A bigger kitchen/dining area in a 1930s semi detached house

[charliechinuk]

Hi all.

Hope you all are well? We need some advice. I have just copied and pasted what my other half has put on other websites as it explains the problems we have quite well. Thanks in advance x

"Evening all,

Hopefully this is the right place for this, and someone can give us some thoughts on this one - we're in a pretty modest 1930s semi detached, we've knocked through the teeny-tiny galley kitchen and dining room at the back of the house, but we're still left with what feels like a really undersized kitchen diner space.

Obvious option is to extend out the back, but can't really bear to lose the garden space (or maybe it's can't bear to gain the debt! :LOL:)

So is the below idea craziness? Basically we move the dividing wall between living room and kitchen - create a smaller "snug" living room, and give us a much bigger kitchen / dining space? A quick play around with Ikea kitchen designer, for what it's worth, suggests it might work?

Would really appreciate some thoughts or suggestions."

Not keen, your living room will look unbalanced with the fireplace off centre. also, if that’s a supporting wall then it’ll be expensive in itself due to needing steels etc. Honestly, ask an architect for a view on how to maximise space for the money.

How big is your garden? We lost around 6ft, taking garden from 40 ft down to 34 ft, and now have a v spacious kitchen diner. Other houses have extended further but we wanted to keep as much garden space as before (we actually only lost half of the huge patio and kept all the green space). I agree that your living room would be misbalanced sadly if you move the wall.

Some 1930's semis on my street have removed half living room/kitchen wall to create semi open
Plan with space for a table. Would that work?

We extended, but then I'm not a garden person, prefer to walk in proper nature

is the wall in your grey floorplan where it will go afterwards? so where is the door to the kitchen now?

I wouldn't move the wall. It will be a big piece of work (RSJ etc) and you might still end up with a visible beam across where the old wall was.

It would be much cheaper to go even 1m out into the garden and gain the same space.

Or sometimes I think it can work to put the kitchen-diner in the front room and use the back room as the living room / snug. not traditional but can be good.

We removed our dividing wall to create a kitchen diner. I bitterly regret it, and am looking to do exactly what you’re talking about. We don’t have a fireplace so it’s a non issue.

another good way to save space in your kitchen is to have one row of seats at your dining table as a bench fixed to the wall - like a diner. you can gain at least 1m of space & it feels bigger too.

The kitchen design doesn't work with the full height units. Try it with the door where your proposed oven /full height unis are. Then have your kitchen on the other side of the room, starting where the current door is and on the right hand wall.

As a pp says, that wall is likely to be a supporting wall so you're going to need an RSJ. It'll be quite an expense for a small amount of space.

I wouldn't be keen, for the same reason as Procrastatron. I think carving up the alcove would look strange and be a giveaway. Please could we see some photos of the current knock through? Is it really that small?

Thanks all. I have passed on the advice from you all. I am going to start a new post in a bit as we have further questions. We simply don't know what to do for the best but we will get there I am sure.

Do you have space at the side of the house to extend that way rather than across the back?.

another good way to save space in your kitchen is to have one row of seats at your dining table as a bench fixed to the wall - like a diner. you can gain at least 1m of space & it feels bigger too.
Except that the wall, which isn't shown in the 3D, has got a chimneybreast.

If you go with titchy's idea then you could have front door, door to kitchen-diner and bifolds all in a row which will increase light in the house. As you open your front door you would be welcomed home by a view through to the greenness of your garden.