Internal window in new kitchen?

[Houseystuff876]

We are in the middle of an extension and designing the kitchen this week ready to order.

I wanted mostly open plan to bring in light to the middle (dark cave like) dining room to kitchen as there are no windows in the dining room. However because of floor height the steel beam to the kitchen would be too low. So we opened up one side of the wall instead as a compromise. There is a steel beam in the middle. I must admit I'm not loving it ATM but it was the compromise option.

I can either:
A. On the left of the steel beam have an internal window opening to the kitchen (no glass) to bring in more light and so I can see from the kitchen to the dining room table.

Or

B. Block the space and have like a pantry style larder or taller units there.

I've added the design but the space is actually a window 500cm wide.

Please help wise folk🙏

I'tts the wall to the right of the WC. I don't know how to draw on images!

Have you considered putting sun tunnels down to the dining room? You'd probably be a bit constrained in where you can put them depending on the layout of the upstairs, but they can make a big difference in rooms without enough natural light.

The door to the right is the new opening to the kitchen.

The door to the left can be blocked off or made to be a window into the kitchen

Above the dining room Is our small bedroom and I don't want to loose any space as it's very tight already.

In the kitchen just through the opening will be a large skylight and french doors Infront to the garden

No window

Move that WC. It's so close to the dining area!!

Can't you put a second steel in above the door and have a second opening like the existing one?

Definitely no window there, it's odd.

We converted a similar space in our old house. Spotlights and lots of them controlled via something like hue (app on phone, actual button and Alexa voice controlled) are the answer. You can make it feel like daylight and have them zoned.

Do you need the extra storage space? What will be on the blank wall in the kitchen?

I'd be tempted to go with the window option. You'd see right through the kitchen out into the back garden upon entering the back room. Views through make a room feel bigger. You could have display shelves in the opening?

I think I would block it up to gain the pantry/larder space in the kitchen. It would also give you more options for placing furniture and hanging pictures in the dining room.

For the dining room I would embrace the dark and go for a moody dramatic look. Dark red, green, purple etc. Think jewel colours.

The best thing to bring light into that dining room is a skylight where I’ve marked a blue box, is that possible??

I don’t think you’ll get enough light from that 500mm strip to be worth losing that much kitchen.

Would it be possible to put tall units in that space but have a transom window running above them almost at ceiling height? This will only work if your kitchen ceiling is high enough.

Where is your dining table going to go? Can you make the loo door a sliding door to give you more options for furniture placement? Although, they are less soundproof than regular doors…

I have miss read the design and now see the dining room is open to the kitchen.

I dont think you would get much extra light from that small opening. I would much rather have the wall space.

@minipie there is going to be a large skylight exactly there. Though that opening to the dining room isn't full ceiling height it is a good 1800cm width.

There is not enough kitchen height fur a transom window.

Yes storage would be useful in the kitchen instead of a window but light is also important.

@minipie dining table is going in the dining room at the bottom of the design.

@Geneticsbunny Yes we could do a second steel in above the door and have a second door width opening like the existing one. But then we would loose all use of the space for kitchen cupboards the other side. I'm not keen on a full open plan with a steel post down the middle to hold it up. My ideal was a steel all the way across but it wasn't possible.

That first room is just going to be a big corridor to the kitchen diner if you close that other door off. The flow to the space will be really weird.

Ah that’s good about the skylight. Are you having any other skylights- looks like a side return extension so presume you could put some more in that right hand side of the kitchen roof?

Can you fit a transom above the steel over the 1800 opening? Or is that steel at kitchen ceiling height?

Another way to get light in is knocking an archway between the two reception rooms and putting glazed doors there - but that does restrict furniture options.

@Geneticsbunny The steel can go in higher there because the extension roof is higher. On the other side we are restricted by the bathroom ceiling height. That's why the steel couldn't ho all the way across up high. So the main door needed to be on the right do it could be large and higher

The wooden door is the height the steel would have needed to be and is about 5ft 11

Light takes precedence over anything else. Do whichever gives the most light. Y will not regret it.

I would block it up.

The dining table will get plenty of light in that bottom right corner, with the big opening and skylight and the kitchen garden doors on that side - presumably these are glazed doors.

The top left corner of the dining room will be dark, but can be made into a nice cosy corner with bookshelves surrounding the loo door, and a desk for wfh/homework (or a reading chair, or piano, whatever you need).

Then there is a path through to the kitchen between the dining table and desk/reading corner.

Okay so this is the space opened up.

I decided to block off the space but that side of the room is really dark as no light gets around the corner.

I still have time to change my mind (and annoy the builders) and add in the window.

I was thinking like the one above with shelves?

There will be a radiator below.

I'm finding decision making hard...

@CatherinedeBourgh
@Chasingsquirrels
@Freshair1
@Geneticsbunny
@newnameforanewday @AnOldCynic @Belindabelle
@minipie @Mischance

No window. It’s very hard to get a feel for light right now because a) setting plaster absorbs all light and makes everything feel darker and b) it’s the middle of winter so about as dark as the room will get.

It's definitely a cave like room. We've lived here for years and it was dark and always needed a light on. I was hoping the build would help the issue but I think it's probably just as dark