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To remove or not to remove

Marilyn Campbell
13 days ago

I am planning to completely gut my 70’s kitchen but I have a dilemma with the layout. My house is an 1100 sq. ft. bungalow with a small kitchen. At one end of the kitchen is a hallway that extends from the living area to the back door and the stairs to the basement. The dining area is at the other end of the kitchen. Currently there is a short wall (the other portion being removed some time ago) separating the kitchen from the hallway. This short wall currently has the stove on it. I would like to remove this partial wall to open the space. The problem is where to put everything when the wall is removed. Once the wall is gone then the kitchen has four entrances…one in each corner. It is too wide to be an efficient galley kitchen but too narrow for an island. Do I make use of the third wall for appliances, or leave it as a galley style kitchen? Or should I leave the short wall in place? When I first tackled this problem, I thought that by removing that wall I’d be adding space to the kitchen but I soon realized that really, the hallway would still be “there” but just shifted over a few feet into the kitchen. So, I’m not sure if removing it is a good idea. I am planning to widen the doorway between the dining area and the living room to approximately 8 ft. but I don’t want the full open concept. There are two adults, no children. I’d like a main prep area but don’t know where to put it. As it is now I have only the lazy-susan and the cupboard above it as a pantry. There is also a small island on wheels that we use for prep. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!










Comments (19)

  • PRO
    Debbi Washburn
    13 days ago

    My first thought is to see about putting the stove on the staircase wall and moving the entry over. Something like this:


    You just need to be careful of that yellow dimension. Use angled end cabinets to help with the flow of traffic through that area.

    Marilyn Campbell thanked Debbi Washburn
  • Marilyn Campbell
    Original Author
    13 days ago

    Thank you Deb...that's a good idea.

  • dan1888
    13 days ago

    This space will see flow compromises. I like the counter run along the staircase wall. I'd put a counter-depth frig at the living room end. Remove the wall between the living room and the kitchen that now holds the frig. You now have room for a good sized island. I'd remove the window over the sink and do a slide-in induction 30" Bosch industrial or Frigidaire range in that location with an exhaust hood. The island gets a 24" sinkbase with a single bowl sink with interior dimensions of 21x18. DW on the side that doesn't conflict with the range. You'll need recessed 4" led lights 6" in from the counter edge for task lighting at the work zone areas. Two to either side of where you stand to use the counter or sink to avoid shadowing. All lower cabinets are wide drawer units.

    Marilyn Campbell thanked dan1888
  • Marilyn Campbell
    Original Author
    12 days ago

    Thank you, Dan. Sounds interesting. I'll have to draw that up to get a feel of what you are suggesting. Do you mean remove the entire living room/kitchen wall to make it open concept? When you say put the fridge at the living room end do you mean on the center wall or the outside wall? I like look of open concept but our kitchen is often messy since we both cook a lot so I had left that option off. Also that wall is load bearing so that would entail extra $. Sounds beautiful though. I could put two windows in on either side of the range..

  • palimpsest
    12 days ago

    If you use the back door a lot, removing that wall and shifting the range over creates a major traffic pattern right across the front of the range, which is a problem that you do not have with the wall in place. I don't think you gain as much as you lose by doing so.

    Marilyn Campbell thanked palimpsest
  • jo mu
    12 days ago

    If you want to remove that wall you can create an island with the stove and range in the island


    But you'd have to get rid of all the cabinets where the fridge is that would become a pass through and you'd move the fridge left of the dishwasher sink area and no more lazy susan


    Your island can be about 32 inches deep and span the length of kitchen wall

    Marilyn Campbell thanked jo mu
  • PRO
    JAN MOYER
    12 days ago
    last modified: 12 days ago

    Try not to faint......







    If anything, you need MORE wall, not less.

    "There are two adults, no children. I’d like a main prep area but.............."

    No kids equals no grand kids ? Sometimes ? Never?

    I think you could pick a poison - or not.

    I stole the "hallway" inches for the kitchen ( 36" ? and stole a bedroom for dining with friends or family or whomever.

    Yes, took the wall, and that is x's out

    Scary below? Do you NEED 3 beds?

