Thanks for your feedback. Really valuable. Only thing is we need the bedrooms because of our family size. And my husband works from home so we need the study too.

We are able to add more to the length of the house though. Do you think adding another 2m to the living area would be sufficient?

Do you have any thoughts on whether it would be better to have a bigger single living area or a separate lounge room?

I’m trying to think of ways to bring more light into the hallway. I don’t know much about building and houses though. I really like skylights so maybe that’s an option. I was also thinking of shifting the laundry door so that it opens to the hallway and I can put a frosted glass door to let more light in.

Have you thought about a smaller study and use the extra to enlarge your bathroom

The bathroom does feel a little tight doesn’t it? I think we might make it a little bigger

Wondering what everyone’s thoughts are on getting rid of the separate study, making that a bedroom at the front and then making one of the other rooms into a lounge that can be closed off. Eg if we add bifold doors. We could add another 1m to the room to make it a little larger than the other rooms.

This way, we can close it off and use it as a guest bedroom when needed (ie have a day bed in there) but otherwise we would have a separate lounge. This would also break up the long hallway and bring in more light.

Thoughts?

Sorry I meant, get rid of the study and put a bedroom at the front. Essentially making it a 4 bedroom with a separate lounge. Instead of 4 bedroom with study.

If we do this, should we still add more area to the main living are or is that already big enough?

I’m with doctor retro on the bedroom front - sacrifice the bed closest to the living and add half the space into the living to make the living area begin level with the kitchen (you could add a 2-2.5m wall along the hallway to create a semi-enclosed TV room, like a cul-de-sac). Living room is accurately named - you do most of your living in it.

If you have a designer (or even if your don’t), have you considered a courtyard house? If you’re not set on the idea of a large lawn - though that looks to be off the menu anyway - then lengthening and shaping the house around 1 or 2 internal courtyards is a beautiful and effective way of getting light into a narrow section, especially with neighbours either side. Search Houzz for them: lots of terraced houses in Sydney + London area have had this treatment to great effect :-)

By your plans, it indicates you have another 13 metres at the back for your home. Yes I would push the house back to allow 6m front, this will Give more room for a vehicle to park. And extend home by 2 metres. For more set out ideas, I have attached a plan for a 10metre wide block. See how the entrance is on the side. This is alternative which would give you room for a bigger single garage, which could accommodate storage space. But as mentioned, any increase in size of home will increase the cost.

Like swizzles95, I was going to recommend a courtyard, to help light your living areas (& heat in winter). Sounds like you have the room, but it may not be cheap. Locate the courtyard to the north of your living areas, pretty much where that rear bedroom is. This will increase the length of that long hallway unfortunately, but at least it will be broken up by views into the courtyard.

I'd you decide against a courtyard, I'd consider an eastern window in the living area, so you at least get a decent amount of light there I'm the mornings. Though, depending on where you're neighbour's built, privacy may be an issue. In this case, a highlight (clerestory) window may be an option.

Agree with others a courtyard would be beneficial. Example attached.

My pet hate is a toilet without a basin. If you can’t have one in the toilet room then incorporate toilet into a bigger bathroom

Bigger bathroom

I've just returned from Japan, & one of the places we stayed at had one of those toilets with the basin above the cistern. A great space saving idea! One thing I noticed. No soap, so for big jobs you'd still have to go to the main bathroom to give your hands a better wash. No idea if there was no soap there because it may not be good filling up the cistern with soapy water or not?

what is the internal dimesnions of the ensuite, laundry, bathroom and existing courtyard, what is extra space outside the bathroom, what is the length of the block, what is the maximum amount of wall that can be built on the boundaries, what shape roof are you planning and please confrim that looking out from the front door is north and out the kitchen window is looking west??

Thanks oklouise. I’ll have to ask for the internal dimensions of those things. He hasn’t specified on these plans. I will need to check maximum amount of wall that can be built on boundary. I’ll ask and get back to you.

The extra space outside the bathroom is a linen cupboard.

The block length is 43.76m

Not sure about the roof shape. I don’t know much about that.

And yes, the front door is facing north and kitchen window is looking west.

We are still able to add 2-2.5m to the length of the build, budget-wise.

Since last night, I’ve actually asked to change the bathroom layout so that we now have a separate vanity, separate toilet and another space for the bath and shower. I have attached a photo of what I’ve asked for.

I’ve also asked to make the front room a full-size bedroom, the next room to be an open lounge area (4m length), then the bathroom and laundry, followed by the other 2 bedrooms. So instead of 4 bedroom with a study, it can be a 4 bedroom with second living area.

I’ve also asked to extend the en-suite bathroom to allow a double vanity and larger shower with 2 shower heads. And to make the master bedroom length 3.8m instead of 3.6m.

Plus I’ve asked to add 645mm to laundry so that we can have 2 parallel benches instead of and L-shaped one.

Will hopefully be getting a new set of plans tomorrow and will post an update.

