How would you change the layout?

[ireneadler101]

Hi all,

We're about to exchange soon on a new house, but it needs lots of work and a definite re-design of the layout.

We love the double reception rooms and are planning on putting double doors between them. We'll get rid of the dilapidated conservatory and will probably knock through the partitions in the kitchen to make one big kitchen/diner with doors onto the garden. We will also reduce from 6 beds to 5 (the 6th bed is a joke).

My problem is bathrooms - we ideally need a guest loo downstairs, and a family bathroom upstairs. Obvious choice is the bedroom opposite the stairs but the soil pipe is over by the existing bathrooms, which makes it tricky. Any suggestions?

I should add that the weird partition in the front living room will be going immediately!

Jesus, that's a warren. Yes, knock out all the rooms at the back leaving the bathroom as a utility with a small loo partitioned off in it? Or better, bathroom as a utility and the end bit of the morning room as a guest loo (the bit behind the staircase and make the entrance to the cupboard under the stairs from the hall)? Speak to a plumber but I think that a bathroom could be put in the funny room at the back of the first floor if the joists are deep enough to allow for a soil pipe (they only need a very small incline to carry the waste away).

In our flat, I would change the door hinges so the internal doors open against the walls rather than into the wardrobe space and into the reception area. I would also make the hallway doors (bathroom and storage cupboard) sliders so they don't take up the entire hallway when open.

I would also install a proper pantry in the kitchen so I don't have to keep the food all over the place.

Otherwise we are quite lucky. It's a relatively new build (mid-late 2000s), open plan kitchen/dining/lounge with two large bedrooms and two decent bathrooms.

Could you fit a downstairs loo in what's currently the morning room, in line with the width of the stairs so you get a little continuation of the hall into your new big kitchen diner? If the house isn't adjoined on that side it's not too far to run round to the soil pipe that must already be at the back.

Could you knock through the two front bedrooms and then take out some space to expand the current family bathroom?

Sadly the house is adjoined next to the stairs so running a soil pipe might be tricky - but maybe not impossible as current loo is quite close by.

It's just occurred to me that there is a bathroom more or less underneath the funny shaped bedroom so that means it should be possible to run a loo from that room.

Oh I hadn't noticed the one at the back. Agree with lala then!

I know my post was little things but to me they are day to day annoyances about our place and if you can consider that in your planning you may be better off.

Why don't you list the rooms/spaces you need and then see what you can change to suit? Do you need (or rather would you use) a formal dining space or is a table near your kitchen enough? Walk in robes are, IMO, not usually the best use of space, but if you can do a long robe that has shelves or hanging on both sides (kind of like a corridor) then it's much more efficient and you can fit more in.

A dedicated utility room, if you can manage it, is ESSENTIAL. Especially if you can have a door to outside that leads to the clothesline for the 2 weeks/year clothes can be hung out. You can also incorporate a linen cupboard in a utility so you don't have to keep sheets and towels in bedrooms.

I personally like open plan and don't like the English way of having lots of little rooms. It makes even large houses seem cramped and poky. I know everyone goes on about it being very noisy and smells from cooking permeating the house. Let's be honest, how often do you cook something you would be unhappy to smell outside of a closed up kitchen?

Please, please steer clear of wallpaper. Again, I know some people love it, but bleugh!!!

Plenty of storage, unless it's likely to encourage you to hoard.

Thanks for comments so far - I hadn't thought about moving the bathroom to the funny little bedroom (which in reality is currently a kitchenette!!) - good idea. Laundry room/utility room would be brilliant if I can work it in somehow...

I've released my inner designer on your house plans, hope you don't mind!
If this was my home, this is what I'd do.

What Wookie suggests 100%

I love it! Well done :)

Thank you! [blushing profusely! ]

Thanks so much - I would never have thought of doing it that way!

Wookie - OT but what app/download did you use? And did you use the OP's jpeg as the basis or did you have to redraw? Thanks!

It was just a doodle app.

Hi all,

Our surveyor has finally drawn up the plans for our house. The bit I'm finding most tricky is the first floor, and thought I'd canvas opinion on what he's come up with. I've asked him to keep the doors in the main hallway as they are, as they are the original Victorian doorways and I'd like to keep them if poss. I'm also planning on moving the bed in the master bedroom so that we can reinstate the fireplace (totally impractical but I've always wanted a fireplace in my bedroom :-)).

What do people think?

What are the dimension on the 2 smaller bedrooms? I think is a good use of space - nice master, nice big family bathroom, two decent rooms for children/gusts.

Did you especially want there to be a door into the hallway that the 2 beds go off?
I would rather than that open otherwise that hallway will be very dark.

Also - what a great job thewookieswife did on the plans!

I know - brilliant eh! We could potentially remove the door into the bedroom hallway, so that it's just an opening, as I think you're right - it will be dark otherwise.

Not sure on dimensions but I think the rooms will be big enough. Another point to raise with the surveyor/architect!

Anyone would think she's a pro that changed her username to do a freebie !!

Tee hee !!

rumbled !!!! Lol !