Pokey master bedroom - how to improve?
In our townhouse plans we have a reasonable amount of space for a small master bedroom, but somehow the way it's laid out it feels crammed and pokey, particularly the shallow 3m depth and the claustrophobic 1m passages each side of the WIR. I have tried changing the WIR to built-ins along the east or south walls, but nothing seems to work well.
How to improve?
Comments (13)
me me
6 years agoPaul
6 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (25)These 4 photos showing some window tinting done to add to my priviouse article . A house in Penguin Tasmania overlooking the sea with privacy an sun problems using a dark neutral based film showing one sheet of glass done an one with out with the second picture showing the glare reduction on the floor as a comparison . This demonstrates little reduction in quality of views overlooking the sea but offers many benifits to the customers with out having to close blinds / curtains etc. The other two showing the full reflective film on a commercial shop front with views from both inside and outside as a comparison . ( please note; taking photos facing windows will often result in misleading picture quality due to any glare present , thus resulting in misleading darker looking window views than what normally results from using most tinted films .) The actual light reduction difference between these two films is approx 9% with the reflective being the darker of the two and comparable to a popular dark grey low reflective shade that's also widely popular . Any one requiring some unbiased comments regarding this subject are quite welcome to call me . Although I live in Tasmania , I do offer my services not only Australia wide but also overseas if the need arises . As to the life expectancy of these products . As these are manufactured world wide , the quality ( or lack of) plus the degree of experince and willingness of the installer to make sure they want to try an do a good job ; can make a Hugh difference to the last -ability . Therefore, take care on choosing the film and installer ; and don't buy on price alone. Gary. Protek window tinting (Tasmania )...See More70's floor plan, need to move master bedroom!
Comments (12)Hi Lucy, Typical situation here. A couple of things, without going into full depth you need to distinguish and separate (a) project design from (b) project construction...... Firstly, these types of projects can be challenging/involved on a number of levels. But first things first, Firstly, you need a design solution. At a glance you seem to have plenty of existing space, BUT reconfiguration of internal spaces can translate into higher than anticipated cost. It comes down to your specific family needs and ultimately your budget. You need to define/clarify your specific requirements or work with a design professional who can help you establish the detail required in order to resolve a design solution for you. Invariably it comes down to money and balancing out your specific needs in context to ensure the solution is developed to budget. We offer services that deal with & manage this critical front end stage of a project. Secondly, issue with trades and getting people to come and quote etc.....very often, the issue is not that they don't want to do the job, BUT the job actually is not clearly defined or is confusing and may appear too small to bother. However, when you have a properly and professionally documented and defined project on paper then it is actually relatively straight forward to find a reputable builder who will quote the project properly. There are numerous operators setup for various scaled and type of project and sure it's about finding the right one and it's horses for courses. But first things first, without a clear plan of attack you'll be going around in circles getting nowhere - my guess is that you've been trying to work it out yourself and tried to speak to builder or random trades, before actually focusing on the most important aspect of a project, which is the design. You can't expect to pull those guys in and ask them "what do you reckon?" "can we do this" "how much will it cost to...".etc......builders and trades form the "back end"of the projects, they are not "designers" however people seem to often pull them in first, when rather they should be discussing the yet to be defined project with either a designer or an architect. I hope this brief comment helps. If you are interested in further professional assistance and comments please don't hesitate to contact me directly for further information. We can provide concise front end services that are structured to address exactly this type of situation and provide clarity and options for your project that are properly costed in context. You get this stuff sorted/freed up, you'll be able to progress forward efficiently with the process. Cheers PD :)...See MoreMaster Bedroom Addition Floor Plan Help
Comments (13)Thanks very much Paul, I really appreciate your ideas and feedback. We like your plan and agree this plan gives us a more practical user space. We're really focused on making it all "feel" right and would also consider how this canterlever out over the existing master bedroom would feel/look from the verandah and living area looking out. We're also extending the study out towards the side boundary by just over a metre and removing the existing linen to increased bedroom 2. Bedroom 3 will be the kids chill out room/spare room and the other child will move to the original master. New Linen will be under the new stairs and we're also building some storage into the study and extending the garage to the front boundary by 1 metre. We dont' feel like we need another living area (or massive house to clean) as we already have two separate living areas and bedroom 3 will be for the kids to hang out in. And this is why I originally posted (and which you've clearly identified) - because I'm stuck between having a limited use gallery landing to provide volume and drama in the stairs, and as you say I don't want to kick myself for not making the gallery area a more practical space. I know other families with parents retreats that never use them, so I'm conscious of this too. I think I was probably hoping to achieve the same footprint with the nook a little wider. I thought last night I could reduce the ensure/robe depth to 2.2 to 2.5 (and increase the nook to 1.7 to 2.0) by moving the toilet to the end of the shower. Maybe this would work as a compromise....See MoreIdeas for teen bedroom/s downstairs.
