How useful/nice is a snug area in a kitchen diner extension?

[Bubblesallaround]

We are planning an extension and it will be L shaped. Ideally, we’d like 3 zones - a kitchen, dining area and snug. However despite the architect drawings which look ideal, I’m sceptical that they would all fit and be big enough in real life (the kitchen would only be about 3.2m wide so not much bigger than our current one).

Attached is original extension idea. I’m now thinking maybe get rid of the snug and make a bigger kitchen on the other side. Any ideas I’m going crazy trying to think how to fit things in the odd shape! (We can’t move the utility room wall in the middle as that’s supporting).

The reason for the snug area was mainly for my young kids so I can keep an eye on them if they’re watching TV etc whilst I’m cooking.

We have a very small one and it's really useful. It's actually a conservatory open to the kitchen that we've made use of after reconfiguring internally, it really needs replacing, it's too small, the doors are at the wrong side, but I still really like it. However,nits at the other side to yours, and that's what I'd change: Kitchen as you walk in, then dining, snug to the right.
Reasons are: you're probably doing this extension so the kitchen is the heart of the home, but you're putting yourself in a corner, out of sight of everyone. You will have to walk past whoever is trying to watch something as you need to go boil a kettle. It's quite nice for a snug to feel cosy as it would in that top right corner.

I also think the doors look large, and I wouldn't bother unless you really, really want them and think you'll use them all the time.

We mostly live in there. People do go into the sitting room to watch TV, but we mostly hang out together in the kitchen diner/snug.

Thanks this is an option I hadn’t thought of at all.

No, we could move it. Just not sure where it best makes use of the space.

Your concern was eyes on the kids so the kitchen has to be where the dining table is now to see both directions. The question is how much snug are you willing to give up for a bigger kitchen. Good luck.

This is exactly what I was going to say except keeping the bifolds and have a small square dining table that can fold out into a big 8+ seater as needed. Sofa on opposite wall to the kitchen units and you might fit a slim island opposite the units parallel to the units as you walk in. Then the area by the bifolds is open, flexible and allows for kids running in and out of the garden making mess, and you can see everything happening - including the tv for making dinner/watching Olympics together whatever you're all doing in kitchen/at table/on sofa.

Oh wow I've just realised this is 9m bifolds?!!! Amazing if you can afford that though I'd say 4/5m plus floor to ceiling windows at either/both ends would be plenty open enough.

I've often hankered for that kind of layout but right now DS14 is playing a noisy cowboy game on the Xbox in the living room, DS16 is clattering about in the kitchen whilst having a loud conversation with DH. I've been on the phone to my mum and keeping the dog away from the cookie making so we're having some peace in the dining room. So that layout wouldn't suit us at all at this moment!

No sorry I didn’t mean 9m of bifolds! I’m just not sure where they’ll be (possibly sliding doors with windows too)

Thanks just trying to picture what you mean!

I would put a corner sofa in the area you have the kitchen, looking out on to garden/dining room. I would then put kitchen where you had the snug. You could have a row of units facing stairs on side wall and then a huge island parallel to it with bar stools and storage underneath. Then keep the dining table where it is

What about something like this....
Red - kitchen units
Green - dining table
Yellow - snug/sofa
Blue - bi-folds

I think I've pretty much suggested similar to @Silverstag

Or this one, same code but don't think I'm a huge fan of this layout

I love mine and use it all day every day, but critically we don't have a TV there. That means our couch can face out into the garden, which I like (and it's only a little couch, not a big one like you have). As DS has grown the living room has become his TV/gaming space during the day, we migrate there after dinner if we want to watch anything, but we have no other TV in the house.

Works well for us but all the spaces are open to each other (previous owner was a wheelchair user so there's a massive arch into the living room) so two TVs would compete massively.

Thanks yes I do like this. Do you think a 6m run of kitchen would be too long? I prefer the dining table by the garden like this.

@Bubblesallaround most people seem to like the kitchen diner snug set up, but it really depends on what your living room is like. Most have a relatively small living room, so it usually can't fit the whole family.

I've seen houses where there is no snug in the kitchen, because the living area is large and family friendly. So think double aspect, hard flooring, etc. I think the key thing is ensuring all rooms have a purpose and not wasting space.

I would definitely include a snug or comfy seating area. Fast forward to when you DCs are teenagers - they can have a space to sit with their friends. We regularly sit in the lounge whilst the teens and friends have the kitchen / snug area. My DD loves cooking and baking too with her friends (without interference from me!) so I stay out the room and let them get on with it. I love having the young people in the house and they're here because they have a comfortable place to socialise

I like your plan apart from the sofa, it needs to flip around and stay in the corner. The current way you have shrunk the room by creating tiny walkways around the bigger furniture. So maybe flip the sofa and smaller table closer to the wall with a long bench that has underneath storage too?

Which of the plans are you talking about here?

How about this; l-r kitchen, dining, snug.

We have an area in the kitchen which has a sofa, coffee tables etc and the family use that more than they do the living room. I'd not have a closed off snug, but would have a bigger kitchen area with a dining table and room for a sofa, comfy chairs

We love ours! It's big though, compared to the kitchen and dining area which are only small. We basically spend all day there, it has all the kids toys etc in

We spent the majority of our time in the family room part of our extension! When kids were little I'd say essential. Then you also have the more formal living room for when guests are there and/or the teens can hang out in the snug.
I now have a much smaller house and my kids are grown. So only space in my kitchen/diner is a corner where there's a large armchair- not quite big enough fit two but big enough for a kid to sit on with me (like a grandchild, though a long way from the scenario)!
Anyway I love relaxing there as it overlooks the garden and I snuggle in with a cup of tea and a magazine or just to think.

I love ours! It’s really nice having two living rooms. The snug is more of a family room whereas the other one ends up being more of a study / place for children to play computer games.