Making a bed-deck mini loft conversion to make a bigger bedroom?
Our house is a classic 30s semi, with one particularly small bedroom (about 8x8 feet). I'm trying to make that third bedroom bigger.
The loft is too low to convert without changing the roof (there's only about 1.75m height at the apex), so I was wondering if it would be possible to extend the small bedroom by creating a bed deck in the loft space - with maybe a 1.20m height and a Velux window.
I can't find any information or examples about doing something like this - so I'm wondering if there is some reason why it's a terrible idea that I don't know about.
I've tried drawing a couple of diagrams to explain what I mean.
Any suggestions / information / advice gratefully received!
Comments (26)
PROKay Moden
2 years agoHi,
Sounds like a totally common development. See some prededents below:
It's hard to tell how much you can actually do without any plans or photos, but I feel the above relates well to what you have.If you need help with the design and construction don't hesitate to get in touch.
Chris Collingridge
2 years agoThanks for the feedback.
I guess my suggestion is just in a much more small-scale domestic setting.
The second rough drawing I uploaded didn't go onto the post, but this is the side-angle of the idea.
Related Discussions
Loft conversion
Comments (4)Ok, so unvented hot water, good. DO you really need double basin? If not, I would maybe think about moving the toilet next to a smaller basin on the right hand side of the room as you walk in. I like the fact that both rooms can access the space via the hall way, but you could make the room bigger by getting rid of the hallway and making it true jack and jill with 2 doors into the room lockable on both sides for privacy. Maybe you could then incorporate the space to the side of the stairs if this isn't too sloped. You could maybe then get a bath and a seperate shower in the bit next to the staircase?? Bath could be on right hand side of door, loo in current position and basin to the left of the current door. Difficult to tell exactly without elevations??...See MoreLoft conversion: 2nd Master Bedroom (plus smaller double) ? Or 2 even
Comments (5)We had the same dilemma and opted for a slightly larger main a Jack and Jill bathroom and used the slightly smaller double as a massive walk in wardrobe (a future owner could use the room as another double bedroom but for us the space for clothing was much better as a solution than a spare room that would rarely be used). Due to the eaves the hanging room is limited in a loft so better and cheaper to use drawers and hanging rails under the eaves for storage (rather than bespoke wardrobes) which meant it being on show so we wanted it in a separate room to our sleeping area....it's a wonderful haven now and we love it...hope that helps - to see a walk through........See Moremoving bathrooms and loft conversion? - North East England
Comments (10)Looks like a really lovely flat with loads of potential. I know there are plenty of neighbourhoods like Jesmond where spending that extra doing a loft conversion is probably worth it. I would check that out by getting some sketch plans drawn showing what it would be like with a loft conversion and then having a chat with some local estate agents to get an idea of what the likely uplift in value will be. Then you can either set your budget by the potential uplift, plus perhaps a little to cover your enjoyment of living there for the next 5 years or so. It is very hard to tell from the photo how much head room you have in the loft space. If there are other loft conversions on your street then it seems likely that it is possible, if not then that might be an indication that it is either not quite high enough, or that there hasn't been enough value to be gained from doing it (although if that is the case and the area is up and coming then this might change). If you climb into the loft (being careful not to put your foot through the ceiling) and measure the height from the top of the ceiling joists to the underside of the ridge, then you'll get some idea of the potential for a loft conversion. You can drop the ceilings for all the rooms at 1st floor to create more head height in the loft if you need to - this is a big job, but is doable and might be worth it. The current head height in the loft will be reduced by the insulation build-up that you will need to add to the roof and probably by new floor joists that you'll need to add (the ceiling joists alone are rarely enough to take the floor for a loft conversion). This is all work needing building control approval, though probably not planning - though it would be worth checking with your local authority planning department to check. You can do PD enquiry. You would need planning permission to add a soil vent pipe to the front of your house to change the study into a bathroom - might be possible to get approval, but not easy. It is usually easier to use the existing SVP or add one at the back. As a suggestion: Maybe you could add a kitchen to the back of the bedroom one / reception room and open that up to the landing, study and front bedroom to make a big open plan kitchen/diner/lounge to the front (if you're extending into the loft you'll probably need to have a fire protected stair so keep this in mind). Then add another bedroom, possibly with ensuite into the loft, and turn the dining room into a bedroom with ensuite and walk-through wardrobe where the current bathroom and kitchen are... You could make the bathroom a bit bigger by taking in some of the kitchen and you could make some of this into a utility room as well... I have a free checklist with support emails to help with getting your project off to a good start and making the right decisions for you. You can get a copy from my website: www.i-architect.co.uk...See MoreLoft conversion in Conservation area
Comments (3)I live in a Victorian terrace in a conservation area. The house already had a loft conversion with a flat roof dormer. Our next door neighbour also has a flat roof dormer, but theirs was bigger than ours. A few years ago we re-modelled our loft and moved a stair case. We also wanted to make our dormer bigger to give us more space - so we had to put in for planning permission. We asked to make our existing flat roof dormer a bit bigger, to match next door. We weren’t allowed!!! We were told that we had to have a pitch roof because of the conservation. I was really upset at the time and it caused extra work for the lift company. However - it’s not all bad - the end room is much more interesting because of the pitch and we absolutely love the end product. I actually think the planners did us a favour! We were lucky though - it’s a Victorian house and we had a lot of head height....See More
arc3d
2 years ago
rinked
2 years agoPearl Oguchi
2 years ago
Ellen Chamberlain
2 years agoChris Collingridge
2 years ago
Helen Grützner
2 years agoEllen Chamberlain
2 years agoHi Chris, managed to take a couple of photos and excuse the mess. I hope this gives you an idea. The 3rd
Photo is the storage built above the stairwell and has loads of storage in it. 4th photo is the double wardrobe with sliding doors created using the wall seowrating the box room and front bedroom. The first 2 photos are the front bedroom. The very last wardrobe of the run of wardrobes is what is accessed from the box room. Hope this helps. It didn't cost that much to knock through and mirror doors as the built in wardrobes the other side were already in situ. No support above was needed for our house but obviously you would need your own advice on that.
nathalie horley
2 years agoHi, I think what I am doing currently in my house might be what you are referring to. Here are some photos. 1st one is when support beam was installed. Subsequent from 4 weeks ago.
User
2 years agoChris Collingridge
2 years agoChris Collingridge
2 years ago
Sharon Farrow
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoMark Cosford
2 years agoApologies for delay…
These photos hopefully show how ours is designed, though as we’re not using it right now a bookcase obstructs where the ladder would sit; you can see the brackets.
It’s a good solution for a room which otherwise would only be large enough for a single bed and probably no other furniture at all.
And if the bed isn’t needed for whatever reason the room is large enough to do something else with, plus has built-in storage - the cupboards shown are not original and form part of the support for the bed above.
Ignore the decor…only just bought the house: not our choices!
Sharon Farrow
2 years ago
PROi-architect
2 years ago
Georgina W
last yearSharon Farrow
last yearGeorgina W
last yearChris Collingridge
last yearGeorgina W
last yearOh no. I’m sorry to hear this. Sounds like it’s a bit of a postcode lottery. What did you do in the end.
I’ve seen this and hope it’s possible
Chris Collingridge
last year
Vicki Bryan
last monthVicki Bryan
last month
Mark Cosford