Reconfiguration advice
We are buying a property dating around 1850 but have become used to an open plan kitchen - 3 children under 6. The stairway feels very unsafe - narrow and steep with door at the bottom - so it needs replacing. We don't really want to lose space upstairs doing this but are happy to lose space downstairs as there is plenty of room. So number one question is - is this possible??
Next question is for votes on best way to reconfigure the downstairs space. Would you knock utility and downstairs toilet into family room to make bigger kitchen diner that connects to barn room. Or would you knock kitchen straight through to dining room ( easiest option)
Or do you go full hog and go out to the rear and make a one or two storey extension- bearing in mind that floor area of living space downstairs is more than enough for us but upstairs at be tight??
See floor plans.....
Any ideas welcome!
Comments (28)
Jonathan
6 years agoPersonally I think the major issue is to move the stairs- if you have bigger, safer stairs this will of course impact the space upstairs but I don't think you need to extend the upstairs right now to have enough bedrooms since you have so much downstairs space.
I would put a modest extension downstairs so that the orangery is more connected and create a downstairs bedroom for occasional guests.
My plan looses the utility but you could easily stack a washer dryer in the downstairs bathroom or create room in a bedroom of your large upstairs bathrooms.
Should you later extend over the barn you can easily create a corridor through but at that time I would change the back bedroom into the master.
Claire thanked JonathanRelated Discussions
Terraced house - reconfigure upstairs layout - advice needed!
Comments (10)I know! We’re exploring options and are unsure on the best most cost effective solution. We’ve considered squeezing a shower into the downstairs WC, could be done but tight. We have ruled out an extension as the house already requires extensive updating and due to its age we know we will need budget set aside to account for the unknowns! As for extending WC into dining room we hadn’t thought of that, but we have a plan to move an external door to that area so that wouldn’t really be an option either. So difficult!...See MoreWho would give best advice for house reconfiguration?
Comments (7)The trouble with houses that have been repeatedly extended is that they are have too many small rooms, few rooms that are big enough for the square footage and often they look unbalanced from outside. So I would be talking to an architect about unifying the look at the front, changing the front door position to the centre of the house, likely moving the stairs and future proofing it should you later decide you want more bedrooms....See MoreReconfiguration of downstairs in 2 bedroom home
Comments (1)Rather than swapping things around, could you remove the wall between the kitchen and living/dining, close up kitchen door and create galley kitchen?...See MoreBack to the drawing board! Advice on a downstairs reconfiguration
Comments (5)Just a quick play on my phone, but if you could knock through to the garage and take a third length ways rather than width you could create access that way around and use the three rooms along the right as one open plan room. Assuming the walls aren’t structural they could be moved over to next to the stairs and that space added....See MoreClaire
6 years agoJonathan
6 years ago
PROKerry Bryan Interiors
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
whizzywig
6 years agoYou've had some great tips from Kelly and Jonathan above: taking a couple of their key points together you could end up with something like this:
A combined kitchen diner; a through hallway from front door to a new staircase and then a follow theough from the stairs to the barn and orangery. The small extension/corridor (green) could be glazed so as not to restrict any light into the barn and help light that hallway next to the utility. Hopefully the stairs could be done in such a way so as to not impact on the upatairs layout too much, but it looks like you could squeeze a bit of space from the shower room if needs be.
The current family room would make a great multi-functional space as the family needs change - play room/ guest room/ games room, etc. Double doors either side of the corridor between it and the kitchen/diner would open it up but still enable closing it off as required. It will be a great house, good luck.
Claire thanked whizzywigClaire
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoIf you did put the stairs in barn you could swap the master bedroom to the bedroom at the back then swap the bathroom and ensuite
Charnelle Els
6 years agoClaire
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoIf you are allowed to build forward and you intend to build two storey I would consider moving the front door and making a grander entrance and staircase and putting it towards the middle of the total footprint of the property rather than keeping the original entrance that is only 4' wide so would never be very grand.
This also means that you have further extension possibilities later- for instance you might put an extra bathroom in the smallest bedroom, extend behind the barn or even over the remaining part of it.
Claire
6 years agoInteresting. Had been going to say it would break up the front facade which is really pretty but you mean extend forward off the barn.... still wondering how that would work with the pitch roof of the barn. Plus if you put a double storey over even one part of the barn would we end up needing to add to the foundations?
Claire
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoEarlier in the thread you did talk about the possibility of a two storey extension at the back. Instead I offer an alternative at the side where the barn is, in order to give you a better kitchen/ family space
Claire
6 years ago
Angie
6 years agoClaire
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoSince you seem to be drawn to an extension at the back and want the barn room to remain here is an option (subject to approval etc)
Claire
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoIn case you were unable to see the upstairs plan I have included it again. I don’t think a step between the front and back part of the landing detracts from the house and it adds to its period charm.
Claire
6 years ago
Kerry Bryan Interiors