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Laundry Bathrooms Renovating

Renovation Design Help

2 years ago

Hi team,
I really need some design help for my upcoming major renovation.
I would like the improve the laundry and laundry bathroom, possible turn it into a huge functional laundry with a powder room if possible.
The area in the middle of the bottom floor with the bar and pantry also needs to be improved. Currently the bar is wasted space and I'd like to turn the pantry into a butlers pantry with the fridge in there, so the kitchen bench can be extended. I was thinking of turning the bar into a study nook, though am concerned about having this in the lobby / entrance area.
The stairs need a makeover!
I'm also replacing all the bathrooms, the balcony and possibly the roof.
In terms of changing the plans, its mainly the laundry, laundry bathroom, kitchen and pantry / bar area.
Help please!
The entrance to the kitchen from the laundry side is awkward and it would be good to open this up.

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Comments (6)

dreamer
2 years ago
Have you got a back yard, or is it all house, with just the small outdoor areas as shown?
dreamer
2 years ago
How do you use the rooms now? Looks like there are two major support pillars in the bar/living area, so these will need to be incorporated into design. Going by the photo, with dark furnishing, there is so much wasted space in the middle of the home. My suggestion would be to remove the pantry/bar, if not loading bearing, and just have decent sized living and dining areas without wasted space. The kitchen to take up the current meals/kitchen area, and use your laundry for butlers pantry. The new laundry located where the existing dining room is shown. All of this is just a dream. It depends on load bearing walls, is the slab concrete? Are the walls timber or brick? To use the bar for a study nook seems a bit much if you already have a huge office. A “drop zone” for charging phones, place to put bills etc, can be incorporated into the kitchen design.
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Hi Mel, Kitchens are an integral part of any home and particularly a busy family, so much to consider. I personally think an Island clear of any sinks or utilities makes for a more workable space. It lends itself to food prep, kids homework, meals, guests perched on a bench whilst you prep. Sinks always accumulate mess so I think a sink put to the side works better. Gone are the days where you will stand at a sink hours at a time. Think about how you like to cook and use a kitchen a cooktop not far from the sink works best think straining pasta pots, vegies etc.. As for butler's pantry's I'm not a fan, why spend money on a lovely kitchen only to be cooped up in a small kitchen off to the side, very unsociable. Houses are made to be lived in and sometimes that comes with a little mess particularly in the kitchen. Don't hide away in a butlers pantry embrace your home and kitchen and all that it entails. I recently completed a kitchen with a similar colour scheme to what you are suggesting black, white and timber, I anchored the kitchen with the black Island and used white cabinets for the rest of the kitchen. Matt surfaces are on trend at the moment as opposed to gloss or semi gloss, matt finishes hide finger prints and children's hand marks better, dust will show up on darker surfaces so be mindful of this. I adore natural materials and feel that a timber floor really adds warmth. Take a look at the kitchen I recently designed for my clients, would love to hear your thoughts. Happy to assist you any way - Good luck with your renos. Thanks Collaborative Interiors
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my suggestion is similar to Paul's but with a lower counter (built in seat and or towel storage?) under the lower window sill with a 1500 wide vanity and wall cabinet... you could also have the bath against the window and have a freestanding storage cabinet or chair at the other end the vanity and showers ;locations haven't been moved but reducing the entry door to standard 820 would allow for a standard 1500 wide shower and the gaps around the door in the bedroom could be repaired with a wider architraves to save needing to plaster?
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Hi All, apologies for the delay in responding and thanks again for all your suggestions. Siriuskey - the sunroom is currently used by myself as a study/make-up room (a computer, desk and printer at one end the other end a dressing table). I don't think it would be suitable as an ensuite as I believe it was an old verandah that has been enclosed and the front is all window, which face the street. We live in Northern NSW, near Lismore. I had a new split system air conditioner installed mid-winter last year and it seems to be helping with the heating and cooling, but of course it would be great if we didn't have to use it too often (even though we have a fair few solar panels), oklouise - if we were to enclose part of the patio to make extra room I, think I would 'roughly' leave the kitchen were it is but widen doorways and have a bigger island bench. I would then use the 'new' room as a dining room and the old dining room would be like a sitting room with the potential to perhaps move the loft bedroom stairs in there in the future (which would gain full use of bedroom 3 back). These are just rough ideas at the moment though, we are still open to ideas. Kate - we could potentially move the bathroom into bedroom 3 but I don't know if it would gain us anything... unless I'm misunderstanding your suggestion. siriuskey - I have attached 2 photos; one shows part of our patio looking back to the family room door and you can see the pool fence for where it is situated with the house. The second one is an aerial photo of our block showing the house and pool. I hope these are useful. The patio has a room and ceiling and concreted floor, so I don't think it would be too hard to enclose part of it in. I love all the feedback and suggestions so far, so please don't hold back!! Thank you.
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unable to read dimensions so based on assumed room sizes my suggestion include a more spacious kitchen and modest living/dining room and strongly recommend that you keep three bedrooms to allow space for a separate media, study guest room and/or use the smallest bedroom as a wiw and removing the bathtub allows for a more generous storage, bigger vanity plus separate toilet and shower and there's a Euro laundry and back door to a potential outside entertaining area
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dreamer
2 years ago
,, my suggestion a basic overview
Kate
2 years ago
You need a more accurate dimensioned that shows all supporting walls and columns. Looks like there are some dropped ceilings and these may have structural beams in the, or services. Recommend you get an architect in to advise on your major reno.
oklouise
2 years ago
for such a complex renovation you will need professional help but my suggestions include ideas to make better use of the awkward spaces
Rebecca Dawe
Original Author
2 years ago
It's pretty much all house. The office is a studio room and kind of disconnected from the main living areas, the formal dining is a playroom (wanting to put an external sliding door there), the bar is just decorative, the laundry bathroom doesn't get used at all, there is a brick wall between the bar and lounge which would be load bearing and also there are 4 pillars. The slab is concrete and the walls are just timber frame with that one brick wall by the bar and another between the lounge and front door. I'd be ok to do away with the playroom if it improves the living areas. Thanks for your help!

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