Bedroom or Kitchen?

[MusicMum80s]

We are extending our house and trying to fit in a utility room and storage. The choices we have either entail making the kitchen or one of the bedrooms smaller. If we make the kitchen smaller it will be about 22ft long by 17ft wide instead of 25 feet long by 17ft wide. Alternatively, we could make the 4th bedroom 8ft by 12ft instead of 10ft by 12ft. We have 3 other large double and are a family of 4 with two kids. So the 4th bedroom would be for guests. However, we both have family and friends that come to visit for extended periods of time and its important to us that our home can accommodate these visits, particularly for my mother who visits for a couple of months at a time.

In our circumstances what would you choose?

Kitchen.

I’d make the bedroom smaller. You use the kitchen daily, a guest room is less frequently used.

Is this a bungalow? I’d want a utility on the ground floor. The kitchen would still be huge so that’s ok. The bedroom is also generous. I would think about how much needs to be moved or relocated in the kitchen in terms of pipes for services as that may affect your decision but either way I think you’re fine.

How much storage would you loose by making the kitchen smaller? How many cupboards? Where would you relocate those things to?

Do you have a floor plan? That’s going to give posters a better idea and can advise you better

Kitchen and consider putting one of the kids in the smaller new bedroom if you often have couples using the spare bedroom.

I would make the kitchen a little smaller as it’s still a great size. Having 4 good size doubles is a great plus when you come to sell.

Hmm, I don't have a floor plan as we are still working on it with the architect. The current floor plan wouldn't illustrate the options at all. As I thought, there isn't an overwhelming view as both options still work. In reality I want everything- bigger kitchen, bigger bedroom, lots of storage!

Would you still be able to fit a double bed comfortably in the bedroom? If so then I would take the space off the bedroom. If not then then kitchen

I would think if a guest is staying several months they need as much space as possible, a bedroom with a seating area, a lot of wardrobe space etc. So, unless you can move someone else into a smaller room (kids rooms can have mezzanines or loft beds etc) I would reduce the kitchen.

A 22 x 17 foot kitchen is still pretty big? Have you done a kitchen plan and worked out what you can fit in? I’d do this first.

I'd rather take 3ft off the kitchen which is already huge then take 3ft off a bedroom.

Kitchen. It's already very long, might even look better when the dimensions (length v width) aren't so disproportionate. And the kitchen is the most boring room in the house.

You can still fit a double bed in the room but it would be tight. Fine for short term guests but not long term guests. I'd like the kids to have large rooms as part of why we moved is to give them more space in their rooms where they can do some of their hobbies and have friends over as they get older. I'm leaning towards making the compromise on the kitchen as we have plenty of other downstairs space!

We are also trying to decide between large sliding doors and traditional French doors. I think I'm leaning towards French as it feels more timeless and this is an old Victorian house.

Can we have metres please?!