Fixing odd shaped/separate kitchen floorplan

Discussion in 'Renovation & Home Improvement' started by seapiglet88, 3rd Jun, 2021.

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  1. seapiglet88

    seapiglet88 Member

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    Looking for some ideas on how to maximise space in this kitchen. It's pretty small and separate from the rest of the house and I'd like to make it a little more open, so was considering knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining area, and maybe putting in a bench to make it U shaped (backwards C). Would like to keep access to the kitchen from the bathroom side if possible, but not essential.

    The wall between the kitchen and living is structural.

    Any ideas about how I could do this please? Would like to add a pantry in there as well somewhere, but not sure where it would fit best.

    On a budget of about $20k-$25k too.
     

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    seapiglet88, 3rd Jun, 2021
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  2. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Could it be removed with a hanging beam in the roof? Or engineered another way to remove it completely.

    That means you could put the kitchen anywhere within that whole area.

    Is the house timber, brick, on stumps or slab?
     
    wylie, 3rd Jun, 2021
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  3. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    I'd also think about placing the laundry behind the bathroom behind doors (euro style) and then the back corner becomes part of a big area that flows to the covered area.
     
    wylie, 3rd Jun, 2021
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  4. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Our son and his partner wanted to remove a wall between kitchen and living area in their first major renovation. It required a hanging beam that was just too difficult to do (or the run was too long, can't recall exactly) so the corner post was left and beefed up to hold a large beam (engineered and installed by a builder to ensure it was to code) and kitchen worked around it.

    It opened up the whole area.

    24125880_2.jpeg
     
    wylie, 3rd Jun, 2021
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    Lizzie likes this.
  5. seapiglet88

    seapiglet88 Member

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    Hi Wiley!

    It could, however I'd expect what is involved to do that (engineering/builder/council approvals to modify structural supports?) would eat into my $20-$25k budget...assumed that removing a non load bearing wall would be simpler and cheaper. It also occurred to me that because its a pretty small house, knocking down the wall between the kitchen and the living would mean the house would be pretty much 1 room and as you entered the front door, you'd immediately see the back door to the backyard.

    The house is brick, on stumps (but not sure if it is timber or concrete).

    That looks great! Wish we had that much space haha
     
    seapiglet88, 3rd Jun, 2021
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  6. Squeakywheel

    Squeakywheel Well-Known Member

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    Would you be able to remove part of the laundry wall and turn the space into a European laundry in a cupboard. Then remove the wall between the dining room and kitchen, leaving space to put a bench or more cupboards up to where the wall was.
     
    Squeakywheel, 11th Jun, 2021
    #6
  7. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    The major problem I see is that, currently, you (and guests) have to go out via the laundry to enter the backyard/entertaining area.

    I'm with Wylie - move the laundry to back onto the bathroom (or keep it in the same general area but turn it into a euro-laundry in a cupboard along the wall) and open the kitchen area up completely. It doesn't mean you can see right through, as you've got the entry separate to the lounge itself - although personally, I'd semi-open that up as well with a wider opening between the two.
     
    Lizzie, 12th Jun, 2021
    #7
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