Bungalow plans, ideas needed for my architect

10 years ago

I have recently purchased a small bungalow in Wales, UK which i plan to make into my home. I need to get some ideas and appoint an architect. I have attached some floor plans and photos as it is now. I plan to knock down the garage and extend to the left as you look at the property on the photo. There are a few things i'd like to include;
I'd like to keep 3 bedrooms, i think i can extend into the loft but will probably lose the smallest room on the ground floor, so i was thinking i could have one living room including kitchen, all open plan. Which would mean the extension, rear and front rooms all into one main living area. The existing kitchen and 3 existing bedrooms could then be- ideally, 3 bedrooms 1 main bathroom, 1 en suite and lots of wardrobe space, ideally walk-in. I was also thinking about opening the loft space for higher ceilings, maybe raised sleeping areas to create more room in the bedrooms. I also wonder how living in 1 room would be and how the layout would work. Any suggestions?
Katie

Featured Answer

Carolina

10 years ago

My kitchen faces north, has 6 windows above the counter (one isn't visible in the photo) and one window high up on the wall. Two years ago we added two large roof windows, remote controlled, to the roof. You wouldn't believe how much lighter it is. Since you mentioned opening up the ceiling into the roof.... it could be an idea for you perhaps. Who knows :-)

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apple_pie_order
10 years ago
Would you please post your new floor plan? The light in the new photos is a great improvement.
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
10 years ago
decoenthusiaste the asbestos roof sheets were removed via a licensed contractor under controlled conditions, equipped with correct RPE and disposed of as hazardous waste. I have a consignment note paperwork.
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Ok I'll do that, thank you!! I think the wardrobe i was thinking of getting is just 1" too big... It might still work though. And I'll definitely consider that thanks :D I was hoping I'd downsize my wardrobe and clutter but I probably won't be able to :P I was also wondering if I got a large floor mirror, something to be leant against a wall or attached to the wall, where to put it... It's just a small detail though, I'm sure I'd be able to work things out better once I'd painted the bedroom and moved in etc!
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Is the downstairs bedroom just for guests or is it the master bedroom? If it's for guests, the you probably don't need it ensuite as long as there's a shower in the main bathroom. Definitely put in a utility, using that left hand side of the kitchen. No need to have a door through from kitchen to utility, just block it off and it's perfect with back door for running to washing line! Run a counter along left hand side with washer and dryer underneath, put in a sink for hand washing etc, and have shelves above for storage. On the right hand side, a bench with shoe storage beneath and coat hooks above. Can also double as a 'mud room' for storing wellies, umbrellas, footballs etc! Then knock the wall between kitchen and dining, but retain wall between kitchen and lounge to provide space for kitchen cabinets. To keep the open plan room sociable my main advice would be, no TV in there! Put the TV in the family room. this house has great potential, good luck!
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
10 years ago
Biggest drama to date, we damaged the mains gas pipe to the house with stone from the digger as it isn't buried. Lesson learnt and all safe now.
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
10 years ago
Back garden :)
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
10 years ago
Current floor plans. We haven't done first floor internal plan yet but will basically be one bedroom, bathroom and dressing room. The open plan area shows kitchen to top right but this isn't decided yet. The dormer and raised sun terrace is currently in for planning as is the bi fold door in place of the 2 front furthest right windows.
PRO
John James O'Brien | Inspired Living, by design
10 years ago
Personally, I would reorient the back door and include natural light in your bathroom. Here's an idea. It retains the rest of the character, but as a fan of more open living, I think you have lots of options. The question is, what kind of budget are you considering.
apple_pie_order
10 years ago
Thanks for the floor plans. Does widening the road indicate that traffic noise will increase? If so, a master bedroom in the back might be preferable to one facing the road.
Carolina
10 years ago
Thanks for keeping us updated. Love to see progress. Looks scary now, but it looks like it will be a wonderful spacious and light home.
PRO
Kusten Vorland
Original Author
10 years ago
Hi garden oaks, the light is to the front of the property. The back is quite dark. I think we are set on flipping the existing layout and using the current living as bedrooms.
PRO
Kusten Vorland
Original Author
10 years ago
Ho apple pie, the bungalow is on a narrow lane, the traffic isn't too bad. The master bedroom is in the attic spanning the full width and length of the ground floor.
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
9 years ago
Update for you.... One year on and I still haven't finished. :(
Carolina
9 years ago
Not finished, but what... halfway? Or...? Any photos to share? :-))
apple_pie_order
9 years ago
How's it going? Nice to hear from you.
hillary59
9 years ago
Are you living in the property ?Hope you are winning now!
PRO
OnePlan
9 years ago
Have you reached a 'comfy state' yet ? Do hope it's warm and dry inside for you !!
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
9 years ago
No I'm not living there, there is no roof! It's the project from hell.
apple_pie_order
9 years ago
Best wishes for smooth completion. Hope it goes quickly from here out. Post more photos if you like. I guess no roof yet means you may be gettin a higher ceiling for the master bedroom on the top floor.
hillary59
9 years ago
What a nightmare.!.so sorry youve had so much pressure over what was to be an exciting project..Imagine you have ironed out the build complications now but not without massive financial and emotional implications to yourselves im sure.
Sincerely hope it gets completed soon,
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
9 years ago
It's contractors, I have been let down so many times it's unbelievable. If anyone is looking for work come to Wales, UK and start a small building and renovation company... You'll be inundated with work and there are so few of you!
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
9 years ago
Now I have a brand new roof, windows, external doors and underfloor heating.... We are rendering everywhere and when that finishes the wet trades will be over. Woohoo!
hillary59
9 years ago
Well done,, good news.... coming together at last..! Spring is on its way and your project completion with it hopefully.!
apple_pie_order
9 years ago
New roof *and* underfloor heating will be wonderful. Post photos when you are ready.
PRO
Home By Design Ltd
9 years ago
Just to say hey and introduce myself! I am from a little local family run company specialising in kitchens but we also sell bathrooms in Llandovery but we also cover South Wales :) I would absolutely love to hear from you in regards to your project when you get there- your right about builders round here we hear it from customers all the time!