Really appreciate everyone’s ideas! I’m learning a lot

Hi oklouise,

Here is the updated plans with the measurements you asked for. I asked and apparently this is the maximum we can build on the boundary.

What do you think if we move the laundry to the other side of the house (between pantry and master bedroom). I’m also thinking of adding a little more to the walk in robe for the master, maybe 0.5m. Or do you think it’s long enough?

This would push the kitchen further into the living space which I think would be nicer than it facing the hallway. Any thoughts?

No plans posted

Sorry, here they are!

I'm no expert but things that you may want to consider changing are:
• in laundry, having tubs/plumbing on bathroom wall rather than bedroom wall
• moving windows in front bedroom to the eastern wall as may limit bed placement otherwise
• swapping the living room and bedroom opposite kitchen - not keen on bedroom directly opposite kitchen due to smells and noise; you could still keep as a separate 2nd living by closing off with bifold or sliding doors
• incorporating a study nook into living room or family room as you mentioned in an earlier post that your husband works from home (the study seems to have been lost in the new plan)

If you want to move laundry to opposite side as you are thinking, may be better located between garage and ensuite.

Before making the master WIR longer, have you planned out what you need in terms of hanging, shelves etc? While more space sounds great, it could be wasted if you don't actually need it.

Good luck!

Personally, you've got very little opportunity for your main living areas to get natural night, & winter warmth (a courtyard is one such opportunity). If you're now going to have a second living area, I'd move it to the front of the house. So it has access to northern light, & passive solar heating in winter. This will be the most comfortable living area in the home, especially in winter.

This great government website will teach you about energy efficient home design & the importance of orientation.

https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design

You're going to struggle, with a narrow, northern frontage. But make the most of what you have. By making your second living area inviting, light, & warm in winter, by moving it to the north.

Your main living area now has quite a lot of western windows. This isn't a great idea. You could be hot on summer evenings while eating, & this window is just going to add to the heat load at this time of the day. It's difficult to shade windows in the orientation, as the sun is lower than the eaves.

Maybe this window orientation was chosen instead of an eastern window due to (privacy) issues. If not, I'd increase the size of the eastern window, minimising, or eliminating the western window. An eastern window is also difficult to shade, but the sun is in this direction at a much cooler time of the day.

Agree with everything Liz has noted. All very good points.

my suggestions include furniture for bertter understanding of the rooms and has straight outside walls in the rooms adjoining the boundary as i worry that attempting to include the angle will make problems for the roof and, as your husband works from home, i've kept a small bedroom sized study, back to back wardrobes in the kids' bedrooms will provide more storage than the side by side wardrobes and there's a deeper setback for off street parking and the distance form the alfresco to the rear boundary is about 10m

If you can’t change the toilet, move the laundry sink to hall end so easy alternative access to wash hands when bathroom in use

with oklouise design all looks wonderful. Even Kate, you have your access to a hand basin.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Lots to learn and so much to consider. I ended up doing more research to decide sizes for built in and walk in robes.

We decided to keep one of the bedrooms at the front of the house to be used as my husbands work space. We have 2 kids and get interstate visitors often which is why we initially wanted a study plus 4 bedrooms. But I like the idea of a living space to break up the hallway a bit and to let some light in. I know we have to think about the northern light for the front room, but my husband works in there every day so I think it works better energy-wise.

We moved the guest bathroom closer to living space as per oklouise’s plans (so helpful!!) and did a similar configuration. I think it’s nice for entertaining for guests to have easy access and not to have to walk past bedrooms to use the bathroom.

With the reconfiguration and the extra length we added to the family/meals area. I think it’s looking like a pretty good sized area without going over our budget. The kitchen also no longer faces the hallway which is so much nicer

I’ve attached our updated plans

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned, but I'd consider having a door to separate the living areas from the rest of the house. This will help keep noise & cooking smells away from the bedrooms, & also, if you have zoned heating, you'll be able to just heat the living areas in the evening, saving energy & dollars.

Just a heads up, some people don't like north facing studies. Due to the glare on computer screens that direct sunlight can create. Each to their own, I think it is a good idea to locate your partner's workspace at the front.

Looking great. I’d delete wall on the pantry side of fridge. Unnecessary constraint and side of fridge is a great place to put up lists , photos etc using magnets, keeping front clear.

Agree dark here door at end of hallway essential

Hi Elham,

I do not think this is right for you yet.....I have a few too many questions for here but would love to help get it exactly how you want your home to be and how it needs to be for your family, work, friends and forever.

Look forward to chatting and helping: this is what I do!

Kind Regards

Margot

My 2 cents worth is to avoid windows in an open walk-in wardrobe. Even ambient light can fade natural fibres. The more costly the fabric, the more severe the damage! As a retired interior designer with a fashion background, I found many architects/builders/clients totally unaware of this.

Move the study if possible, north aspect is wasted on the room. Also considef if thE morning sun is going to wake your children too early.