1930s semi-detached, lounge that has become a corridor?

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Hi! Long-time lurker, first time poster here :)

I have a really annoying lounge area, typical of a 1930s semi, that is limited on all four sides by two doorways, a bay window, and a chimney breast (please see plans). It's proving really difficult to find a comfortable/practical seating arrangement. The current layout which is a sofa (red rectangle) with a TV on the opposite wall (blue rectangle) feels like sitting in a corridor.

However there doesn't seem to be enough space between the door and the bay window either.

It's only my husband and I but we do want room to spread out, and for visitors to sit. Does anyone have any clever ideas please? I can't think straight anymore and I'm almost tempted to move house to avoid it altogether XD

Thank you.

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Comments (4)

Wumi
2 years ago
Last Word77
2 years ago
Wumi, what a brilliantly helpful post! Would you please mind looking at my post about creating a third bedroom? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you!
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Hi Kate. We have three children under 8 so are in a similar position to you. If it was my house I would..... In response to your first question, a 33ft x 14ft open plan room would not necessarily be too big, but it would leave you without a downstairs utility or WC. As tamp75 has commented, a hallway is good for isolating noise to upstairs bedrooms, and you need somewhere for coats, bags, shoes etc. With three storeys, having the kitchen open to the hall may create problems with building regulations (fire safety). I'm not an expert in this area but it should be considered. 2. I would definitely reposition the cloakroom. It looks like the drainage to your house will be on the right hand side of the plan, so I would not put the WC under the stairs. Something like Jonathan's second suggestion would work well. 3. I would create a utility room, but only a small one. Large enough to hold a washing machine and tumble drier (stacked to save space), sink and some storage. If you can get hold of a copy of George Clarke's Home Bible he has a whole chapter devoted to utility rooms - it is well worth a read. 4. I would reconfigure the property in a similar manner to Jonathan's second suggestion. The only minor changes would be to move shorten the hall slightly by bringing the entrance to the kitchen level with the stairs, and possibly reconfigure the area for utility/WC/cloaks. I recommend retaining the first floor living room as it stops the house feeling too 'top heavy' and could be a really good family space. 5. It's hard to answer this without knowing more about you. I think it might be possible to have a kitchen, seating area and dining area but I suspect that you might have to make some compromises. You have the potential to create two lounges elsewhere in the house, so I would compromise on the seating area. Given the scale of this project I would take my time to consider all of the options. I think it is definitely worth spending a few £100s on a concept planner as they could save you £1000s in the long run. Good luck.
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Ted
2 years ago
I totally agree with Wumi's suggestion, combine the WC and utility to be one room and you may be able to regain the proper corridor.
Little Jem
last year
We had a similar problem, but didn't realise it. The builder took one look and said, "This living room is just a corridor !" No seating arrangment worked well. In the end, we moved the boiler from its cupboard (which took off a whole corner of the room !) and put it in the utility room elsewhere; used that area as the new doorway, so it was then just a few steps to the double doors leading to the dining room. That meant we could have an uninterrupted area to sit and entertain in near the window - a bit like Wumi's suggestion above. It really does matter where the doorways are ! At present, your problem is compounded by the fact that you HAVE to walk right through the middle of the living room to get to the kitched from the front door.

1930s semi-detached, lounge that has become a corridor?

Comments (4)

Wumi

Last Word77

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Little Jem

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