Kill deck and window to expand kitchen?

11 years ago

Hi, we bought a house recently and are now figuring out what kind of work we want to do before we move in. My wife thinks the kitchen is small for a 3-bed house and wants to expand it. We have a deck behind our kitchen and she thinks we will not used it and it's a waste of space. The idea would be to get rid of deck and move the kitchen wall. But that would force us to loose the window. By city code we can't have a window parallel to the other property. That's why those decks exist.

I can't imagine liking a kitchen without windows. I like the light and the fresh air.

If we do that expansion we could also get some more space for the bathroom.
See the red lines on the image attached.

I like the deck and I think I will use it. It also bring tons os light into the kitchen and nook area.

There might be another way to make the kitchen feel bigger and work better.

Any ideas? Thoughts?

I appreciate it.

Thanks

Comments (6)

skuba
Original Author
11 years ago
More photos.

If we can expand, there is a risk of loosing also the nook window.
dekeoboe
11 years ago
By city code we can't have a window parallel to the other property.

I am confused by this since there is a window in the nook and one in bedroom 1 on that side. The deck doesn't appear very useful and cuts down on the usefulness of the nook since you need to leave a path to get out the slider.
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kirkhall
11 years ago
I agree with Dekeoboe.
I'd consider bumping out. But, you need more information.
lyvia
11 years ago
The first question is do you need more indoor space or not. You have labeled a breakfast nook, living room, and parlor. I would likely expand the kitchen into the parlor before the deck area, unless you need more indoor space. The parlor would benefit from more daylight, unless you use it for something dark. How many of you are there? how much do you cook?

The kitchen is fine for 3 bedrooms, but what matters more is to make it fit you.
chibimimi
11 years ago
Is this a single family home that has some yard space? If not, I'd be disinclined to use what little outdoor space you have.

How wide is the nook from its narrowest -- from the slider to the opposite wall? Wide enough to use as a breakfast area? If not, how do you intend to use this space?

If you don't have a good use for it, you could expand the kitchen into the nook. If you swap the closet and the door to the foyer, so you'd enter the kitchen from the parlor, you would gain a full wall of cabinets and countertops backing to the living room. This assumes the parlor would be your dining room. You could gain yet more wall space by closing off the upper parlor door and moving the back hall door towards the bathroom. giving yourself cabinets and counter to the left of the stove. (These might have to shallow -- I can't tell the scale from your floorplan.

A more minimal remodeling, which wouldn't lose the nook but would give more kitchen space, is to expand the kitchen toward the nook, taking out the corner cupboard and the foyer closet. It looks like you have a chase to the right of the stove, so that cabinet would have to be shallow. What climate do you live in? Can you give up that foyer closet?
hosenemesis
11 years ago
I'd expand toward the nook and/or the parlor before removing an exterior wall and losing windows. I would live there first and decide what space you need before you undertake any major remodeling. Will you use a parlor and a living room? My first inclination would be to open up the kitchen to the parlor. The nook has a few feet that look like they should be in the kitchen too.