Design dilemma: What's the best layout for a small apartment?
We would love some advice on fixing the current layout of our newly purchased apartment. We are thinking of moving the kitchen to the dining zone, and installing sliding doors at the back (facing north) and placing a banquette style seating arrangement in the current kitchen space opening to the back balcony (Which isn’t shown on the floor plan but is outside the kitchen). Also means the bathroom will no longer open onto the kitchen. Upstairs have already moved their kitchen to the same space. Is there any particular design or change that may work better? Any ideas? Bedroom 1 Is no longer connected to the bathroom either. Currently in the bathroom there is also laundry facilities Which we would love to move out but have no room to place elsewhere. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Comments (10)
oklouise
4 years agothe floorplan dimensions are inconsistent but assuming that you can rearrange the plumbing and add the sliding door someting like this should work but please advise the current location of the laundry and confirm the dimensions of all the rooms
Ashley
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoThanks so much oklouise. This is the floor plan layout we have from the realestate advertisement. It doesn’t have measurements but is supposedly to scale. Inside the bathroom the laundry is hidden behind the double doors.
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kitchen design dilemma - i want everything in a small kitchen!
Comments (25)Hi Mike and Emma Hope you are slowly but surely getting there... may I make some comments/suggestions that you may or not take on board, but hopefully it may at least give you some ideas/options... Going through a new build ourselves at the moment, and for what it's worth, here's what I personally think: A. Work with what you've got: - additional plumbing work, gas work etc may not be necessary and (particularly gas) can be costly when you're trying to work around existing walls, floors, etc, and as much as possible utilise the existing connections... after whatever you can save here and there, you can spend on nicer cabinetery, gadgets, finishes, etc :) B. Avoid unnecessry structural work: - removing the kitchen/living wall is a must (more space, light, etc) but removing the laundry wall is an unncessary added cost (may even require costly additional strutural support) - putting up a plastered wall on the other hand is inexpensive, allows you to redefine different zones and relocate doors/openings where required (*note: avoid hinged doors in small spaces as you have to allow for wasted space to open door - suggest cavity sliding doors, easy to incorporate in a new wall) C. Don't sacrifice functionality and natural light for design - love full height floor to ceiling cabinets, very much on trend... but they also tend to bring the walls in, which you want to avoid in an already small space... they will also block out more natural ligtht from the only window to the living and breakfast bench (meals area)... not to mention seated guests would be staring at a cabinet tower and fridge - on the other hand a walk in pantry (not that much of a walk in a small space) is also very much on trend, provides more storage and... as entertaining guests in open plan livings tends to happen more in the kitchen... it provides a good hiding place for unsightly items, including frigges... (an underbench bar fridge in the kitchen can easily keep those beers cold... though do consider that means sacrificing some cabinet space) - constantly wiping off the floors from dripping wet dishes across the kictchen from the sink to the dishwaser on the other side bench would personally drive me mad after a while... the dishwasher can easily be connected to the existing sink water and waste points through the cabinerty... any half decent plumber should be able to do that... ON THAT NOTE... or should I say those notes... I know I got a bit carried away :) ... if it were me, here's an idea of what I would try to achieve ......See MoreDifficult design layout dilemma
Comments (31)I am thinking that you don't really need this as a sitting room as you already have a lounge, family room, and library. Can it be opened up into the entrance hall to provide a larger grand entrance? Could it house the piano instead of having it in the library? Could it be turned into a new entrance with the entrance door being shifted to the bay window and the old front entrance becoming a larger closet? I like Andy Pat's option of ditching the wall and just making the whole of the window area a window seat. This space really is just a large walkway and I don't feel that it will ever fulfil a need not already met in a couple of other spaces....See MoreNew kitchen layout dilemma
Comments (22)your new plan looks like it might work with support beams to replace the removed wall and if you were living in the house i'd suggest that you rearrange the furniture to suit your new layout so that you could see that the front lounge area would not be big enough for the two couches with suitable walking space but moving the door from the entry hall would allow more space for more comfortable furniture arrangements and i've used a 2100 x 900 three seater couch and 900 x 900 for a single armchair and blocking the extra door from hallway to old kitchen would also allow for more counter and wall cabinets...See MoreWhat should I look for when buying a small 2 bedroom 1980s Apartment?
Comments (7)how exciting for you....most important is location first including views, local climate, sunny or cold and noisy side of the building then access to public transport, local shopping, direct easy commute to work, ongoing fees what will you be responsible for outside your own apartment including ceiling leaks? security front door, windows, balcony and access to lock up garage with storage, private laundry (or space for a washing machine in the bath or kitchen), secure public entry and external lighting ..inside look for the most spacious rooms, open plan kitchen rather than small separate space, preferable two bedrooms and a generous bathroom...old kitchen and bathrooms, floorcoverings and decor can be improved but you can't improve the location.. best of luck with your first home...See MoreAshley
4 years agoThis is the unit block plan from a realestate advertisement directly above our Apartment.
oklouise
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agothe measuremnts shown on the real estate plan are inconsistant..to avoid disappointment please confirm these measurements with a tape measure
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4 years ago 
PRO3DA Design Drafting and 3D Visuals
4 years agoMaybe eliminate the small cross walls. And make one door of bedroom not facing main hall.
That way not much cross circulations cutting in and out.
See this for a start. Not a big island but quite usable. It can even be on castor wheel
PROLarkspur Lane Design
4 years ago
PROLisa Elliott Interior Design
4 years ago- PRO
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4 years ago
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