Help :) 1930s Rear and Side Extension Layout Advice

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Hi All,

We're planning a 3.6m rear (potentially 4m) and 2m side (e.g. wrap) extension to our house to create that open plan living, downstairs office and utility room. We have a lovely long south facing garden which we want to really make the most of with indoor-outdoor living.

The current kitchen extension is lower level and needs to be rebuilt/raised (handy given knocking down will give that access to the back for diggers etc!)

We currently do not have side access, and whilst it would definitely be ideal to have a 1m gap for that, we just really cant seem to make it work with what we want to achieve. We're thinking about perhaps getting a wider opening front door and wider door into the open plan space to allow for taking things through the house.

I've attached a current and a layout we have been playing around with on Homebyme (brilliant free website btw, highly recommended!)

If anyone has any thoughts or advice on better ways of using the space, alternative plans we would be so grateful :)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

CWD
3 years ago
I don't like that you have to walk through the office to get to toilet. A lot of people put the WC at the back of the living room (which moves the kitchen closer to the back wall/garden, but gives you more width for it too. So door into WC from hallway - could have a little hallway space for coats to walk through to get to loo. Your proposed WC could then become pantry into kitchen with the kitchen on the right rather than the left. Or you bring the WC closer to the hall and have a small pantry situated behind it with access from the kitchen on the left. Doesn't solve your issue of having no external access to garden though - you'd need to decide whether a narrower office and external access is more important than bigger office and bigger extension (but no external access).
Lauren Roberts thanked CWD
Lauren Roberts
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you so much colourwisedesign!

You do raise a very good point around walking through office to WC, i guess by having it there we were thinking the positive would be we could incorporate natural light. But a downstairs bathroom doesnt necessarily need this so we're going to look at this.

On your WC options do you potentially mean opening up the right hand side where i have 'pantry' (utility really)? If so unfortunately as we're doing this extension and loft conversion we're somewhat restrained by budget and builder advised removing that original corner of the house would be around 20k more. We wish we could as think the space could work better that way, but maybe not 20k upwards better. I will look at playing around with it though!

