What to do with fireplace in main bedroom,which was previously kitchen
8 years ago
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What should I do with this room?
Comments (9)On the downside this room will always be the main thoroughfare, and the upside is that it has the opportunity to introduce and ipress people entering your home. Being a room they enter as opposed to a boxy hallway, it gives people the feeling of lint and space, I would add to that some comfort, in the form of luxury. Being a room that is walked through and not 'to', I would utilize it as an escape, somewhere to head when you want to have time away from living zones, often shared and loud. Treat this as a retreat. Your beUtifuk box bay window seat inspires me to suggest a library. You can build or buy a beautiful floor to ceiling bookshelf that I would position adjoining the entrance to create a partition or corridor, so it blocks the room initially and slowly reveals it's cosyness. The bookcas could be double sided so it allows light to flow through and display items in peek a boo fashion. Remove the soa in the front walkway as it is a visual blocker, and place it under the window. Normally I wouldn't do that, but in your case, a rug in front and under that sofa, the ottoman in front of the window seat, and a tray table in front of the sofa. The new 'hallway' would direct people through the home to those living zones, quickly and neatly. Make that wall a gallery wall, with your collection of images or family in a beautiful eclectic collection of frames. Leave some empty or frame objects you love as much S photos. Books, cushions, throws and fabric exude comfort and luxury if chosen to do so. A beautiful side table and lamp next to the sofa ( i spy a power point) so the room will feel warm with a throw over the arm, a book in hand and somewhere to place your coffee. A beautiful space, make use of it as your own sanctuary....See MoreWhat to do with the elephant in the room??
Comments (13)I think if you are gyprocking the room anyway, unless you really want a stand-out feature, personally I would cover it up with gyprock, squared off (so it just protrudes as a rectangle from the wall) and then use either side for storage, and perhaps put a mirror on the rectangle, perhaps with a plant underneath, or an ottoman if its a guest bedroom and that doesn't jut out too much. You might be able to minimize costs by finding some off the shelf storage units that fit the spaces either side. If the room is fairly small, it might feel cramped if you make it into more of a feature than this?...See MoreDual-living proposed extension – what do you think of this plan?
Comments (94)Hi oklouise, thank you again so much for your suggestions to help me reflect on my choices! The great thing about this whole process is that it has really helped me clarify my must haves/dealbreakers and nice to haves. Key elements that I don't want to forego are: 1) a "master suite" with large WIR + private ensuite+ direct private garden access/views. The current northern bedrooms are elevated and do not allow these elements and better suited to small kids as no external doors and can be eyeballed from the kitchen. 2)The kitchen must be the heart of the home and connected to all living spaces so the host never feels disconnected from guests & can watch kids from almost any living space.I attended a party last weekend which had the kitchen blocking the living room from the outdoor space and the host commented they regretted it after renovating. 3)The dining room must be an end destination vs a corridor so it does not become a dumping grounds for bags, mail & everything else as the nearest flat surface to the entry point. 4) All new bedrooms must also be min 3 -3.2M wide on the narrowest side for me to justify them. 5) I reviewed all my lookbooks and tear sheets pulled to date and its a clear pattern that I want my 'adult' living and dining/entertaining spaces connected to the rear garden preferably wrapping l-shape round a deck or courtyard garden. In a sense 'broken' vs open plan but still visible through glass etc. 6) I would not be prepared sacrifice the prime N/NE aspect with utility rooms. 7) I don't wish to place a verandah at the front as it will never be used except extra maintenance and can create shading in summer via other methods. 8) capacity to rent out room with private living quarters. There are many splitter blocks in my area and I don't need it to operate as legal dual occupancy. 9) single level living -no second story bedrooms etc. 10) separation of main bedrooms when renting out section of house Phew....I think thats most of the checklist criteria I have been working to. Still think tanking the street appeal/front facade style but its probably leaning toward lux byron bay beach cottage meets modern coastal with some retro elements to hint at the history of this 1950s house!...See MoreWhat do you think of this floor plan for our new home?
Comments (19)Unexpectedly to me, due to it's location on the crest of the Great Dividing Range at an elevation of around 700m above sea level, Toowoomba has a climate more similar to Sydney than Brisbane. With average summer highs of only 28°C, & average winter highs of 17°C (lows of 7°C & cold wind, as has been mentioned). It's located in Climate Zone 2: Warm Temperature, the same climate zone as Sydney, not Brisbane. Though this climate zone is very varied, so care must be taken to cater for local conditions. As has been advised a few times, have a good read of the Your Home site. Read this section, Designing for Climate, for zone 5: warm temperate. http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/design-climate Along with having cooler temperatures than Brisbane, the fact that Toowoomba is inland means it has greater variation between daytime highs & nighttime lows (diurnal temperature range). This means that unlike Queensland coastal climates, some thermal mass in the home will be appropriate, so a lightweight structure isn't needed. Although a lightweight structure, on a ground-coupled slab (with polished concrete or tiles in North facing living areas) would be a good idea. As the temperature is so much cooler than tropical Queensland climates I'd advise against going too overboard with a pavilion style house. As I think it would be too cold in winter. Maybe something like two off-set rectangles, joined in the centre. Kinda like dreamer's inspirational picture, without the middle section, the two rectangular sections joined. Or just go for a more traditional rectangular house. In any case, like just about all Australian climates, you should try to build a house that is generally rectangular, the long sides facing north & south. This will give an opportunity for northern sunshine to enter home in winter, while the shorter eastern & western sides will limit the effect of hot summer western afternoon sunshine. Though I guess this house shape won't look great from the western road, as it will look very narrow from here. You could fatten it's street frontage a little bit, by having the garage to the south of the rectangular house. With such a large block you'll be able to build something that works for you. But as OKLouise said, don't just pick a plan for an average narrow block. The plan you picked is not really suitable for your block. I'd also recommend you do a lot of research yourself. As has been shown with the plan you've received, you can't rely on the builder to design a plan that will work best for you, that is appropriate for your location. So read up on the Your Home website. It's an invaluable resource when it comes to building a comfortable, energy efficient home....See More- 8 years ago
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