Sorry I struggled to see very well on my phone. Any chance you could provideclearer enlarged plan of the kitchen area?

I think that the one with the servery bar is much better as it links the second living area space closer to the kitchen. The servery bar version has three access points to the kitchen, and the second version has four access points, which reduces the amount of bench space and increases the amount of traffic.

The servery bar option is the best starting point, but there is still room for improvement,

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

and Dr Retro Virtual Visits

From both plans, my choice would be kitchen with servery. No need to have the outside door in kitchen, therefore access through window for servery without losing bench space. And the storeroom/scullery access does not need altering. The hot plate position does not seem ideal, but have noted the comment regarding access for gas. Could you have an electric hot plate, then it could be positioned in the main kitchen area? Maybe swapping fridge with electric hot plates. Fridge would then be near servery for ease of access from outside.

Wow! I should have expected you and/or Dreamer would come up with something smart, Siriuskey! I've noted your suggestions elsewhere and they are always quite brilliant. Now I'm asking myself 'Why didn't I think of getting rid of that wasted passageway?' We go through our pantry to the laundry and garage now and it's not an issue at all. Makes grocery unpacking easy. This potentially provides more space to move around the pantry and more storage I think.

I agree about the toilet. That's separate issue but I do plan bathroom changes. I am passionate about bathrooms having direct access to outside - so handy when you are grubby from fishing, hiking or gardening. We've just moved from a house near the beach and I loved that I could shuffle the grandkids straight from outside into the shower when they came back from the beach. I was planning to relocate the linen cpd. into the hallway and the vanity to where the linen cpd is (making a 3-way bathroom which is so much more practical when we have guests staying) and I had hoped to then put a door where the bathroom window is. A cost issue, as the walls are 8" solid concrete, but the window is quite large so I think it might be okay. I believe you can now get an ordinary hinged door with a window set into it, which would be ideal in this case I think.

Thanks Dreamer for your input. Hubby insists the electric hotplate has to go. He loves to cook and he loves gas. We bought the new gas hotplate the day we signed the contract for the house!

I think you are right about the kitchen plan. I'll look closely at the potential extra costs involved with Sirius's suggestion though, because I do think it's excellent. Has some major advantages (though I lose a little of the very limited wall space in this house for the massive collection of pictures and wall hangings we have! Might be having a garage sale!)

After further discussion with my husband, he concluded that the gas hotplate possibly could be located in the main kitchen area (opposite the sink), though it would add a bit to the cost as the gyprock would have to be removed across the top of the wall to chase the piping through. If I go with Sirius's suggestion, it's probably a moot point as that wall would be modified anyway.

I love Houzz! So many great ideas and helpful members!

I'm just struggling a bit with the arrangement of fridge, oven and hotplate, as in the existing kitchen everything is too close together and the only bench space near the hotplate is the end of the U which is being removed. I do want to keep the table as in my original drawings as that's where we'll eat when there's just the two of us or for breakfast if we have just one or two guests.

We have a water filter that needs to be close to the fridge also, and the existing fridge tap will be modified to be a water filter filling tap. I also don't like the oven next to the fridge really, but I could live with that as I don't use my oven a lot. I have a glass benchtop oven which gets used for most oven cooking. I would like space for plates, cutlery and table linen close to the table (and dishwasher).

I need a door between kitchen and butler's panty for temperature control in winter, otherwise the living room will be hard to warm, and the opening from the pantry to the laundry has to move to the right as there's an inbuilt ironing station there that I'd prefer not to have to move. That's all easily achievable and I don't think has any real down sides.

Any suggestions for that rear kitchen wall housing fridge, water filter (bench mounted), oven and hotplate?

I've posted a more detailed plan of the existing kitchen with dimensions.

I understand your husband and the gas cooktop they do work a lot better for men much more heavy duty than glass cook tops, we have our son who trained as a chef living with us and he constantly complains about my lovely simple clean glass island installed cook top, mind you he loves the position of it.

You will certainly need doors between laundry/Butlers and Butlers/Kitchen, pocket would be the best choice.

The dimensions above are excellent but could the existing Store and laundry details be included. The built in Ironing board I'am wondering if it is the same as ours which could easily be repositioned if needed.