Also, I think we're happy with no external access, everyone just seems to raise it so we thought worth mentioning :)
Related Discussions
Need help with my Layout for my new side and rear extension
Q
Comments (14)
Hi Imran, Very exciting to be starting your project! I'm not going to make any suggestions on how to layout your space as I'm not an expert but having just gone through a very similar process I thought a few words of advice might be helpful? We were looking at remodelling the downstairs of our house and got structural engineers and architects involved but to be honest it was our designer who was the most help and has stopped us making a couple of silly and costly mistakes with space planning (nothing to do with colours, paint choices or curtains!!!) I would highly recommend working with someone who can do some 3D models and renders of the proposed space for you, so you can see how it will all look. Our designer was amazing and we ended up with 4 or 5 different computer generated 3D images (and YouTube videos!!!) of how the space would look as you walked around it. Not only was it amazingly helpful but she also saved us a lot of money on structural work by pointing out things that would have been costly and not really add anything to the space. I've attached a couple of pics of our space and then the 3D images she did for us. Structural work and remodelling is expensive and our designer (Gina from Create Perfect) was a fraction of what we're spending on the house (far less than I would have expected) and has been worth her weight in gold for getting the space right! I was also surprised by the amount of money we saved using her trade discounts for things like worktops, appliances, carpeting and lighting etc) We're in the middle of building work right now, so I can't post any finished pics but my advice would definitely be to spend a little bit of money now and make sure you get it right as the wrong decisions with walls and structures are mistakes you can't change without a lot more time and money! Good luck whatever you do- it's all very exciting!!!
...See More
1930's terraced house extension - help on layout needed
Q
Comments (4)
Looks great! Only issue you might have is removing the fireplace as it's an adjoing wall and you 'usually' share a chimney. If you have your own separate stack then it should be ok to put a lintel above and remove the bottom. Just thought I would mention that as we researched it ourselves ;o) Also - moving the kitchen - is your adjoining wall on the right? If so, then you might struggle to get all the waste etc out ie it would have to go under the floor to get back out to the drains. If that is the case then I would suggest blocking off the door from the hallway and keeping the entrance into the rear reception room and keeping the kitchen area where it is. But just re-modelling it. I would also suggest first, finding out where you can put support steels to remove walls as this will affect the room layout and you want to avoid having any posts floating in the middle of the room - if possible.
...See More
1930s semi-detached single storey extension layout advice please
Q
Comments (14)
Hello and thanks for your prompt reply. The drawings provided show that the support beams are 203mm depth and therefore they will be too big to sit inside the ceiling void. As the weight per linear m is 23Kg as detailed on the drawings it may be worth asking the engineer to reduce the depth and and increase the weight so the beam can be inserted into the ceiling void. I note that there is also a couple of posts in the stud wall and these could be upgraded if necessary. I do not make these suggestions lightly. The main benefit of inserting the beam inside the ceiling is the removal of the shadow cast on the ceiling. The return nibs on either end could be cut back and if needed posts could be fixed direct to the brickwork to provide vertical support. There may need to be a spreader plate welded to the bottom of the post in order to mitigate the point load on the foundation. Obviously this is more of a structural design issue. Is there a good reason for not centring the bifold doors to the external wall? You have so much height on the flat roof why not put a warm deck roof on instead of a cold deck with in cross ventilation? Can I also suggest a warm pitched roof too. You may find Web Dynamics TLX Goldto be a very useful form of insulation as you will only need about 75mm of PIR insulation in between the rafters. I've never been fortunate enough to meet a building control officer willing to accept a heavy duty Catnic lintel over a 4M bifold door. I thought the under stairs might be the position of the meters. I would consider relocating these to an outside wall. Then turn the WC through 90 degrees and design it under the stairs. If I was planning a kitchen diner extension with a beautiful bi-fold door looking out into the rear garden would try and create a direct flow from front of house to the back. I would move the utility room into the middle of the house to provide a direct line of sight from the front door to the rear garden. GD3 would provide access into the utility room. I'd consider moving the door along the living room wall so it could open into the hallway. This would allow a 950mm wide fully glazed door to be placed between the hallway and the kitchen diner. With regard to the position of the new extension wall which is adjacent to your adjoining neighbour I suggest that you look up the party wall act 1996 booklet online here - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/523010/Party_Wall_etc__Act_1996_-_Explanatory_Booklet.pdf The part that is of interest is "Line of junction - building astride the boundary". If you build across the boundary you should gain at least 150mm of additional internal floor space along the length of the outside wall. Also if in the future your neighbour decides to build an extension they can utilise your wall for if they pay half of the cost of its construction. I'm sure you know that you are responsible for paying all of the costs from all sides relating to the party wall agreement. If the neighbour on the other side is within 3/6m then you will need an agreement with them as well. The architects drawing indicates that the drain is not adopted or shared and therefore you will not require a build over agreement with the water authority. Best wishes Andrew
...See More
Advice on improving 1930s floorplan please (without an extension!)
Q
Comments (13)
