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Will they be too squashed or busy?

7 replies

CeCe19 · 01/05/2025 11:36

In process of buying. Extension is ££ have had a quote. Looking to take some off utility instead. Is this plan too small a kitchen for a 4 bed house with a paddock?
Will be able to extend table to 8 ft and maintain 3ft clearance around perimeter but my current table goes up to 9ft. If I put table in middle of room farmhouse style and loose island then I’ll have less units than in my current house.
Would you expect to get a bigger table in?
There won’t be any other dining space as other rooms are a biggish lounge, playroom (14x8ft and a small study 10.5x6.5ft)
If I put an extension in I’ll get an extra 5 60cm/2ft units in.
Square size on plan is equal to 60cm/2ft.

Will they be too squashed or busy?
OP posts:
CeCe19 · 01/05/2025 11:40

Sorry about the title! Didn’t read it back! Was trying asked if the room would look too busy or feel squeezed!

OP posts:
Nettleskeins · 01/05/2025 12:18

Can you store some of the stuff in the cupboards in another room (utility reconfigured as back kitchen/pantry) without knocking any big walls? We have a kitchen diner and it has not much cupboard space and everything is against the wall including the floating island (changed our mind living in the room) but a big airy table is very important and pushing out chairs comfortably, getting past whilst serving a meal etc. It works for us but it wouldn't work if we had no overflow room. It's essentially a dining room with the main bits of a kitchen but not the extra larder space, dumping ground for big dirty oven trays or freezer.

Nettleskeins · 01/05/2025 12:23

It's 4.5m x 6m into the small bay, our kitchen diner, no island.
That plan looks pretty cramped to me once people are seated. Fine with chairs pushed in of course but even then how are you getting in and out of garden (maybe you haven't got access from that end anyway)

CeCe19 · 01/05/2025 12:28

Utility as a Pantry is a good idea but realistically we’ll probably be using all the utility cupboards for shoes/coats and cleaning bits.
Theres a detached double garage and did briefly consider converting a quarter of it and putting a utility room for washing machine in there so that current utility in house could be more of a pantry - but I decided that not everyone would appreciate a washing machine utility space in the garage!

OP posts:
Nettleskeins · 01/05/2025 12:31

Why are there two hobs? Is one a range?
It looks like it would work much better with no island at all and cupboards worktop all round the sides, if you are going in and out through that door to garden. A fixed bank of wall and floor cupboards and worktop on the wall opposite the oven is going to be better than a bulky island as it's only going to take up 60cm depth.

NAMR · 01/05/2025 18:14

Max out your wall space and any under stairs space. Consider putting washing machine and dryers elsewhere stacked in a utility room or other room or just outside of the kitchen in a floor to ceiling cupboard. Only keep one island. Prefer to have a table bar instead as that way you can move it whenever you like and don't end up having to always keep traffic centred around a fixed kithen island. if you are not having a cooker or sink on the island, then no point it being fixed just for storage. Also fixed kitchen islands in middle of a room tends to end up a storage dumping site for letters, shopping, fruit, laptop, chargers and all sorts. The goal I think is best is to have a bar table to eat at and storage on the walls floor to ceiling.
If still unsure - place bar stools at different points to cover space your sketched out islands will be and see what it feels like to walk around - especially when two persons are passing one another or chairs are in use.

Nettleskeins · 01/05/2025 18:25

I visited someone who had extended her kitchen in the country and had a range warming the room. Glaring omission was a separate cool larder or pantry - all the food cupboards were in a lovely warm room. So that extra cupboard space was possibly in the wrong place. She ended up making shelves for food storage in the cool hall by the door. You might find your garage useful for this perhaps if you have a door into it.
I don't think a washing machine in the garage is a problem if space for dining/living is at a premium

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