Use for a 2nd floor kitchenette

[HopelessOptimistism]

We are currently in the early stages of renovating and extending our home. It is a Victorian 7 bed semi detached over three floors. We're doing extensive work to the whole house, it really hasn't been touched in a good few years.

My question is regarding a small kitchenette on the top (2nd) floor. There are 3 bedrooms on this floor too, one of which is being used as a study and the other two currently unused (but will ultimately be bedrooms in the future).

In terms of bathroom capacity over the rest of the house we will (after renovating) have a downstairs toilet, main family bathroom (0.5 floor), master en-suite (1st floor) and a guest en-suite (1.5 floor). The half floors refer to half-landings, not sure if that's the proper term for them!

So basically we're trying to decide whether this 2nd floor kitchenette would be worth keeping as a kitchenette, converting to a bathroom, or if there is any other use that you could think of? I am leaning towards a bathroom, I think it would be useful for the bedrooms on that floor. DH thinks we don't need another bathroom. If we don't make it a bathroom the closest bathroom to those bedrooms would be the guest en-suite, so perhaps we'd keep this as a stand-alone bathroom instead of making it an en-suite? I know it's not a bad problem to have but we're just doing the work once so want to get it right! Thanks

Definitely make it a bathroom! If I understand you, you currently have 7 beds and only 3 bathrooms - IMO that's really out of kilter.

Bathroom or utility/laundry room with washing machine, dryer, ironing board, laundry baskets etc. Depending on if you prefer hanging washing outdoors or if a dedicated room is more convenient.

Yes a bathroom. If I read properly, you have 7 bedrooms. 3 bathrooms. 2 of those bathrooms are en-suite.
Leaving 1 bathroom for the other 5 bedrooms and and guests visiting daytime on the 0.5 floor?
If so a a stand alone bathroom on the 2nd floor for all those three bedrooms

I thought laundry room until I read it was on the top floor of the house. Not very practical. Put a shower room in.

Either have it as another bathroom or make the guest ensuite not ensuite

do you need/ use 7 bedrooms?

If you have 3 other bedrooms on that floor I would keep it as a kitchenette, put a bathroom in one of the other rooms. Would give you a self contained guest space.
I’d love to have a space like that for my teenager!

I’d keep it. Even if not overly useful now if you have kids when they’re older it will be useful. Me and Dd are always tripping up over each other in the kitchen and she dreams of her own kitchen.

Bathroom. Otherwise anyone on the top floor is going to have to go down 2.5 floors for a wee in the night.

OP 3 bathrooms are plenty, put an extra wc of you must. Kitchenette is a great idea alternatively a laundry room to save whoever traipsing up and downstairs. If it's big enough put an ironing board in there too. You could do a laundry / bathroom combo. Or my personal fave a gift wrap room ala the Aaron Spelling Mansion

I'd go with a bathroom or laundry room. 99% of washing is clothes or bath towels all of which 'live' on the 1st or 2nd floor in either bathrooms or bedrooms, no idea why most utility rooms are on the ground floor.

@Moonshine5

OP 3 bathrooms are plenty, put an extra wc of you must. Kitchenette is a great idea alternatively a laundry room to save whoever traipsing up and downstairs. If it's big enough put an ironing board in there too. You could do a laundry / bathroom combo. Or my personal fave a gift wrap room ala the Aaron Spelling Mansion

2 of them are en suites which means there's one bathroom between the remaining 5 bedrooms. It's not enough

Thanks for all the suggestions/opinions so far! Lots mentioning a laundry room but we are lucky to already have a laundry room beside the main family bathroom on 0.5 floor, which we'll be keeping.

Following all the work it will be a 6 bed house with a study, as we're taking away a bedroom to make an en-suite and wardrobe for the master. But I'm definitely leaning even more towards another bathroom, at least plumbing for one and adding bathroom suite down the line. I feel like teenagers would prefer a bathroom than a kitchen?? My DCs are very young so hard to imagine right now.

There’s also a downstairs loo. So that’s 4x toilets. Even if two are en suite I think that’s enough 🤷‍♀️ How many people will be living in the house?

@QuebecBagnet

There’s also a downstairs loo. So that’s 4x toilets. Even if two are en suite I think that’s enough 🤷‍♀️ How many people will be living in the house?

Yes there will be 4x toilets. Currently 5 people living in the house. I know it sounds too big a house for us but just trying to future proof it, we'd love to have family stay regularly too.

I am from a large family who shared one bathroom between 6 so not sure what the normal/preferred ratio should be!

Are you renovating with an eye to sell on or is this a forever home? If the latter, how many people are in your household? If the 3 bathrooms works out at one each with guests sharing the main family bathroom, dont add another bathroom you dont really need for the sake of it.

I would keep that room a kitchenette if the person who's using the study will WFH regularly. If it doesn't get used much over the next year /you find you are hosting guests regularly and need more bathroom capacity, then change it next year.

The idea of a laundry is a good one, but will it annoy you to have to carry clothes up to the 2nd floor to wash them and then remember theres a wash in there to dry outside / put in the tumble dryer?

The only issue I can see is that for the bedrooms on the 2nd floor the nearest bathroom is at 0.5 floor. Can the en suite at 1.5 not be a non en suite?

We have a kitchenette (although 1st floor, not 2nd) as previous owners put it in to give their grown up son some independence - we never use it.
An additional bathroom would be far more useful.

Bathroom 100%

My parents converted their 2nd floor extra kitchen into the utility room. Was adjacent to the main bathroom and in the middle of all the bedrooms so kinda made sense.

First floor Laundry utility room. Saves running up and down with laundry and bed linen .

Apologies I probably wouldn't put a laundry room on the second floor but could you try installing a tumble dryer, and use the room as drying room/ ironing / linen storage room and if it works for you, perhaps add a washing machine at a later date.

I think you need a toilet on each floor. We're currently planning to do a loft conversion to make our house into a 6 bed. We'll have a shower room on the top floor between two bedrooms, a bathroom and a second toilet on the first floor between four bedrooms (no ensuites) and a downstairs loo. Perhaps you don't need another bathroom, but I'd certainly put a toilet in as a minimum.

Personally I would keep it. It's versatile and popular if you have teens. It also means top floor can be a self contained unti for nannies or guests

@Totalwasteofpaper

Personally I would keep it. It's versatile and popular if you have teens. It also means top floor can be a self contained unti for nannies or guests

I agree with this.

I think you can have a mini kitchen station in a cupboard to make hot drinks up on the top floor next to the study. A mini fridge in the cupboard for cold drinks. Then use the room as a guest shower room for those rooms at the top.