Loft layout advice

3 years ago

Hi, it’s my first time posting. I am hoping for some help working out the best layout for a possible loft conversion.

I live in a double-fronted Edwardian house in SE London, end of terrace. Lots of lofts locally have been extended with a dormer, under permitted development, so that shouldn’t be an issue. The extension should just come in at under 40m3. The house has a hipped roof on one side and I think I’d probably convert that to a gable end. Most people have put a bedroom on either side of the central stairs, with a bathroom in the middle opposite them. I’m hoping to do something slightly different. Ideally one bedroom with a reading nook/possible home office area and a bathroom.

I want it to feel spacious, light and airy and use the space cleverly, so it doesn’t feel like lots of nooks and crannies and wasted space. Possibly a walk in wardrobe?

The main limiting factor (other than budget of course) is that the front of the house has solar panels on most of the roof that I don’t want to have removed. This limits where I can put velux windows, and therefore affects light inside the conversion. Velux windows could only go on the front of the roof in the small new area created by a gable end.

I could potentially put a window in the new gable end as well, which I’d be quite keen to do as it is south facing.

The main question I am wrestling with is where the bathroom would be best placed to be and reading nook/office, to make use of the light and views. I have attached photos and measurements.

There is a rough mock up from sketch up i think. Measurements approximately right- the small box in the middle is where the stairs would be, and the ‘room’ at the back is where the wardrobe/ eaves storage would be...
I have also attached a couple of (very scrappy!) drawings, showing the two main options for layout as I see them.

I have not put measurements on for the wardrobe/ bathroom, advice on sizes would be helpful, taking into account the sloping roof!

I’ve also added an idea of the floor plan of the floor below (actually a neighbour’s), just for general idea of room sizes. Our bathroom and 4th bedroom are knocked into one main bathroom.

Measurements:
Width of house approximately 8.8m (external)
Width to hip approximately 5.7m
Depth of house approximately 9.3 (external)- going from rooms inside approximately 8m deep and 8m wide
Height of loft void approximately 3.4m

Really looking forward to hearing your suggestions, particularly with regard to making use of the light and the views!!