Dilemma - 1900’s Victorian Terrace - Downstairs Floor Plan
Help! We have a dilemma.
We’re mid renovation/ build and can’t decide how to optimise our space, create stunning views and find space for a toilet/ utility room.
Our Front Reception Room (FRR) and Second Reception Room (SRR) are 50cm higher than kitchen. We’re opening up the SRR into the kitchen, and building a Side Return.
We have the option of
- As per below floor plan, but this takes up much needed kitchen space
- Close the FRR from SRR and a small toilet/ Utility, accessed from the hallway. The rest of the floor in the SRR can be dropped and turned into a mini snug accessed from kitchen. However, this blocks off a stunning view from front of house to Garden.
Are there other options or things we should consider?
Comments (15)
J C McD
last monthRelated Discussions
Downstairs terrace layout
Comments (8)Hi, It's a difficult one, I agree. It doesn't show your basement on the plan? Is it a good sized room at all? Could u move the utility down there perhaps freeing up more living space? If I were you, I would put a glass roof extension to the side of the bathroom - accessible from the kitchen with a back door going into the garden. I've seen it done on a house with a similar layout on a Sarah beeney show. The roof was sloping glass so it flooded with light and the space was only small, but they fitted in a large dining table because the one far side had bench seating (chairs take up too much room!) It might work out a lot cheaper than a full brick extension but it depends if you do it as a 'conservatory' ie maintaining an outside door into it, or if you knock down the wall by your kitchen so it's a through room....See MoreAwkward Victorian terrace house lay out - advice needed!
Comments (11)Hello Sammiejo63, The one thing you may want to consider is moving the bathroom upstairs where the little tiny room is you can make this a walk in bathroom slightly smaller than the size of this room to allow more space in the bedroom area ie bedroom 2.. At the top of the stairs you can situate a tiny loo area by putting in a wall to reduce the size of current sized bedroom 2 to the left with a sliding or bi-fold door to enter from the top of the stairs and another door to it's left to enter the bedroom 2.. Leave the stairs as they are but make them blend into the fabric of the walls... so glass or something entirely open even just paint them to match the walls..... Remove both walls that partition the kitchen and bathroom (currently situated) and instead create a full open plan kitchen in this area.. Additionally if you were to take the end wall out from the garden door onwards to make the current kitchen/bathroom rooms same width as the living area the stairs would have more room... This affords you more space overall.. Galley kitchen and dining area going out then onto the garden with an introduction of bifold, french or sliding doors.. Better have an adjoining bathroom in the master bedroom and lose a bedroom because you have a fully open living, kitchen and dining space which is perfect for entertaining.. Depending on size of garden and budget, you could even add an extension onto the rear to give you more space for kitchen dining....... : ))...See MoreAwkward kitchen and bathroom layout - victorian terrace
Comments (4)Hiya, Sounds like you could be perfect for out show. Sarah Beeny “Renovate Don’t Relocate” is on the lookout for people who want to transform their homes! Our experts will help someone transform their homes, and the way they use them. Filming is taking place in the Greater London and South area. We are looking for people who have a budget to renovate, update or change their home but want to be sure they get it right by getting advice from a professional. If you would like more details, please email the team now: apply@outlineproductions.co.uk All applicants must be over the age of 18 and be a UK resident....See MoreBack extension - how to avoid dingy middle rooms in Victorian Terrace
Comments (11)Hey, G D! Glad you found it helpful. I'm afraid I don't have the original floor plans electronically; when I changed my desktop couple of years ago, I saved all the photographs on the new one but forgot the house plans. However, I also think our houses are similar, but for the width of the kitchens - our old kitchen before the extension was about 3.8m wide (I still have the estate agent listing saved). Have a look at this ideabook with pics of the house. Also, this old post with before/after of the kitchen https://www.houzz.co.uk/ideabooks/5800709/list/our-cardiff-house https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/total-kitchen-renovation-dsvw-vd~400397 As for the pocket doors, we didn't use an architect, so had no idea about the fire regs. However, we passed building inspection without any problems; although they asked us to get both a smoke alarm and a fire alarm in the kitchen....See More
Zoe Kelly
last monthjojo_harding
last monthSimon Reeves
last monthjojo_harding
last monthHi - we're just finalising our drawings so not done yet - the instagram page for @thise17life does a tour and also I found this one https://studiowolsey.com/side-extension-henley-on-thames they have the snug as a study - I'll attached a photo too - again it's smaller than ours - and yours by the look of your plans.
jojo_harding
last monthThis is the plan for our SRR. We'll going to level the pantry with the kitchen and remove the chimney breast.
Simon Reeves
last monthWere planning to drop the floor too, so it’s an extension of the kitchen. The problem is, the SRR is 3.3m wide and 3.7m long. If you take 1.5m of the length for the utility (slightly narrower than above) the only left with 2.1 (allowing 10cm for partition wall) to fit the snug - which would only have a 2 person sofa. Also, we’re opening it out fully with a steel so we don’t have the toilet there. The pic below is the start of the build before the steel goes in.
Tika Edwards
last monthfiregard
last monthpazzomed
26 days agoHi Simon
Looking at your floor plan there seems to be a lot of under utilised space and i am guessing from the first floor plan that there will be sky lights down the left hand side of the extension? Have you considered moving most of the kitchen to the left hand side so your counters are under natural day light. You could sacrifice any top units for open shelving to maximise the light/view. Also may sure you have at least 1 unit space of worktop either side of sink and hob.
If it is possible, perhaps a bigger utility could be gained by moving the dividing wall between the SRR and the hall??? Alternatively a cheaper option could be to install a wall of floor to ceiling cupboards in the SRR (kinda like a false wall) that you can hide everything away in (you could even include a large airing cupboard)
The opposite wall could be a mix of shallow units, open shelving, a desk if needed or maybe library/reading area and lots of greenery? Think of the SRR as becoming a glorified grand hallway – keeping the middle clear will ease the flow and also give you a decent indoor exercise space? Lighting will also be very important in this area – maybe a mix of ‘daylight’ effect bulbs and also mood lighting/lamps for when you want it more cosy.
I have added a couple of drawings below to help visualise what i mean – might spark some new ideas?
Good luck with the project
pazzomed
26 days agoJane
26 days agolast modified: 26 days agoJane
26 days agojojo_harding
26 days ago
Gloria GR