Floorplan Dilemma
Hello there,
Could do with some help / feedback / suggestions please…
Designing a new build, and a few challenges we can’t seem to work out.
Main aim is to get a ‘light void’ inside the entrance of the house.
Ideally looking for 2m x 2m before then walking up the stairs or through corridor to the rear of the house.
Current design has upstairs bedrooms on the eastern side and stairs/corridor on the western side, which is desirable. This also places the staircase downstairs on the western side, which is desirable, allowing a ‘feature brick wall’ along the eastern length of the ground floor corridor.
With current stair placement, creates upstairs having the corridor on the western side of the stairs, leading to the need to walk around to the front to gain access to Bedroom 2. This eliminates the ability to have the front area as open space/ light void.
A corridor along the bedrooms would allow Bedroom 2 access from the northern side and stopping the corridor at that point, creating the open void.
The current layout also doesn’t allow a direct door access to upstairs central bathroom from a potential central corridor.
Trying to place stairs on the western side of upstairs central corridor seems to have 2 hurdles;
1. With current stair location, not enough room to have 1m corridor plus 3m wide rooms together on the eastern side and fit in with Res-Code set-back requirements (see below).
2. To push staircase further west would have it encroaching the ground floor bedroom. That said, I could be content with the ground floor bedroom being less than the current 3.5m width.
Property is only 10m wide. We are going boundary to boundary at the front with the garage on one side.
To meet res-code (and avoid applying for additional council approval), we need to cut in from each side by almost 2m on for the upstairs area, hence creating our dilemma for the location of a centrally located staircase .
Of note, existing driveway is on the RHS / eastern side of the block and a tree on the nature strip is on the western side, so moving the garage / driveway is not really an option.
To confirm, the rear of the house faces due North.
Hope that explains it fairly well.
Can anyone see a different layout working better?
Please share any thoughts…
Thanks, DTM
Comments (21)
kensingtonroad
6 years agoHi Louise. Thanks for your interest.
Plans re-posted below, hopefully clearer. Ceiling height looking at 2.7m downstairs, and perhaps 2.4(+) upstairs. Piano, correct. Room between laundry and dining is a walk in cellar - a necessary indulgence. Upstairs living is play room for child from Bedroom 2 / addition bedroom if family expands.
Again, would be interested in any thoughts...
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Comments (13)Hello oklouise I am sorry not to be able to respond more promptly I have been uber busy. Wow I love the plan for the bathroom - thank you!!! But I am really going to have to wait on my master suite and change a few things as I have spoken to a Renovator Friend who has made me aware my budget is a problem.. to the point I am giving the existing house AS IS to my in-law and just focusing on the extension for my family. :-/ for now? Always wanted a Master Suite!!!! The bedroom will have to be my office for now and I will out a door in what would be my future bathroom. (Insert crying emoji) Reno Friend has suggested get rid of wall separating mud room/ stairs area. She suggests flip entrance to stairs to closer to door (thereby giving opportunity for full windows over west entrance door allowing western sun. Full height wall where stairs end and slider door there to the middle living/dining wall she suggests we keep. Effectively divides the space into 1/3-2/3. I will need a kitchen in my laundry now as I can't access toilet in extension. Upstairs study will now be my bedroom - so area over void will become my wardrobe. Reno Friend vetoed the fireplace under stairs and said it has to be on western external wall. All these ideas she has a budget reason for implementing .. so. My Feng Shui lady will be despairing. I am quite deflated but the budget is what it is, it's going to be a few years to finish I guess. Thank you and instead I am sending a virtual feast of your inclination!!! Xx...See MoreFloor Plan Advice
Comments (50)I really like that facade. Thank you so much. It is brilliant of you to take the time Siriuskey. I had reservations about our plan but through the knowledge and inspiration I have received from you Houzzers, I got some wonderfull ideas to enhance it that I can take to the draftsman and the ideas will improve it greatly. I have taken in the thoughts and ideas of posters. Some I've agreed with and others that I didn't agree with were still of great benefit because then I was able to fully assess what suited me and our family and tweek the suggestions. I am researching further and asap I have something to share, I will. Warm regards Wendy....See MoreFloor Plan Dilemma
