Why don't you just make it a kitchen family room by removing the half height wall instead of building up, that's not original and will make both rooms feel very small. Your current breakfast bar is hardly big enough for 3 active kids. By closing that wall will also make the kitchen darker as the new dining/old lounge area has a lovely big window, that light will only come through the servery.

The original house had a wall there, but the kitchen area was kitchen, laundry and dining room. We would prefer to reinstate the wall, as opening it up completely would expose our kitchen to anyone at the front door.

The double entry into the dining could be closed off and turned into storage for either entry or Dining, this would give you privacy from the front door cheers

siriuskey- how would you enter the dining room then? Or do you mean if we removed the wall in between (which we don't intend to do).

This is along the lines of the peninsula I'd like.

Architect - Jack Viks · More Info

Yes that's what I thought, remove the half wall instead of building up, but that was only a suggestion.

I also notice that you have a sun room on the other side of the kitchen perhaps you could reduce the wall between the kitchen and it so you could make the bar along there. This would make a better situation for the fridge.

Love that island but I don't think it's big enough and takes up too much floor space in the "L" shape, especially with the fridge and not a lot of other options for it. except to move to the end of the kitchen. cheers

The wall between the sunroom and kitchen is load bearing, so we won't be putting the bar there. It's also a step down to the sunroom (sorry, didn't show in diagram).

Thanks for your thoughts.

thought it might be, we live in a late 70's early 80's house,.. good luck

Just a thought, you could still open that wall up and have the kids sit up to the long bench in the kitchen, that would just look out over the family room as per one of your photos, :ie your sun room photo

love your vintage peninsula...please include measurements for all walls, windows, doors and steps to help identify possibilities

Yup, I too love the mid-century peninsula cabinetry. Will you be building the glass upper cabinet to house your crystal/glasses? That would be very beautiful. Instead of a solid wall to the left of servers, you could have timber battens. They would serve to let in filtered light as we'll a son offer privacy from the entry. I'll look for some photos to show you what I mean.

Photos to give you an idea of what I mean.

Here's the bare kitchen/dining room, with hopefully enough measurements. The only step is one step down into the sunroom.

Feel free to reorient or rearrange - we don't want the kitchen open to viewing through the front door or front windows though, it just wouldn't have been like that originally. Apologies for the dodgy pic, my scanner isn't working!

Thanks for all suggestions!

Hi Jay, some of my collection for you to perhaps give you a few ideas. There's a few great books by Karen McCartney and one is "50/60/70 Iconic Australian Houses. Three Decades of Domestic Architecture cheers

I thought of you and your servery when I saw this

this modern with free standing walls

my suggestion allows for your suspended glass display shelves with optional walk through to the dining area and the breakfast bar to have wall shelves with curved features so that you can communicate better when adults are standing in the kitchen with kids sitting at the island..numbers represent the sizes of individual base cabinets with 1050 corners being ideal for storage of large appliances, there's space for recycling bins, several banks of drawers, a walk in pantry and a big fridge freezer

Midcentury Kitchen · More Info

oklouise, thank you so much for the plan! That looks great!

relieved you like the doorway between kitchen and dining and think this option will give best view of the glass divider and be more comfortable for the family and guests

I love were you put the pantry and fridge. Any idea on where the microwave could go?

subject to your final layout the MW could go in your original wall position, below the counter on the left side of the stove or on the wall above the DW ...the direction the MW door opens is best when they're installed towards the left hand side of any position but perhaps below counter would have less impact on the look you're aiming for and might be safer for the kids if/when they're allowed to use the MW and these sliding glass splashbacks and simple curves achieved with standard laminates might be options to consider

Kitchen 2016 · More Info

Kitchen 2016 · More Info

The first photo that OK posted gives an idea as to what the kitchen could look like without full height walls and letting the sun and light through while blocking the view from the front door and window into the kitchen.

Just wondering about the opening between the new dining and kitchen as in your brief you mentioned not wanting to able to so see into the kitchen from either the front door or front window, looking at that you will see the working end of the kitchen through the front window ie: cook top & sink area?

Siriusky is right as you would be able to see the working ends of the kitchen through both the doorway and any open bench or pass through between the kitchen and dining room so i'm wondering if the sliding doors opens onto a front patio and is the patio open to the area outside the front door or can the two areas be screened for privacy?

Good questions... that's not sliding doors, its a giant window.

The stairs for the patio are at the side of the house, so anyone walking to the front door passes the entire width of the window. I'm not sure why, but the opening and China cabinet on that wall don't bother me. Maybe because the kitchen still feels like a separate room.

I'd probably do a short splashback on the bit of bench under the china cabinet, so it wouldn't be completely exposed.

I don't know... any other thoughts?

Thanks for helping, both of you!

Without knowing your floor plan and the ages of your children I think you are trying to open up the wrong wall. With a family it would make more sense to me to open between the kitchen family rooms using a similar idea to this photo styling is totally wrong but shows the support post built into the island and a short back splash on the open bench, the bench would be on the same level as the kitchen so one step down into the family room (the stools would be replaced) with a study/computer desk. Any photos as we are working blind here thanks

You could have that peninsula that you love and want in between the Kitchen and family. The new dining and kitchen could have full height barn style doors/door between them leaving the current lower wall in place, you could also install windows above the wall if you wanted to stop noise and cooking smells into the new dining.

Another thought for your Kitchen.

Fridge on end wall with MW/cooktop?oven.

A single sliding door between kitchen and new dining.

The existing lower wall between kitchen and dining to be retained for 60's style and becomes a long wall of pantries behind large sliding panels, this could hide a small appliance area with power connections, I see timber panels.

Open wall between kitchen family back to near sink, your Peninsular with raised small splash back could go here cheers as you can see I have no drawing skills

Kids are currently 5, 3, and 18 months. Not much homework yet, but I'm thinking while they are in primary school and have spelling or reading to do, it would be good to have a spot close to the kitchen where they can discuss with parent/s in the kitchen.

I can't give you a photo of the sunroom at the moment, it's under construction. It is one step lower than the kitchen though (approx 19cm I think, so no actual step in between). That wall between kitchen and sunroom is the only spot where our tv can go, so it can't really be opened up.

I quite like the idea of the full length pantries along that dividing wall.

You have a lovely young family they only get bigger. I'ts a shame that you can't find another position for the TV as it would be good to be able to see it from the Kitchen via your peninsular, so as to keep an eye on what the kids are watching especially as they get a bit bigger.

I'am feeling a bit over the WIP and the idea of walking into a small often dark

Bulleen · More Info

Currently that wall is about 1200 high, but it will be demolished when we redo the kitchen.

I've been chatting with my husband and we both really like oklouise's design. Well see how we go when it gets a bit closer (sunroom needs finishing first).

Thanks again!

I wasn't going to comment anymore but your answer to the height of the wall between the kitchen and new dining being 1200.

That is so 60's I would love to see that wall remain as it is. By changing the pantry to the other wall, you could have your peninsular glass shelf above the 1200 wall which would look great, you could add suspended wall cabinets to the passage end of that wall, you could even add the return bench which could work better if you move the fridge down to the cook top wall as where it is gives limited space. If you are going to have a door to the dining just make it a good size. cheers

Sorry I forgot to attach my scrawl , love to see the 60"s vibe retained. You mentioned not wanting to see into the kitchen. If you removed the door the only part that you would see from the window and dining would be the upper part of the cupboards, simple, no mess exposed. cheers

Should have mentioned that this would also save the cost of building the wall up to ceiling height, when it's not necessary.

A great photo for you showing the 1200 wall and over head cabinets/shelving