Comments (39)My daughter ran her business from her bedroom until they could afford a 3 bedroom house, their 2 bedder with two boys and no where else to fit an office was a very difficult time which thankfully they all survived. Having your office in your bedroom should be avoided at all cost, as you never leave the office behind as my daughter found out. Your bedroom is where you go to relax , I certainly wouldn't give up my sanctuary for anyone, even my kids. You are there full time so it makes sense. Your house already has enough rooms, except for making a small change to allow for another bedroom albeit small next to the bathroom as per my suggestion, Both of these rooms have space for the boys to have a desk (they don't need a lot of storage being part time) The desk in the living area can be built in to hide an office. This is a low cost solution and won't damage resale value. If down the track you can afford the new deck, try to work out to fit a room underneath as a hang out (media) area for the boys. not sure about WA but rooms like these in some states can have ceiling height at 2100, depends on what name!! you give them. My son is in a similar situation to you, except he now lives in a Studio Apartment in Sydney, so when he has his two kids 50 50 they make do in that space and seem to manage very well....See MorePaul
6 years agoWell I I tried the BIRs again, seems to work better. There was 5.4m of clothes storage, now reduced to 4.5m, but it doesn't feel so crammed. Wondering if I should add a wall for the WC and just have a single vanity.
oklouise
6 years agoone option rearranges the shape of the bedroom to feel more spacious from the entry and the wiw is narrower with extra storage in chests of drawers in the bedroom and, depending on the view, consider a Juliet balcony or deck and also wondering about the recess on the external wall of the stairs and extra width of the hallway which could possibly be extra space added to he bathrooms or other options to rearrange the linen and master suite ... whole house plan would help clarify other options
Paul thanked oklouisePaul
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoWow thank you oklouise, that is stunning. I've attached full top floor plan. We can't change external walls at this stage. The recess at stairs is necessary due to town planning requirements, to break up the form of the building. The windows are complicated due to overlooking requirements, but basically the only full size window is the north one, which is also the side we get sun from in Australia. The bathroom window is currently 1.2x1.5m mostly frosted. Because it never gets sun I tried to make it large to get more light in there. All other windows are ribbon windows 1.7m off the floor.
I really like your flow and use of chests and chair. I'm going to play around with it and try to get my windows working with it!
Rebecca
6 years agoHow much of your clothing requires full length hanging space? Depending on your situation, there may be an option to have a short walk-in wardrobe with built-in draws, dressers or half-robes for the remainder so you don't lose all your windows, but this also may not suit your needs
Paul thanked RebeccaPaul
6 years agoWow thanks so much for the responses everyone.
I like oklouise's 2nd design best as it retains the most storage and offers some privacy from the door. Unfortunately it was a tight squeeze to get it in, with 1.6m wide WIR I've only 3.0m for the bedroom. Here's the render:
That's a queen size bed. It's just a bit tight, really needs that extra 400mm.
Thanks Rebecca for your suggestion. In terms of required storage, this house is for my in-laws, who will take a bedroom on the bottom floor and not use this one, however in Australia most master bedrooms have about 5m of full height storage. Trying to tick all the boxes so that my in-laws get a good price when they sell.
siriuskey, I wouldn't exactly call it a view, but the north side window has a good unobstructed outlook over single storey houses. All the other windows are up high. The bathroom window is full size but frosted.
I'm reluctant to have the shower all the way across the south wall of the bathroom, as it would force me to reduce the size of the window, and being the shaded side of the house not much light will get in.
At the moment I'm still leaning towards the built-in robe design. It allows me to widen the bathroom a bit, and there's more space in the bedroom. However interior design wise it's fairly boring - I couldn't get the chair or chests in that oklouise has. This is what I have at the moment:
I also experimented tried separating the WC, but it made the space smaller and we lose one of the sinks:
Thanks again for suggestions, and thanks oklouise and Rebecca for taking the time to create plans.me me
6 years agome me
6 years ago
siriuskey
6 years ago
oklouise