Can anything be done about this floor plan?

[Meadowdog]

There is a house for sale that I quite like in the neighbourhood we're targeting. The issue for me though is that the living room is atrium style - please see the images attached for a better explanation than I can provide. I don't like this because a) heat rises and I don't want to pay to heat all that empty space, and b) any painting and decorating of that space would be a pain in the backside.

So: can anything be done for a not extremely high cost to for example extend the floor on the top level and put another bedroom in that space? Or have you lived in a house like that and it's been OK?

Each of the houses in the estate we really like in terms of location and feel have something about them we don't like - either they are small and have a carport instead of a garage, are on 3 floors with the living area in the middle floor, or are mid-terrace and I'm worried about noise. This one is detached but the "thing" is the atrium. I think we need to compromise on something but what?

If anyone would like a link to the house I'm happy to send it via dm but please could I ask it doesn't get posted as I think that's a bit unfair to the sellers? Thank you for any advice you have.

That is odd. Not only your valid concerns about the heating, but also the noise to the bedrooms.
What is even odder is the radiator attached to the back of the kitchen cupboard!
(Yes, I found the house online)

It's a strange house - the internal ceiling slopes down to the top of the arched window in the living room on the inside, but outside there's quite a big wall over the window before the roof starts. I think you'd have to change that arched window if you did want to use the space over the living room.

In terms of saving heat, you could change the open landing and put a solid wall (possibly with some glass for light) there instead. That wouldn't give you any extra room upstairs, but it'd make it warmer.

Have you been in it?
At first glance, it looks like the window would get in the way, and the ceiling height would cause issues with putting a room in. It would also require putting in another window.
BUT if the livingroom ceiling g slopes as much as the photo suggests, the void might not be as large as you are picturing.

Thank you so much for the comments. I'm so impressed you've found the house! I never even noticed the radiator on a kitchen cabinet but you're right, it's odd. We haven't viewed it yet but I'm aware it used to be a rental. I don't think it's in the best shape, especially the kitchen.

I also hadn't noticed about the weird slope in the living room ceiling. Maybe it's one of those I'd have to view to picture properly- I just didn't want to put the sellers out with a viewing if it's a no go....which I think it probably is.

It's worth a look, especially if you're planning on redoing the kitchen anyway.

You could put a floor over the living area, if a structural engineer agreed, but it would change the look and feel of the living area, probably making it dark.

I actually like it (hello massive Christmas tree and large artwork). I think you should view it since you haven’t yet because I saw a house online that seemed perfect but was awful in person and similarly the house we now own looked like it had low ceilings and really doesn’t. They’re much much higher than usual.

@BaronessBomburst how on earth did you manage to find the house online? Would you post the link, I'd like to see the radiator on the back of a door.

I lived in a house that had a similar setup (I seem to remember the estate agent describing it as a 'feature galleried landing'). I actually really liked it - it made the living room a really nice space - and I don't remember it being cold. In that particular case, the roof came down lower at the front of the house so adding a room above wouldn't have worked.

Take a screenshot and use Google lens to do a search.

Confused OP as this doesn't have a car port or a garage.

Anyway you'd have problems with kids sneaking out of bed to watch TV I think. The living room is tiny and restrictive in terms of layout. I would love a mezzanine floor just not between the living room/upstairs landing.

@Lavendersquare one radiator attached to the back of a cupboard!

Thanks @SuddenlyOld No it's true this one has no carport or garage, I was talking about the other houses in the estate. Some have one or the other and some have neither. And no children to worry about.

True about the artwork and Christmas tree @PurBal and nice to hear positive perspectives from you and @Persipan - thank you.

No kids? Well in that case 👍 Although I still think the living room is restrictive. The stairs get in the way. Have you been to view it?

Many American houses are like this. I lived in one in the 1990’s. I loved it. Great for big Xmas trees and home work outs. It was always warm in the winter and sometimes it was minus 15 outside!

I really like double height ceilings. My ex's sister had a similar living room in Lyon in France. I didn't find it any colder than a normal house but then again, I was living in a single glazed Parisian apartment with huge ceilings. Everything else was bound to feel warm to me.