Bungalow Renovation - FloorPlan Critique Required
Discussion
garyhun said:
Have been playing around with the floor plan today and think we’re pretty close to a good solution based on the helpful ideas on here to move the living room to the back.
Budget permitting, l’m going to change the entire roof so that we have no flat or difficult join sections.
Will talk to architect next week to tighten it up a little as this is a bit rough at the moment with some doors probably needing to be moved and the bathrooms possibly needing some re-sizing.
The hallway will have some storage space added and the bathroom/bed three doorways will need some refining too.
Edit to add: thank you to everyone who gave the time to comment and offer advice, it’s is very much appreciated.
That floor plan works for me. Budget permitting, l’m going to change the entire roof so that we have no flat or difficult join sections.
Will talk to architect next week to tighten it up a little as this is a bit rough at the moment with some doors probably needing to be moved and the bathrooms possibly needing some re-sizing.
The hallway will have some storage space added and the bathroom/bed three doorways will need some refining too.
Edit to add: thank you to everyone who gave the time to comment and offer advice, it’s is very much appreciated.
Edited by garyhun on Friday 8th November 20:30
When I was moving a couple of yrs ago, the floor plan was one of the 1st things I looked at. That one would have me hastily hightailing it round. Why do you still have a corridor (albeit shorter) to bed 3?
So many badly designed and awkwardly extended places out there.
ETA It's properly versatile, bed 2 would become my office.
Edited by PositronicRay on Saturday 9th November 07:48
PositronicRay said:
That floor plan works for me.
When I was moving a couple of yrs ago, the floor plan was one of the 1st things I looked at. That one would have me hastily hightailing it round. Why do you still have a corridor (albeit shorter) to bed 3?
So many badly designed and awkwardly extended places out there.
ETA It's properly versatile, bed 2 would become my office.
Bed 2 is going to be my office.When I was moving a couple of yrs ago, the floor plan was one of the 1st things I looked at. That one would have me hastily hightailing it round. Why do you still have a corridor (albeit shorter) to bed 3?
So many badly designed and awkwardly extended places out there.
ETA It's properly versatile, bed 2 would become my office.
Edited by PositronicRay on Saturday 9th November 07:48
Hopefully there will be no corridor but it’s all about accessing bed 3 from the hall and not the kitchen so that just needs a little further work. On Ben’s plan, bed 3 is closer to the front of the house, I’ve moved it back so as to get a larger bathroom in.
garyhun said:
The aim is to have a solution where it can be open or closed if we can do it elegantly.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Industrial-Style-Interi...https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Industrial-Style-Interi...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Industrial-Steel-Interi...
Edited by ben5575 on Saturday 9th November 11:43
garyhun said:
... On Ben’s plan, bed 3 is closer to the front of the house, I’ve moved it back so as to get a larger bathroom in.
Have a think about what you really need in a bathroom. Do you need a dedicated shower (as opposed to over bath in it if you've got one in your en suite)?Is the extra space you use in your bathroom better 'value' to you than say the extra space in your living room? It's a personal decision of course.
The plan below is one of our house types which I show because it uses a pocket door between kitchen/diner and living which could be an option. It also has dims on it showing the size of a good functional bathroom and ensuite. Ensuite doesn't need to be this long.
I now have two new options for this.
1. Large family bathroom that can take a walk-in shower and separate bath and has a second WC in the utility room.
2. Smaller family bath with shower over and an en-suite. May also have the wc in the utility in this option too.
The obvious option is the en-suite one BUT it does leave a less than ideal hallway shape. We're looking at ways to mitigate this but not sure how big an issue the hallway is anyway. May also put a Velux or sun pipe in the hallway to lighten and also a Velux in Bed 3 as there's not huge amounts of light due to neighbour's hedge.
Regarding the roof, we're looking into replacing the whole thing BUT I think it's going to be too big a job and maybe not a good use of funds so we're currently looking at taking the pitched roof off of the dining area and replacing that with a flat roof right across the entire back of the house (with roof a lantern over the dining) and extending the existing gable over the garage to give better balance. Possibly will have an overhang over the flat roof.
