You could move the Fridge back into the proposed Pantry, which will give more space for a bigger Island and simplify the Pantry layout, using the extra space for storage in the entry

are you able to post a floor plan showing the family & living room as well

Thank you Siriuskey, we do like that idea although we lose a lot of the storage in the butlers, hopefully the wall that the fridge current backs onto can come out without any structural support work required. More questions for the engineer I guess!

Thanks again though, the full floor plan is attached.

Thanks OkLouise, that certainly does make it a big space. We aren't actually quite so keen though on it being so open to the front door and we do like having the entry hall to block the view when door knockers come to the front door .

The change to the tall window is a great idea, I think we will definitely price that up.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Another rough idea, I can see that you have moved the laundry to the other side of kitchen to try and balance the space between the kitchen and the proposed dining. The current kitchen is in a difficult space for making larger and opening up.

Without knowing too much about your house, ie: what it;s built with, flooring, timber or concrete slab and if there's a solid wall beside the stairs,also orientation, I suggest you look at moving the kitchen to either your suggested dining or further into the family. The current kitchen dining could still become one larger room, ie: media/bedroom/ study etc and even section off enough space for a pantry.

Yep, spot on, that was the thought behind expanding the kitchen out into where the laundry is.

The house is on stumps with timber floor boards. There is no wall beside the stairs, we wanted to keep it open due to the rooms being small already, not wanting to close it off anymore than it already is. As such, the kitchen wouldn’t really work there.

I am going to give some thought to locating in the family room, though I’d like to keep two seperate living spaces if possible and there is the hassle of running the plumbing and drainage across. Not that it cant be done but just adds $$$.

Appreciate the suggestions though, it’s really great to get others ideas.

another variation to consider with an open pantry (would a door ever be closed?) retain the front window a bigger island and more light and storage

I think we could go with an open pantry and you are likely right, the door would most probably hardly get closed.

i like the idea of the light through from keeping the bigger front window also

are you able to confirm measurements of the family living rooms etc and is the verandah off the current family room on the same level and what aspect please

Hi Sirius,

The Living room is 4950 x 3750, Family room is 3100 x 4730 and Dinng room is 3700 x 4000. The verandah does open straight off the family room and is on the same level.

For the aspect I’ve marked up North on the plans, I hope this helps.

Not sure if it makes any difference but as an FYI there is a driveway that runs up the side of the house beside the living, family and verandah to a garage in the south corner of the property.

Photos didn‘t seem to attach. Floor plan with North

Thanks, are the stairs built in underneath and is there any plumbing on the west/verandah side of the house

I would think about making the current dining an eat in area with a window seat of possible so you preserve the Northerly aspect.

gosh it would be great if the entry could go into current living and all the entry borrowed for your kitchen. everything on Northern side seems squished compared to Southern side

Hi Sirius,

The stairs are enclosed underneath and the only plumbing on the West side of the house is a Garden Tap on the South Western corner. The pipe work for this runs up the Eastern side of the house from the ensuite and then across the back.

At the moment all the services are located and run down the East side of the house.

Hi CP,

Thanks for the suggestions, you are right, the Northern side is pretty much original so small and cramped, but we have no where to go as we are already on the boundary on that side. The Southern side has been opened up and extended to give more space.

I agree that it would be nice if we could move the door but we just can't see how that would work.

Hi DY, Your plan shows a lot of changes have they been done yet and how wide and long is the entrance and also the distance from the current laundry wall to the doorframe,thanks for the info

what are the external walls built out of and which doorway do you usually come in and which doorway is only for visitors? and can you post some photos of the outside from the front yard?

More photos would help also whats up stairs and what climate are you in, hope you are enjoying the long weekend

I will try to cover the questions in one post.. Thanks for sticking with us on this!!

The changes on the plans are all done, we put a second story on 10 years ago and also pushed out off the dining area to create what is now the family room. This took a bit off the verandah which used to run the length along the West side from the the living room to the back of the house. Upstairs are two bedrooms, a bathroom, rumpus and a store room.

The entrance area is 1700 x 3350 and the distance from the Front Door entrance to the current Laundry wall is 6580 mm.

Downstairs the house is Brick Veneer but it has been rendered. Upstairs is weather board. Roofing is tiles. It's a bit dark for photos now but will try to remember to get some tomorrow. We use the front door entrance to enter the house and so do visitors.

We are in Melbourne, so the climate is "Changeable" !! haha. It's been a great long weekend, I hope yours has as well.

The following is what I would try to achieve, keeping the laundry insitu, changing the kitchen and study into one space study/living/ parents retreat, keeping all windows and doors plus the wider opening into the old kitchen which will allow for lovely morning light into the house.

There's no WIP, which are currently very much a Fad and not needed, but you could have pantry storage under the stairs. There's a large Island, I have kept part of the wall at the end of the Island for load bearing support if needed, otherwise it could be totally removed.

This would give you a lovely open light filled 5 bedroom family friendly home.

Thanks Sirius, I do like it but I do also have some concerns with it.

There has already been a beam installed across the entry into the family room when we moved the sliding door so I’m not sure we can remove that part of the wall into the living. The lack of storage is also a concern as well as the cost in running the services across to the far side of the house.

it definitely is a lovely open plan area but I’m just not sure it’s viable.

I understand the beam being installed when you did your earlier extension as that was an external wall, that's why I have suggested keeping part of the wall next to the island which was also an external wall, to support this, I will check this in the drawing to ensure it lines up for you. By opening up this wall as much as possible you are allowing more light back into the house

The cost of running plumbing across I think is negative/comparable to moving the plumbing for the re positioned laundry and kitchen and removing any load bearing walls.

Storage in the new kitchen is a big 2900 x 900 island of drawers for easy access, I have added a wall oven but that could become a 600 pantry with drawers in the lower part with a shelf above for small appliances.

The wall with the TV could be a wall of narrow built in storage to be used in any way you need.

This floor plan gives better flow between kitchen/family.dining/alfresco and better for unloading the car with the driveway running down beside the kitchen and verandah

The floor plan showing the support beam.

DY get an engineer in and seriously consider Siriuskys plan. Otherwise leaving kitchen where it is will always be a major compromise unless you fiddle with your entry/hallway.