Massive guest en-suite, or smaller guest en-suite plus a book nook

[VenusClapTrap]

We are in the process of rebuilding the guest en-suite, which was a very old extension and was rotten.

For various structural reasons, the new room will be considerably larger than before - 5m x 2.8m. Which seems like overkill quite frankly, for a guest bathroom. The builder has suggested that we divide the space in two, and have a smaller (but still a good size) bathroom, and a second room which would be accessed from the end of the corridor between the guest rooms - there is already a blocked up doorway which used to lead to a small cupboard type room before the previous en-suite swallowed that up.

But what would we do with the other room? We already have an office, and a snug for the kids, and a music room. I don’t sew or do crafts. After looking for ideas on Pinterest, I’m wondering about a book nook - comfy sofa and floor to ceiling bookshelves. But I’m not totally convinced it would get used, despite dd’s enthusiasm, as the kids read in their bedrooms.

So I can’t decide. Just use the space for a massive bathroom, or make this other little room too? The room would have a window, so one advantage of the book nook would be that if we kept the door open (or didn’t have a door at all) it would allow a lot of light to reach what is at the moment quite a dark corridor.

What would you do? Please vote!

Oh my god I can’t think about the boyfriend/girlfriend situation yet! They are still at primary school. But yes, that could work for a sneaky snog 😱

No need for a kitchenette really. PIL are abroad (forrin) and would never want to live here. DF is too antisocial.

@VenusClapTrap

Oh my god I can’t think about the boyfriend/girlfriend situation yet! They are still at primary school. But yes, that could work for a sneaky snog 😱

No need for a kitchenette really. PIL are abroad (forrin) and would never want to live here. DF is too antisocial.

It would eventually end up as a nookie nook.

TooTired that’s interesting that you had this dilemma too and went with the big bathroom. I do suspect that a book nook might just hardly ever get used.

It would eventually end up as a nookie nook. grin

OMFG

A nookie nook would though 😂😂

And my DCs were in primary school yesterday and now there’re in their 20s.

reaches for the sloe gin

Mine are now 27 and 30 and I can tell you, that you’re going to need more than gun.

GIN! Though a gun might come in handy too!

Lillian, I don’t think I’ll be resorting to shooting them, no matter what antics they get up to

A book book sounds fab!

A linen or storage cupboard could be useful? Or even a dedicated laundry room (seeing as it's next to a bathroom, plumbing should be easy)?!

...although if home schooling continues much longer...

I’d go for the nookie-er I mean book nook.
You could call it the ‘library’ if you ever went to sell your property, or ‘second study’ if you put a desk in there or one of the cupboards could fold down like a bureaux does into a writing table type thing. Extra rooms add value.

Dressing room for the girls?

I like the idea of a book nook. But if it was me, with plumbing etc already going on I would move your utility to upstairs and then change the utility to a boot/plant room. I'd love not having to have washing lying around downstairs. Although I suppose it might be a pain for using the washing line?

Would the huge window letting light into the hallway make a big difference? If it does that would swing it for me. You could a glazed door in...

It may only get occasional use but how delightful to have it as such.

If your children ever want another space,
A small space for thinking, reading, sketching and so on. Then why not? I think having big spacious family rooms are heavenly but we all need our little private spaces too.

Go for it I say.

I would definitely go with splitting the space. What’s the point of a huge bathroom really? Even if you can’t quite think what the new little room will be used for right now (reading nook is a great idea though), as your dc get older you’ll undoubtedly find a use for it. Possibly as a little bolt hole for yourself when you need a sanity break from the family .

If it really can look like your photo I'd love it, especially with a lovely glazed door!

I don’t need a linen cupboard because I’ve got a nice old built-in airing cupboard in the family bathroom that I use for that. I like my washing machine downstairs because I’m a hanger-outerer, so it’s easier for washing line access. I have a drying cupboard for winter use next to the boiler already.

I’m not sure guests need a separate dressing room really - people don’t generally bring enough clothes with them to warrant more than a standard wardrobe, which both guest rooms already have. The dc definitely aren’t getting a dressing room, and anyway their rooms are at the other side of the house so it wouldn’t make much sense.

I think we’ll mull it over, over the weekend, but I’m definitely leaning towards the nookie book nook.