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Before & After Design Dilemma Renovating

Floorplan advice and suggestions

2 years ago

We have recently purchased a home that was built about 40 years ago and reflects a very closed off floorplan. I have started to think about how the space could be opened up to create some more space. I have come up with the concept of relocating the pantry and laundry (thinking 2m wide) behind the kitchen to create more space. The second challenge I am having is the positioning of the staircase and the two outdoor entertaining areas, one on the right of the family room and the other at the back of the house. With these two open areas, I am struggling with the placement of furniture. I would also like to close off the toilet at the front of the house and make that its own ensuite next to the adjoining room but then that leaves me without a downstairs powder room.
Open to ideas and suggestions to maximise flow throughout the home.

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Comments (7)

PRO
Zezadesign3d
2 years ago
You need an architectural visualization of the place, to be clear about the steps to take. I invite you to contact me and see how you would make everything clearer. Right now everything is confusing in your head little by little you are clarifying with the step by step that we are building the rooms.

Some examples.

Invitation

My contact by WhatsApp
bigreader
2 years ago
Have you had initial discussions with a builder regarding a rough outline of what you want and your budget? Being a two storey house makes moving walls more complicated.
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The house looks very livable. I love that you have concentrated on creating one nice bath with separate walk in shower and a windowed tub! Since you have already thought of it, I'm going to assume that the attic is for future expansion and cannot be adapted for use as the current "away room." We are also in the process of designing a small house, and we've designated our study as the "away room." Ours will open off the dining room. If you switched the locations of the Study and Bed 1 on the same side, you could put french doors or an extra wide door with etched or decorative glass from the hallway into the right hand corner of the study. This would give you a really long diagonal view through the lounge and out the french doors, and from the lounge through the study to the window at the far end... The study window should be increased in width to match the neighboring window in Bed 1, and it then becomes ripe for a small window seat, either a clip on bay bumping out, or a "built-in" bay using narrow built ins on either side. Or both: build "in" for now, putting file cabinet drawers under the window seat, and angled corner units in for storage, and add the bump out bay later when you know whether your offspring would prefer a really cute desk, or a window seat, or a bed nook. You would, alas, lose the door from Bed 1 into the bath.... but honestly, there are lot of doors into that bathroom already, and that one has substantial collision potential. It might be best to make the single access point that door from the laundry. Either a glass panel set high in the bath room doors or a transome would make it easy to tell when someone is in the loo. Other ideas would be to split the nook under the stairs, so that half the depth opens to the lounge, and the other half to Bed2... with the wall thickness, you probably get close to 600mm or 2' on each side. Add a deep bookcase or other built in, and you're easily at a depth that makes both spaces very tucked in. Lastly, if funds allow a shallow bay window over the kitchen sink would visually expand the kitchen, particularly if you could arrange it so that the counter runs right into the bay.
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Comments (1)
I love your post, there is a blueprint and you are giving out details and whishes witch is making it easier for all of us to help you and your family. This floorplans reminds me a bit about my uncles house. here are some of my thoughs witch you may/or may not use. I am not sure about the NSEV directions which have a major influence in building a house. Parenting so many kids also influence the house and the lifestyle in the home. I would maybe add, or rebuild an ancle to the house prevent from wind on the terrace. Commidded as you sound i would go all in with all of your wishes. I think a big master bathroom is needed to be used as a place to relax with so much to look after. I dont now if your coing to use the door in the lundry room or in the pantry most. I thinks its best to have your garrage entry close to the pantry and kitchen. A open kitchen is also a big decision when you have so many young kids. I would maybe add a breakfast area in the kitchen. SOme other things to consider is maybe the entry and the long hall way. I think you and your family might be a bit tired of the loong hallway. if possible i would switch the entry and the office. to make the entry in to the livingroom, if le librarry is going to be used as a familyroom. A toilet should always be placed near an entry to the house. And an extra toilet is only for u to clean along the way.... I you are looking to expad the family i would maybe build a playroom in the middle of all the kids rooms. At my uncle ealier house theay had a combined office space, guest room, playroom to combind a space for all of the children and their friends to be in. As far as going to design in your home can also maybe influence the layout. I think wood floors or tiles depend on style. I Personally prefer laminet wood floors in the kitchen and entry, but you are to buy some lovely tiles now a day. Pleace ask for a new blueprint suggestion if you are up for some changes. good luck.
