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Original poster

Advice on room usage?

20 replies

whyismykid · 03/09/2017 16:16

Oh Wise Ones,

We are moving into a three story townhouse. It has three bedrooms on the top floor (two kids and is so that's easy) and then kitchen and reception 1 on the middle floor, reception 2 which has double doors to the small garden, and garage on the ground floor. (Plus like a gazillion bathrooms!).

I want a calm, quiet, grown up, toy free sitting room, and a fun, exciting, toys on display, arts and crafts, home corner type play room.

And.... I want to use one of the two receptions as a guest room (sofa bed or bed in a cupboard) - where we don't need to use the room for anything else when we have guests staying.

I think playroom in reception 2 on the ground floor - will have a sofa or two as well, sitting room/ guest room in reception 1, because the kids will always need to get to their toys and that room is going to look a bit crazy and won't be restful for guests to sleep in, plus it will be a sort of corridor to the garden as that's where the patio doors are.

Took my Mum to the house today and she disagrees, thinks we shouldn't give up our sitting room to guests. I think my mum probably sits down in the evening more than us, definitely watches more telly! We never watch TV when we have people staying, and we are more likely to have long dinners and stay in the kitchen, and if we need sofas after dinner we can sit in playroom but it's got me thinking. What would you do?

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LittleBearPad · 03/09/2017 16:21

I'd have the playroom with the kitchen, much more friendly with a sofa and TV then a grown up sitting room / guest room on the ground floor.

PurpleDaisies · 03/09/2017 16:22

I agree with littlebear, I'd miss having a grown up room to sit and relax in.

LittleBearPad · 03/09/2017 16:22

How often do you have guests?

Fifthtimelucky · 03/09/2017 16:30

It would depend on size of rooms and age of children. If they were very young, I'd want them in the middle of the house so they were never that far away. If they were a bit older and would be likely to go in and out if the garden themselves, I'd be more likely to have them on the ground floor.

Earslaps · 03/09/2017 16:38

I would have the cosy playroom/family room where the kitchen is so that you can keep an eye on the children playing whilst you are cooking. Then a calm grown up sitting room downstairs, where I'd probably put the sofa bed so guests get a bit of privacy.
As long as you've still got comfy sofas upstairs it won't be too upsetting to not have access to downstairs when you have guests.

Original poster
whyismykid · 03/09/2017 16:47

Interesting, thanks! The kids are five and two, I think I was just thinking that the free flow into the garden would be ideal... but maybe they wouldn't want to be that far away from me when they are playing...

We have quite a few visitors - we relocated about 300 miles away from friends and family at the beginning of the year and they all want to come and see us which is nice! There is also a guest shower room on the ground floor so maybe that does make more sense...

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Original poster
whyismykid · 03/09/2017 16:56

Reception one is slightly bigger (5.25m x 4.21)

Reception two is 5.25x3.81

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noenergy · 03/09/2017 16:57

Definitely go with guest room on bottom floor, more privacy for everyone

dertyyuoih2 · 03/09/2017 17:04

Your house sounds like our layout of our house, one think I will say is that the downstairs of the house gets rather cold in the winter. Everyone I've spoken to with the same type of house of me says the same.
So when playing usage I'd factor that in. The rest of the house is super snug, bar downstairs!

We use ours as a spare room with a sofa bed, also for when sleepovers are wanted the kids all sleep down there.
Ours isn't carpeted and has wooden flooring which adds to the coldness I think!

dertyyuoih2 · 03/09/2017 17:04

It's useful for a guest room also with the bathroom, we use that bathroom as our guest one.

Original poster
whyismykid · 03/09/2017 17:11

Great to hear from someone living with a similar layout, thanks derty!

I'm definitely warming to the guest room and sitting room on the ground floor, but let's say we had people staying in the summer and had a BBQ - we do this a lot, big BBQ fans - would it be a bit strange to have everyone trapsing through the guest room to get to the garden? Or if the kids want to play out?

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namechangedtoday15 · 03/09/2017 18:15

I think you've got to think how you'll use the house on a day to day basis. Even if you hosted a BBQ every weekend in summer, that 10? 15? occasions when traipsing through the guest room might be an issue. You'll use a playroom next to the kitchen every day though - can't imagine how cooking lunch / dinner would work if you have kitchen on one floor and a 5 and 2 year old playing on a completely different floor!

Earslaps · 03/09/2017 18:20

You can probably find a way to maintain the guests' privacy if you're careful about the layout. That way it won't be too difficult to go in and out of the garden, as long as yours not sending the children through there at 8am Grin I think most people are understanding when they visit people with children that they won't necessarily get a luxurious private spare room. Maybe a folding room divider thing could work.

Another option for guests is giving both children trundle beds- then they can move in with each other when guests come and the guests get one child's room.

Earslaps · 03/09/2017 18:22

My DC are 5&8 and, even though they have a playroom on the ground floor, they still prefer to drag their toys into the lounge so they can play near us and talk at us constantly. The playroom seems to function more as a very large cupboard Hmm.

mooneypie · 03/09/2017 19:59

Put a bunk bed in one dc room upstairs, so they can both sleep in it when you have guests. Then their biggest room becomes the guest room. Then you have 2 proper living spaces and don't need to worry about guests sleeping in them 😄 I think at this age they will play in both depending on where you are so just get good storage. In 5 years time I'd give them the room with access to garden. In 10 years, id reclaim it!

Original poster
whyismykid · 03/09/2017 20:44

Thanks all, really useful insight and lots to think about. Earslaps - that is totally what will happen with my lot - now seems silly that I wasn't thinking about it in that way! And you are right about the times that will happen namechange - I think I'm over thinking it!

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PocketNiffler · 03/09/2017 21:18

I think this layout works best with a deck and stairs down from French doors off the living room on the first floor, is adding that a possibility?

We have a sofa bed in the playroom and one in the living room. Different rooms work better for different guests.

another20 · 04/09/2017 09:14

Def keep playroom and toy storage as close as possible to kitchen - your children are really young and they play around your feet I find for years....other wise you will spend you life picking up toys and dragging them downstairs = tho you could istall a 'toy shute" - like a laundry shute.

BUT - I would be converting that garage and converting whole downstairs into fab kitchen/diner/living space with direct access to garden. Would use existing kitchen plumbing to create a laundry room on middle level.

The idea of dragging shopping/kids/dogs/schoolbags etc up stairs numerous times a day would do my head in - unless as PP said there was a stunning huge terrace with a view up there!

5rivers7hills · 04/09/2017 10:29

I'd have the playroom with the kitchen, much more friendly with a sofa and TV then a grown up sitting room / guest room on the ground floor.

Exactly what I would do for now, as long as there is a toilet on the ground floor.

BUT - I would be converting that garage and converting whole downstairs into fab kitchen/diner/living space with direct access to garden. Would use existing kitchen plumbing to create a laundry room on middle level.

Then I would do this :-)

Original poster
whyismykid · 04/09/2017 22:03

There is a balcony with an awesome view from the kitchen which is probably why it's upstairs!

Garage conversion is on the radar but probably a few years away

Already a laundry room on the middle floor (I'm actually more excited about this than the rest of the house!)

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