Let me know if i can help you in any way :)

Jade

Showroom manager and designer x
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
9 years ago
Fix it Kitchens, hi! I've just bought a kitchen literally last week. It's Henley from Neptune and I've ordered a few additional items to match like a corner cabinet, table and dresser.
The bathroom ceramics I've got, it's just tiles and lighting to go. Thanks for proactively contacting me, I'll keep your details.
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Home By Design Ltd
9 years ago
Check out our tile suppliers website www.britishceramictile.com if there's anything on there you like give me a buzz! It's a big shame about the kitchen- maybe next time :)

Jade x
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OnePlan
9 years ago
Henley is a beautiful finish !!! Lucky you !!! I've just bought the big Edinburgh coffee table !! Lovely furniture !!!
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
9 years ago
Hey friends, This is my new roof, I used Marley Ashmore tiles in Old English Red. Total cost 30k. The inside photos show the construction phase but they give a good idea of size. We installed a 12m flitch beam and steel, but I have to say the carpentry team were faultless, if there were issues I didn't hear about them. Although the MD did say he hadn't slept for a week for worrying! I obtained planning permission to raise the ridge height and the dormer walls, it was the difference between a box room and the room we have now. The total area is 73m2, I'm really pleased with it, hope you like it.
Carolina
9 years ago
It looks great and what a lovely and useful space you have now under that sleek looking roof. Will you have one or more bedrooms up there?
apple_pie_order
9 years ago
Nice interior space. More outside photos?
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks Carolins, we are trying to work out how to get a stove/ fire upstairs, the flu will be pretty long outside and regulations are tight in bedrooms. But hopefully we'll have a sitting room/ bedroom, then separate bathroom at one end and wardrobe at the other. The layout is working well, I like it more and more when I go there. I'm really struggling to design the inside of the wardrobe, I wanted to use the eaves, it's 1.3m highest. How are you?
PRO
Kusten Vorland
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi Apple Pie, I'll take some more real soon, the progress is good since these photos. We are installing an Esse boiler/cooker multi fuel to heat the entire house it's proving difficult as we've had difficulty finding a capable installation company. I'm managing the renovation from home because I've just had a baby, won't be long before I'm back there with my camera!
hillary59
9 years ago
Congratulations !! Looks like all your extra space will be put to good use.. Take it easy though, combining babies and renovations always pretty demanding!!(Did it myself , too many times !!)
You havent told us what you had ??
apple_pie_order
9 years ago
Congratulations on your new baby. Can you explain how the Esse boiler/cooker could heat the whole house for those of us (not in the UK) who are not familiar with it?
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OnePlan
9 years ago
Aw !! Lovely !! congratulations !!!
Carolina
9 years ago
Congratulations on your new baby :-) Some ideas for wardrobes under the eaves. I like how they incorporated a bench in these...