The dog leg passage is a total wasteof space, dark and interferes with the kitchen layout when entering the kitchen.

I had to laugh at your Gallery problems, we have just been going through the same dilemma, with this terrible virus happening we are using this time to sort our many framed items.

Hubby is a crazy photographer/artist. It was many years, after we married, before we could afford the luxury of wall hangings and people remarked that our home needed some badly, so when he discovered Photoshop, he remedied the problem - and went to extremes! Add some nice pics kids bought us for gifts and we now have a big, big collection. There were even pics on the toilet walls in the house we just sold! Took forever to pack them up and patch all the hook holes!

I agree about that dog-leg passage. Don't know why I didn't think to eliminate it before. It's way better without it. Ironing board is built into an inset wall cabinet and would be quite costly to shift, but it's okay I think because I think the door from pantry to laundry can stay where it is. Gives quick access to the broom cpd. and separates laundry and pantry nicely, leaving room for a nice long work bench in the pantry, which is what I want so I can appliances out where they are easy to get at.

Lorraine can the benchtop oven go on a shelf below the bench?
Glad you are removing dogleg. Your original plan made it worse

Can you move fridge to outside wall

Oops wrong pic

Agree about the dogleg, Kate. Can't think why I couldn't see before that it should be removed. Just as long as those walls are not load bearing, but I can't see how they would be.

Yes, the benchtop oven will go below the bench. Not sure just where yet, but in a spot with a power point nearby so we can just lift it up onto the bench to use it.

I'm thinking now that I'll slide the fridge down to where the door to the hallway was, put a 600mm cupd and bench next to that for the water filter (using the tap that was there for the fridge) and the wall oven next to that, then a clear run of bench to the end wall with the hotplate roughly in the middle. Means moving the oven tower only slightly, and it should be possible to get the gas in okay by going through the wall at back of the pantry cupboards, up over the new door, and down behind pantry cupboards, then through the wall into the back of the kitchen cupboards for the last little length to the hot plate.

Sirius, on second thoughts, you are right about moving the ironing cupd. Shouldn't be too hard I hope, but it will be much better not dropping down across the passageway. At the moment, it blocks entry to the garage when it's down.

Agree Ours is in one of the bedrooms, but or layout is different to yours. but we did have a free standing iron board as well. The fitted Board in the bedroom works really well for guests to be able freshen up their travel clothes.

Are you re using the existing cabinets, if you added the extra dimensions with marked points floor plans of the space could be done to make suggestions

And what type of "bench top Oven" is it that you want to store it under the bench and lift it onto the bench when using it, is it like a toaster. Wouldn't be better built into a wall unit like stacked ovens and used insitu. This is why dimensions are important

Benchtop oven is one of those round glass ovens with the element in the lid. Cost me all of $35 and it's one of the best appliances I've ever owned. I cook everything in it and the bowl just goes in the dishwasher. Much easier than cleaning an oven. And it costs so little to run, heats quickly, and cooks superbly. Can't build it in though because you insert food through the top, be removing the lid, and then it gets pulled apart to wash the bowl after use.

Accurate dimensions are a problem right now because this terrible virus thing has delayed our move into the house until end July. Very frustrating, but can't be helped. And we can't go to the house at the moment either, so I'm just working off plans as best I can. It's not ideal, and everything will have to be checked carefully when we move in, before we start any work. But I want to get going as soon as we move in so I want to have most of my plans almost confirmed.

With the latest plan, I don't think I will reuse the existing cabinets after all. The kitchen is in excellent condition. I just hate the design. I think I'll sell the kitchen and start over. The cabinets seemed to work for my original plan - even had those lovely corner drawers! But I like your idea much better, Siriuskey, and the existing cabinets just don't work with that layout. I think it would be cheaper to sell the kitchen and start over. Maybe keep the oven tower with oven and m./wave in it, as they are in excellent order. Also keep the dishwasher, which probably doesn't even have to move at all.

