Large lounge and vacant space needed to fill, ideas welcomed!
Jonathan
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
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Ellie
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Lounge design ideas for gold stripe sofas
Comments (22)Thank you for all your really helpful comments so far. My eyes are being opened to different thoughts and design ideas. I have loaded a few more photos from the day as it shows the light. The patio end is south facing bit we have a conservatory and some trees behind which reduces the light on the room. as you can see I do have lots of ornaments which I would want to keep and whilst I might have the odd piece to reflect the colour of the room I do t think this room is one to do from scratch and therefore a design idea needs to be around my bits. I have previously changed the botanical flower print as it was once another colour. As the room is long and thin it is quite hard to find an alternative layout which allows us to view the tv as well as entertain and see each other. Carolins I am loving all your ideas and today am going to visit a fabric design shop to see if I can get ideas there. I spend hours going through shop websites looking for cushions/ curtains / lamps as ideally I wouLd like ideas/links to products if possible. I am thinking of painting the wall a more neutral colour? Maybe something like Dimity from farrow and Ball, but from a cheaper supplier? please keep the ideas coming I am so grateful for all your help thank you so much! Also new to this site so not yet worked out how to comment on your post individually sorry...See MoreFreezing Lounge - ideas needed
Comments (21)As an experienced architectural designer my answer deals with your specific problems, but also contains general advice which could be useful to other readers, so please don't be offended or take what I write personally... I'm just trying to help people. I notice your house has a massive external surface area with which to lose heat, plus lots of windows so it will not be an easy house to keep warm! It would be very sensible to check out your whole house internally and externally with an infra-red thermometer as this will show up the worst heat loss spots. They could be around window frames, doors, skirting, ceilings and these are the places to target your heat loss fighting energy and finance. Your problem could be caused by a whole range of issues. Do you have a suspended timber floor which is ventilated? Just like your open chimney, the wind will rob any heat from the room unless you stop it doing so. This would involve insulating the floor in some way, and if you were taking up the floorboards you would be wise to treat the joists (especially the ends) and check for evidence of mice, which can play havoc in cavity wall insulation. Taking up the floor is a very disruptive job, which is why it has not been done in my house. Untreated timber could rot if ventilation is restricted by close-fitting insulation. If you have an unventilated floor, it may not have any or enough insulation. Also, beware of internal insulation as a solution, as this makes your outside walls colder/damper and usually leads to later problems with damp/mould/rot and expensive remedial work, even structural failure. Make sure you follow the advice of a competent person who understands how complex building physics can be. (Building services engineer). Bay windows are usually really poor bits of construction... If your double glazing has a large gap between the panes of around 20mm, it may not be the real problem. If the spacers (between the glass) are shiny aluminium, this is not good, so if you ever replace the glazing, don't settle for anything less than Edgetech Superspacer or Truplas, the very best warm edge spacers available. I live in a 1930's ex council house and I have blocked the only remaining chimney with a massive bag of loft insulation. The floor was already overlaid with a cheap laminate floor, so the floor gets cold when the winter winds roar. Reflective blinds (checkout Reflex Rol) can be used, but with a bay window, fitting will be complex and heat will still escape around the edges of the blind. Reflective foil is able to bounce radiant energy away from itself, but there should always be an airspace on each side of the foil or the energy just conducts through to the cold side. If the window faces south, then blinds could make the room even colder, unless you always remember to raise them early each morning - the same goes for thermal shutters. My house in Somerset has a gas combi boiler which has hardly needed to come on at all so far this winter. My gas and electricity comes from EBICO, as they have no standing charges. I have insulated the house externally with 50mm of Celotex, covered with treated battens and Marley Cedral weatherboard (which does not rot) and only adds around 80mm to the wall thickness, plus Cedral is perfect for eaves boards and soffits. (You can paint it whatever colour you like). This, plus a porch outside the front door has made a massive difference to my warmth as I am 70 and now live on my own. The attic has been properly insulated and boarded to become an unofficial room. I am lucky to have two unshaded windows that face south and they bring in lots of free energy. I am not stupid and I'm often in and out to my garden, so in winter I wear a vest under my T shirt, as well as a fleece and longjohns under my trousers (get them at Lidl) which is also a good place to buy LED lights. Always start with energy conservation and insulation rather than things that burn timber or fossils fuels and ignore the real problem. I would avoid burning wood, given the state our atmosphere and lungs are in. We are not cave men anymore and should be evolving. New energy efficient houses sometimes feature large south-facing PV roofs which directly heat a central water tank or can feed electric underfloor heated zones - and just like my 1970's experimental solar house, these super-insulated dwellings do not have a 'normal heating system'. I can't stand curtains, they look a mess, often block out solar radiation / light and have to be washed. I like close-fitting wooden floors which you can simply sweep with a brush and run over with an upright vac-cleaner. Tiles are a pain to keep clean and can break your hip as well as things you drop. We can save lots of money and energy by not buying things that need to be washed and dried, as well as things we really don't need!...See Morelounge/diner in need of ideas
Comments (5)Hi Russell. It maybe worth considering employing an interior designer for a single room redesign for this space. You can then ensure everything with in the room works and can see it all in a 3D image before you commit to changes. You will also then gain help with trade discounts on purchases which can save you in the long run. There are plenty on here to look at so it maybe worth asking around. Looking at the space can you just confirm what it is behind the sofa? you say a partition.. is that to another room? If changed to glass would it effectively be a large window pane? If so what would than look onto? Grey with the royal blue sounds like a great base for the colour scheme and then one of the other vibrant colours for accessorising the space - this would allow you to change that additional colour at a later date if required, without needing to redo the whole space. A glass centerpiece above the table sound fab and would bounce and reflect light so would visually increase the size of the room as well as being clear so not distracting too much from the view through the space and out of the back windows. You would be best - budget wise - to look for this second hand on e-bay or Gumtree for something really unique or somewhere like Wayfair maybe reasonable for you. I hope this helps and wish you all the best, Gina...See MoreThoughts and Ideas Wanted - Kitchen/Dining Space
Comments (2)Hi Indi, I would knock out both walls and have the kitchen, diner and family room all open plan. The lounge would stay separate. I would also add long bi-fold doors and glazing all along the back wall. At the minute it seems like you have through the hallway, then the kitchen to get to the family room? I think that's why the flow is not right....See MoreTani H-S
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