Floorplan dilemma

[JuneWhitfieldshandbag]

We moved in about 18 months ago and decided we wanted to make our kitchen bigger by losing one of the reception rooms and knocking through. We have had the structural plans done for the steels to go in where the supporting wall comes down and also removing the chimney breast in the living room. Various kitchen companies have come up with similar designs and I am happy with them.

However chatting to a neighbour in a similar house and she said the one thing she wish she had done when she had extensive work including a double height extension, was to put a entrance corridor. Meaning that you don,t have to go through the kitchen to get to the rest of the house. And this was one of my first thoughts when we first moved in. Particularly as the entrance area is tiny, although we had thought to have a largish porch put on in the future, as we have a reasonable size frontage (parking for 4/5 cars plus small flowerbeds/hedging)

By doing this we would have a more rectangular shape kitchen diner, although i am worried about the space to the right of the island, and also my son currently has his desk tucked into the corner, so that would be in the bay window which would be more obtrusive.....

But changing my mind will mean going back to the architects for more structural drawings, and i wonder if the hall will be quite dingy and dark with the only light coming from the door itself.

Would love some feedback on the floorplans attached (including current) and any ideas/thoughts on which way to go.

TIA

Could you knock through a doorway from the front lobby to the front reception? That way you can access those rooms without having to go via the kitchen. Appreciate that means losing the corner coat cupboard.

I think I’d do option one but a) knock a door to the reception as above and b) move the desk somewhere else and build a coat cupboard there, accessed from the lobby.

Oh just seen the “Porch next year?” bit, if that’s on the cards then don’t need to worry so much about coat cupboard.

We have no natural light into our hallway and it doesn't bother us at all

Our big porch and storage is delightful

Why don't you 'go sideways' with the kitchen? Take out the utility and go through to the dining room? Plus knock a door through from the hall to the lounge?

I'd definitely want the door into the utility at the back, not the kitchen. It's not really a hallway then, but if you're worried about it being dark, you could put in a door with glass in the upper half to allow natural light in.

Or look at light tubes for the wall / roof (if it's single height).

Personally though, I'd also want a door into the living room from the front hallway and no opening between there and the dining room, but that's me!

So there's a difference in floor level to the right hand living room
Meaning we'd have to have a step down (well door onto a platform and then a step down for building regs)

I really need a separate utility room for the dog.
The problem going all across the back is the difference in floor level (step down to dining room) and for same reason tricky to put door from lobby to right hand reception room

Yes if you were going to go for option two I would have a door to the kitchen coming sideways off the new hall (not at the end of the hall like shown) and then a totally separate utility with its own door off the hall. Two doors between kitchen and utility means you don’t hear washing machine noise.

Also in your option 2 plan, if you make both utility rooms doors with glass in, and move the kitchen door to the side as I say above, this will shed light down the hallway.

However I would choose option 1 every time.

for same reason tricky to put door from lobby to right hand reception room

what’s wrong with a step down, very usual?

You shouldn't have a door with a step immediately the other side according to my builder (building regs won't sign off)

Correct, you would need a landing ie a large step the size of the door swing area. But you can’t put any furniture where the door swings open anyway so it doesn’t really lose you any space iyswim?

Ah right. Then I think I'd go for the bigger room space, no hallway and a good porch when affordable. I'd want the biggest swizzyest kitchen-diner I could afford. :) Edit: an island in the kitchen area and move the table into the other room?

@sbplanet yes that's what I'm thinking. Also my drawing is terrible, that is an island with induction hob and breakfast bar/stools. We have separate dining table in dining room.
It would be a lovely big open space like that. My neighbour worried me with the rat run comments about having to go in a big circle to get to right hand side of house, but we live like that currently and it's not too big a deal tbh.
A porch in the future will ease congestion () by the front door and give space for coats/shoes which is seriously lacking currently

I just spent a small fortune on a lovely big corner sofa..... a door with landing area would not open currently as it's in that corner lol

You should do this. Door into living room from hall, with platform if necessary.

And corridor through to back.

I totally agree with your neighbour.

Although I would also put a double doorway into the sitting area of your kitchen from the hall corridor. That would "open up" your hall corridor as well. Could be sliding pocket doors, to save space.

Lol, you drawing is better than my attention. I looked again and so it is an island!
I'm not sure if you've finished the kitchen design, but I'd have the ovens nearer the sink and next to some work surface. Have the FF at the end, unless FF isn't fridge-freezer? :D
It;s difficult to visualise but if you had a brick built porch then it becomes the 'entrance hall' and you could take down the wall that juts into the kitchen/diner to be, and put a door on the bottom of the stairs?

Oh gaaah! Put the sofa in the other corner 😆

actually on the subject of sofas… would you not want a dining table in your kitchen? You could still have a sofa in the bay by the looks of it (unless scale is off).

Corridor is much better and add the platform/step so you can go through to living room from the hall.

I don't think where you've got the ff in diagrams is great. If you're cooking and someone wants a drink you'll have to move unless scale is really off. I'd say best placement would be to the right of the sink but shift the sink further to the left.

@sbplanet yes I think you might be right about FF needing to go on the end - good shout!
I was going to have new integrated fridge and integrated freezer in tall cupboards on that run, but my American style one has been written off so I'm having to get a new one sooner than anticipated.

@minipie it's a pain about the sofa but we had already discounted going into that side from the lobby because I don't like the idea of a landing platform on there (plus that room has been 'done' so the sofa has to stay there as TV is on media wall and all built in iykwim.
We have a large dining table in the dining room so won't need a table in the kitchen. The island will have room for stools on one side and possibly at the end too so if we want to eat there we can.

Just realised there's no real measurements but it's quite a big space, just over 7m by 3.6m with a bay window to the from and there will be a largish window to the rear.

That's 3.6m on the back sink wall, goes wider where the recess to the desk is (if we don't have corridor)

In your first drawing, the loo looks to open out of the kitchen. Somehow the corridor bit makes it feel (look?) more distanced. It might just be the way the pictures are drawn tho.

In all honesty, I would reject outright buying a house with the floorplan "minus" corridor - before or after mods. If everything else was perfect, I might consider the corridor version. I really dislike the thought of having to walk through 3 other rooms to get to the lounge.

How easy to raise the lower floor level? Or is the step an actual design feature of the house?