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Original poster

Is this a good solution to not having enough bedrooms?

18 replies

babyswinging · 14/10/2023 13:54

So we’ve been living in our home since before we had DC, it’s a 3 bed cottage and is weirdly laid out. On the floor that you walk in on it has the kitchen, living room, dining room etc as well as 2 decent sized bedrooms. If you go downstairs there’s a massive bedroom which is the size of most of the upstairs.

Currently DH and I have the downstairs bedroom. It’s so big that we have our bed, a snug area and a place for me to do my hobbies. There aren’t any dividing walls though, just one big space. Our 2DS share one of the upstairs bedrooms and the other bedroom will become a nursery for DC3 due soon.

The plan is while the DC are little, for our older 2DC to share a room (the bigger of the 2 bedrooms), there is more than enough space for toys as well as a bunk bed. DC3 will have their own room and the upstairs living room will also be used as a playroom. DH and I will have the downstairs bedroom. When the DC are older and wanting their own space the plan is for us to move into the room that our boys are currently sharing and then divide the downstairs into 2 (still large) bedrooms for the boys. DC3 will stay in the upstairs bedroom.

Is this a good solution to not currently having a bedroom for everyone?. At the minute our eldest is only 3 and doesn’t need or want his own bedroom but we’re aware that in the future he will most likely need his own room. Ideally we don’t want to move to a bigger house, we love our home and love where it is.

OP posts:
PTSDBarbiegirl · 14/10/2023 13:58

Sounds good!

GrumpyPanda · 14/10/2023 14:03

They may actually prefer the big room undivided when it comes to that, so maybe have some plans for that as well. My sis has a double loft at her house that could be subdivided with a stud wall but never has been in practice. It's the most popular bedroom in the house and the kids have fought about who gets to share it!

Original poster
babyswinging · 14/10/2023 14:12

GrumpyPanda · 14/10/2023 14:03

They may actually prefer the big room undivided when it comes to that, so maybe have some plans for that as well. My sis has a double loft at her house that could be subdivided with a stud wall but never has been in practice. It's the most popular bedroom in the house and the kids have fought about who gets to share it!

We could definitely do that too.

OP posts:
LaurieStrode · 14/10/2023 14:15

Sounds good.
Lots of people grow up sharing bedrooms, too. It's not a hardship.

FloofCloud · 14/10/2023 14:20

Yes, sounds like a great idea!
We have a strange set up too, our kids are a bit older though (11&15). Our master bedroom en suite is on the ground floor along with the spare room and usual living areas /kitchen etc, upstairs we have the kids bedrooms and en suites, plus a large space which is like your basement room, so it's my DH office as he wfh full time , it's got a bed, sofa bed, kids use it for a cinema room. So we're on a different floor to the kids at night but we all like the space we get

Original poster
babyswinging · 14/10/2023 14:43

LaurieStrode · 14/10/2023 14:15

Sounds good.
Lots of people grow up sharing bedrooms, too. It's not a hardship.

I know, I always shared a room as a kid and loved it so I’m fully prepared for the kids to not want the big room and want to share. But I also want to be prepared in case they do want their own space.

OP posts:
Original poster
babyswinging · 14/10/2023 14:46

FloofCloud · 14/10/2023 14:20

Yes, sounds like a great idea!
We have a strange set up too, our kids are a bit older though (11&15). Our master bedroom en suite is on the ground floor along with the spare room and usual living areas /kitchen etc, upstairs we have the kids bedrooms and en suites, plus a large space which is like your basement room, so it's my DH office as he wfh full time , it's got a bed, sofa bed, kids use it for a cinema room. So we're on a different floor to the kids at night but we all like the space we get

Your home sounds lovely and spacious!.

OP posts:
MrsSamR · 14/10/2023 14:50

Am I understanding correctly that you will be sleeping on a separate floor to all of your children? Is that safe if the eldest is only 3?

