Please help with suggestions on what to do about remodel
I've attached two basic floor layouts of the first floor.
Currently the kitchen has 5 doors opening in to it:
- The deck
- From Foyer/Stairs
- To basement stairs - this is on the left side of the chimney wall as you see it on the 2D layout. I just couldn't get it in there. I'd like to move this by flipping it to the other side of the stairs, putting it in the foyer.
- To dining
- Small bathroom in far left corner - not shown in layout as we hope to demolish it and find a new space for the toilet/powder room downstairs.
The chimney wall has a chimney running up through it and right next to it is a large duct that leads all the way up in to the attic - we're getting quotes on trying to move that from there to the cavity wall between the dining and kReitchen at the far end towards the back. We'd have to leave about 3-4ft of cavity wall for that.
The cavity wall between kitchen and dining also hides a cast iron pipe running up to the bathroom on the first floor at the end towards the door opening between the two rooms. This would have to be moved, again, to the far end so all the pipes and ducts can fit in to about 3ft x 18" cavity wall. This would involve remodelling the first floor bathroom which we're not huge fans of anyway due to the small space and not great use of it. The bathroom is 9ft by 5.6ft (I seem to recall) with all fittings lined up the to the left of the door - toilet, sink/vanity, bath.
Anyway, back to the kitchen/dining design. I will post actual photos of what we currently have and what it looks like.
We want to go with IKEA cabinets and possibly have an island in there but its only 13ft at the widest part and could be 13ft wide the whole width if we removed the chimney and moved the duct - waiting on cost of moving the duct work.
We're a small family of 3 - 2 adults and 3.5 yr old with a baby on the way. I would like to have as much storage space as possible and prep space on shelves. The only storage space we have is down in the unfinished basement.
Comments (14)
transnationalq
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoView of kitchen looking in from the open deck doors. You can see the toilet in the far right corner, the opening to the dining room to the far left corner. The wall visible at the near left of the photo is the cavity wall encasing the chimney and major HVAC duct that runs to the attic above the 3rd floor supplying the 2nd floor (3 bedrooms + office) and third floor (1 bedroom, landing area, and spare room).
View of kitchen standing in the opening to the dining room. You can see a door on the wall to the right, this door leads to the basement stairs. The short wall just next to that door is the cavity wall for chimney and HVAC duct.
View of kitchen standing in the toilet corner. You can see the open deck door, the opening to the step coming in off the staircase and leading to the foyer. The cavity wall for the chimney, the HVAC duct, and next to it is the door to the basement stairs.
Dining room view from far back corner (towards the back and side corner of the house) looking at kitchen door opening and larger opening into the living room. The display cabinet built in to the wall may have been a later addition (don't know). The wall that its in is cavity wall and houses a cast iron pipe leading to the toilet/bath on the 2nd floor on the right side, and a return duct for the third floor to the left side. Plan/Hope/Wish is to move the cast iron pipe on the right to the far left of this cavity wall.
View of the dining room standing in the living room looking in.
View from the living room corner towards front corner of the house. The opening to the dining room is on the left, and the opening to the foyer is kind of far right.
transnationalq
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoThis is one design we came up on the IKEA website without opening in to the dining room.
This could be accommodated by partially opening the wall as below:
What do you think of the partial opening wall. Would it be 'open' enough to be worth while? I think the width of our kitchen just won't allow us to have both an island and cabinetry on both sides - we can have one, or the other.
Not having an island but cabinetry on both sides could work if we put a peninsula between the kitchen and dining with a short wall on the far end to house the duct work and plumbing.
Thinking out loud here!
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8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoThe problem with this style would be that the space between the island and the left wall could be a max of 29" (with chimney removed) without any cabinetry on that wall.
American Revival · More Info
Vith
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agonancyjwb
8 years agotransnationalq
8 years agotransnationalq
8 years agotransnationalq
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
Do these photos make it more clear? I've added three more things two of which currently don't exist.
- Label: Addition - this started out as location for downstairs powder room + laundry + would house 5ft wide coat and shoe closet. Now, considering making it a quiet area, sitting space, piano spot, place for coat closet? would probably have it open to the foyer or glass doors if needed.
- Label: Possible spot for 1st floor powder room. Self explanatory.
- Deck - This exists and the spot for powder room is eating in to the deck area as it is currently.
NOTE: I've added more detail to the photos in the first commenttransnationalq
8 years agoSo the thing with IKEA is that we can fit it ourselves. We're on a budget here and doing a lot of DIY. We've done all the demo so far, and now putting in insulation in the ceilings and even new dry wall on the ceilings.
Also, all our current furniture is IKEA: sectional, TV unit, dining table+chairs, coffee table, display unit and all the bedroom furniture, wardrobes etc.
This is the style we liked: Bodbyn
transnationalq
8 years agoVith
8 years ago
Take that picture and add your kitchen goodies to it. Label fridge, DW, stove, pantry, etc.From what I can make of it, it looks like it has good flow. Perhaps give more space to walk between the island and the chimney wall. I am guessing there is seating on the island there also, which you should allow for more space.
practigal
8 years agotransnationalq
8 years ago
The Kitchen Place