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Help with improving the floor plan of a Queenslander

6 years ago

Hi all,

We have seen a lovely Queenslander we are hoping to buy but want to update it with some modern conveniences i.e. a WIR and ensuite for the master bedroom and to create a butlers pantry/ walk in pantry for the kitchen.

The home has a floor plan that we feel could be improved and are looking for some ideas. There is currently an internal lounge and dining room that we're thinking we could re-purpose as they are a) currently just thoroughfares as they stand and b) being internal don't get much light. There is an open plan living area at the back of the house that leads on to a lovely big verandah so we would use this area instead.

One of our ideas was to make the lounge at the front of the house in to the master and put a WIR and ensuite in the space currently marked as Bed 3 on the floor plan. This doesn't solve the problem of what to do with the internal lounge/ dining. We then thought we could turn Bed 1 in to the master, making bed 2 our WIR/ ensuite. We would then make a third, decent sized bedroom, by combining part of the lounge with current bed 3 which would also create a hallway through the house (which I am a big fan of). This still doesn't give us any clues of what to do with the current dining room. I also dislike having a bathroom straight off a dining area so whatever this space becomes I would like to solve that issue.

And we still haven't gotten to the issue of the butlers pantry!

I have attached the floor plan (which isn't that helpful as it has no dimensions) and a few photo's of the internal lounge/ dining and then the open plan lounge at the back of the house.

Any of your ideas on layout for this one would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!

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Comments (4)

oklouise
6 years ago
this looks like a great house but before making any suggestions can you please explain where is the "visitors" front entry? is the house on a corner with entry on one side and garage and driveway driveway on the other? where is the front and back yards? how many bedrooms do you need? what thoughts do you have for use of downstairs? are there any good or bad views? obviously any suggestions would be based on estimated dimensions but, assuming you have inspected the property, did any of the rooms feel especially big or small?
siriuskey
6 years ago
All of the above, how many are going to live in the house. It looks like the original house was 2 bedroom with a lounge room/dining and kitchen bathroom across the rear. The 3rd bedroom/bathroom a verandah.

This house is on a corner and I would consider making the main entrance from the garage side of the house I would look to adding extra bedrooms downstairs and adding internal stairs plus an attic master suite

The 3rd bedroom/sleep out should be opened up and again becoming a verandah with french doors opening into the dining.

What ever is done should be done with sensitivity to respect the former house, It's lovely cheers
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My Suggestion is a little different. I would begin by getting rid of the the pantry and wall/door from the entry to the family room. this gives you a big open space incorporating the kitchen and family room. then, block off the door from the kitchen to the dining room and this now gives you an amazing space in which to create a new master suite with bedroom, bathroom and walk in robe. This gives you privacy and space from the other bedrooms. The kitchen/family area can then be redesigned as follows: put the kitchen cabinets around the walls in an L shape, extending along the wall with the rumpus room to the doorway. There's space on that wall to put cabinets to the ceiling, incorporating a fridge and pantry, and still leave you with plenty of bench space. you should be able to keep the sink where it is and centre the stove on the shorter wall that used to house the doorway to the dining room. This leaves you plenty of space in the family room for dining and you may even fit in a small island in the kitchen. I also suggest block the laundry from the new dining room, reinstating the original doorway from the laundry into the rumpus area and adding a new external door out the side of the laundry. This will only work if you suitable space at the side of the house. To give you more usable wall space in the new dining room, block off the linen cupboard and convert the space into an extended robe (or built in desk?) for Bed 2. You could do a similar thing with the linen closet in the laundry, giving you a longer wall space to build a bigger linen cupboard. Of course, if you have the money to move the plumbing for the kitchen, you could redesign that entire kitchen/dining space however you wanted, What I like about removing the pantry and the entry wall is that you can now see through to the back of the house as soon as you enter, and this gives a great feeling of space.
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oklouise
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
based on guestimated measurements my initial suggestion include the ens wiw and pantry space with a hallway (deep enough for bookshelves and/or desk) and wide enough to allow for the big pantry and more privacy between bathroom and public areas and these new dividing walls could have open fretwork above door height to maintain ventilation and avoid spoiling the existing ceilings..the new front entry would need stairs to be rearranged but more info is needed to be more specific
another option would be to rearrange the back stairs for better access and also allow the old dining area to be the new kitchen opening directly onto the deck and have the pantry in the old kitchen??
siriuskey
6 years ago
Good luck with the purchase should you proceed, love all the character the house has.

I would love to see the old verandah opened up again which would be perfect for your climate.

Possibly move the front entrance to the side and make better access to the downstairs bedroom and bath so that it's included within the house.

The study opposite the kitchen can have sliders open or closed this also gives access to the original verandah cheers

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