Are you looking for a way to expand your kitchen but can't add space outward? One increasingly popular solution is to remove the adjacent dining room and expand the kitchen into it. But this move can have unexpected repercussions if not well-planned. How can you ensure yours is a success? Here are a few important do's and don'ts.
Do Add Other Dining Options
If removing the official dining area in your home, be sure you replace it with something else. Even a little-used dining area probably gets occasional use, after all. Instead, look at dining alternatives that fit your lifestyle. This could include a breakfast nook, a table placed in the kitchen itself, outdoor dining areas, and peninsula or island seating in the new layout.
Don't Remove a Useful Space
Just because getting rid of the dining room is a popular move doesn't necessarily mean it's right for you. If you do use your dining room on a regular basis, don't feel obligated to expand into it. With clever and creative use of space, modern kitchen storage technology, and an independent eye, you may be able to enlarge your kitchen and still keep the dining room.
Do Rethink Your Layout
With the additional space opened up by expanding into the dining room, take the time to rethink your entire kitchen layout. Expanding a galley kitchen, for instance, into an adjoining dining room might simply make it too long to be efficient. Instead, you may want to turn it into a U shape or make part of it a single wall kitchen that opens up into a larger G shape space. This is the time to explore the possibilities of a blank canvas.
Don't Use the Entire Space
Before you move kitchen work into the entire former dining room, consider other ways to split the space. A large formal dining room may provide multiple options for good space usage. You might want to leave room for a charging station, a homework station, a small home office, a coffee station, or a flex area for later use. Consider all the ways this free space could benefit your home.
Do Start With a Professional
Before you start swinging a hammer on your walls or dining room, start by meeting with a kitchen design professional. With their keen eye, they'll help you assess your options, find the best solution, and avoid making any changes that don't fit your lifestyle. Call today to make an appointment.