    Not to mention.....

    "I like look of open concept but our kitchen is often messy since we both cook a lot"



    You could add the dimensions of all the other spaces? Show your current living room?

    Marilyn Campbell thanked JAN MOYER
  • Marilyn Campbell
    Original Author
    12 days ago

    Thanks everyone! You've given me lots to think about. Dan, I watched the video and am now rethinking my whole plan. There is no second story so I'll make a drawing of the space with wall removed and check out costs. I really like the idea of the two windows with the range with hood in between. It probably means more money but I want to get this right the first time.

  • Marilyn Campbell
    Original Author
    12 days ago

    Thanks Jan, I did post a drawing of the entire house, main floor, above. I laughed at the "don't faint"!....right, hard not to. I hate the thought of all the disruption that the kitchen will cause, let alone tackling other rooms!! The room you designated as dining is currently a den with TV, computer, couch etc. I had thought of removing the wall between the living area and that room but the logistics of where the closets would go or maybe losing the closets were daunting. That would also entail replacing the current flooring but i might have to do that anyway.

  • marylut
    12 days ago

    If you don’t want open floor plan here is another option…Keep traffic out of your Kit work area by extending the hallway wall and creating a new opening from LR, reconfigure kitchen layout to a galley kitchen with new wall separating Kit from DR, place Fridge at end of cabinetry run close to LR, vent cooktop outside, add a wall oven and put separate MW by Fridge where it is used. If you need more landing space by wall oven put cart under window or switch DW and wall oven.

    Marilyn Campbell thanked marylut
  • PRO
    JAN MOYER
    12 days ago
    last modified: 12 days ago

    I figured it might have been a study or something : )

    The point I think is...how long will you be in the house, how do you want to live while you are there. Where do you watch tv......do you have guests and where do you eat? Can you have a tv in the living room? Do you WORK from home, or you're clinging to more computer than you need.......when a lap top or even an I pad would suffice.

    If you want a really great omelette? You need to crack up the eggs: ) Mess with it once, and especially when floors are involved,

    Marilyn Campbell thanked JAN MOYER
  • Marilyn Campbell
    Original Author
    12 days ago

    Thanks, Marylut...that is an interesting idea but my goal was to remove walls, not put extras in! Funny, but there was a wall there between the kitchen and dining area that the previous owner had put in (although he had the doorway in a more awkward place). I removed it maybe thirty years ago to open up the space. I've always hated the lazy susan area because it can get cramped between a person using the stove and someone at the sink. That was why I wanted that half wall gone...and to let light in from the back door. I get that your idea adds tons of handy, useable wall space for cupboards etc. But i think the house is too small for dividing the space up. Thank you anyway... love all these different ideas...gets me thinking.

  • Marilyn Campbell
    Original Author
    12 days ago

    Thanks Jan, we probably have another ten to 15 years here...if all goes well :-). TV in the den...happy with it there. I don't want it in the living room as it kills conversation. Guests occasionally...yes, i work from home but my work area is in the basement. I agree with the omelet analogy...I only get one chance at this so my first thought is go big or go home. The floors add an extra complication as changing the living area means changing the entire main floor.

  • marylut
    10 days ago

    How about this? Or do you want the kitchen open to the LR?

    Marilyn Campbell thanked marylut
  • marylut
    10 days ago

    Open to LR

    Marilyn Campbell thanked marylut
  • Marilyn Campbell
    Original Author
    9 days ago

    Thanks for all these ideas. They are helpful as I'm getting a much better understanding of what i want now. And what I don't want. I tried a variation of this idea on a kitchen planner but giving up that entrance to the hallway in question has been nixed even though it would mean an efficient L shape. We decided we use both the basement steps and the back door too much for that to be blocked off. So this is good...it's narrowing down my choices.

  • PRO
    Debbi Washburn
    8 days ago

    Here is a 3d of the thought I had. It's not perfect , but it gives you a bigger space. The doorway is moved over and the opening of the dining room is 7ft.




    The angled walkway to the back door is about 40" - wider than what you have now.

  • marylut
    17 hours ago

    @Debbi Washburn, where would the dining area be?