awkward loft room door to main bedroom

4 years ago

Hi all!
Been quiet for a while as had a break from the house to work on our campervan as went on holiday in it!
So now summer is officially over (BOO) I’m starting to think about more diy

Our main bedroom is upstairs (an original room) and the main entrance door is just weird. Can’t remove it as nowhere to put a door upstairs (need one for fire safety) but the top of it means people have to duck under when coming down the stairs.
Also coming down, the handle is too low as the door is against the bottom step so you have to bend low to open it or open it with your foot as I regularly do, ha ha.

We can’t bring the door forward because the door to the right of it (in the photo) is a bedroom and on an angle so the angle will change and it will mean a standard or slim door won’t fit!)

So the only option I can see (which still won’t resolve the low door handle!!) is to put a much taller door in so it raises the head height (above is stud so can be altered) phew.
However, it will look odd being a completely different height to the other doors as the tops all run together. Bah. Also I could move the door handle up on the outside (also look odd??)

My only other idea is to make it look like a bookshelf or end of hall wall with either book wallpaper or a hall mirror hanging on it and narrow shelving (can’t make it too heavy or have anything that will fall off etc)

What do you think?? Any other ideas??

Thanks!!

Ps pics show the door as the one in front straight on. Left door is the lounge and the angled one is a second bedroom.

Featured Answer

Gabby Wong

4 years ago

I guess they do normally have a roller ball on a spring.. or if you had it weighted like with a spring at the top that automatically closes the door? And then just push open against it

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Comments (40)

Gabby Wong
4 years ago
Could you have it closing on like a pull/push? As opposed to a true catch? Could use the existing handle on the outside to pull it open, and just push it open from the stairs side?
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
I’m not sure those type of catches work in both directions? Or do you mean a roller ball type of fitting?
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kwg kwg
4 years ago
What is the measurement of the wall between lounge door and bedroom door? Do you also have a plan view of that hallway and 2nd bedroom?
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
@kwg (threw me as your post came up with my avatar on it! LOL!)
- don’t have measurements at the moment but we worked it out and there is just not the angle to move the door forward and bring the second bedroom one in without making both doors tiny.
  Originally the lounge door was closed to the loft door ie mirroring the hall bedroom door (before we moved it)
  It’s a weird layout and all the doors were on an angle till we changed the lounge one. I guess they did it so the hall felt more open and less a tiny corridor as there isn’t much natural light in there being a bungalow and the hall in the centre.
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
@gabby I will check out alternative openers then and see what would work best. Guess a roller ball could work as the handle won’t need to go through both sides so I could have a raised one internally and a standard height outside
kwg kwg
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
That's very strange re: avatar lol. Yes I was thinking of bringing the main bedroom door forward but then the 2nd bedroom door would need to be tackled ( and that would depend on the room shape/ size etc ).

Would bi-fold doors work if you could bring doors forward and re-position both doors? It would take less opening space?
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Unfortunately not. I had this epiphany last night about pulling the door forward and looked at it with the OH but the angles are all wrong and the downstairs bedroom doors just won’t fit in at all. It opens inwards anyway so the opening aspect isn’t a problem - it’s the size. It’s solid wall either side so we can’t even change the door frame unless we make the bedroom smaller and create a weird tiny hallway, lol. Just not worth it
Gabby Wong
4 years ago
What about something like this? Remove the catch all together, pull from the normal handle outside and just push from inside?

Thing I dislike about the rollers is they always seem to be on a spring and make a noise when opening and closing
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Yeah - we have a roller in our en suite and it’s super noisy, lol. The OH gets up earlier than me for work so I can just imagine the racket it would make :-O

Is that a firefoor closer you posted? Can’t seem the name of it on the image
Gabby Wong
4 years ago
https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/briton-1110-door-closer-silver-662926?vat=1&shopping=true&gclsrc=aw.ds&infinity=ict2~net~gaw~ar~358306792714~kw~~mt~~cmp~Smart+Shopping+(All+Campaigns)~ag~Ad+group&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8svsBRDqARIsAHKVyqFE24ltfFX3JwEX6cJ5hqc2Dl3axnFkksN3GIe716KHBRVFHYOmFmgaAhpIEALw_wcB

Yea it's basically a fire door closer... just need to find one that would be soft closing so it wouldn't slam shut!
Jonathan
4 years ago
Are you sure you need the door? There is a door between the kitchen and hallway- isn’t that enough?
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
It’s a fire door as it’s a loft room (well it will be a fire door when I’ve finished with it!) as we sleep up there. So it would give us some extra protection if there was a fire in the middle of the night as that is the main route out to the door :0/

Also for the noise, lol. We have dogs and they are noisy in the mornings, ha ha.

