What can I do with this kitchen-diner floorplan

[TheCrookedKind]

We are buying a house with this downstairs floorplan. In the fullness of time I want to remodel the kitchen/diner/conservatory area. The parameters are:

• We need to gain more kitchen storage and worktop space, as the existing kitchen is very limited. We cook a lot and this is a key priority for us.
• The wall between the living room and dining area will be reinstated and we will probably also remove the chimney breast
• The conservatory has to either go, or be turned into an extension. It is old and in poor condition, and we don't like conservatories anyway.
• I want the dining area to have a view of the garden, so wouldn't consider having this at the back with kitchen in front of it

I think I can see 3 main possibilities:

1. Demolish conservatory and reinstate external wall, keep the same footprint as now for the kitchen-diner but swap the positions of the kitchen and diner part (this would provide a lot more space for kitchen units, as a big part of the problem with the existing kitchen is the doors leading from it). This is the simplest option but I wonder if it's a wasted opportunity.
2. Turn the conservatory into an extension. This would create an L-shaped space, and I guess the kitchen would still need to go in the current dining room part, with the dining area in the extension. But I'm not sure what role the existing kitchen area would have in this plan.
3. Extend all the way across, so it would become a large squarish room. This is feasible in terms of garden size but I'd prefer not to lose the space. Also I'm not sure if there would be restrictions on how much we could extend, as the house already has a side extension.

Sorry for the long post, any thoughts on the above would be much appreciated, or maybe there are possibilities I haven't thought of?

Thanks

I think your first option is best. The downstairs loo seems a bit inaccessible. Would you consider doing something about that?

Is bedroom floor needed?
Just before I start playing round with it

Four even

I’d personally go for making the current conservatory a “proper” extension, with bifold doors along the right hand wall. Then have kitchen in that space, extending down into current dining area, and the dining area in the current kitchen part. That looks big enough for a good table and would give you a lovely big kitchen space.

We are currently doing pretty much exactly the same as your option 1, but didn't have to take down a conservatory, and it's looking really good. We are putting bifolds along the back. Plenty of storage with L shaped kitchen and island facing out to the garden, plus all of the space in the utility.

I would take down the conservatory and extend all the way across at the back BUT rather than do so by the same depth as the existing conservatory, I would make it just a couple of metres out from the back of the house. You'll end up with a rectangular-shaped kitchen diner, which I think will be more usable than an L-shape and you won't lose as much garden as if you extend the same depth as the current conservatory. You will also increase the size of the utility room and could then incorporate the downstairs toilet within it, possibly with space for a shower if that would be useful.

@motherofsnortpigs

I think your first option is best. The downstairs loo seems a bit inaccessible. Would you consider doing something about that?

Possibly could make it accessed from the utility instead, I'm not sure without seeing the house again.

@Purple21

Is bedroom floor needed? Just before I start playing round with it

Yes, as an office.

My first thought was to knock down the conservatory and extend the whole way along the back - you don’t need to use the whole depth of the existing conservatory.
I agree with a pp that the downstairs loo is inaccessible so could be better incorporated into a downstairs utility/ shower room.
What are you using bedroom 4 for?

how about this picture?

so knock down the conservatory & build an extension half way along for a big dining table + big doors to the garden. By putting the dining table a bit around the corner, you keep a nice clear space to walk from kitchen to garden.

current dining room becomes kitchen.

Current kitchen becomes pantry (P) and hall. the pantry will give you lots of storage for extra kitchen appliances etc.

change loo to open into utility

here's the picture

@parietal

how about this picture?

so knock down the conservatory & build an extension half way along for a big dining table + big doors to the garden. By putting the dining table a bit around the corner, you keep a nice clear space to walk from kitchen to garden.

current dining room becomes kitchen.

Current kitchen becomes pantry (P) and hall. the pantry will give you lots of storage for extra kitchen appliances etc.

change loo to open into utility

Thank you. I guess my only thought with that is the pantry would be a reasonable distance from the rest of the kitchen. Not sure I'd want this for food storage but I guess it could work well for less-used kitchen items.

@Lotsachocolateplease

My first thought was to knock down the conservatory and extend the whole way along the back - you don’t need to use the whole depth of the existing conservatory. I agree with a pp that the downstairs loo is inaccessible so could be better incorporated into a downstairs utility/ shower room. What are you using bedroom 4 for?

That's a good point, thanks. Bedroom 4 will be an office.

One further parameter is that I love a peninsula. I guess I could accept an island instead. But wouldn't be keen on a design without either. For reference this is my current kitchen and I love it and would be happy if I could just replicate it but realise I have to work with the specific space.