The only decision then is do we have the flat roof extend over the new living room extension or have a pitched roof on the living roof running into the new flat roof.
Thoughts very much welcome.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
1. Large family bathroom that can take a walk-in shower and separate bath and has a second WC in the utility room.
2. Smaller family bath with shower over and an en-suite. May also have the wc in the utility in this option too.
The obvious option is the en-suite one BUT it does leave a less than ideal hallway shape. We're looking at ways to mitigate this but not sure how big an issue the hallway is anyway. May also put a Velux or sun pipe in the hallway to lighten and also a Velux in Bed 3 as there's not huge amounts of light due to neighbour's hedge.
Regarding the roof, we're looking into replacing the whole thing BUT I think it's going to be too big a job and maybe not a good use of funds so we're currently looking at taking the pitched roof off of the dining area and replacing that with a flat roof right across the entire back of the house (with roof a lantern over the dining) and extending the existing gable over the garage to give better balance. Possibly will have an overhang over the flat roof.
The only decision then is do we have the flat roof extend over the new living room extension or have a pitched roof on the living roof running into the new flat roof.
Thoughts very much welcome.
OPTION 1
OPTION 2
I was scrolling through this thread and was going to reply with, "Move the living room, bifolds off the side, shared patio space with the dining room, will be really nice in the summer to have two spaces off the outside like that." But you've got there! Can you bring you canopy around the corner in a gentle curve to give you a shady spot or somewhere to sit when it's pissing down? Build in a BBQ next to the bifolds so you can eat out in all weathers maybe.
I think that'll work really well and I like the access between the kitchen and living room, it's not closed off with a door but it's not really open-plan either. I think that's got a really good balance to it.
I think I prefer Option 1, that utility looks big enough to fit my kitchen in in option 2, so I think you'd have better use of the space putting the WC in.
We are extending in a few years time and the kitchen/utility space will be broadly similar to what you have there, though they'll be oriented differently, our plan is to not have tall units or wall units in the kitchen, to keep the work space light and open, then the utility area will be a combined pantry and utility, so washing machine etc, but also wall to ceiling shelves for food, occasional pans, mixers and the like, all the stuff that fills your kitchen cupboards and gets taken out once or twice a year. I would do the same with the layout you have, nice simple functional kitchen with everything organised for ease of everyday use, then the storage out of the way.
I don't know if it's deliberate, or an omission, but you've currently got no sink in the kitchen, just the one in the utility. That's quite interesting as a concept, I quite like it though it might be a bit much. If you store crockery in the utility and put the dishwasher there it could work well.
You have a dead corner between dining table and pantry next to the windows. If you moved the utility doorway along you might have enough room to put something practical there? Oven/hob set at 45 degrees across the corner perhaps, though it's perhaps a bit away from the rest of the kitchen.
It looks like you have three very good sized bedrooms. Is some of that space more valuable elsewhere? Bedroom 3 could lose space to the living area, then move the sofa up, fire on the wall opposite the bifolds and another seating area at the end.
I always feel like my own bedroom space is a waste as I go in, sleep, get up. Kids rooms are better bigger, guests don't really spend time in their room either. You could nick the end of the garage to give Bedroom 2 an ensuite, then bedroom 1 and 3 could be reconfigured to give them both their own ensuites too as you wouldn't need a communal bathroom then.
While you're doing all this, you might as well add heat and insulation too the garage, and add a door through from the WC. Then you get an extra room if you need it, you can set it up as a hobby room/workshop and still keep the car in if that's what you do with your garage.
I think that'll work really well and I like the access between the kitchen and living room, it's not closed off with a door but it's not really open-plan either. I think that's got a really good balance to it.
I think I prefer Option 1, that utility looks big enough to fit my kitchen in in option 2, so I think you'd have better use of the space putting the WC in.