But I did broach it with the architect originally and she said we would have had to have moved the door upstairs which would involve making the bedroom a bit smaller and lots of cost to build the walls up. AND, mustn’t forget the stairs would face the door which ya know, apparently is a no no (LOL)
Victoria
4 years ago
Are you sure about it needing to be a fire door? It’s a first floor not a second floor? I don’t think it needs to be a fire door in that case.
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Well we were just going off what the architect said so not sure.
Usually you have stairs to the top floor then doors on the bedroom. But with ours - the whole top floor is an open bedroom so there there is no separate door.
We can escape out of the bathroom window but I guess it’s the smoke ie if the smoke alarm fails and we are asleep - the fire door offers a longer time protection?

My issue really is the visual and practical aspect of using said door ie the handle and the look from the hallway.
The firedoor closer would hopefully work (as suggested above) so that’s good. We can get a soft closer one. So that solves the handle issue! Lol.

Visually - the door will have to be much taller to give us that extra head height off the stairs so people don’t have to duck. ... so my next question is re the look of it.

Any clever ideas for blending it in?? Ie bookcase wallpaper and a mirror so it looks like an end wall rather than a door??
Jules Mc
4 years ago
What about going the whole hog, removing the architrave and going for a smooth door to paste this fab mural onto? I'd paper the area above the door as well. A subtle black handle woukd blend in with the crittal type frames. Rocket St George do this mural wallpaper too so you could compare prices.
Jules Mc
4 years ago
Another pic..
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Like the idea of it and it could work elsewhere but not 100% sure about the end of the hall if the entrance door is opposite it? Will check the site out though for more pics :0) something triomphe d’oeil would work like that.
Oh and yes - would definitely need a flat door for anything to work
Jules Mc
4 years ago
If you get a moment checkout @threeboysandapinkbath on Instagram. They've got it on a wall which clearly isn't (couldn't be) an external wall but the illusion is great.
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Fab, thank you! Great site for those muriels as well - had a quick look
Jules Mc
4 years ago
I love muriels too - just call me Hilda!!
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Had another thought ... as we are lacking space in the hall now for coats etc (we have a cloakroom under the stairs through the hall but regular shoes etc still get dumped on the sofa when you walk in!) I wondered ... could we not make that door into a cloakroom door?? Ie actually mount coat hooks and a shoe rack onto the door so it simultaneously disguises it but is also really practical? Lol.

I know it can’t be too deep ie so flat vertical wall storage because the door opens out near the wall, but ... ?
pmasmith3
4 years ago
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe! So going up to your bedroom would be like going through the wardrobe to Narnia.
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Ha ha, yes sort of ;0)
If we changed it to a firedoor then it should be just a basic pull handle so fairly heavy duty that could take a couple of coats and shoes. Not going to hold a load of stuff - just things we wear daily as its more accessible than the actual cloakroom.

Now I’ve lived with our extension for a year, there are things I wish I’d have done differently to make more use of the huge space as some of it is wasted. Hey ho!
Jules Mc
4 years ago
I can see the coats would work.... Not sure about shoes? Going to be banging into the wall?
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
@Jules - I was thinking of those racks where you store the shoes vertically? Or side to side so only the width of the shoe would stick out. So the same as a coat hook?
It was only the handle that can touch the wall when fully opened so there is a gap and I would put a rubber stopper to make sure it didn’t get damaged.
There is also a narrow space between the lounge door and that bedroom door when it’s open - where we could also stack shoes upright. And maybe have a little shelf for post etc.

Alternatively, I can just have the door for coats and scarves etc and put one of those slim shoe racks on the other side of the hall as there is a bit more space there.
Just the OH is lazy and never used it in our last house!!
Jules Mc
4 years ago
I feel your pain. I live with two who think shoes are best used as an obstacle course around the house!
Your hall seems very similar to my Mum's dormer bungalow! She uses the first room on the left (currently a guest bedroom) for her shoes/coats with nice hooks in the next to a small wardrobe because there's little space in the hall like you say. She does, however have a small meter cupboard by the front door that she could possibly build a slimline unit over to put shoes in (vertically, like you say) could something similar work for you there?
Jules Mc
4 years ago
Sorry Tani just re-read and seen you might have space for something like this. I'd prefer that to one on the back of a door. Then the shoe putting away training comes in :-)
Jules Mc
4 years ago
.
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Our entrance is a mare. The electric box cupboard was poorly placed and the previous porch door we had there had the handle vertical because the cupboard stuck out past the door :0/ so we removed it which also increased the light.

