To ask for your opinion on floor plan?

[apurplecar]

White one is the house we're buying. Purple is what Nextdoor have done.

Which would you choose and why?

I love the idea of having two living rooms, but I also love the idea of the huge dressing room!

Other ideas would also be really helpful!

So many options!

Definitely decided on a loft conversion which will include adding a bathroom on the second floor along with the staircase to the loft.

I'm very much attached to the idea of having the ground floor as the day living areas and having the drawing room on the first floor as evening tv room.

@HoldontoOneMoreDay

Is that existing dining room quite dark? You could possibly knock down the existing kitchen and do a very small extension across that current dead U shape, which would mean you could put in glass doors/big windows to get some light into the back.

No, the whole place has masses of light

If you have that much living space I'd want some sort of separation so they can be flexibly used.

@StrawberrySquash

If you have that much living space I'd want some sort of separation so they can be flexibly used.

Like sliding doors or something? Do you mean on the ground floor?

This is the current dining room so you can see how light it is

I can’t think of a room I’d hate to have more than a huge dressing room like that. A whole room to fill with clothes? I also in general dislike open plan where the living room opens into another room - kitchen/diner fine though.

I would love two separate living rooms - one for my almost-teens and one for us grown ups!

@JackieTheFart

I can’t think of a room I’d hate to have more than a huge dressing room like that. A whole room to fill with clothes? I also in general dislike open plan where the living room opens into another room - kitchen/diner fine though.

I would love two separate living rooms - one for my almost-teens and one for us grown ups!

Well, it would be a bedroom extension wouldn't it. Dressing table with makeup/hair stuff etc, chests of drawers and wardrobes. Leaving the bedroom for the bed and two bedside tables.

I like the idea. But I prefer having two living rooms more.

We would have these on the ground floor to break up the open plan a bit

I think the kitchen is better in the purple one.
The houses are really big.

@StrawberrySquash

If you have that much living space I'd want some sort of separation so they can be flexibly used.

I lived in a Victorian house that had (original) folding doors between the dining room and music room so that it could be opened up for dances. It was amazing for parties but great to be able have 2 separate rooms. You could have sliding doors that slide into the wall if you want them to "disappear".

How much would you really use a huge dressing room? A few minutes a day? Especially if you have such a big master bedroom (in the purple plan). It's just a giant wardrobe unless you have a dual use for the room eg a sofa for relaxing if you want some peace and quiet or a desk or sewing/craft space.

I wouldn't go for either plan, more a combination of both. Think about how you use your home and what you would get most enjoyment from and how you might use it in the future when your DC are older. Do you need work space? Study space in the future? Do you have many guests? Hobbies? Do you like to entertain? A playroom? You definitely need a bathroom on each floor though.

Also do you want three bedrooms or four, would the basement be like another living room so do you want to end up with three? Would a study get more use than a massive dressing room (obviously no)?! Do you prefer lots of smaller rooms or a fewer large one etc?

@apurplecar yeah I get that, but it looks like the bedroom is a decent size - how much room do you need?

Personally I am realistic about my ability to fill every available space with clutter

@apurplecar

This is the current dining room so you can see how light it is

Yeah that is light, you don't need to open that up any more.

There's an old Love it or List it - 2 guys in Edinburgh I think, though I'm from Edinburgh and that kitchen /diner layout is very common so I might be mis-remembering it. Anyway they moved the kitchen into the bigger room and had the original kitchen as a diner/utility. Was smaller than yours but worked really well.

If you do go full open plan it is a really good to be able to shut away the washing machine/dishwasher noise.

I could not live in an open plan layout like that. Would drive me around the bend.

@PurBal

I could not live in an open plan layout like that. Would drive me around the bend.

Like what?

Any additional bathroom would have to be at the back because that's where the plumbing is
I'd have solid double doors rather than glass so I could open and close up rooms completely
That glass looks odd, like you are trying to create a Japanese garden or something, you may as well not bother

@SimplyMarvellousDarrrrrrling

Any additional bathroom would have to be at the back because that's where the plumbing is I'd have solid double doors rather than glass so I could open and close up rooms completely That glass looks odd, like you are trying to create a Japanese garden or something, you may as well not bother

That glass is Crittal doors and originates from an iron monger in Essex in 1860.

Nothing to do with Japan, or gardens.

The white one looks like lots of wasted reception rooms - would you actually use a living room, drawing room AND a family room? Probably better off using the drawing room as a bedroom. I don't like that it has no bath in the main bathroom either.

But the purple one looks like a ridiculous waste of a bedroom for that dressing room given the size of the bedrooms on the floor above. I'd also advise against having such a big area open plan - it will be difficult to heat and noisy.

My preference is also always to have the living room at the back, rather than the kitchen, so that you can look at the garden from the sofa. So for the purple one I would have moved the kitchen to where they have the living room, family room would be the dining room and then I'd have the living area with the doors to the garden.

The Crittall doors will look very dated in a few years - too trendy (and ugly!)

@apurplecar and? Am I supposed to be impressed? That's what it reminds me of

Like the purple one. I don't like open plan living though. All those cooking smells.

@apurplecar

We would have these on the ground floor to break up the open plan a bit

That ruins the space, absolutely dreadful looking.

[quote SimplyMarvellousDarrrrrrling]@apurplecar and? Am I supposed to be impressed? That's what it reminds me of[/quote]
No, I don't expect you to be impressed. But you don't need to be rude.

This is a better photo of the crittal doors that I like.

@PattyPan

The white one looks like lots of wasted reception rooms - would you actually use a living room, drawing room AND a family room? Probably better off using the drawing room as a bedroom. I don't like that it has no bath in the main bathroom either.

But the purple one looks like a ridiculous waste of a bedroom for that dressing room given the size of the bedrooms on the floor above. I'd also advise against having such a big area open plan - it will be difficult to heat and noisy.

My preference is also always to have the living room at the back, rather than the kitchen, so that you can look at the garden from the sofa. So for the purple one I would have moved the kitchen to where they have the living room, family room would be the dining room and then I'd have the living area with the doors to the garden.

The family room is a basement, so not really wasting a room there.

There's only three of us so don't really need 5 bedrooms!