We are extending in a few years time and the kitchen/utility space will be broadly similar to what you have there, though they'll be oriented differently, our plan is to not have tall units or wall units in the kitchen, to keep the work space light and open, then the utility area will be a combined pantry and utility, so washing machine etc, but also wall to ceiling shelves for food, occasional pans, mixers and the like, all the stuff that fills your kitchen cupboards and gets taken out once or twice a year. I would do the same with the layout you have, nice simple functional kitchen with everything organised for ease of everyday use, then the storage out of the way.
I don't know if it's deliberate, or an omission, but you've currently got no sink in the kitchen, just the one in the utility. That's quite interesting as a concept, I quite like it though it might be a bit much. If you store crockery in the utility and put the dishwasher there it could work well.
You have a dead corner between dining table and pantry next to the windows. If you moved the utility doorway along you might have enough room to put something practical there? Oven/hob set at 45 degrees across the corner perhaps, though it's perhaps a bit away from the rest of the kitchen.
It looks like you have three very good sized bedrooms. Is some of that space more valuable elsewhere? Bedroom 3 could lose space to the living area, then move the sofa up, fire on the wall opposite the bifolds and another seating area at the end.
I always feel like my own bedroom space is a waste as I go in, sleep, get up. Kids rooms are better bigger, guests don't really spend time in their room either. You could nick the end of the garage to give Bedroom 2 an ensuite, then bedroom 1 and 3 could be reconfigured to give them both their own ensuites too as you wouldn't need a communal bathroom then.
While you're doing all this, you might as well add heat and insulation too the garage, and add a door through from the WC. Then you get an extra room if you need it, you can set it up as a hobby room/workshop and still keep the car in if that's what you do with your garage.
I would have a combination of the options - have the bathroom and en-suite, together with putting the cloakroom in the utility area. Ideally I think it would be best with not having to go through the utility to get to the WC, however I can see that by having an extra door this would compromise the kitchen layout.
I wouldn't put a fixed kitchen unit on the wall between the utility and the dining area, but keep a freestanding unit to put 'posher dining stuff' in.
I wouldn't put a fixed kitchen unit on the wall between the utility and the dining area, but keep a freestanding unit to put 'posher dining stuff' in.
soxboy said:
I would have a combination of the options - have the bathroom and en-suite, together with putting the cloakroom in the utility area. Ideally I think it would be best with not having to go through the utility to get to the WC, however I can see that by having an extra door this would compromise the kitchen layout.
I wouldn't put a fixed kitchen unit on the wall between the utility and the dining area, but keep a freestanding unit to put 'posher dining stuff' in.
I actually think that having the toilet through a couple of doors is much better, you'll feel much less self-conscious being out of the way than if you know everyone is sat eating their dinner on the other side of the door.I wouldn't put a fixed kitchen unit on the wall between the utility and the dining area, but keep a freestanding unit to put 'posher dining stuff' in.
paulrockliffe said:
soxboy said:
I would have a combination of the options - have the bathroom and en-suite, together with putting the cloakroom in the utility area. Ideally I think it would be best with not having to go through the utility to get to the WC, however I can see that by having an extra door this would compromise the kitchen layout.
I wouldn't put a fixed kitchen unit on the wall between the utility and the dining area, but keep a freestanding unit to put 'posher dining stuff' in.
I actually think that having the toilet through a couple of doors is much better, you'll feel much less self-conscious being out of the way than if you know everyone is sat eating their dinner on the other side of the door.I wouldn't put a fixed kitchen unit on the wall between the utility and the dining area, but keep a freestanding unit to put 'posher dining stuff' in.
Like Soxboy I'd wc in utility and have the ensuite and bathroom. If you're going to this amount of trouble, I think an en suite is important for resale as well as your own use.
I still think the kitchen should be separated from the living but appreciate that this is a personal thing. You've still got scope of course to retrofit if you change you mind later.
Option 2, but put a door at the back of the garage into the utility. That way the utility becomes a drying/boot room/dog walker's entrance as required.
