Internal window - kitchen to playroom

mrsWhippy

Hi there,

We've been toying with the idea of putting an internal window between our kitchen and the playroom which share a wall (new build) - it's probably either a really brilliant idea or a really crap one

Our youngest will be 1 and a half when we move in and thought the ability to peek in and see what they're up to while cooking etc would be very handy. In addition to this, we would gain the morning light from the playroom into the kitchen which is at the back of the open plan area, and visa versa in the afternoon/evenings.

The architect seems to think this is a great idea, but I can't help feeling we might regret this in years to come, though I'm sure we could easily block it in. Any opinions or comments?

Here is an image of the type of thing we envisage:


Cheers

Calahonda52

CCTV a much cheaper option.
I think u have over cooked the expected lighting benefits given the sparse detail provided in terms of dimensions

BryanF

mrsWhippy wrote: »

regret .. easily block it in..

slimjimmc

If you really feel the need to monitor your child then CCTV would be much better than the window idea. With the window you'll have a blind spot near the dividing wall so you'll likely just end up running in an out anyway when the kid moves out of view.

sillysocks

We built an extension recently where the playroom would back onto the kitchen. From the very start I wanted a window like that between them (found it hard to find as good a picture online of one as you have there!). We had a 1 and 3 year old so much the same as you.

My husband wasn't as fussed on it and eventually the architect told us because we weren't 100% in agreement to just build up the walls as normal walls (even to just stud walls/plasterboard or whatever) and then look at it when we could fully visualise it all and it would be easily put in then if we wanted.

We did that and in the end I was fully swayed the other way and we never did the window. One of main deciding factors was that the door to the kitchen and door to the playroom were very close so it's easy hear what's going on. Also it meant those walls wouldn't have been useable for pictures or any higher furniture, plus it stopped the playroom from being flexible. eg we were half thinking in time we might stick a sofa bed in there and may have people sleep there but they're not going to want to be looked into by the kitchen. The kids really are only small for a year or two, already our two (2&4) can be left play on their own in the playroom-it's set up that there's not much damage they can cause in there and we're never far away.

It probably would be handy for maybe a year, but after that not so much, as kids get older they'll no doubt want privacy with friends over etc, so really you're shaping the house for just a year or two and then it's not needed anymore.

As I say I was totally sure that's what I wanted, but was swayed and don't regret not having it at all.

*edit we wouldn't have had the light benefit as the light in the playroom comes from the side of the room and kitchen is bright anyway so that didn't come into it for us.

mrsWhippy

sillysocks wrote: »

We built an extension recently where the playroom would back onto the kitchen. From the very start I wanted a window like that between them (found it hard to find as good a picture online of one as you have there!). We had a 1 and 3 year old so much the same as you.

My husband wasn't as fussed on it and eventually the architect told us because we weren't 100% in agreement to just build up the walls as normal walls (even to just stud walls/plasterboard or whatever) and then look at it when we could fully visualise it all and it would be easily put in then if we wanted.

We did that and in the end I was fully swayed the other way and we never did the window. One of main deciding factors was that the door to the kitchen and door to the playroom were very close so it's easy hear what's going on. Also it meant those walls wouldn't have been useable for pictures or any higher furniture, plus it stopped the playroom from being flexible. eg we were half thinking in time we might stick a sofa bed in there and may have people sleep there but they're not going to want to be looked into by the kitchen. The kids really are only small for a year or two, already our two (2&4) can be left play on their own in the playroom-it's set up that there's not much damage they can cause in there and we're never far away.

It probably would be handy for maybe a year, but after that not so much, as kids get older they'll no doubt want privacy with friends over etc, so really you're shaping the house for just a year or two and then it's not needed anymore.

As I say I was totally sure that's what I wanted, but was swayed and don't regret not having it at all.

That's really useful, thanks so much. Never really thought about losing the flexibility of the wall in the playroom/study. Cheers for that!

sillysocks

mrsWhippy wrote: »

That's really useful, thanks so much. Never really thought about losing the flexibility of the wall in the playroom/study. Cheers for that!

No problem, it actually made us rethink where the doors to both rooms would be, kitchen door is at the end of the hall and originally the architect had playroom door at the opposite end of the hall, for no real reason only that there was slightly more space for it. So when we were thinking about the window more we got the idea to move the playroom door to the end of the hall so it's right beside the kitchen (come out kitchen door and it's a sharp right into the playroom), that means it's easy to hear and also easy to get in in a hurry if there's hair pulling going on (which is our 2 year olds favourite past time these days!).
So many decisions- we only did an extension with two rooms so can't imagine planning a whole house!!