess trolley? - dishwasher, storage for cutlery, glasses, mats/tablecloths/napkins, candles, corkscrew, condiments. Music system. Wine storage.

Would love to be able to do the same - especially as you can just walk away from it at the end of the night and sort it out in the morning.“