We are in our first home that has had a connected garage and it gets used all the time; the big freezer in the garage with the beer fridge as well as the medicine cabinet. Plus when I come home on the bike soaking wet, I have an easy route into the house via the 'drying room'. 10/10 would recommend.
We are in our first home that has had a connected garage and it gets used all the time; the big freezer in the garage with the beer fridge as well as the medicine cabinet. Plus when I come home on the bike soaking wet, I have an easy route into the house via the 'drying room'. 10/10 would recommend.
Looks really good btw and also scarily similar to my own bungalow extension particularly given your introduction of the canopy!
The key is the visual connection between the inside/outside ceiling/soffit (top tip you can build the soffit out of fire board to maintain the indoor plaster effect, outside).
The bifold needs to go to full ceiling height and not have an internally visible head above it. You can cheat this look by having a bulkhead/shadow gap that stops just short of the door. That will mean a new ceiling, but you'll be installing one anyway due to your demolitions.
This is different structural solution (note internal ceiling adjacent to door relates to structure above and is not continuous like you'll have - scroll down): https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitio...
You will have to deal with door/beam conflict and in particular my absolute pet hate of a fat, heavy looking facia on the upstand of your canopy - it need to be look lightweight (and not have rainwater goods on it). You can cheat by stepping up/back the coping. But this projecting element of roof doesn't need to be as 'thick' as the rest of the roof as it's non structural nor insulated.
This other RIBA house has nothing to do with this canopy design solution, but does show how important the delicacy of the coping detail is to the overall aesthetic: https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitio...
The key is the visual connection between the inside/outside ceiling/soffit (top tip you can build the soffit out of fire board to maintain the indoor plaster effect, outside).
The bifold needs to go to full ceiling height and not have an internally visible head above it. You can cheat this look by having a bulkhead/shadow gap that stops just short of the door. That will mean a new ceiling, but you'll be installing one anyway due to your demolitions.
This is different structural solution (note internal ceiling adjacent to door relates to structure above and is not continuous like you'll have - scroll down): https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitio...
You will have to deal with door/beam conflict and in particular my absolute pet hate of a fat, heavy looking facia on the upstand of your canopy - it need to be look lightweight (and not have rainwater goods on it). You can cheat by stepping up/back the coping. But this projecting element of roof doesn't need to be as 'thick' as the rest of the roof as it's non structural nor insulated.
This other RIBA house has nothing to do with this canopy design solution, but does show how important the delicacy of the coping detail is to the overall aesthetic: https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitio...
Julietbravo said:
Option 2, but put a door at the back of the garage into the utility. That way the utility becomes a drying/boot room/dog walker's entrance as required.
We are in our first home that has had a connected garage and it gets used all the time; the big freezer in the garage with the beer fridge as well as the medicine cabinet. Plus when I come home on the bike soaking wet, I have an easy route into the house via the 'drying room'. 10/10 would recommend.
Last post I promise, also agree with this. The utility width is plenty big enough to have a smaller WC than you're showing and a door between utility and garage next to it....We are in our first home that has had a connected garage and it gets used all the time; the big freezer in the garage with the beer fridge as well as the medicine cabinet. Plus when I come home on the bike soaking wet, I have an easy route into the house via the 'drying room'. 10/10 would recommend.
ben5575 said:
Julietbravo said:
Option 2, but put a door at the back of the garage into the utility. That way the utility becomes a drying/boot room/dog walker's entrance as required.
We are in our first home that has had a connected garage and it gets used all the time; the big freezer in the garage with the beer fridge as well as the medicine cabinet. Plus when I come home on the bike soaking wet, I have an easy route into the house via the 'drying room'. 10/10 would recommend.
Last post I promise, also agree with this. The utility width is plenty big enough to have a smaller WC than you're showing and a door between utility and garage next to it....We are in our first home that has had a connected garage and it gets used all the time; the big freezer in the garage with the beer fridge as well as the medicine cabinet. Plus when I come home on the bike soaking wet, I have an easy route into the house via the 'drying room'. 10/10 would recommend.
ben5575 said:
Looks really good btw and also scarily similar to my own bungalow extension particularly given your introduction of the canopy!