I agree to sell old kitchen you won't get much for it but at least you won't have to take it away keeping the dishwasher and oven tower could work. Can you get plans from council it looks like an amazing. I know the oven you mean I have a friend who swears by the ust try there will be opposition from others in the house

my friend is an electrician he uses it in the lovely open pantry (I designed) for light and fresh air

I think you have the option to end up with a wonderful kitchen Butlers mudroom laundry and outdoor servery to suit both of you

Thanks Siriuskey. It is an amazing house. Hubby picked the property and I didn't get a say on the house. He just loved the land and shed! I really didn't like the house at first, but it grew on me once I started to think about changing the kitchen and bathroom. I will be upgrading the laundry and ensuite as well with two-pack cpd doors and stone bench tops, and smarter basins. And the mirror robe doors have to go! I hate them!

The outdoor living areas, though, are just incredible! That lovely back patio is magnificent - looking out over a billabong and our very own pet platypus! Both patio and 'carport' (which will be our outdoor living room) have gorgeous timber-lined ceilings. The living room has an amazing feature wall too - feature shelves against a mirrored background with down lights.

Lots of work to do to make it our own, but I think it will be fabulous when it's all done. I just can't wait for end July to come around so we can finally move in. Hopefully, by then this terrible virus will have been conquered!

the property sounds magical and, following Siriuskeys' suggestions changing the access between kitchen and laundry allows for a much more comfortable kitchen space with more wall for fridge and stove much more counter space all around and less traffic in the kitchen work area and more specific dimensions and structural details for the old hallway would allow for precise planning for the pantry, laundry and ironing station and could look something like this

and family bathroom like this

Interesting ideas, oklouise. I think I prefer the bigger pantry. I don't think the separate store would work very well given the limited space.

I'd love to make the bathroom as you've drawn it, but I fear there might be a cost issue there. I will look at moving the door as it certainly makes much more sense. I really don't get what the original designer was thinking. The layout was so illogical - and it's not an old home. It's not like the world hadn't embraced three-way bathrooms and big linen cpds opening into hallways already. Maybe doors to outside are fairly novel, though I put one in a house designed only 3 years after this one was built.

I will do some figuring, because I want to sheet over the tiles in the shower anyway, but I love the size of the present shower, and the way it's set up I can remove the glass screens and door (which, along with tile grout, I detest because of the cleaning!). Free-standing bath and sliding glass door would be great, but again it's down to cost as the walls are solid concrete and it would require a much larger cut. I'm investigating hinged doors with an inset window and narrow louvre sidelight, as there is currently a 1200 wide x 1800 high window mounted 300mm off the floor - so would just require that lower 300mm cut out. Of course the lower cost of a sliding glass door might offset the cutting cost. I need to get quotes.

That larger linen cpd would sure be nice though.

Great plan OKL, once again shows how important it is to move that kitchen door so the pantry laundry garage will flow through light filled spaces, and the kitchen layout so much better with great bench space, lovely..

I have always considered a laundry chute for the Master bed, I have marked two spots for consideration.

And why not a wine cellar, just enough space to stand among the bottles, just another thought, this will still allow for a 60 bench and 30 open shelves to hold pantry supplies in matching containers in the walk through butlers pantry

Just a few more suggestions.

Some of the designers ideas are "different" for a young house, I actually thought it was an 80's like mine.

Re access to and from the family bath, I would consider leaving the 30 ledge and creating the opening above it.

Thanks - again - siriuskey. Great ideas. I did think about the laundry shute. The bathroom position is a challenge given the design of the shower and tiles (although I want to sheet over the tiles to eliminate the grout lines and give the room a lift - the tiles are really dull and unappealing!) The bedroom location is easier but it depends which way we decide to position the dressing table. If the dresser is pushed up near the wardrobe, I could get a shute in through the side wall into the corner. Given the fit-out of the broom cpd (which is rather cleverly done) I'd rather not put the washing basket in there. If it went into the corner, it would have to be above the bench, as the corner has those natty corner-opening drawers and they are really well done. Would be a shame to have to lose them. More thought needed on that issue.

I think I'll give the wine cellar a miss and keep the larger butler's pantry, as I can put the upright freezer on the back wall with a bench next to it for packing frozen foods, bins under for vegies etc., and floor to ceiling shelving opposite for canned and packet food stores. We are turning half the garage into a music room and there will be a small storeroom next to it where wine can be stored. Hubby buys wine by the carton, but other than his 4-6 cartons, there are only ever maybe half a dozen bottles in the house. I'm not a drinker really.