First home renovation

4 years ago

Hi all,

Hoping you might be able to please help us with our floor plan dilemma! We are looking to create an open plan living and kitchen area but would also like to have the option in the future to add a fourth bedroom and second bathroom - all on the ground floor. In an ideal world we would settle our plan for everything now and then stage the build with kitchen and open plan first. Any ideas would be fantastic! Thanks so much!!

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rinked

4 years ago

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PRO
User
4 years ago
HI Edwina!

Great looking spaces, it wouldn't be too difficult to change to a 4 bed 2 bath.

I would suggest the TV lounge becomes the bedroom, and then the kitchen is split into a bathroom, with some room left over for a new kitchen diner (going into the existing dining room) and then opening out into the lounge... But that's just what I'd start with, obviously without knowing how you use the spaces it might not be the best idea, but something for you to think about!
Jonathan
4 years ago
Since you mentioned building are you intending adding an extension- if so how much higher can you afford to build?
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Edwina
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks very much for the ideas, we are keen to make the most of the back garden space and ideally looking to have an open plan area that flows outside. We thought about going up but understand it’s difficult in this area to get through council as it’s a heritage area (roof space isn’t tiny but not big either) and we understand the costs are generally higher going up... than a ground floor extension so keen to keep costs down!
Jonathan
4 years ago
My last comment had a typo- instead of how much higher can you build I meant to say how much extra can you afford to build?

Interestingly going up is often cheaper than building out- especially if your house is on a slope and you have to excavate a lot of the garden to build.

Your plan also shows there are underused rooms on the garage level. Could you appropriate those? I suspect building a light well at the side to allow basement windows will be much cheaper than building outwards
PRO
OnePlan
4 years ago
Is this project in Australia? Looks a very similar layout to one I worked on last year that was over there ?! My advice would be arrange a meeting with a structural engineer - and ask him or her which walls can be removed easily - and which will involve beams etc - and if any particular bits would, in their opinion, be too expensive to even contemplate changing ... then armed with that info - either have a go at re defining the spaces yourself - or engage a concept planner ( like us ) to help you.
PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years ago
Hello

What a great house and the site is on a slope from the looks of it!

Have you considered building a wing at the back as a new lounge/ dine zone/ tv zone that projects into the garden, or across the back face of the existing rooms with a courtyard in-between.

This would allow for the conversion of the existing lounge to a master bedroom or bedroom with ensuite/ walk-in wardrobe etc ...

Diagram to follow..

The site plan is a very insightful bit of information..
PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years ago
Edwina

Hello again,

Here are a couple of options. They provide the new bathroom and bedroom and extend the house in 2 configurations. Having looked at this it would be difficult to fit the new spaces within the foot print .

So these sketches are based on the site plan and look at 2 options of placing the new spaces in parts of the rear garden

Option 1 : Is a linear projection along one edge of the garden

Option 2: Forms a private garden courtyard bed tween the bedrooms and the new living spaces

Let me know how you feel about these approaches

Best Regards

David
Jonathan
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Alternatively you could extend the bedroom wing to include two new bedrooms an ensuite and laundry room and then knock the smallest bedroom into the kitchen/ sunroom/ dining space to create a great room for family living.
PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Jonathon

Yes, that certainly would be an alternative but the phasing would be more difficult .

If the property is vacated and completed in a single phase then it could be a practical route to go down.

Edwina it would be interesting to know what your sequencing preference would be and if the house would be occupied or vacant during the works?
rinked
4 years ago
Go under. Am I correct this is the layout of your garage underneath your house?

Can you describe your "extensive underfloor storage"? Could it be dug out to create some rooms there? Emergency exit (already one under the kitchen?) Windows?
PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
rinq

Interesting idea .

But where would the connecting staircase go ? In the dining room or bed room 3? Probably bedroom 3 in the centre of the plan? From the site plan it looks like the site is 1.5m above grade at the entrance , and the road ramps down to access the garage. It also looks like the site is sloping up along its length.

Going under would depend on getting light into the two new bedrooms that would now be needed, under the kitchen/ tv room and under bedroom 2 to be on the perimeter. Or one could go under the master bedroom and the other be under bedroom 2.

Or one could go up?
rinked
4 years ago
Looking at your tv room; this could never be a tv room! Where would you place a tv?? I'd open up that side of the kitchen and add some stools and/or breakfast table on that side.

Living on just under 90m2 we watch tv in our 'lounge'.. My guess is you could do too ;)

Small alterations when playing with your floorplan: moved the staircase from foyer to bedroom-side-of-the-house. Kept an open basement for safety (don't know your regulations?). Underground master suite. Could use the old doorway in the foyer if you'd like your basement to be a tv room and guest.
PRO
Studio O+U Architects
4 years ago
Rinq

Hi, Nice idea in the basement.

I feel, that there is just, something about the orientation and organisation of the house that starts to suggest flipping the layout on the first floor. Opening up the main lounge to the garden and moving the kitchen and TV room into where the lounge is at the moment..

I don't know how Edwina feels about being closer to nature but there is something about the site plan that says it's an enticing part of the living experience.
rinked
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
O+U, I had similar thoughts when looking at the layout. But more like switching bedrooms and lounge. Moving the laundry elsewhere. Have all the living areas at the garden side (horizontal).

Would all depend on budget, views, sun, etc.

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