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Hi there, we are a family of 3 living in a 2 bedroom two storey townhouse. Have just had a little addition to the family and so am wanting to renovate our downstairs living area to make her (bub) more visible and open up the living space area.
I will get a builder in to complete and assist as there is hopefully going to be some bigger structural changes - ie. opening kitchen to living so pulling down a wall or else part of (depending on the loadbearing necessity of the wall).
Main goals are
1. open up living space to join kitchen to living room through removing the wall section or if needed leaving a structural part of the wall and make it a bit of a statement pillar with wood cladding.
2. if able to open up fully, have an island bench with a lower set timber surround for a dining table (make up for the lack of space)
3. potentially moving laundry into small area in garage - to then free up the 'laundry room' to become an office/spare space. would remove the pantry from laundry space and incorporate pantry storage into new kitchen thus allowing me to make the laundry/new room a bit bigger by eating into the garage
- here is the plans, my own very rudimentary new plans and photos
Any help much appreciated - let me know what more information or photos you might need?
I'm struggling mostly as I know I need to move the stove top but obviously need a floor to ceiling space so as to have a vent but because of the doors/windows there is not much option. My thoughts were to move the door into the 'laundry' and use that space for the stove top
Thanks
Great, thanks @Remarka6le I love that ceiling fan as that's my main concern with keeping the stove top where it is. I've been trying to find images/company that do more streamline fans like that. I'm hoping the current ducting would be suitable so it wouldn't be a hugh job to change the current system.
There'd be at least 10cm on the back of the stove top and I'm considering if I have a raised splashback ~ 5cm or so to catch some splatters and then have a raised bench off the back, like in the top photo here. The bottom image is sort of what I'm imaging for the extra beam that will be required when we knock the end wall.
We had considered removing the door and it would definitely give more space. We literally NEVER use that door and purely keep our recycling there. We're trying to keep away from anything that would require strata being involved so vetoed that.
You are also right about the fridge not fitting into the pantry - it would over hang 
so I'm stuck again as to where to rejig things to.
Another option is move the stove top to where the fridge is, open up that wall similar to last plan but more of a pennisula and then put fridge over by sliding doors on other side. I'll do a rough plan. It would be a little like this place
and now my other option draw up....( i really need to work on my sketch up ability!)
Thanks @Remarka6le
Can you do a quick sketch to show what you mean? I'm a bit confused. Where do you think I could squeeze the fridge/pantry?
I'm hoping to leave as much cabinetry in place as possible hence not moving the dishwasher... Like the idea of an integrated microwave.
@renonewbie Just trying to fit things in with the space that you have. With the same fridge space you have now, it would fit snug in between the two windows on that back wall, if you did this, you could have all your plumbing exclusivly on that back wall, so plumbed fridge, laundry tub, kitchen sink, dish washer and washing machine. You'd have to place the pantry in the study nook, it's the only place I could fit it without it standing out, removing that laundry door going outside would have been the idea pantry space.
Because you need a Laundry tub, it makes a washing machine impossible to go with (unless there's ones that fit under a tub that I'm unaware about) in that section, so you'd move it to the left just beyond the fridge. If you went with an Integrated Washing Machine & Integrated Dishwasher, you could hide both of these.
That leaves your oven and stove, which you would move over to where the fridge used to be. This gives you a massive prep / serving space next to it, as well as a large prep / drying / serving space on the back wall.
Just double-check those regulations on a WC opening into a kitchen @renonewbie. I don't believe a double kitchen sink would pass, as the idea is to keep germs from the bathroom out of the kitchen area. I'm not sure whether that laundry sink would work either, now that the wall is to be removed. I suggest that you'll need a sink within the WC. Also, I believe you need two doors to the kitchen from WC, or there might be a stipulation where an extraction fan can be utilised to negatively pressurise the WC and allow only one door.
Mitchell
Hello @renonewbie
It's great that you've received so many fantastic suggestions for your kitchen renovation from our members. The reason your kitchen roof is so low is that it's hiding the plumbing and electrical services for your second floor. In theory, you can use the space in front of your laundry door, it would just need to be permanently closed but not modified from the outside. The same goes for your laundry window, this will allow you to use the space without changing the appearance of the unit from the outside.
I'm afraid the laundry tub will need to be sacrificed for more benchtop space. I've drawn up a few possible configurations, but I suggest following my colleague's recommendation on checking with your local council on the rules and regulations of a WC door opening directly into your kitchen.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @EricL
Thanks so much for those sketch ups, they are amazing and yes you're right it's been great to bounce ideas off everyone and gather all their knowledge
So @MitchellMc is right about the door opening into kitchen soooo.... new plan is to keep that space for the laundry - I will still possibly knock out that wall and replace with timber vertical struts to allow a bit of light to come in from laundry to kitchen and still make it feel a bit more spacious. (I have timber vertical panelling along my stairs so it would tie it). I'll get rid of the door into the laundry. Given that the laundry will remain the laundry, I think the space from the toilet door to the kitchen will be adequate to keep them seperate.
I'll likely just block in the bottom half of the door (somehow) with cabinets so that I still get the light in.
I'll have to leave the fridge where it is, as I can't see where else it could go (now I've no laundry to move it to) and change from an island bench to a pennisula piece.
There will need to be one timber post coming down from that wall so need to work out where will be most functional and then need to decide if I want a raised backsplash or extend out the bench enough to catch food/oil spillages.
I'm hoping to have a ceiling mounted vent system to avoid a hang down one but need to find out the maximum height I can have from there to the stove top.
In the pantry I'll keep the microwave/kettle etc - potentially move all the bits I store in the overhead compartments in there too as they'll be gone.
What are your thoughts? Could I see a sketch up with the fridge still in place and it as a pennisula? Thanks muchly. So amazing.
Clare
Hi @renonewbie (Clare)
Allow me to re-draw that kitchen up for you, I'll post the updated version as soon as it's done.
Eric
Hello @renonewbie
Thank you for your patience, below is the updated render of your kitchen. I've placed the refrigerator back into its original spot and have removed the wall to give you that open breakfast area that you were after. If you wish to see the kitchen in another configuration, please let me know.
Eric
