Kitchen Island (size of kitchen)

[cloppyklip]

We are looking at buying a house but want to knock the dining room wall down to create an open plan kitchen diner. We are wondering if the room will not be wide enough for kitchen cupboards as well as an Island. Does anyone know from the measurements whether one would fit?

I will attach the floor plan as it currently is below.

Thanks!

Ideally you would want at least a metre between the island and the cabinets around the edge. I would say it's too tight to fit an island in comfortably to that space as the room is only 2.8m wide. If you plan the use the current dining space for a dining area once the wall is removed I would keep the layout similar to how it currently is (but without the wall) and have a peninsula and stools to the LH side.

So many doors! I would be tempted to do something like this, depending on what the door is that I've blocked off.

That is not wide enough for an island. A peninsular would fit but I would do as a PP did and do a galley kitchen.

Thanks all! I know so many doors 🤣 that's the entrance hallway where you have blocked, we were thinking block up the doors form the lounge to the dining room but you could be onto something. I'll attach the full downstairs so you can see properly! All ideas welcome!

I wouldn't block the hall door up... I'd hate for the living room to become a passage way to the kitchen. I'd block the double doors as you originally decided. I'd also have a peninsula too.

I would echo @Robinredface. You really don't have a wide enough kitchen. Our kitchen is over 5m wide and needs to be to comfortably have units on both sides and a 120cm wide island.

I would also keep the current kitchen layout (sink under window is good etc.) take down the wall and have the return of the L as a peninsula with stools at it. I actually did exactly this in another property and it worked really well.

I would also put a pantry unit/tall dresser (even if shallow depth) or more units in the space on the wall at the bottom so you maximise storage etc.

Maybe try this, leaves the hall door in place.

Our kitchen is 9ft wide and I'd say no it's not wide enough. You'd be better having workspace down both sides.

I would not like a kitchen dining area that’s long and narrow. It’s unbalanced and difficult to plan. As you are finding.

I would be radical and get rid of the conservatory and replace it with the kitchen. Make the old kitchen a tv lounging space and the dining area stays where it is. This would give you a much better kitchen and everything else you need in a better use of space. I appreciate it costs more but I wouldn’t spend money on making a kitchen dining area that’s a tunnel with hardly any light directly from outside.

Yes, @TizerorFizz has nailed it.

100%… conservatory and dining room as kitchen…

I wouldn't move it into the conservatory, there's still 1.6m between units if run down both sides. I'd only move it if the conservatory is a proper room, and I like moving rooms!

That's not massively smaller than our kitchen-diner with a very similar layout. We are 3.2x8.5m.
No way we'd get an island in.

Approximation of our kitchen attached - the dodgy blue circles are the cooker! We also have bifolds from the peninsula to the end of the dining room, and no conservatory. It's a bright room.

Thanks I really appreciate the views. Ideally if we had the money I would want to get rid of the conservatory and replace with an extension as suggested and knock the main wall down to create a big kitchen diner but I imagine the costs of that would be huge. We haven't made an offer on this house yet as we wanted to consider if it would work for us.

We currently have a long narrow kitchen (actually narrower it's only 2.4) and I hate it, I want to be able to spend time in the kitchen.

I'm wondering whether this is possible to make it work, we could try to get money off the asking but I'm not sure how that would be Received.

@cloppyklip This house has clearly got potential but that kitchen and dining area would still be quite dark and you are not making best use of space if you don’t change the position of the kitchen.

I assume the conservatory isn’t a high end one. Obviously an extension would cost money but could be money well spent if a decent kitchen adds value. It should as add on conservatories are not sought after. Or small kitchens. Try and negotiate. Could it be a long term project?

Unless it's a highly sought after area, where houses come up rarely, I think if OP had the £££ needed to replace the conservatory with an extension, she'd be far better off using that money to purchase a house that better suits her needs.

Building work is extortionate at the moment and builds are messy/inconvenient at the best of times.

I had a house in the format , we opened up between the dining and kitchen and made a bigger space . It wasn't wide enough for an island .

The people who bought it off me did a ground floor extension removing the conservatory which is awesome .

I do appreciate building is expensive and clearly whether it’s worth it or not depends on if the road/area is sought after and expectations in the area (is it a smart location?) and if you are staying in the house. Also size of plot and general quality of house in the first place. Is the rest of it a great house?

Thanks @TizerorFizz yes the location is 90% perfect, the cul de sac is very quiet and the house is perfect in every other way, we are upsizing through this move but can't really afford the size we actually need in a 100% perfect area, this is area is fab and the house size is perfect, the decor is dated and lots of cosmetic things needed hence why I think it hasn't sold in 9 months, seller said they have received crazy offers and he is not living in the property so don't think it's urgent he sells but does want to sell and get the best price he can.

I am weighing up in my head do we go for it and make the kitchen the best we can with peninsula and when we have the cash at a later date remove the conservatory and perhaps add a nice extension on later and make that the dining area.... so many thoughts going through my head!

We don't want to move again after this so we would be staying.

I think, after your update, the house is definitely worth considering, if you're sure you can live with kitchen size for now.

If the house suits you in every other way, the potential to extend in the future is a massive plus.

I agree. If you are staying, take a bit of time to make it the house you love and feels right. Living with the “wrong” kitchen isn’t fun. I’ve done it and we woke up to the fact the kitchen needed to move! It took us 20 years though! We pulled down a conservatory and gave the kitchen the best views of the garden. Not an underused cold conservatory! Here it is.

We’ve got a narrow kitchen too. Ours is 8m x 3.5m.

We’re debating an island but only having work surfaces down one side, and it seems to work fine from our drawings/markings/plans… I’m not totally sold. I don’t want a peninsula, I don’t think, and a galley feels like a waste of space.

A galley isn't a waste of space in a narrow kitchen, it's actually the best use of space as you get maximum units and everything is in easy reach. An island works well in a large kitchen, as you can position appliances/sink etc closer together, rather than having to zig zag across the room all the time.

Our kitchen is the same size as above and it doesn't feel long and narrow. We did knock through to the dining room, which was by the side, but the actual units are in the space you're looking at

We got around it feeling narrow by putting in a large window at the end, floor to ceiling cupboards in some places and the rest has no wall units. We have a peninsula at the end of one run as it wraps into the dining space. There's no need to avoid this house due to its 'narrow' kitchen.

I’d probably avoid it due to the conservatory! Unless it’s high end of course!