Is it odd to walk in to a dining room

[Mrst2022]

We moved into a house two years ago. It’s a 1930’s semi detached but had been recently renovated before we moved in. The previous owner created an open plan kitchen diner and knocked through to create a hallway. (The house used to have the kitchen where the hallway was and a front door to the side of the house)

Because of this the house has 1 reception room. The dining area is fine for our family of 3 although squashed due to the cupboard but we’d like more space for when we have family/friends over and we’d like another dc. we can’t extend back or too the side due to the garden/side being on a different level to the house.

Would it mad the build a bigger porch on the front and turn the hallway into a dining area or would it be weird stepping into a dining room with stairs? What would you do?

Dining halls can be lovely places, or many houses have taken out downstairs walls to create large open-plan areas with stairs, dining and kitchen all in one room. That's what I might consider in your house. The hall looks a bit small to double up as a dining hall. Could you not go totally open plan, creating a kitchen, seating and larger dining area on the groundfloor?

how wide is the hall? is there really space there for a dining table?

A different option might be to swap the living room and the kitchen. so you get one big kitchen-diner in the larger space, and then a smaller 'snug' living room with the doors to the garden. would that work?

I really don't think you can do anything with the hall, it only looks like it's double the width of the stairs. You say you can't go out the back as its on a different level, but I've been in houses with extensions that are on a different level so it might be possible (eg gardens sloping down, so additional rooms accessible via steps?). If so maybe a small conservatory as an additional adult snug area?

I think the hall is too small. Personally I think they’ve cocked up the whole layout of the kitchen. The dining area would be much better down the end with the patio doors. I’d redo the kitchen to a new layout and opening up to the lounge

I think it would be odd.

Without knowing the dimensions, it looks like it would be a bit narrow for a dining table anyway.

I like @SnarkyBag's idea, it would be better use of the space.

I think the hall would be far too small as a dining room. I like the suggestion above or if you can't afford a new kitchen- could you have bespoke fitted dining room table and chairs made to fit into the corner.

We open our front door straight into our dining room. Then there are a door and the stairs between the dining room and the sitting room. 1903 terrace. Seems fine to us. Do what is right for you.

Snarkybag has it!

Technically our front door opens into the utility room 🙂

Could you not have an orangery type extension at the back - not necessarily the full width - with steps down to a dining table?

You have too much ‘kitchen’ in the dining end of the room.

I would squash the working part of your kitchen into the R hand side. Move the door to the garden to where the window is, and relocate some of the longest run of units across where the door was. And put in a dividing run of worktop and cupboards half way across to take whatever is in that massive cupboard.

Get rid of massive cupboard.

Is your understairs cupboard well planned, with 3 access doors so that you can usefully use the full length? Could some stuff go outside in a small shed?

The kitchen diner would then feel far more spacious and useable.