Would someone look at our drawings?

[checkedcloth]

Hello there.

Feel like we are going round and round and would really welcome any views or thoughts. Black picture are the proposed drawings for our downstairs, with the existing layout to compare.

This is not an extension, but just re working the space that we have.

We are trying to use the space to create a family room that can be used by guests (hence the shower room) as a bedroom. (Extending upstairs isn’t an option)

I’d had my heart set on a utility and some sort of pantry but I’m not sure either is possible due to the slightly awkward space.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
The utility doesn’t need to have access to the outside though and the island in the kitchen could also be a peninsula off the kitchen / living room wall.

The bifolds are not in place at the moment either.

Thank you for literally any ideas!

You could close off the hall way, so the only access to the back would be via the living room. That would give you more space there, but it's a compromise to use the living room to access the kitchen I guess.

You already have a main reception room, the dining area of the kitchen/diner and a family room. Therefore I think you can easily lose the rest of the study which will be quite small once you’ve lost some of it to the en-suite. Instead I would put a utility off the en-suite, it’s not necessarily a traditional position as people might expect it to be off the kitchen but it makes sense with the en-suite.

Alternatively given that you will now have a toilet in the new en-suite you could put a little utility where the old downstairs toilet was?

Sorry I’m being dim. I can see you have already put a utility in.

I think your kitchen area could end up being too small, and you then have a disproportionate amount of space downstairs dedicated to utility/toilet/en-suite as well as study. I don’t think you need two separate downstairs toilets and you could make the kitchen space a bit bigger by getting rid of the downstairs WC. Then leave the study as it is.

PPS. I think you are right to try and include the utility somewhere though, they are so useful and would be expected by a lot of future buyers for a house this size. Plus if you have open plan kitchen/dining and no utility or downstairs storage then where do you put washing/hoover/etc?

First off you need more than 900mm between run of kitchen units and island- I have that amount of space and it's awkward and tight if two people are on the same side - you need a minimum of 1000mm. Same between the edge of island and bifolds - 900mm too close.
That utility seems huge. I'd move it back so it ends before the door to outside (do you need that door there)?
The shower room also looks big, especially with such a dinky shower. It makes the study small, but maybe it's adequate for your needs. I'd redesign that bathroom though as it doesn't look right and sink looks squeezed in when there's plenty of space (toilet doesn't have to go on outside wall).

Three doors in your family room will really limit how you can use the space

Do you have services (water and drains) on the study side of the house?
If not, I'd be tempted to extend the downstairs loo into the old kitchen (nicking a bit from where you've put the utility) to inc a small shower, and just bung a sofabed in either the living room or the family room.
Or, you could move the family room to where the utility is and expand the kitchen into the family room space?
I suppose it depends how frequently you will use the family room as a guest room - only a couple of times a year v a couple of times a month...🤔

Could you swap the kitchen and the family room areas? Then the ensuite could be off the downstairs loo area, I think where soil pipes are might dictate cost. But then the kitchen and dining area always have the garden 'views' and access too.

I wouldn’t want a shower room directly next to my lounge

Removing the hall as a PP has said would give you the space needed but is a shame.

I think I would lose one set of bifold doors and extend the cabinets down that wall. Then, probably on the cabinets closest to the utility, I would put a large larder unit in. Not as good as a walk in pantry but still great. You would likely have to change the island to a breakfast bar. I would also put a large window where I've removed the bifolds with the sink in front of it

Hello all

I am at work at the moment - hugely grateful for everyone’s comments. I’ll be back when I can read them fully.

You could make the current kitchen the family room, taking a bit of space out for a shower for the adjoining loo. Then turn the current family room into a utility room.

I think there are too many doors and bifolds. Give the family room a normal window to the garden - guess it will have a sofa bed in it as well and a TV or something?

Then lose the left hand set of bifold doors (have windows instead) and make your kitchen an L shape with a pantry built into the end near the utilty. Make a bit of a peninsula/bar to give you more worktop space, if needed, but don't obstruct the main route through the room from the hallway. Then you can still open the other bifolds up to the garden in the summer.

Thanks all - really helpful points and advice.

If we were to reduce the size of the utility what would be a reasonable size to house, washer, dryer, sink, tall cupboard for brooms etc?

Do you think we could enter the utility from a door on the left as you walk in from the hallway?

We do have water / drainage at the other end, the bathroom is directly above that current family room.

Do like the idea of the kitchen units coming round to the left and then having one set of bifolds

We are so confused!

How often will you have guests? An ensuite could be a waste of space - it would be possible to extend the existing toilet into the existing kitchen to create a shower room.

... and then move the study over that side to double as the guest bedroom. I have not made this layout work yet!

Hi @SoupDragon we are really struggling too. How often will we have guests? It will vary really, but I’m conscious that when MIL stays, for example, she’s travelled nearly 400 to see us. Only 2-3 times a year and helps with the kids school holidays. So I’d like to provide a nice, comfortable space for her

I would remove the door from the lounge to the kitchen/diner.
Make the utility smaller, and have a door from the hall. I would possible carry the kitchen units around the utility wall to lose side external door access from kitchen, and integrate the external door into the utility. This would create more kitchen cupboards.

I would use pocket doors for smaller spaces ( eg shower room and utility). Takes up much less space so you can fit more in more easily.

Thank you both. @Roodicus21 we are debating this but the lounge is a little dark (east facing) and these doors really help lighten it up

Is the fat black wall in the kitchen a chimney breast and, if so, could you remove it?

Why not have the front (narrower) end of the study as the ensuite shower room? It would make a reasonably sized bedroom off the family room.

I think the ensuite/guest room/study are OK but I would nix the island and the big utility, reduce the number of bifolds and change the access to wc from the utility. Utility is small but holds washer/dryer and broom cupboard. Or you could have the access to wc and utility from the hall. I think the peninsula kitchen is a better layout.

We had a similar dilemma regarding light into a room and put something like this in which was helpful as it didn't take up wall space but still brightened up the room.