Hi. I like the suggestions already here, but, for what it's worth, I have a few thoughts to add too… I think your priority should be removing the angled walls between the hallway, family room and utility spaces as well as those between your existing kitchen and family room. These little walls divide up your space into pieces that just don't work - they create an incredible loss of useable space. Personally, I would leave the access to the kitchen/ diner from the hallway completely open. I.e. I have no doors/ walls to this space from the hall. This gives a lovely long-line of sight from your front door all the way to the back of the garden and will allow all the beautiful sunlight from your back garden to flow right through your home. If you would prefer to close off this space from the hall, I would consider putting the door in line with the back wall of the sitting room. This will give you nice square walls/ spaces to work with. Now that you have good usable space, you can pick and choose how to use your budget to improve it. In my opinion, the following suggestions would really transform your space and how you access/ use it: As you like to entertain, I would consider moving the wood-burner to the back room (currently your kitchen) and turn your current kitchen into your family room - It’s in a great position to enjoy the garden and a great size for a snug. The wood-burner would become a great feature in this space. Once the wood burner has moved here, the current family room could then be converted into a wonderful kitchen/ diner, perfect for entertaining. The left hand side of this room would make a perfect gallery kitchen. I would forgo an island in favour of an extra-long and hardworking dining table – the space may even accommodate one that seats 10!This long table would become the heart of your home - somewhere you can prep meals, have a casual natter with friends over a cup of tea, help the kids with their homework AND put on extravagant dinners. To enhance the space, consider creating a doorway between the existing family room and back garden – this area of the garden would be a great place for some outdoor seating/ dining by the way - You can then enjoy the simple pleasure of stepping out of your kitchen to enjoy your morning cup of coffee as your mood takes you. It will also extend the possibilities of entertaining to the outside. Transform your new family living space by creating doorways between the existing kitchen and back garden. I would encourage you to open up both walls as much as possible –blur the lines between the inside and out. This allows you to extend your family space to the garden and will flood your downstairs space with light. You have a variety of options available to you as to how you might achieve this – bi-folds, French doors or sliding doors are all great options, but you could stretch to fully retractable walls of glass - if your budget allows! Given its position, your new family room will feel like a well-lit sun room most of the year. Its size and position, away from the central spaces of your house, also makes it a great place for a snug – even more reason to reposition your fire burning stove here! To finish off the room, place a good sectional sofa along the boundary walls to cosy up on and dot with occasional tables. Explore options for floor to ceiling blinds/ curtains to draw over your new expansive windows, so that the room can easily transform from day room to cosy retreat at night. Play up the textures, rugs, cushions and upholstery in this room so it invites you to snuggle up. Adding a lightweight, sheer layer to the window treatments might be a nice addition for the summer - allowing you to open the doors to get air in, but shield from the sun. If you have also opened your new kitchen to the garden, your new kitchen/ diner will now connect to the family/snug via the outside too. This means you have a warm cosy space to retreat to from the garden when the cooler evening temperatures set in, and can just as easily pop into get some extra ice, for example, without having to break up the party. There are some changes you might want to do to enhance the practicality of day to day life too. If you were to create a doorway to the utility space from your new kitchen/ diner via the space under the stairs, for example, you would be able to access the utility without having to go through the shower room! If you like clean lines – consider concealing the entrance to the utility by running a long line of fitted floor to ceiling* storage unitsalong this right hand wall and across the utility room doorway. Keep the units in line with the width of the stairs so that you have an unbroken view down from the hall and really great storage! Most homes can never have enough storage, however, if storage isn’t your concern, you could also use the space to house an American-style fridge/freezer, home office space or even a wine fridge – handy for when entertaining and conveniently located for you to stop off at, on your way to the snug. *I suggest floor to ceiling cabinetry, as I would consider blocking up the window here - it doesn’t appear to have any great view, has limited light exposure (it is surrounded by buildings on all 4-sides) and its north westerly light anyway. In our home it would better serve as a giant wall of storage, however, you can keep the window if you want by having upper and lower cabinets and building in some worktop space. If after the above, you can stretch an extra few hundred pounds, you may want to create a doorway between the sitting room and new kitchen/ diner: Placing doors in between these two rooms gives you the flexibility of opening up the space for entertaining, and/ or keeping the spaces separate when you want to keep things cosy/ formal or just keeping the mess in your kitchen from view! Imagine opening them up as you invite guests seated in your sitting room over to your table… or opening them from the kitchen to retreat back to the sitting room for a nightcap. Make the opening extra wide/ tall to create drama. Keeping the opening wide will also be great for parties. When your doors are fully open, the two rooms will join seamlessly, providing good natural flow/ circulation space through your home - guests can socialise and move throughout the downstairs - not be stuck in different rooms - much more sociable! I don't see much value in reconfiguring the shower room/ utility spaces. It is definitely handy to have a downstairs loo in a family home. So only consider the expense of changing these if you wanted to make space for an office, as someone has suggested. However, you could block off the doorway from the shower room to the utility if you have opened this up from the understair and don’t like the idea of being on the loo and having to ensure both doors are locked!
...See More
CWD
3 years ago
Yes, I meant opening up the right side wall to incorporate that pantry/utility space into the kitchen. You could maybe compromise and keep a pillar at that corner instead of opening it all up fully? Looks like pillar/corner could be at end of island, which I know is not perfect but it could work - gives you an end to the kitchen and provides a little separation for dining table - have a google at extensions with pillars and you might find it would be totally fine. Still a bit more expense as you'd need a steel to go over the larger opening on the right hand wall, but not as much as fully opening it up.

Another option for WC would be to put it in the front section of new office (where the sofa is) - separate door from the office space into little loo - and then use the rest of the office as the utility room. The planned pantry/utility could then become office - which I know isn't ideal off the kitchen, but it depends how much you need office to be quiet and away from distractions, or if it's more of a place to charge devices and control/file paperwork. Also an issue with no windows to office (still got rooflight though), but gives the loo the front window (possible issue, I know!) and keeps the loo and utility away from kitchen - or maybe give the utility room the front window so it's nicer when doing laundry. Downstairs loo doesn't need a window.
Lauren Roberts thanked CWD

Help :) 1930s Rear and Side Extension Layout Advice

Comments (3)

CWD

Lauren Roberts
Original Author

Related Discussions

CWD

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Help :) 1930s Rear and Side Extension Layout Advice

Comments (3)

CWD

Lauren RobertsOriginal Author

Related Discussions

CWD

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Lauren Roberts
Original Author