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Design Dilemma Living Rooms

Getting rid of our downstairs loo

Imperfectly Perfect

5 years ago

Hey! i posted last year about getting rid of our downstairs loo to get a bit more living space. Seriously considering doing it now but are there space/light problem we might be creating in doing this? The kitchen will need to stay ad a seperate boxed off room as we cant afford to move it. here’s our existing floor plan plus some images i managed to generate from a design app of what it could look like.

Featured Answer

pdando

5 years ago

Big mistake I think to get rid of the loo…. Add a conservatory or small extension off the lounge.

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Comments (12)

Imperfectly Perfect
Original Author
5 years ago
Here’s our existing floor plan plus pics oc what we have now
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The Kitchen Lady UK
5 years ago
A downstairs toilet can be a selling point in a house so it depends on how long you are going to be living here to balance up resale vs your forever home and quality of life but you probably considered all this last time you posted.

Removing it will only bring in more light to the hall and around the house which is lovely so there is no problem there. Personally, I do like a hallway with a door between the front door and the cosy space just so that cold air doesn't come huffing in when someone comes inside. If this is the case, you could look at putting a doorway from the back of the kitchen, over to the stairs but otherwise, go for it!

Good luck

Emily
Imperfectly Perfect thanked The Kitchen Lady UK
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I wonder which side is attached and what the upstairs layout is like. I'd be looking at a long term solution and the loo seems to be in the wrong place. Would it be possible to move it to under the stairs where there's storage (or is that a very used part of the family room?) If not would you be interested in rejigging your kitchen to put a larger loo where your kitchen sink is and access it from the hall? That would mean having to move the sink down to the other end of your kitchen and losing the front window.... In terms of the family room door alone, I'd look at taking a little bit of your sitting room into the hall, turn the bottom few stairs towards the front door to allow you to put a fab glazed door flush with the supporting wall.
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rinked
5 years ago
When opening up a staircase all downstairs heat will go up. And we want warm comfy living areas, but sleep a bit cooler, right? That plus Emily's comment on outside air.

And personally I would not want to live without a downstairs loo, but if it gets you the space you dream of, why not.
Imperfectly Perfect thanked rinked
Sonia
5 years ago
I would love a downstairs loo, but don’t have the space, so I’m rather envious. A downstairs cloakroom is a plus point in a home so I would be reluctant to to lose it.
Imperfectly Perfect thanked Sonia
Daisy England
5 years ago
Keep the downstairs loo. It’s a sought after item when buying and selling
Imperfectly Perfect thanked Daisy England
Imperfectly Perfect
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks all for the input ☺️ yes I know lots of peeps want a downstairs loo so if we did go aheac and take it out I know for sure we’d have to reinstate before selling - also uk building regs woukd require us to put it back as house was only built in 2015- a so has to have a downstairs loo! it’s these very valid points that have me dithering about the whole thing! Would absolutely LOVE an extension or even conservatory off the living area but realistically cannot afford that for some years to come but i really want to do something to make me love the house a bit more! i really love the sightline from front door right down to the end of the garden so taking the living area wall down feels like it will only increase that nice feeling of openess when i come into the house. but it may be a mad idea!
Ellie
5 years ago
You already have the sightline from front to back? Why not just remove that extra bit of wall?

Also, you mention you can't afford to touch the kitchen.... by that it makes me think you'd actually rather do that. Why not save up and do it properly when the funds are there. If you remove the bathroom, then in a few years want to open up kitchen.... you'll end up putting loo back in. I think removing the loo is throwing away money, money that you don't have?
Jonathan
5 years ago
Why not turn the bottom three stairs and put a new wc by the front door?
kjas11
5 years ago
It is lovely being able to see straight through to the garden. If it is a sense of space and openness you are after as you come in maybe try moving the bookcase (?) and changing/getting rid of the runner and introducing a mirror? I’m rubbish at interior design but there are people on Houzz who are brilliant at it. We couldn’t believe how much more spacious our hallway felt when we took some storage units out. Then save up for what you really want - it’s money wasted if you have to put back what you have taken out later.
siobhanmcgee90
5 years ago
Move the toilet to under the stairs (loo under stairs and v small whb in corner beside sitting room. We had this in an old house of ours and it just about worked) move door back to where kitchen ends, put in a bigger door with glass to amplify the sight lines from front door.
rinked
5 years ago
Lounge wall is loadbearing?

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