FloofCloud · 14/10/2023 15:39

@babyswinging - we extended it about 5 years ago, so we could all fit in too lol 😂- we had a very dilapidated bungalow but in a good location so we just rebuilt it ... cheaper than moving 🤣

Original poster
babyswinging · 14/10/2023 15:41

MrsSamR · 14/10/2023 14:50

Am I understanding correctly that you will be sleeping on a separate floor to all of your children? Is that safe if the eldest is only 3?

We already sleep on a separate floor, we have a 3 year old and a 2 year old. The baby will stay with us until they’re older. There’s a baby gate going into the living room so they can’t get into the kitchen etc or down the stairs. We also have a baby monitor so we can see them constantly.

OP posts:
Saracen · 15/10/2023 22:57

Sounds like a great plan!

Are there enough windows in the right places in your big bedroom that after dividing it, each bedroom will have a reasonable fire exit?

iovebread · 15/10/2023 23:04

babyswinging · 14/10/2023 13:54

So we’ve been living in our home since before we had DC, it’s a 3 bed cottage and is weirdly laid out. On the floor that you walk in on it has the kitchen, living room, dining room etc as well as 2 decent sized bedrooms. If you go downstairs there’s a massive bedroom which is the size of most of the upstairs.

Currently DH and I have the downstairs bedroom. It’s so big that we have our bed, a snug area and a place for me to do my hobbies. There aren’t any dividing walls though, just one big space. Our 2DS share one of the upstairs bedrooms and the other bedroom will become a nursery for DC3 due soon.

The plan is while the DC are little, for our older 2DC to share a room (the bigger of the 2 bedrooms), there is more than enough space for toys as well as a bunk bed. DC3 will have their own room and the upstairs living room will also be used as a playroom. DH and I will have the downstairs bedroom. When the DC are older and wanting their own space the plan is for us to move into the room that our boys are currently sharing and then divide the downstairs into 2 (still large) bedrooms for the boys. DC3 will stay in the upstairs bedroom.

Is this a good solution to not currently having a bedroom for everyone?. At the minute our eldest is only 3 and doesn’t need or want his own bedroom but we’re aware that in the future he will most likely need his own room. Ideally we don’t want to move to a bigger house, we love our home and love where it is.

I adore this thread, I love that you've made this house a home. Plan Sounds good to me! But See how your kids feel over time, I'm sure they'll have ideas too. Enjoy

friendlycat · 15/10/2023 23:21

Sounds the ideal plan with the space available.

MardiLisa · 16/10/2023 02:23

Sounds like a great plan..

I saw an idea on Wanted Down Under recently. There was an internal space, like a lobby area, used as a playroom, with 2 kids' bedrooms off it. It might not work for you, you might prefer them to have have bigger bedrooms when it comes to it, but I thought it was a great solution to give the children a play space that is like a bridge between main living area and bedrooms, rather than tucking all the space away into bedrooms. Like a nursery wing almost! And it could become an extra TV or study space when they are older. There would be pros and cons but it might be an option to consider if it makes sense with the layout.

sashh · 16/10/2023 04:52

Do you know if DC 3 is a boy or a girl? I'd keep your plans open because you might end up with three wanting to share the big room.

In my head I'm seeing a large oblong room with bunks at either end and toys, desk, tv, bean bags in the middle as a play / study area.

WatchOutMissMarpleIsAbout · 16/10/2023 05:58

babyswinging · 14/10/2023 15:41

We already sleep on a separate floor, we have a 3 year old and a 2 year old. The baby will stay with us until they’re older. There’s a baby gate going into the living room so they can’t get into the kitchen etc or down the stairs. We also have a baby monitor so we can see them constantly.

Show quote history

I still wouldn’t be on a separate floor at that age. How do you get to them in an emergency would be my concern.

DuranNotSpandeau · 16/10/2023 06:00

What about moving the two kids into the downstairs room then you and new baby are upstairs?
With the downstairs room being so big it could be a playroom too but there's the option to divide it if ever they want that.

headcheffer · 16/10/2023 06:02

Sounds great. We used to have a townhouse and so slept on a separate floor to our kids as we had the whole of the second floor as a bedroom. It was fine.

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