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You could reverse the layout of the ensuite, and have the door to it through the walk in wardrobe (so you would only have one door coming off the bedroom). If I were you, I'd consider swapping the positions of the ensuite and wardrobe, so the current ensuite door becomes the wardrobe door. That way you could move the bed to the east (right), and you would have room for a seating area in the north west corner of the room (as your bedroom looks huge!). I'd also add a window on the small bit of north facing wall in that room; you already have corner windows in the living and another bedroom, so you could match those in style. Personally I don't particularly like the current layout of the main bathroom, although I can see the reasoning behind it (i.e. vanity at entrance, toilet hidden behind wall, window above bath). I think it might work better if you put the shower in the corner where the bath currently is (i.e. beside the toilet, opening to the west), and the bath on the same wall as the vanity. You'd have to move the window, of course. Alternatively, do you actually need three toilets? You could remove the toilet in the main bathroom, and you'd have room for a freestanding bath and/or a bigger shower. You could consider stealing a bit of space from the kitchen to create some storage at the entryway. I'm not sure where your garage will be, but it's really handy to have a designated place at the point of entry for all the stuff you tend to dump when you first come into the house (schoolbags, coats, mail etc). Overall, I think the layout is pretty good, but you could potentially lower the build cost by making it all a bit smaller. It's really worthwhile taking the time to figure out just how much space you actually need, and where you need it. For example, if it were my house, I'd take about half a metre off both the east bedrooms (so the house is shorter from east to west), plus I'd make it smaller north to south by slightly reducing the size of all three bedrooms, and making the kitchen a bit smaller (so the hall cupboard lines up with the back wall of the small living room). But your priorities may be completely different from mine!
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Comments (1)
Is this a new build? I would suggest you look at each room in detail and put the actual furniture arrangement you will have, to the right scale, and think about how you will move through and use those spaces. Some of those look odd to me, but it may be the way you intend to use those spaces is different to my imagination. The access to the changing room seems only through the Kitchen. and either out the front door or dining and living to get to the pool area. How will this be fenced? Where is washing to be carried from the laundry? Is there a line nearby? Out the front door, or through kitchen dining and living? Bed 4 has to go through a living space to a bathroom, the living room is hard to imagine in use as arranged, and bed 2 and 3 look to have the beds right into a corner for no reason. How would you accommodate a double bed in these rooms? In a few years this may be what you want. If you will have other furniture, draw it in. There a large walk in cupboard/robe off a store room. What will be in the storage room? Draw that in too, so you know there is space and it won't block access to the robe. Many of the storage spaces/benches/shelves are shown with corner shelving arrangements which isn't often the best use of space. Bed 1 looks out onto the front access. How will you provide privacy? What different uses do you imagine in the living, family and rumpus rooms?
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Pam
Original Author
2 years ago
I sure have @bigreader. I'm less concerned about feasibility, I know it will be complex and will need steel beams to support the structure, especially given the span of the room. At this stage just looking to finalise what the ideal end state should be and then work backwards from there if things aren't achievable.
oklouise
2 years ago
my suggestions keep the original laundry to include a powder room also accessible from outside (with an outdoor Hot and Cold shower?) an open pantry to retain the north facing window for more light (with standard sized or splashback and/or clerestory window and wall cabinets depending on views) the island is 3m x 900mm to allow more circulation space, the double sink and dw is shared with the pantry, a small drinks sink on the island and sliding glass doors has direct access to outside and, if necessary, there's a potential location for a support post along the line of the old dining room wall ....there's a study nook and access to the stairs without walking through the seating area, there's linen and broom storage in the refurbished laundry and stealing space off the entry allows more standing room and space for a towel rack and a tiny handbasin in the new ens and generous bedsides drawers, clothes hooks behind the door and a window seat storage box for guests
Pam
Original Author
2 years ago
@oklouise - I absolutely love your ideas! Do you have a business page or email address I can contact you on so I can continue discussing this with you? If you prefer, you can reach out to me on Instagram at pammyv29.
oklouise
2 years ago
you can message me direct through HOUZZ and i'll be happy to discuss details
Pam
Original Author
2 years ago
@oklouise I am on your profile but can seem to work out how to contact you directly. Is there a way you can message me. Sorry, I'm very new to Houzz so I'm not familiar with the messaging function.

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