Hello everyone,
We have taken the plunge and purchased an older house. The existing kitchen is very small, so we would like to make some changes to the floor plan. Basically, it concerns the walls marked in red on the floor plan as 1, 2, and 3.
A structural engineer has already reviewed the situation and confirmed that walls 1 and 2 are load-bearing and must be supported if removed. Now there are two options under consideration:
Option 1:
Remove almost all of wall 1. The beam would then be placed against the exterior wall (so that the wall there is basically reduced to almost nothing). On the other side, about 15–20 cm (6–8 inches) would remain for the beam to rest on. Walls 2 and 3 would remain in place. This opens the kitchen toward the dining area but does not create a very open feeling.
Option 2:
In addition to wall 1, also remove wall 2. About 15–20 cm (6–8 inches) of wall 2 would remain in the corner adjoining wall 1, so the two wall remnants would form an “L” shape. Wall 3 could also be removed at the same time (it is not load-bearing). This would result in a nice, open area, but with the “L”-shaped wall remnant in the middle of the room.
Now my question: Which option would you prefer? I lean toward option 2 because the space would feel more open and modern. However, I am a bit concerned that this might be too much for the older structure and that the wall remnants in the middle of the room might not look right. I am also having some difficulty planning the kitchen with this option.
Do you have any ideas or suggestions?
We have taken the plunge and purchased an older house. The existing kitchen is very small, so we would like to make some changes to the floor plan. Basically, it concerns the walls marked in red on the floor plan as 1, 2, and 3.
A structural engineer has already reviewed the situation and confirmed that walls 1 and 2 are load-bearing and must be supported if removed. Now there are two options under consideration:
Option 1:
Remove almost all of wall 1. The beam would then be placed against the exterior wall (so that the wall there is basically reduced to almost nothing). On the other side, about 15–20 cm (6–8 inches) would remain for the beam to rest on. Walls 2 and 3 would remain in place. This opens the kitchen toward the dining area but does not create a very open feeling.
Option 2:
In addition to wall 1, also remove wall 2. About 15–20 cm (6–8 inches) of wall 2 would remain in the corner adjoining wall 1, so the two wall remnants would form an “L” shape. Wall 3 could also be removed at the same time (it is not load-bearing). This would result in a nice, open area, but with the “L”-shaped wall remnant in the middle of the room.
Now my question: Which option would you prefer? I lean toward option 2 because the space would feel more open and modern. However, I am a bit concerned that this might be too much for the older structure and that the wall remnants in the middle of the room might not look right. I am also having some difficulty planning the kitchen with this option.
Do you have any ideas or suggestions?
So nobody likes the pillar.
Yes, that is definitely an idea. However, I do find it a bit difficult to give up the “bedroom” – with 16 sqm (172 sq ft) it has a really good room size. Additionally, the entire living and dining area would then be over 55 sqm (592 sq ft). That is quite a lot – I don’t even have that much furniture ????
I’m not dismissing the idea though and will continue to consider it. The wall to the bedroom should actually not be load-bearing.
Yes, that could be a solution as well. Currently, there is a door in Wall 2 that would need to be filled in to create space for cabinets. However, that would mean the path to the kitchen through the dining area would be quite long.
Is that still reasonable or would it become annoying in the long run?
ypg schrieb:
Yes, personally I am more in favor of opening the former bedroom into the living space
Yes, that is definitely an idea. However, I do find it a bit difficult to give up the “bedroom” – with 16 sqm (172 sq ft) it has a really good room size. Additionally, the entire living and dining area would then be over 55 sqm (592 sq ft). That is quite a lot – I don’t even have that much furniture ????
I’m not dismissing the idea though and will continue to consider it. The wall to the bedroom should actually not be load-bearing.
Gerddieter schrieb:
Open kitchen to dining area. Wall 2 offers wall space for kitchen cabinets, etc.
Yes, that could be a solution as well. Currently, there is a door in Wall 2 that would need to be filled in to create space for cabinets. However, that would mean the path to the kitchen through the dining area would be quite long.
Is that still reasonable or would it become annoying in the long run?
BauFuks schrieb:
That’s quite a lot – I don’t even have that much furniture? Oh dear, there was actually a smiley at the end of the sentence that apparently wasn’t recognized by the forum. Now the sentence sounds a bit passive-aggressive – which was definitely not my intention! Please just imagine the ? as a 🙂 – unfortunately, I can’t edit the post anymore.
And to add: I understand that this is not a new build and some compromises have to be made here and there.
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