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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
8 years ago
Carolins, thank you! Love these pics, my vertical section entering the eaves is 1.3m high, these look a lot higher? The ceiling then slopes till it reaches full height. So I can't have this design because my height isn't there.
PRO
Kusten Vorland
Original Author
8 years ago
Apple pie, I'll let you know if it works when we move in!! We have under floor heating and hot water powered by a boiler in the back of the cooker which is powered by a wood burning stove. Technical bits, it has a quench coil and a boiler control unit which allows it to be synced with a pressurised heating system, we have a thermal store. We are in the installation process, so I'll keep you updated.
PRO
Kusten Vorland
Original Author
8 years ago
Hilary, I hope I don't regret any design decisions made whilst pregnant, I've heard it's not a good renovation time! We had a little boy and named him Winston, I'm in love!
PRO
Kusten Vorland
Original Author
8 years ago
Carolins, here is a photo identical to my space and much better than my abysmal earlier description! http://houzz.com/photos/1268452
Carolina
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I have the same issue in my bedroom under the eaves, figured I can't stand up in the space that's too low anyway, so used that for wardrobe space. All shelves in my case, have hanging space somewhere else, but could have used this same space for hanging. Behind the wardrobe is just empty space. I'll take a photo to show you.
Carolina
8 years ago
First pic shows the side opposite wardrobe, wardrobe side is the same height as that side. But we pulled the wardrobes forward. Look at the beams, they show how much we pulled them forward. We lost floor space, but that wasn't really useable anyway because of the limited height.
Carolina
8 years ago
We used ikea wardrobes, husband sawed the tops at an angle to make them fit under the eaves. Bought made to measure sliding doors.
hillary59
8 years ago
Oh lovely, welcome to Winston, a genuine Houzz uk Baby !
Im sure youre warm spacious home will suit your family well
Looking ahead,youll need some safe accessible garden space in a years time when he starts toddling...so its ok youve got a year to do that ! He ll probably want to sleep not too far from you though in the next year or two so not sure about the Master in Eaves but Im sure youve got it all worked out!
Id put tons of drawers and boxes on castors under eaves aswell as babies have tons of junk , more than adults . Ikea make good strong crates on castors . I like carolins cut down ikea robes idea aswell, Good short cut.Weve done similar.
victorianbungalowranch
8 years ago
I have built-in closets under the eaves of an American Bungalow style house in three bedrooms. They measure about 6'x 4', and my son even has a bed in one that is slightly larger, but the ceiling height is between about 2 1/2 and just barely 5 feet, so they aren't as efficient as they can be. In the master, I moved the rod to the back wall (it used to be only the depth of a hanger from the door) and down to a height to hang shirts and jackets, a little over 3' up, and this freed up the two existing short rods on the sides that are set about 4 plus feet up from the floor--long enough for most dresses, skirts and suits and such. This sort of U shaped arrangement works pretty well and the corners are for boxed out of season clothes and a short revolving (sort of a wire Lazy Susan) shoe rack.
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Kusten Vorland
Original Author
8 years ago
Victoria bungalow ranch, the shoe carousel is a great idea. I can see now im going to have to design this space myself so I'm keeping it simple. I'm putting rails between the uprights so hanging is 1.3 m half in the eave half out. Then along my partition I'm having shelves... Sounds a bit too simple one! Haha, I'll have another thought shower this morning with my cup of tea!
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Lavin Landscape & Ground Maintenance
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hi

We rebuilt a derelict house 3 years ago (our home now) you are welcome to the full pdf plans if you want. Attached are the pictures of the original plans which we tweaked, longer kitchen, larger centre room rear, moved chimney to centre of house.
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PWJ Architects Ltd
6 years ago
We'd recommend obtaining a survey of this property and taking onboard an architectural designer, so that your needs and requirements can be fully explored and translated into a functional and contemporary dwelling that suits your family.

We have a portfolio of work on our Houzz profile if you require ideas.

www.pwjarchitects.com
Daisy England
6 years ago
I think you're a bit late PJW. This post started in 2013!
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PWJ Architects Ltd
6 years ago
Thank you for kindly pointing this out, Daisy!
rosierosierosie
6 years ago
Hi, I would knock the kitchen through to the dining room and make the chimney stack a central feature, taking the back of the dining room out with a part-glass roof. I'd pinch a bit of bedroom 1 and 2 for the staircase, and put a roof window over the lounge.