Comments (11)Wow. This is a challenge. And great that you see it as a staged project and need an overal plan to work to. Yes as others said, need a proper base plan with room dimensions and all doors and windows in there right place. North point too. At present I can’t work out where front door is. Now questions for a fuller brief,, these are only a start, 1. are you on a concrete Slab or stumps, tiled roof or steal? 2. Make a list of rooms wanted to keep or change and indicative size Or what you want to achieve or like about existing room size 3. What size do you want each bedroom, and then specify wardrobe and en-suite requirements 4. What do you need in bathroom and en-suite. E,g bath in both? Double vanities, shower sizes. 6 Laundry, do you want internal and external direct access?, does it need to be it’s own room Or shared with bathroom 7. The closet outside master is that needed at that size and location, I would at first glance establish a hall connecting the right hand bedroom with bathroom at the left end, moving door to bedroom to left side of room Perhaps. 6. Kitchen again need specifics about pensinsula or island, oven size, fridge size, 7. It would also be be to understand the roof structure to identify load bearing walls. in terms of flow. Ideally from front door you should have at least 2 doorways/openings - one to living area/kitchen and one to the bedroom zone. Avoid bedroom directly off a living zone. Don’t want to have to walk through an entertaining area to go to loo in your pjs. noise is also an issue. in respect to turning the outdoor balcony into a living space, the designedpr needs to ensure adequate light to the internal living room.. pay attention to the walkways though this space to the other wing of house. have a go at this and either post again or go to a professional with a clearer brief.. Remember the design process never stops until it’s built. Lines are cheap building is the expense. Good luck...See MoreFloorplan Dilemmas!
Comments (9)I have no idea of your budget , but if it is for you and longer term , and I assume you are 'in the trade' , I'd go for an addition and essentially have no compromises . The kitchen looks okay , but the dining is cramped , that wall doesn't quite work because you see the laundry ( and door to the tiny bathroom ) . Bed 3 is then funny , and that utility is taking pride of place . There's allsorts you can do , but basically I'd try and move the dining to where you have that new lounge , have the lounge to the right of the kitchen , maybe a long bathroom ( probably with both bath and shower ) and seperate WC along that right side ( hide the doors if you wish ) , the laundry about where the 2nd half of existing Bed 3 is , and Bed 3 all new , basically where the store is plus another 1.5 metres back . That is just a quick suggestion to get discussion going -- ideally I'd like to see a shower aqnd WC somewhere closer to Bed 2 , but that would be difficult . And of course , my ideas ( particularly around putting the back lounge approx where the kitchen is now ) may not be ideal -- the flow would be good , but I wonder about natural light ? But there's a quickie idea ....See Morekensingtonroad
6 years agokensingtonroad
6 years agokensingtonroad
6 years agooklouise
6 years agobased on approximate dimensions i've reduced the extra hallway width upstairs, added the two storey void (or bigger upstairs bed 2 or small study) moved the stairs to the west and rearranged upstairs and down with a central rumpus room or potential extra bedroom and master suite across the rear...the stairs are still open underneath up to the downstairs bathroom door that is enclosed under the stairs to create more bathroom privacy and a generous nook for the piano...swopping the laundry provides a small porch for the garage and laundry with option for security screen on the outside of the porch ...the eastern alfresco will be cooler for afternoon outdoor entertaining (western alfresco creates circulation issues with the kitchen) although the existing dining and living areas could be swopped (btw don't forget the alfresco floor space extends up to the fence for more flexible furniture arrangements)
C P
6 years agoC P
6 years agoC P
6 years ago
siriuskey
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoThat is better use of the space, but I'am thinking that because kensington is in the wine industry he's trying to set up wine tasting with art gallery for specialist /private viewing, so the toilet needs to be separate for this.
Earlier today I did two of my rough sketch's, this makes the bathroom separate to the bedroom and I actually think the down stairs bedroom should be a lounge to be used for the wine gallery function. I would also want a wider grander entrance passage way to add to the gallery function. I have done a similar thing in a past life, would have been better to have seen the angled void in the plans. cheers
Irene Morresey
6 years agoI'm more interested in the wine area, coming from Marlborough, New Zealand, you would understand lol. Just had to add the pics
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