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pansygrrl_gw

floorplan - swap kitchen?

pansygrrl
11 years ago

I'm working on planning a kitchen renovation & new floors throughout, so if we're going to consider moving appliances, taking out walls or changing windows, this is the time. We (two adults plus kitties) exclusively use the back door which opens into the kitchen, living room is next. There's not much natural light coming in, and the best view to the back yard is from the bathroom. The current kitchen doesn't have enough counter space or a dishwasher, and the gas range is on the corner on the way into the house or to the bathroom. We don't have a comfortable dining room or place for eating, and it's a stretch to have more than two people over.

I've attached the current 1st floor plan (front room is a finished porch). The reddish circles are walls I've considered opening or removing, although they all have baseboard heat on them. I'm wondering if we might gain living space to get out of each other's hair and have a dining room next to the kitchen if we were to swap the current dining room and kitchen.

I've been lurking and learning a lot; I appreciate any thoughts or suggestions you might offer!

Comments (2)

  • Shades_of_idaho
    11 years ago

    I wonder if you could switch the dinning room for the living room. Then use some of the front porch as living room with opening through the red circle with the 13 ft in it. You could put a window seat in the dinning room window then where that bump out is.You could have a nice foyer on the other end of the porch. then open the wall a bit between the kitchen and new dinning room. Maybe not too much leaving room for kitchen counters.

    This would make a slightly odd shaped living room . I can see a couple of seating areas.

    We have a small couch in our dinning room that can be used as table seating if needed. We do not use our dinning room to eat in. We eat in our chairs in front of the TV.If you did the same in your new dinning room it would give a second space for away time.

    A different direction.

    Just looking closer at your lay out now reminds me of our last house kitchen dinning room all one space. Another thought for you. Look at the link to our old kitchen. We had range and fridge like you and our pantry was just about where your chimney is.

    Scroll through that album and there are more pictures of that kitchen. Number 4 is a good one. Number five the fridge is just barely showing to the right of the stove.# 21 shows fridge.

    That kitchen was about 18 foot long and 12 1/2 foot wide. Double wide manufactured home. So if you could rob some space from the living room for the kitchen and then push the living room into the porch where the new front door might be
    you could then use the existing dinning room as a study or?? this was a great kitchen to work in. o dishwasher but there was room for it.

    The one thing I did not like in that house was the kitchen to living room doorway. I always felt closed off in the kitchen from living room. so if there is a way to keep your opening wide I think it would feel better. I always wished for that but there was no way to do so there.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Dinning room end of kitchen.

  • kai615
    11 years ago

    I would switch them. I say this because I did switch a dining room and living room in our current layout because there was no way we were ever going to use a dining room that I had to go through a living room to get to. Of course I have two kids and plan to use the dining room for eating. I see no point in a tiny living room and a huge dining room though so really don't see the point in switching those around unless you need an immediate cheap fix.

    I would open up the walls to your covered porch, but I would be very cautious about your heating situation. I would probably do this anyway as it doesn't look like you get much usage out of that space the way it is now. My first instinct would be to get it open and get as much light and open feeling as possible, however, if you are on baseboard heating, how much heat are you taking away, and how much cold air are you letting in from the porch. I am not sure where you are located and how cold the winters are. Is the baseboard your only source of heat? Also, if you lose that wall all together, will you have an island in the kitchen to make up for the counter space?

    You could do some really nice things with that window cut out in the now living room/ could be kitchen area depending on what and how those windows are in. Are they a bay style window or is there an actual floor there for you to set things into?

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