Need ideas for 80's kitchen renovation

[NikiG]

Hi all,

I'd love some advice and suggestions on how we can renovate our kitchen.  We are planning to renovate the whole house but this is our starting point.  We'd like to knock down the walls in the current kitchen to give our home an open plan feel.  However, I'm not sure how to set out the new kitchen to maximise space.  I'd also love a big pantry so we were considering moving it to the family/dining area or the rumpus area.  We're also planning to square off the front door and fill in the sunken lounge so it is the same floor level as the rest of the house.

Please help with some fresh ideas.  I'd so appreciate some help!

[EricL]

Hello @NikiG 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your kitchen.

I suggest having a quick look at this guide - How to plan a kitchen renovation by @Adam_W. I also recommend looking at the - Top 10 most popular kitchen projects. In the meantime, please give me some time to draw up a sample layout of your kitchen. As soon as I'm done, I'll post it here.

Thank you for your patience.

Eric

[Jason]

Hi @NikiG,

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community.

Let me tag some experienced renovators to see if they might like to share their thoughts on your kitchen:

@Renowayoflife, @redbournreno, @2Belindas, @homeinmelbourne     

We look forward to seeing how you can transform the space. 

Jason

[JacobZ]

Hi @NikiG,

From a practical standpoint, the first step you should take while planning your renovation is to confirm whether the walls in the kitchen are load-bearing or not. If the partition wall in your kitchen is supporting the roof, then you will need to speak with an engineer to design a suitable method of reinforcement if you'd like to remove it.

Looking at the size of the space, I would be surprised if these walls were not load-bearing.

Jacob

[EricL]

Hello @NikiG 

Thank you for your patience. I've finished the sample kitchen layout and have moved your kitchen to the dining area. The design could technically be transferred over to the family room, but you have more solid wall space in the dining area. You currently have a linen cabinet right next to your laundry, that door will need to be transferred into the laundry room itself so that the wall outside can accommodate the refrigerator and the pantry. The rest of the proposed design is fairly straightforward along with an island that doubles as a dining table.   

Please have a good look and tell me what you think.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric