Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 Apr 01, 2018 7:35 pm Hi Folks, This is my first post on the forum and I'd be grateful for some feedback on renovation ideas. We have an 80s built brick veneer with a very small kitchen/family room and would like to update the kitchen. The idea of revamping in the existing footprint doesn't really excite me as the kitchen space is pretty small (approx. 3200x3400). I admit the current kitchen floorplan is fairly efficient, but it's a weird shape; the previous owners re-did kitchen in the 90s and it's all funny angles, plus it's dated (slate floors, timber trim on the laminate benchtops etc). I've attached the original plan of the north end of the house. The living and dining room windows both face the street/north. Entry to the house is at the side (east) and the sliding door in the lounge room on the plan is now a window. I don't like how currently there's a view of the sink from the front door. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Apparently we have a truss roof (no load bearing internal walls), so I'm playing around with reconfiguring the floorplan. I like the idea of an open and social kitchen/family/dining with a separate snug tv room. I feel there's currently wasted space in the lounge room (there's a freestanding metal fireplace in the south-east corner we intend to remove which takes up 1550x1240). Hubby likes having a formal dining room although we don't have formal dinner parties, and feels opening this room up would devalue the house. When at home he enjoys cooking and watching tv. We're a family of 4 with 2 teenage boys (almost 13 & 15yo), we have a gaming computer and a sofa bed for guests in bedroom 4 (I call it the mumpus, short for micro-rumpus), and we don't have large social gatherings. Below is a rough sketch of what I'm thinking; this allows the kitchen footprint to take up the entire 3200x3400. Blue is new stud walls, yellow is removed walls. On this plan opening up the dining room is optional. I'm thinking coat/bag storage cupboard round to right of the entry door, bookshelves/storage on the lounge south wall, and tv in the recess in the lounge west wall. The doorways into the entry and the lounge would both be able to be closed, but I'd like to have line-of-sight between the kitchen and the lounge when the doors are open. I also wish I could fit in a nice big pantry, but can't see an easy way of doing this. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I'm after opinions on whether this new layout might seem weird to people (eg. I'm not sure about walking through edge of kitchen to access bedroom end of house, but utilising the hallway seems best way of increasing usable kitchen space). I'm concerned about cost, particularly over-capitalising and changing things to suit us which might make the house difficult to sell when we come to downsize. We plan on at least 2 of us living here for 20 years plus. We're not handy, so would probably have to get a professional to do the work. I'm interested in thoughts on my ideas, or any completely new suggestions. If my proposed plan seems feasible (and hubby agrees it looks ok) I'll start playing around with kitchen cabinetry layout. 2 4466 The gap can be adjusted so it's tighter. You can definitely set up corner cabinets to have the same gap as standard doors. 2 8593 The HIA contract, in the term & conditions section states that "Commencment" is deemed when the drainage is started or the piers are dug or the slab is formed up (incase… 2 4807 |