There was a space behind the door that we used but we took it off as any coats there meant the door didn’t open fully.

We plan on removing the cupboard and replacing it with a super slim one and then if the door still touches the cupboard there, we could hang a few things up.

Again though, we tended to get through the door and walk into the hallway before thinking about taking coats off.
The room to the left of the front door will be a bathroom and the right one is my office but noone will walk into another room to put coats in, ha ha ha.
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Yes something like that might fit on another wall. Then we could just hang coats behind the door with a lightweight mirror in the middle of it. That should bounce a bit more light around as well as it will reflect the front door.

Would be the third secret door in the house then, ha ha !
Jules Mc
4 years ago
I need all new doors never mind a secret door :-(
Bought cheap when we first moved in and 'been meaning'!!! to replace ever since.
Sounds like a plan though for your stairs door. Would you attach hooks and mirror to the existing door or remove architrave, flush door, and make it look like part of the wall?
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Not sure yet on the side architraves but as we will have to put a taller door there, I reckon a flush flat door so it forms part of the wall would be best. I might paper that whole wall then and add the mirror on the door and a couple of hooks either side or so. Will see. Might be another year before we get around to it but it’s good to have a plan ahead! Ha ha
Gabby Wong
4 years ago
Oooo Love the idea of a secret door!

I've always wanted one with a bookcase! Can't wait to see what you achieve Tani!
Heather Hill
4 years ago
Would something like this work? To build a new wall forward and have 2 new doorways off that... and hat would give you a landing space at bottom of stair way. What i cant see is what else is in your hallway. You could also maybe use he small lobby at base of stairs to hang coats etc. Just an idea
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
Hi Angelica,

The width of the hall isn’t as wide as your drawing so it wouldn’t work unfortunately. It’s a standard size and only widens slightly to the right of the stair door. So if I put a wall there, you would only have about 10” to squeeze through ;0)

Problem is it’s small and dark already so making it smaller with extra walls would make it feel tiny? Ceilings are high so that doesn’t help, doh.
Thank you though for the idea.
pmasmith3
4 years ago
Though I love the idea of your secret door, I wonder if the space might flow better if you took out the door, architrave and wall above it and build stud walls round the stairwell in your bedroom.

I know you said earlier in the post that this would make your bedroom smaller and be more expensive but it would make your hallway seem larger especially if you were able to fit high up rectangular windows (they have a name, but I can't remember it) in the new stud walls. This would bring light downstairs from your bedroom velux windows. A stud wall is only about 4" thick so you wouldn't lose too much space upstairs.

You still wouldn't gain any space for hanging coats and shoes, but it would feel bigger in the hall.
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
We did look at doing that originally with the aechitext but the upstairs has an open staircase so it cuts up a lot of room and would cost hundreds to stud it all out and put in and plaster the walls and put windows in :0(
Plus I have a dressing area at the top of the landing where a window is ( the only window light that could come from upstairs is a north facing side window) so I might lose some of this.

Overall it wouldn’t give us anything except showing the stairs in the hallway ie no cloakroom and a smaller upstairs with a lot of cost.

We understand the hall is small and that’s just as the house was built so it’s one of those things. It’s just trying to use what is there as my OH wont spend any extra on things he deems aren’t fundamental now, lol.
pmasmith3
4 years ago
Stick with the secret door.....

It's all about compromise with refurbishing isn't it. We chose to have a larger and lighter living space which is lovely, but our bedrooms are tiny. I'm envious of your stairs and room upstairs. The pitch on our 60s bungalow is too shallow to convert the loft and we'll never have the money to alter the roof!
Tani H-S
Original Author
4 years ago
@pma - as long as you have the floor space in the loft eaves then the roof can be raised. I think we got quoted around £6m to build up one of the sides which would have given us an extra 2m maybe of floor space- but we were over budget to start with on the build so couldn’t justify it. Bam went my walk in wardrobe, lol.
I have realised though that as we don’t have kids and we have a huge living space, I don’t use the bedroom as a private space like I used to as a kid so it’s not as important.
Oh - and stairs are just a massive dust trap! HA HA

awkward loft room door to main bedroom

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