Upcoming Renovation: Floor Plan Problem: Need Two Rooms to serve Three Functions (open floor plan, counter)

[Hopes]

One of your rental houses has become vacant, and we've decided to renovate the house instead of finding new tenants.

The house is approximately 1000 sq ft. Two rooms on the first floor and two rooms and a bath on the second floor.

The two rooms on the first floor are divided by a stairwell between them. Each are approximately 250 sq ft each--- 18' x 14'.

My problem is that I need an eating area. Currently, one room is a living room, and the other room is an eat in kitchen. I'd like the new kitchen to have an eating area at an island or a peninsula, but there won't be room for a kitchen table if I go that route. I'm wondering if people would mind having to put a table in their livingroom if they want table eating area. Or should I just give up the idea of an island and a peninsula and keep the eat-in-kitchen concept it currently has?

There's a huge patio with garden off of the kitchen which makes for a very nice table eating area through most of the year. But I'm not sure if people who can only afford small houses would be upset not to have full access to a dining table year round. Afterall, Christmas and Thanksgiving occur during the cold weather months. I would simply opt for buffet style meal if this were my house.

I personally would rather have an amazing kitchen and put a smaller table in the living room area. Is this realistic for what buyers want though? Keep in mind that this is a small house for first time homebuyers. It can't be expected to have everything for its size and price range.

Opinions? Ideas?

[Hopes]

Here are some of my ideas.

----build a kitchen with the flooring under the island so it can be moved if someone wants and eat-in-kitchen.

or

----add a little peninsula so there's room for a table. Sort of like in the picture below, but not with the cabinets on the back wall angled.



I'll be posting floor plans and before/after pictures when we start this renovation.

Need help with this planning stage. I have no idea what buyers of smaller, low end homes want from a house.

[FutureBettyCrocker]

Personally I would want an area where I could put a dining table. I would not buy a house unless it had that option. But then again my friend bought a very small house, 750 sq ft. and didn't mind having a tiny table in the living room area. I'm assuming that this is a 2 bedroom? Sounds like it would be for a small family depending on your location. In all honesty I would forgo the island so a table can be placed. It would appeal to more buyers because you would not be excluding families. On dining area makes me think young college grad.

[Cecilia_Rose]

How about using a tall rectangular/square industrial type table with locking wheels and tall chairs. Put it where you want it. Use as extra counter space or use as a dining table. Could be moved closer to living room for big party if needed. Or even wheeled outside.

[Hopes]

I hear you both, and I'm taking your advice that I need to allow the options of a kitchen table! Thanks!

Allowing room for a table in the kitchen does give people the option of putting it in the kitchen or the living room.

Would this be too small of a table area below? (I'd actually be able to give the table area more space than that since the kitchen is 18 feet long.)



How about combining an island and table, like this picture?



If you read the link for the second picture, it was designed to solve the same problems and the house sold quickly.

It also looks like the table and the island aren't stationary and both can be moved around. Hmmmmmmm.........might be a good solution.

Stewart & Bloom Design Group â€Â¢ Interior Design

It's really hard to find pictures with examples of small eat-in-kitchens since most designs are for open floor plans.

Since the stairwell comes down in the middle of the house, there is no way to create an open floor plan.

The stairwell has been opened up so it feels open, but that doesn't change the fact that I need to fit a decent kitchen and a table into a 18' x 14' kitchen area.

To make things more difficult, there are three entrances at each corner of the kitchen---one to the patio, one to the basement, and one to the living room.

I'll draw up a floor plan of the first floor and post it.

[FutureBettyCrocker]

I like the first picture as it makes the eating area more formal as its set separate from the kitchen. The 2nd picture it great but I would assume there is another separate eating area as it looks more like a breakfast bar then a dining area. The first picture I could see thanks giving dinner for a small family, the 2nd I cant see that taking place. Even though I love the function of picture 2, I would be more interested in buying picture 1. What is your target buyer? What is the neighborhood like (Singles, young families, retirees)? Also, if you did something like picture 2, it looks like you may be able to put some bar stools up to the counter. And over hand of 8-11 inches would be great and would not require extra support brackets (speaking of solid surface)

[Ohiogirl81]

I'd rather have space for a full-sized table in the kitchen than an island or a peninsula.

[Racelady88]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

I'd rather have space for a full-sized table in the kitchen than an island or a peninsula.

Me too. What I would not want at all is to have to put my table in the living room.

[Ceece]

I would do what you can to make an amazing eat in kitchen. There doesn't have to be an island or pennsula to make that happen. 18' x 14' is a good size area, you should be able to do something really nice with that with proper planning.

I don't know if it's possible for you but when we renovated we actually had to move our kitchen to the other side of the room, to an interior wall, so the table area was on the outside wall. Then we built a 3' x 10' bay bump-out with windows where the table would be, creating an actual dining "area" that had a distinctly different look and feel from the "L" shaped working kitchen. Seperating the two areas is a small island, and because the table could be pushed over into the bump out there is plenty of walk around room.

There was a large heavy tarp covering up the hole in the wall while the bump out was being constructed. The contractor had mentioned that it was alot of $ and work for such a small thing and he didn't think it was worth it for 3 feet...until that tarp came down. Everyone was in awe of how such a little thing could make such a big difference.

[mamaecho]

I forgoed having a dining room table because I just hate hate hate the idea of having a table in my living room.. I would have loved the option of the last picture with the island/table!