Awkward, but quaint?
Hello all!! It's been quite a while since I've been active on this site, but once again I'm in need of your help and advice, please.
We are in the process of buying a house with rather complex history: the initial building was a (smallish) 16th century cottage, which got an addition that doubled its size sometime in the 19th century. There's been some later additions as well, and it shows: the whole house feels somewhat discombobulated, fractured and all over the place. Every floor has two/three levels, every single room upstairs and most downstairs have steps going up or down or both!! Seriously, I'm convinced the first floor was designed by Escher and at the end, even he was terribly confused by the whole thing :)).
Plus, some walls are 80 cm wide at one end and 50cm at the other, there are niches in the stone and cubbyholes in almost every room, bumps and humps on most walls, the roof seems to abruptly dive down in places and just soar to unreachable heights in others.
I'm sure this sounds like someone's paradise in more ways than one, and although we love most of its idiosyncrasies and want to preserve its character, we would also like to change the layout, especially upstairs. However I've been told that there's not much I can do given the bones of the building; also because of pipes/ septic tank/ foundation, proximity to the river, etc, I shouldn't even try to think that I can move the kitchen or bathroom without some serious structural work... and we really want an en-suite upstairs...
What I'd like to know is: how can I modify a layout when there are so many (mini) levels and uneven floors, walls that look like they can easily take some heavy bombardment and remain standing, having a roof line far from straight, etc. Or it can not be realistically modified (we don't really want to make major structural changes) and I just have to resign myself to an uneven everything and awkward (but very quaint, I'm told by my British relatives) home?
PS: I'm posting the floorplan, but it doesn't really resemble real life (it's the estate agents' plan, so not entirely accurate).
Thank you!
Comments (16)
Luciana
5 years agoLuciana
5 years agoOh Jen, it is wonderful!! It truly is a gem and not listed!! It's hidden away in a forest, totally secluded and with river views from almost all the windows - you step out the back door and it only takes some 20 steps to climb down to the river bank.
As it's an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the rules are pretty strict, but at least it's not listed.
The ladies who lived there for the last two decades or so have done a great job maintaining and improving the whole property, that's why we are not planning major structural changes. However, we want to have friends and family over and the upstairs layout doesn't offer a lot of distance and privacy. That's why we want an en-suite.
Furthermore, there's a barn or rather the former couch house that just screams for a conversion, and we'll do it, just not straight away.
And this is the view from the said balcony:
Luciana
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJonathan, Minnie and the rest - you are all welcome! But don't make any plans for at least 2 years, because that's when we think you'd be able to finish the barn - it needs planning permission first of all and, as it is in fact rather narrow, we don't really know if you'd be allowed to extend or just renovate within the existing walls (that obviously need repointing), so that could take a while to get sorted.
Also, we might have some logistic problems bringing in large machinery, given the narrow drive to the house, so it's not a straight forward job.
Am I cruel to show you these photos? SORRY!! But I'm just so excited! The surveyor is there today, I can't wait to hear his report.Anyway, long ago I'd promised Karen@OnePlan that if I ever start another project, I'll ask her firm to get involved... so she might be the first to visit :))
Back to my question though: can I somehow make an elegant access to the balcony through the bathroom??
PROJohnson Bespoke Ltd
5 years agoIt's looks like a beautiful house in a beautiful setting . A bathroom with a balcony could be a nice quirky addition to an already characterful home. There's something quite luxurious about that concept too, something like this comes to mind, a bath with a view.
Alternatively does the balcony wrap around any other rooms with a window? A window that has the potential to be a door and create a new access?Luciana thanked Johnson Bespoke LtdLuciana
5 years agoJohnson, that is the type of bathroom I was thinking of! With the toilet obviously enclosed in a corner - it should work!
And you are right, there is a rather large window on the other side, it could be easily altered as a door and that would create a better flow and more available space... thank you!
PS: that's what I was talking about when I mentioned extensions built in different centuries: it's quite obvious here!Luciana
5 years agoLuciana
5 years ago
temple274