The key is the visual connection between the inside/outside ceiling/soffit (top tip you can build the soffit out of fire board to maintain the indoor plaster effect, outside).
The bifold needs to go to full ceiling height and not have an internally visible head above it. You can cheat this look by having a bulkhead/shadow gap that stops just short of the door. That will mean a new ceiling, but you'll be installing one anyway due to your demolitions.
This is different structural solution (note internal ceiling adjacent to door relates to structure above and is not continuous like you'll have - scroll down): https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitio...
You will have to deal with door/beam conflict and in particular my absolute pet hate of a fat, heavy looking facia on the upstand of your canopy - it need to be look lightweight (and not have rainwater goods on it). You can cheat by stepping up/back the coping. But this projecting element of roof doesn't need to be as 'thick' as the rest of the roof as it's non structural nor insulated.
This other RIBA house has nothing to do with this canopy design solution, but does show how important the delicacy of the coping detail is to the overall aesthetic: https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitio...
Thanks for these. Then architect has already talked about making the overhangs with a much smaller profile than the rest of the roof.The key is the visual connection between the inside/outside ceiling/soffit (top tip you can build the soffit out of fire board to maintain the indoor plaster effect, outside).
The bifold needs to go to full ceiling height and not have an internally visible head above it. You can cheat this look by having a bulkhead/shadow gap that stops just short of the door. That will mean a new ceiling, but you'll be installing one anyway due to your demolitions.
This is different structural solution (note internal ceiling adjacent to door relates to structure above and is not continuous like you'll have - scroll down): https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitio...
You will have to deal with door/beam conflict and in particular my absolute pet hate of a fat, heavy looking facia on the upstand of your canopy - it need to be look lightweight (and not have rainwater goods on it). You can cheat by stepping up/back the coping. But this projecting element of roof doesn't need to be as 'thick' as the rest of the roof as it's non structural nor insulated.
This other RIBA house has nothing to do with this canopy design solution, but does show how important the delicacy of the coping detail is to the overall aesthetic: https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitio...
Thanks for all the suggestions chaps, I'll spend some time looking through these.
A few other points:
Regarding the utility, we already have easy access from outside via the garden which will always be our preferred way of coming home when soaking wet. I'm not sure what value an additional 3rd door via the garage will give in our case. We've also got plenty of space for all our storage and wine requirements in the kitchen we believe but we will have a second fridge in the utility so will look at it all. If I'm missing the point please jump in!
The living room will have a 'door. solution so that we can close it off as required.
I spoke to the estate agent this morning who's view is that as a three bedder the property would benefit more from one large luxury bathroom rather than two slightly compromised (size) bathrooms/en-suites. 95% of the time the house has just the two of us living here with occasional guest so it's not an issue for me so I called the agent to see her view on resale. Guess this might be one of those things that will come down to a last minute personal choice as I prefer the hallway setup with 1 bathroom but would really like an en-suite if possible.
Thanks again chaps!
PS. There will be a sink in the kitchen
A few other points:
Regarding the utility, we already have easy access from outside via the garden which will always be our preferred way of coming home when soaking wet. I'm not sure what value an additional 3rd door via the garage will give in our case. We've also got plenty of space for all our storage and wine requirements in the kitchen we believe but we will have a second fridge in the utility so will look at it all. If I'm missing the point please jump in!
The living room will have a 'door. solution so that we can close it off as required.
I spoke to the estate agent this morning who's view is that as a three bedder the property would benefit more from one large luxury bathroom rather than two slightly compromised (size) bathrooms/en-suites. 95% of the time the house has just the two of us living here with occasional guest so it's not an issue for me so I called the agent to see her view on resale. Guess this might be one of those things that will come down to a last minute personal choice as I prefer the hallway setup with 1 bathroom but would really like an en-suite if possible.
Thanks again chaps!
PS. There will be a sink in the kitchen
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