Mezzanine-calling all architects/interior designers!

[ocelot41]

We have just had an offer accepted on a great contemporary townhouse in a fab location. The only thing is the livingroom. It has a mezzanine in it, which cuts across nearly 2/3 of the room, making the ceiling where the sitting area would be quite low.

It feels a little claustrophobic tbh, which might be worsened by the lighting (downward facing spots). WWYD? Should I just leave it and see if I get used to it? Get an architect in to remove it and have one awesome double-height room? (One has already looked at the plans and says that it is possible). Or get a lighting/interior design bod in to help me work around it, to make that area cosy and welcoming instead?

Before you try anything too drastic, get a few table lamps for the side tables and see how the room feels with lower level lighting / ceiling lights off. Lamps often transform a room.

Thanks Intransige. Sounds a good tip. I was also thinking of maybe getting something else in to focus the eyes down, a patterned kilim maybe or a low bioethanol fire?

What is the mezzanine used for? Does it give you extra space? If so, are you happy to lose it?

I have seen a few townhouses with mezzanines and I quite liked them as they provided a bit of interest in what can be very boxy house styles. Suppose it's a matter of taste though!

Hi superking, the mezzanine only has bookshelves on it, which we would be happy to lose, and a cupboard (which could be accessed by the stairs). The house is massive - it is spread over 5 floors! So I don't think we would miss the space, although it could make that floor feel unbalanced as then it would only have a bedroom and an en suite bathroom on it. If we removed the mezzanine, we would have a double height room with floor to ceiling windows, looking out over a wooded area. But it is (I think?) a really big, disruptive job so I don't want to do it unless necessary. I don't want to end up avoiding the room that is meant to be the heart of my home!

What is the best thing to do? If I get an architect in to look at it, my hunch is they would try and persuade me to remove it? (as this is in their interests) If I get an interior designer in, they are probably going to persuade me it will be fine if I design around it (which is in their interests). I am new to both worlds so feel like a bit of a sitting duck!

It doesn't sound like you're in a rush. The best thing to do is live in it for a year, and see how you use all of the spaces and how you feel about the mezzanine.

Thanks Intransige. Any tips for finding a good designer or architect if we decide we need them?

We used this website to find ours : designfor-me.com/

Brilliant intransige. What was your experience like? Any lessons learned you would like to pass on?

Houzz is uselfull too !!

I'm an architect specialising in interior spaces and I would point out a few things. Double height spaces usually have acoustic challenges and a mezzanine can help mitigate that somewhat. So if you plan on having a TV or for the seating area to be a heavy social traffic area you may find yourself having issues with sound if you remove the mezzanine.

Also, whilst large double height spaces look really impressive they can actually feel quite uncomfortable psychologically, especially when you are seated lower. What works in a church or chapel (vast spaces instill a natural silence) doesn't always translate well in a home setting iyswim. Double height spaces also tend to dwarf furniture so I'd take in consideration added costs with this as things will often have to be customised or sourced at higher cost due to size.

Without seeing plans/photos I couldn't say one way or the other, if the ceiling is especially low under the mezzanine (as in you could paint the ceiling without the use of a ladder) then I could understand the inclination. It may also be a case of proportions, eg. if the mezzanine feels oversized in comparison to the rest of the room I can imagine it can feel somewhat oppressive.

For an honest appraisal of what is possible technically, seek out an engineer instead. I say this as an architect myself, we're usually trained to be designers of space with a focus on design and whilst we understand the theory and can do the calculations it's usually not part of our everyday practice. So we can easily say something can be done (and honestly almost anything can be done as long as you've got the funds, so it's an easy answer to give) and give a rough estimate of costs but an engineer will do a more thorough job and avoid situations where you're left with a stray constructive beam that needs an engineering and/or design solution, adding more unexpected costs. In new construction, things like mezzanines actually often are the result of an engineering solution dressed up as design rather than an intentional design feature, especially since they come with added costs vs. standard construction solutions.

Another thing to keep in mind (full disclosure I'm not in the UK, so may not be the case where you are), if the value of the house (and therefore your mortgage, etc.) is based on price/m2, physically removing floor space will impact that value and theoretically lower it on paper.

Thanks so much botemp. That is SUPER helpful! I am hard of hearing, so creating acoustic issues in the room where we watch telly is the last thing I would want. Hm, sounds like we probably are looking for interior/lighting design solutions then. Other than table lamps, does anyone have any bright ideas? I couldn't quite paint the ceiling standing, but I would only need a couple of steps to do so.

Is the floor of the mezzanine the same level as the floor of that storey of the house?

From what you describe, it sounds like the mezzanine may be at the standard height of a modern ceiling. It just looks low and oppressive relative to the rest of the room, with its soaring ceiling.

Can you work with that feeling of lowness by turning it into a cosy den, with low, wide seating and soft lighting?

A lounge type sofa that optically looks low to the ground may work along with strategic lighting. I'd switch out the spot lights for directional versions (you can often get it from the same manufacturer so requires little effort to switch out), and either adjust the bulb strengths or install a dimmer.

However, have you considered an in-between option of scaling back the mezzanine? At 2/3 covering the room currently, I don't think it even truly qualifies as a mezzanine (the standard here is 1/3 or less of the floor space below).

Is scaling back the mezzanine to a half or a third of its current size an option? Mezzanines that contain some ceiling height bookshelves and a built-in desktop (usually a bit shorter than standard) along the entire width of it can become really useful extra space for homework or working from home occasionally. It would depend on proportions and constructional limitations, of course, but that would be my first inclination to explore.

Live there before deciding. Really. You know what they say...live someone where for at least 6 months!

Re the designforme website, I found it was quite an easy process. The most important thing is scale of project (budget) and type of designer, to get a good match. We went for an architect designer due to the size of our project.

I've also found that builders and engineers are very helpful just in initial quotation / site visit type conversations. You may get extra ideas if you schedule a few of those, just be clear that you're in the investigative stage not yet at the point of purchase decision.

These are all great ideas. I think I would be much happier if it were possible to scale back the mezzanine by a third maybe. It just takes over the room as it is. All it needs to do is contain a desk and bookshelves! I think I will see if I can find an engineer to take a look! Also found some potential designers who I could approach after living with it for a wee while. Thanks everyone for your help and advice - I don't normally do this stuff!