What to do with our kitchen?

11 years ago

We're beginning to plan a kitchen makeover and looking to get the biggest return for our construction buck. We'd like to open up the two dining room walls to open up the floor but have heard keeping the formal dining room is good for resale. We'd like the home will become far more kid and entertainment friendly, so is a formal dining space essential? I've attached a floor plan and a picture of the current kitchen.

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Hal Braswell Consulting

11 years ago

Get a copy of Fine Homebuilding Kitchen Planning Guide. Mine is from Summer 2014 but lots of content is repeated edition to edition.

Bud Dietrich, who is on Houzz, has an article with drawings that are very thoughtful.

I would use some of his ideas, such as a large island with seating, in the kitchen. Tear down wall between kitchen and dining room and have a formal dining table there.

I would make the wall between living room and dining room a pony wall, with a countertop (on dining side) with perhaps wine cooler and small sink. It would serve as an entertaining bar for guests.

Total effect would be a spacious kitchen with a combo prep/informal eating island, a larger dining area within the same room for guests and family gatherings, and the convenience of a mini fridge, wine cooler and sink close to the living area. Great for entertaining and for family.

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Comments (10)

User
11 years ago
Turn your dining room into your eating space, and expand the kitchen into the entire area. You have room for an island in the middle. Depending upon what's outside that door, you might be able to move it down OR get rid of it and replace the window a glass door out to the back yard, which would give you more light into the dining space and enable your kitchen to run an extra 4-6 feet down that wall.
Lila
11 years ago
I think more families would appreciate the open concept more than a formal dining room. I think you would increase your resale opportunities and also enjoy the home more while you live in it if you follow your wishes and remove the wall.
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Maureen
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
They say that kitchens sell, so I would go with taking the wall down and creating a really great space. There will be buyers who prefer a separate dining room, but I think more will want the great kitchen.
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Julia & Elizabeth
11 years ago
Everyone is different. If you are going to stay in your house for a long time do what you want to do.
The Jarvinens
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks all, and Hal. We're leaning toward differentiating the dining area with features other than a wall and incorporating a bar with seating between the dining area and the kitchen.
S Reams
11 years ago
Have you considered removing the dining room walls and replacing them with large, fit-to-scale decorative columns? If those walls are load-bearing, the columns would be a good replacement, as well as nice to look at.
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Hal Braswell Consulting
11 years ago
That sounds like it would work well. To me, as I read the current layout, one of the major shortcomings is that a door to the back yard or perhaps patio is located in the dining room and anyone in the living room or kitchen wanting to go to the backyard must go through the dining room. Better access to the back from the living room, such as taking down the wall separating the living and dining rooms, would greatly improve traffic flow and lend itself to entertaining.
The Jarvinens
Original Author
11 years ago
Yeah, the doors in the dining room are one small reason why we'd like to open it up; it's awkward. I'd prefer they be located about 10 into the living room (but that's a project for another day).

As for columns, it's an idea we're considering. I'm playing with a custom half-height wall with built in wine (maybe) and china storage (for sure) on the dining side, and perhaps books on the other, just to give the room some definition. I've been accused of being overly creative so we'll let the budget dictate whether that gets done or not! But the columns would extend from the countertop to the ceiling, which is not load bearing.
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Hal Braswell Consulting
11 years ago
My sis in law is building a David Weekley house in a planned community outside Houston. Big kitchen with an island that has seating on the living room side. Then there is a bar between island and the open living room which has direct access to covered patio. Works well. House will be completed this summer but we went through the model house with her.