Open up kitchen to living or keep it closed?

last year

We are doing a gut reno of a very old, narrow home. One of my main concerns is about the living room feeling small. We are already a family of six with four young kids so we are a crew all by ourselves and we like to host and have people over to watch a game or a movie, so

having a space conducive to that is very important to us. The top floor plan is where are currently settled, but I can't stop wondering if we are making a mistake not opening it up a little more. The bottom floor plan was an idea I had to slightly modify the plans by putting double pocket doors between kitchen and living room. The negative is that we lose a little kitchen counter/storage space, but I like the flow it creates through the house. I guess my main question is if having that open will help the living room feel a little more spacious, or if the furniture has to be more centered in the room because of the opening will that backfire? Thoughts on which of these looks best for entertaining?

Featured Answer

auntthelma

last year

The open plan is way better. imagine your movie night party. Everytime you need popcorn or drink refil, you have to walk completely around the house to get to the kitchen. The direct access is way better.

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Comments (8)

PRO
PPF.
last year
I'd start over with a true gut and reimagine your plan.

Your kitchen, for example, takes a large amount of the space, but isn't functional.

I might start with this.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
I agree the kitchen eats space for no purpose . I rarely like kitchens open to LRs , I hate sectionals for seating every one lined up in a row never ideal . I do like the plan PPF posts here and IMO that is what you need to work toward . The LR is in your case really FR not formal and that plan suggested would solve the issues you are having . Sometimes just rename of the spaces opens up ideas . We switched our kitchen for DR and never regretted that choice .BTW I can not really read the measurements in your plan , it is best to post in jpeg so we can enlarge the plans
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3onthetree
last year
How much of a gut? There is so much wasted space. Can the stair move? What opportunity along the back wall for window/door locations? Is the first floor being designed around the tv? Is it a requirement to seat 4 or more at an island/peninsula?
Alex Michener
Original Author
last year
The stair is the one thing that cannot move. The whole house is only about 24ft x 36...It's a very small footprint so curious where you see so much wasted space? We've looked at a million different layouts and I feel like this is the one that accomplished the most of our goals with the least amount of sacrifice. I'm asking specifically if you think that wall between the kitchen and living room should be opened up to create better flow or closed off to maximize kitchen counter/storage space. I have four kids so I do want them all to be able to sit at a counter together, and I don't want it to feel so crowded and stressful when they're all hovering in the kitchen while I cook.
cat_ky
last year
last modified: last year
I would not remove the wall. I would put as many cabinets on that wall, as you can. With 4 kids, you need storage. Its nicer to have a wall between kitchen and living room anyway. That way if you have company, and are making a meal, they dont have to look at the dirty dish accumulation, and it gives you a bit of privacy in the kitchen too.
3onthetree
last year
With such a small house, you have to think differently. Wasted space in the oversize Foyer/Mudroom (hence moving the stair question), bay window in Kitchen, floor space in Kitchen, and having a dedicated main hallway instead of visually having it part of spaces making them feel larger.

Here are a couple adjacencies blocking just trying to keep spaces proportional to each other and the house, while simplifying the layout and looking for more space:
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year

There is an architectural term for the dimensions shown above in red, it is called "sucks".