pros advice please, looking to open up kitchen/living area
Lena Zhang
2 years ago
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Lena Zhang
2 years agojane__ny
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Please help me with opening up living room wall to den area
Comments (21)Ditto what Annie said. You are talking about the structural integrity of your house and it looks like you have a second story, and you probably also have a basement. By removing the wall, the beam needs to support the floor above and the roof. And if you're in a "snow zone" that has to be factored in as well. Another thing, walls are distributing the load from above to the floor or foundation. When you remove a portion of the wall, you are creating point loads on the floor or foundation, which may require additional work to your foundation in the form of footings or additional beams below. These are examples of how removing a wall can get complicated. Maybe you are already aware of this. I hope so! Edited to add another thought I wanted to share regarding openings to let in light. You're only going to get sunlight during the daytime. How often are you home during the day when you can benefit from the daylight? Painting the paneling and better lighting in the family room will to wonders for making the room look brighter. Also, consider replacing the back door with a slider. That will allow more light into the family room. This advice is coming to you from someone who is considering taking down walls to let more light into her dark family room. :) But I've been in my house a long time whereas you haven't even moved in yet....See MoreFront Door Opens to Living Area: Furniture & Area Rug Placement
Comments (21)In case anyone who gave me any previous advice happens to see this, I just wanted to say thank you again! I haven’t posted follow up pictures (but I will)- just wanted to find the right rugs and get everything done first. I work full time so have been finishing the look in my spare time... and absolutely love it. I did end up painting the window casings back to white (but leaving the doors black) and between that and the new layout, the whole area feels so much bigger and brighter and happier. Posting on here was a very positive and productive experience, and I hope if (okay- when) I post again about some of my other rooms, you’ll jump in to give me some awesome ideas!...See MoreLooking for ideas to open up Entryway to Kitchen/family room area
Comments (13)damiarain: We use the nook just for group milling, and often flip the counter stools that live at the kitchen peninsula over to the counter on the pony wall... this works well for parties or TV viewing or casual just-us dinners... or laying out a buffet or appetizers. But I've always thought it was a waste of space... it's not a very big area though... not big enough for furniture other than stools. But the pony wall and the multiple entrances really break up the space. We were not planning on changing kitchen layout. It works well, just needs a serious cosmetic facelift... too beige & faux-Tuscan. I prefer contemporary and clean lines. Also the travertine floor tiles are super cold in the winter. So we'll install hardwood floors that match the rest of the 1st floor. I'm trying to talk my husband into painting the cabinetry (which we'll keep) but so far he loves the wood look. The bay windows are 22" from the ground on the inside. We can't extend the FR to include some of living room. These rooms are on opposite sides of the kitchen so not contiguous at all. Did you mean the nook area? The FR is sunken because of the dropped ceiling. so it's hard to integrate with / extend into anything else. The LR is a wonderful room in the front of the house with great light... somewhat of a large formal LR which is less practical these days but it's a very sweet space that looks out onto the view. We always try to move guests into that room but everyone congregates in the kitchen/nook area! Swapping the FR and DR is an interesting idea though I think the DR is too small for a FR... it's narrow, opens up to the LR and is dark. You couldn't watch TV in there, as no wall is far enough away for viewing... my husband LOVES his TV;) But it would likely make a really nice kitchen....See MoreAdvice for my “open concept” kitchen/dining/living room?
Comments (10)Hi, Lindsay. I've got a few furniture arrangements to consider. They all have a moveable island cart for the kitchen. The first two are similar to your current set-up, in that they define the entry. One has the reversible chaise while the other is a regular sofa. The last one has a sideboard behind the sofa. It would serve as a sofa table and provide additional storage. You could think about placing your less frequently used kitchen items in there. The last one also has a reversible chaise. Pottery Barn has some reversible chaises, but I'm not certain their upholstered furniture is of high quality, so you'll want to look into that. Their case goods may be okay. Here are examples of the reversible chaise sofa and a sideboard. The chaise on the sofa has a storage compartment. The dimensions of each seem to be compatible with one another. Townsend Reversible Chaise Toscana Buffet Also, take a look at Bed, Bath & Beyond for portable kitchen islands. They have quite a selection....See Morepcride
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