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Design Dilemma
millymoomoo123

Which door would you block up if at all?

Milly Moo
6 years ago

Hi all

just bought this house - needs a lot of work. Karen at Oneplan has sorted out my kitchen diner plans, so when ready I'll post pictures of before an after. She is amazing- honestly absolutely thrilled!

In the meantime perhaps you can help me clear something up.

We are having the wall removed between the living room and the smaller room (diner?/study?)

My question is which doorway would you block up (to maximise floor space) and if you would even block one up at all? There will be 30cm of wall on each side left and the living room is a bigger room. Let me know if more pics are needed I've tried to show you the hallway with both doors

Featured Answer
  • Midcenturylass
    6 years ago
    I would just try using the rooms with the door closed and furniture placed where you'd like it, to test whether it's worth removing the opening at all. Free to do and might save you lots of money.

    Comments (32)

    • A B
      6 years ago

      I would block up the smaller room door. Love your clock btw!

      Milly Moo thanked A B
    • Jonathan
      6 years ago
      I think you need to plan furniture.
      So if this were mine I would have the back room as a dining hall and have a big square opening to the hall stairs and also to the front room which would negate the need for both doors
      Milly Moo thanked Jonathan

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    • PRO
      User
      6 years ago

      Room plans are easier to work with visually, and as Jonathan says, it would depend on your choice of furniture. I think i'd probably block up the smaller room if any, but I'd have to see a plan to be convinced. It depends on where the kitchen is, what else is accessed from the little room, if anything etc. I may be tempted not to block either one up?

      Milly Moo thanked User
    • PRO
      OnePlan
      6 years ago
      Hi Milly Moo
      Thanks for the mention !!
      I'd suggest take out the door circled - so you can have two different seating zones with a swivel chair in the centre that can be used in both areas ?

      (NB. I checked first that putting the plan up was ok !)
      Milly Moo thanked OnePlan
    • Juliet Docherty
      6 years ago

      I think it depends on where you will fit storage etc and the feel of privacy. I would probably block up the living room door so it feels private and cosy.

      Milly Moo thanked Juliet Docherty
    • minnie101
      6 years ago

      I'd block the living room door too assuming you want separate seating areas as per Karen's plan. Similar size hall with narrow console over a radiator for inspiration. Look forward to seeing the kitchen!

      Milly Moo thanked minnie101
    • PRO
      User
      6 years ago

      I will go with colourhappy, block the hallway door and personally I would explore the option of having Crittall style glazing fitted full length of the hallway / living room wall to drive more light to the hall, but also as a design feature.

      Milly Moo thanked User
    • Ciara
      6 years ago
      are you sure that your room use won't change?? I have a similar space but with baby #3 on the way, the smaller room is now the playroom...quite glad to have separate doors!! if it's definitely sitting room/dining room, I'd close first door (front room)
      Milly Moo thanked Ciara
    • A B
      6 years ago

      Having seen the floor plan I think I'd actually keep both doors! But alter the living room door so it swings left into the room rather than right. If you swap the sofa in the bay and armchair around (in oneplan's diagram) , you could move the sofa against the wall away from the door so you should still be able to fit 3 chairs in the room (I think!)

      Milly Moo thanked A B
    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago
      last modified: 6 years ago

      Wow - thanks you lot- lots of replies to go through.

      The good thing is the kitchen diner is going to be quite a good large size so the living room and the study need only be as per Karen's plan - a living area. Based on the replies Im going to do the following

      Block up the living room door.

      Reasons:-

      Jen P I would love to keep both doors but my partner is adamant that blocking one will give us more floor space for the furniture. I also really like the idea of removing the wall next to the stairs (Jonathan) but believe it or not we had that conversation in front of a tradesman the other day and he said he had a client who did just that, then the building regulations department told them to block up the stairs again....and put a door at the bottom.?!?

      I also LOVE the idea of the crittal style window instead of the wall (by front door- Black Oak) but I don't think our budget will quite allow for that. This house needs everything! Just found out we have something called 'microbore' pipes to our rads- this has now been added to the ever growing list of prep before the fun decoration starts. I didnt realise how much it would be to remove the wall (£3,000 for that plus putting a door where the window is in the study and making good)

      Thanks Minnie, Colourhappy, Manaboutthehouse and Ciara- Im still going to come back to these before making final decision.

      Lastly just want to say thanks- it's nice to have my dilemma be replied to by the very people who I have been looking at on the advice pages here on Houzz for over a year- thanks all!. Gives me confidence moving forward.

      As soon as I have a happy builder ready to do the wonderful kitchen OnePlan has designed Ill put it on here, along with whatever I decide above. thanks again

    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Jen P- clock from M&S

      Thanks!

