It's a floorplan one! Roll up!

[Freshair1]

We're looking to create a kitchen diner/lounge. The room at the top which is called Lounge will not be touched. It will be our separate chill space. We're ok with the kitchen diner space but the three areas to the right are a massive headache! We're in need of help figuring out best use of space. Thanks.

Thanks all. I'll post an amended idea. X

How about this? I'm not keen on having such an open plan square. Any pointers for professional help in addition to you all? Seem to recall something about a woman on Houzz? Yellow arrows are afternoon sun.

I have a similar side space but utility / boot room is at front where everyone dumps stuff (leaving hallway clear) and laundry is there too. The loo is in middle (your utility)level with stairs and with side window on outer wall. The loo is not the full width of the side space - it’s sort of a corner of utility room and smaller - so there is space for a corridor from the front utility past the loo to the space at the back (your pantry). I have a door where your pantry door is to shut off the utility. I have a small room overlooking garden at back. You don’t need side windows in utility (just loo). You want to use the full height of utility. I have a wall of storage and wm/dryer and a wall of coat hooks and there is enough space for laundry baskets / kitchen overspill / cleaning stuff, boiler cupboard and separate loo. It seems a shame to use the sunny spot overlooking the garden for storage. I would probably have a feature corner window seat there.

Do you have a plan of what it is now and which bits are being added? Or this already the footprint?

What is the line you've drawn where the pantry was? Additional kitchen units?

I prefer the shape of your main kitchen now. It's still not huge but you could be clever with that other space.

I have a fairly small kitchen joined onto a family room. It didn't work to have high units because of the way you enter in (it would have made it feel like a tunnel) and the windows, plus I needed work surface.

However there was room for a full run of low units in the family space. We opted for undercounter everything (all built in). It means we have two freezers just outside the kitchen and an additional fridge. We have an undercounter fridge which is the main one in the kitchen itself.

This works well as how often are you in the freezer? Once a day? I know some people hate bending down but this was the only solution that didn't ruin the look of the space and it doesn't bother us.

What I'm trying to say is if you do go for this slightly disjointed kitchen, think really carefully about what goes where. With the windows, pillar and corner you are also going to struggle for tall units in the main space. The fridge/freezer by the door might work but walking right round the corner every time you want a tea bag or mug will get annoying fast. For baking stuff, bulk supplies etc, much less of a problem.

Have a look at the DIY kitchens planner and play around with your space. Getting a kitchen layout you like seems key to unlocking this one.

I would move the kitchen into the darker area, and living area to near the windows. With a larger kitchen area, no need for separate pantry, so that side can all be utility / boot room.

I would, as PP have said, put the kitchen in the top left (darkest) corner.

Then sitting/dining you can almost chop and change (just put enough electric sockets in so either works).
With the Futility/loo, firstly be honest with yourselves. Do you/OH take the washing outside to hang, or will it just dry in the futility/tumble dryer. If the former, have the futility cause to the back garden. If the latter, you need this at the bottom of the stairs...bring washing down, wash, take up.

Put the loo (with or without shower) in the opposite space).

Don't see the need for a pantry if you make the kitchen/futility storage big enough and get rid of the mass of doors in your original plan which wasted futility space.

How about this. Dining in the darker spot with good cosy lighting and wall storage for books etc. Bottom left a sofa and chair for chilling near the garden. Plenty of units in a wrap around kitchen and an overhang for guests to sit and natter. Another poster pointed out sunshine on the right shouldn't be wasted on utility so we've thought of storage that fits behind the door as is currently the case and then a cosy little hideaway overlooking the patio. We definitely need the back door as we have a washing line out there.

I feel like I've hit it design wise here insofar as the layout at the bottom is the social blended space in one space with respective dining and storage out of the way around corners.

Feedback welcome. As for DIY kitchen planner? I have an unhealthy addiction to it!!

In the short term, we are having the current wall which follows the current vertical line to the garden end taken out in order to see what the opened out as per plan feels like. Hopefully the exploratory phase of taking out walls will solidify decisions in terms of lighting and cabinets.

If it helps, the dimensions for the bottom rectangle of space are 2.7m by 5.7m. there will be windows and french doors along most the three walls to let in light. Having mapped out the kitchen that means a potential pair of runs of 2.7 by 2.5 and then any pantry random storage around in the utility/hideaway.

Could you post a blank floor plan, you people yo draw on?

I think you need a utility room. With such an open plan space, having the washer/tumble drier on will be very noisy throughout if you can't shut the door on them.

I can't see a reason for two doors rom hall into the open plan space.

Edit: for people to draw on?

I am doing building work on a similar room shape at the moment, longer in your now kitchen/dining area. I hated the idea of the kitchen stuffed at the back of the room. It’s the darkest spot so to me makes sense to have as the lounge area - to me that’s a space most used in the evening. Daytime your family/guests tend to congregate at the island or dining table and only really relaxing/evening time it’s at the sofa with tv when you have lights on anyway. I also wanted kids toys/crap staying at the back of the room. Are you able to fill the space in front of the utility/pantry? So it’s all one size leading on to the back of the garden?

Tadah!

Not planning to extend or fill. The house has been extended double storey prior to us moving in and it's more cost effective to be smart about how spaces divvied up. Glad you agree re kitchen in back dark corner, sounds like a logistical headache in terms of moving gas electric etc etc.

Washing machine/drier has its own space in the garage. So that's not an issue.

I think this is an excellent idea. I'd lose the door into the pantry and open that up with fitted storage instead, so no clashing door from kitchen to pantry with the back door. Keep the door on the utility.

Is it possible to take the wall between living room and kitchen out? It would be so much better as the space to the right of the wall is small and awkwardly shaped

Not that small, it's just shy of 3m by 3m which is ample for a kitchen like this surely?

We aren't knocking anything else down. Walls are as per plan. The only part we will adjust is to the right where there will be a shower/utility.

Think I've reached my planning limit. Gah.

The back door makes sense for direct access to garden from utility room imho.

Dining area definitely needs to be by the kitchen. Chill zone in front room per option 1.

Either option is easy, it's the kitchen I think I've figured out finally.

Why so many doors going from front to back?

I don't know what you mean?

Total of 4 doors. One into top shower area. One into snug. One into kitchen and then one into the garden at the bottom.