Floor plan help - dead space, with no windows

[jamaisjedors]

Hi, I wiped ne really grateful for any ideas about what to do with a room in the centre of a flat we are buying.

It's currently a bathroom, but we are moving the kitchen to the front to get the light and view and so it's next to the living room, and turning the current kitchen into a bathroom.

There is no natural light and it's dead in the centre of the flat.

We are thinking maybe a laundry /pantry type space? It has plumbing for a washing machine now. But 5m2 seems a lot for that type of space in a flat that is 109m2...

Any suggestions or thoughts?

Not sure if my plan is clear or not, we are getting professional ones drawn up currently.

I could definitely fill the space with crap! Exercise bike etc but don't think I could dry laundry in a windowless room and it wouldn't be that much fun to exercise in either. We could look at getting glass panels put in to get some light in there I guess?
There are quite a few big pipes and some kind of drain from the roof in some awkward spots so not sure that knocking it all out to make one open space would really work.

Definitely want a 2nd loo, there is one off the front door in its own room but we will try to add one to the new bathroom.

Thanks, but not sure I understand your plan? A utility room as you come in the front (only) door?

And then the bedrooms directly off the kitchen diner or keep the corridor?

There seems to be so much wasted space. I've had a go at a couple of options while trying to move as few walls as possible and keep plumbing in mainly same locations. It's quite hard to tell where existing structures windows and doors are, I've assumed the blacked out bits are structural elements running through the flat and can't be moved. I'm not entirely sure of your requirements but should give you some ideas hopefully.

If you don’t want to remove walls - go with a laundry room. Have a dedicated space to set up an ironing board / or steamer.
We have a drying cupboard, (originally an airing cupboard), which has a clothes rail. and a dual energy radiator, great for drying non-tumble dryer friendly clothes in the winter, also over night and bad weather days.
(Also good for rain soaked coats as a quick look out the window, has reminded me!)

As you have more space than we do, I would definitely have a storage cupboard for cleaning products and equipment that you don’t want on show.
I’d love to have an out of sight room for internet bulk shopping like pet food etc. It’s fine when you have used up half the order, but when it first arrives takes up so much space!

I think your first instinct is the way to go: a pantry.

Considering the proximity to the kitchen and the little amount of time you'll be spending in there, the lack of light isn't an issue so it would make a perfect pantry and frees up more wall space and floor space in your kitchen to get the most out of a nice bright room.

If you can, put your white goods in there and consider some sound insulating around the door to keep the noise of washing machines and tumble dryers cut off from the rest of the house.

Alternatively, if they aren't supporting walls, get rid of it altogether and open the rest of the space out so you'll end up with bigger rooms which all have natural light.

Really excited for you and best of luck with the renovations!

Is there a structural reason for the room? Are you allowed to change it that much. Some leases prohibit. Bathrooms have specialist plumbing so check where soil pipes are.

You should post your floor plan on Houzz and ask for help, there are some very good designers who might do it for free (or for the publicity). I agree with PPs that you would be better to fully remodel/reconfiguration.

I'm so baffled by that layout lol.

Are they load baring walls? If not just rip them out, I usually hate open plan but in this case it makes sense to have that as a big kitchen/living area and use the rooms as bedroom, bathroom, office etc...

I'm not PP but removing the redundant corridor seems like common sense, its just a dark dingy waste of space.

I'm not sure where the front door is, it doesn't appear on the diagram does it?

Like this... maybe using glass doors (so light floods in) where the blue line is if you want a separate kitchen living area.

I think they're might be a structural reason for it as the contractor who came out says there are a lot of pipes and wires etc going through it. Previously it was the bathroom and had the hot water tank.

We definitely want the living room where I've put in on our plan... Views to the south and west.. Sunset and can even see the top of some big ships going past over a nearby building! That's why we also want the kitchen moved over there too.

The place in the middle will have the least light so not that attractive as a living space.

The front door is at the top of the plan in the middle, just to the right of the future bathroom.

We've hired a company to come out and do a fully detailed 2d plan so that we can then play around with it with them and get some advice but definitely leaning to a laundry /pantry/overflow for coats and shoes etc as there are no other storage areas in the flat.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I guess the things which look ok on paper aren't really always right when you've seen the space and the light etc.

Will get you all to critique the designer's plan once we have it, you all have great suggestions!

Thanks again!

There will also be a kitchen and bathroom to design so watch this space 😉

Have added the details with the front door and best view/light.

And I definitely want a separate kitchen and living room but would have glass doors between the two.

Went back to the flat today and still going in circles. We thought we had it sorted but then met our neighbour who said that her living room backs onto our current living room, which we wanted to turn into our bedroom. It's the only adjoining wall and she says she has insulated it but I think we will stop hear her noise, apparently the previous tenants did!

Not sure if this helps... Anyway we are also talking to an interior designer so will report back when we find a solution!