    • PRO
      User
      6 years ago

      Milly Moo I'm glad you like the idea and I totally understand re budgets. Get your plumbing sorted first and make sure that the pipes to the radiators come out of the walls rather than from the floor if you're doing a full refurb. Happy to help if you need me.

      Milly Moo thanked User
    • jody73cat
      6 years ago
      We have a very similar house to yours. Our rooms have had the wall between them knocked through and the first doorway (into the larger front room) has been blocked off. It works really well. I'll try and post a photo to tomorrow.
      Milly Moo thanked jody73cat
    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      See this is what I like. You always get that little bit extra knowledge - thanks Blackoak for the heads up regarding the pipes!

      Jodycat-that would sure be helpful to visualise further thanks too

      I'll post my progress.

    • Tall Blk
      6 years ago
      I would keep the front door as blocking this door would crest a tunnel effect and can feel claustrophobic for some
      Milly Moo thanked Tall Blk
    • PRO
      User
      6 years ago

      You have a gorgeous home and in keeping with the property I would keep both doors. Two defined areas Dining and Lounge otherwise I feel it would be closed in too much.

      Milly Moo thanked User
    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      oh crumbs- more to think about- Thanks TallBlk and Portishead, this is exactly what my head keeps telling me...and very valid point Midcenturylass- thats what my mum keeps telling me, but i get caught up with it all!!

    • Jonathan
      6 years ago
      Regarding your trades comment about removing the wall-

      Some walls around stairways (typically in houses 3 storeys or more in height) need to have fire resistance to ensure a fire in one of the rooms off of the stairway doesn’t unduly affect the means of escape from other rooms in the house. In other houses (such as in two storey houses) the walls may not need to have any particular fire resistance, but would still afford some protection to the stairway by containing the fire and smoke for a period of time.

      The impact of the removal of an internal wall on fire safety should be carefully considered. In two storey houses, the removal of such a wall could normally be compensated by the provision of mains powered interlinked smoke alarms and egress windows from the other rooms off the stair. However, in houses of three storeys and greater this compensation may not be sufficient. The exact features needed will vary on a case by case basis.
    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Thanks Jonathan- I find it really useful to hear this kind of information as it helps me seem a bit more clued up when this is next discussed. Something to think about. I have to contact the local council regarding getting building reg approval for the removal of the wall between the two rooms (I have been told) so will sound them out, if you can do that kind of thing.

    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Just thought I'd update houzz with the wall removal between rooms and one of the doors being blocked up. Excuse the mess obviously still a work in progress...didn't realise how much things like electrics, radiators and skips are! I would like your advice on colour.

      For living room

      If you see in one of the pics we have some blues on the wall. I looked at Peacock by Flamant but it's pricey for something I'm not sure about. Vardo by Farrow and Ball, stiffkey blue and nights blue arch by Valspar. Painting skirting and wall but Wimborne white on picture rail and above. I'm up for ideas though we are stuck!!!!

      for hallway

      painting bannisters and skirting wimbourne white and was looking at elephants breath for walls, both above and below dado rail.

      any thoughts?

      thanks in advance peeps!

    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Doesn't have to be blue in this room as I'm having Hague blue in kitchen. I'm too scared to go dark like downpipe, but I'm up for doing The Whole Room In a darker colour.....but if Lighter Is Better Im Up For That Too

    • Charnelle Els
      6 years ago
      Love it! Right choice.

      I vote for the teal wall colour up to the picture rail.

      Have fun with it
      Milly Moo thanked Charnelle Els
    • minnie101
      6 years ago

      I'd also opt for the vardo, it works with the sofas and the fuschia and should flow with Hague blue. You could consider ammonite above the picture rail? Hard to know re the hall without knowing the light but you could look at purbeck stone for the walls and rather than go white on the stairs team opt for moles breath

      Milly Moo thanked minnie101
    • Carolina
      6 years ago

      What will you do with the floor?

      Milly Moo thanked Carolina
    • Milly Moo
      Original Author
      6 years ago

      Thanks all. Starting to worry the vardo is a step too far. I had dark grey in my last house which was lovely but Vardo is a bit more colourful. Just need to go for it i guess! Thinking a warm oak engineered or wood floor. The floor man came round really pushing Karndean floor on me ~says it's amazing. But to me it seems silly to buy Karndean then pay extra for an edging strip round each board to make it look like a board, might as well just buy a board.

      Toying with the idea of an engineered herringbone.

      I'm going to look at ammonite now thanks. Any and all ideas appreciated i don't want to muck this up.

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