How difficult/expensive is it to ADD pocket doors to an existing opening?
Potts Construction and Design Group
11 years ago
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Terracotta Design Build
11 years agoRelated Discussions
difficult living room shape !!
Comments (48)Okay, I've made two moodboards for you, that you may or may not like :-) It's also difficult to say whether the colours I've put in will work, since in one photo your carpet has a pinkish tint and in the other it's more yellowish. It's always difficult with photos and different computers. But there we are. I think I'd be tempted to paint/wallpaper the niche that the sofa is in. And paint the long wall in a slightly darker colour than the rest of the walls. To give you some ideas:...See MorePlease Help! How to best use extension space to achieve our wish list.
Comments (3)I agree with above - you're going to have a lovely bright utility! The usual way people extend is to put the utility and WC into the darkest bit (turning the utility 90 degrees like suggested above) which then pushes the kitchen/dining/living towards the garden end. But that would have involved more walls coming down - I feel like this is a case of you got what you asked for, but now you're asking for something else. I think the architect has come up with the best layout though for minimal work involved - putting the dining table in the dark space will just make it a corridor and you'll mostly eat at the island in the light room with garden views (other than dark evenings like you say when being in dark dining room will be quite cosy). I know people who have done that and regretted it and wished they'd put the kitchen in the dark bit as you tend to be doing something in there anyway and you'll be looking through the lovely bright space rather than being in it. Getting a decent second living space seems important to you so the current layout achieves that. You could perhaps add some high level transom windows between kitchen and utility to bring more light into kitchen (depending on where tall/wall kitchen cabinets are going to be and how ceiling is). Another option that you haven't mentioned is to put the new lounge into the dark space (then you'd have to call it a snug!). Leaving the new space as kitchen and dining. But perhaps you want the sofas to be looking onto garden, or you don't want it right next to the other sitting room - which is understandable. So it depends on what you'd use that living space for - or would also having a couple of upholstered chairs or a window seat in the extension allow you the flexibility you are looking for? Regarding the loo situation - I don't like having to walk through the utility to get to it (mainly as you're going to have to clean/tidy your utility every time guests come round, no thanks) - alternative is to walk through the WC to get to utility - would result in a bigger WC (you don't want to squeeze between toilet and basin so put them on the same wall) and a more useful utility space - and you'll have one window into WC and one into utility and nobody will be walking through the cat litter tray - could keep the pocket door idea so that it's more like one room normally, but easy to close off the messy utility when guests arrive (if that is ever allowed to happen again!)...See MoreAdd a boot room and storage cupboard
Comments (9)This is what I would do (see picture). I think u could position your WM on a raised floor in the new utility closet so that your WC plumbing can run beneath. Don’t be too binary about the function of the boot room. You could still keep a sink plumbed in here. If budget permits move it to the wall that backs onto the new WC, you may need to adjust the position of the kitchen door for a full-size sink but u don’t necessarily have to go full-size for a utility. This could open up the possibility of a doggy wash station where your existing utility plumbing is!! Take the time to have a think about what works for you, you are best placed to assess your household needs. I too agree that annexing the living room is the wrong way to go. Your beautiful window deserves to be apart of your living space where it can give you pleasure. Good luck, Lorraine...See MoreIdeas on how to create an open plan space on a budget
Comments (30)Hey Lee, Just another idea not covered above, without moving the stairs or load-bearing walls (which is obviously super expensive). I wondered if you could move the new WC and utility in your hallway space, using that space also under the stairs. This would then do a similar thing as moving the staircase to open up the space but would leave you with wider rooms rather than narrower ones. I'm also not a fan of long halls as they are a bit of a waste of space. So if I can ever get rid of them I do! I am also not a fan of a WC right off a living/dining space so having this off the hall seems more logical. If you also have the WC in the utility/panatry area your guests have to go into it to get to it, which for me defeats the purpose of having this hidden messy space!!! The doors between spaces can obviously be adjusted, you could also enter the utility from the dining area if preferred but I've seen so many great designs for small utilities/WC's that would be great in that space. Purley going from the thickness of the wall between the dining area and old utility, I assumed it was load bearing, so left it in, but could open it up, or if you want more of a broken plan feel, you could put barn door type dividers in or glass doors to let in light but keep spaces sperate. Depending on how load-bearing the walls are. This should only mean a small stud between WC and utility and then the old utility walls in the new kitchen space. I blocked up the door between the dining room and utltiy but this also could be kept in if you don't mind accessing it from this room. Hope this helps :) Rhiannon...See Moreliteeyes5
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