Even out bedroom sizes

[DuneLoafers]

Can we pinch space out of the second smallest bedroom and add it to the smallest? Either move the wall or put in a door and have a fitted wardrobe that actually uses the space from the bigger room? Would that be crazy? Or crazy expensive?

I think it would be expensive because the loft is converted and there's a bath above the wall you want to move. A structural engineer would know best but I assume it would need reinforcement to take the weight.

Thank you that’s really helpful! I did wonder. Just thinking about how we might use the space flexibly as the family changes then rather than doing work!

I think to start with DH and I will go at the front on the 1st floor, DS1 (3) at the back and DS2 (7m) in the little room, then when the boys are bigger DH and I upstairs. When they start complaining about room inequality/DS2 is too big then him into the front bedroom and a smaller guest room.

I think we can have downstairs front room as playroom and have flexible guest space in there. I think we can get an office into the big loft room with room dividers. It’s a bit little for a guest room but it seems silly to leave the boys with inequality and one with a small room when they live there permanently. I do like a guest room made up all the time in case one of us is snoring or making work calls in the night or one of the kids is sick or something, and we do have relatively frequent visitors. Hopefully that seems workable!

Really appreciate the help!

a walk-in wardrobe would probably be easy - here W is the wardrobe / clothes storage and D is either a den area or a desk area (with bookshelves above) depending on the age of the child.

Just putting a small door in should be OK.

It looks like a pretty solid wall - but that could just be the way the estate agent drawns internal walls!
We had a "wardrobe wall" that had doors into rooms on opposite sides. So, if you built a wardrobe depth wall in the larger room, divided into 2, and had typical wardrobe doors into big room, then opposite, knock through the wall, and put wardrobe doors into the small room. I cant really describe it or draw it, but perhaps between the description and picture it will make sense ....

@CatOnTheChair and @parietal thank you, this was exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of.

What kind of person do you ask? Structural engineer first? And then builder?

the only time I did a similar job, i started with a builder and he bought in an engineer. but some builders won't quote without input from an engineer first.

It would perhaps be doable, with proper advice, however take care not to make two unworkable rooms.
Fitting furniture in the second smallest room, if it were to be made smaller, might make it less flexible in the long term.
As it is now one of the two rooms is wonderful and one is pokey. Consider leaving the smallest room and designing within it - such as a high bed with desk underneath or having a desk in another room or a murphy bed.

I would leave it as is, I think your suggestion about moving your kids into the two bigger rooms and using the smaller one as a guest room is the best option. Guest rooms don't need to be very spacious - as long as you can fit a reasonable sized bed in there.

Thanks everyone. @user1492757084 I think you’re right, I hadn’t really given enough consideration to not mucking up the second smallest room. I think I’m now more thinking of cosy guest room options!