I think you are possibly on the right track but without any measurements it's a little hard to give a more informed answer. I.e. I'm thinking that a WIR may not work with what I'm seeing on the diagram.

Being a renovation warrior and living in the places afterwards, I can say with certainty that I have no problems with not having a separate WC and not having a bath in the ensuite. Who uses the bath the most? Usually families with small children, so it makes sense to put the bath in the family bathroom.

I can't see any problem with creating a designated area for the laundry in the main bathroom. I haven't done this personally but it makes a lot more sense that what I've often seen in English homes where they put the laundry in the kitchen. That's never sat well with me.

I suspect from the diagram that your ideas could benefit from a little more space. Is it possible to push the rooms out into the 600mm overhang of the eave space?

Some more detailed plan measurements would help for others to give more informed comments, if you can manage that.

Thanks so much for your comments. Apologies I had intended to include measurements then completely forgot.

Bedroom 3 - 3.8m x 2.9m

WC (inc hallway portion) - 3.15m x 0.90m

Bathroom - 3.1m x 2.7m

Laundry - 3.1m x 1.5m

I don't think we could do a standard WIR with hanging rails on both sides but how about an L-shaped one? I was thinking to have this in the approx location of the current WC. I'd be happy to do a BIR robe if we couldn't fit one in but I'd want 3m of length so I can't see how it could fit unless we didn't have the sliding doors to the patio but this would then reduce the usable width of the room too.

I'm not keen on extending as it would add a lot of extra cost for minimal space gains.

Something isn't adding up. - please clarify so that I can draw and calculate the plan out.

Bedroom 3 and the wet areas should all equal the same length looking at the plan you showed initially. However, your latest msg states that the wet areas are 3100mm long but the bedroom is larger at 3800mm.

Could you draw a schematic and show the lengths and widths please so that I can understand with more certainty where to place my walls. Thanks.

The widths are the same. 3800mm is the length not the width. I'll try to add measurements to the plan

Apologies in advance - it's very rough quality. I don't have the best software

I'm not sure if I've gotten all the measurements right but I believe your ideas are doable.

I would make the main bathroom slightly larger than the ensuite to accommodate the laundry. It's going to be tight and you have to consider walking space between furniture items. I haven't made any allowances for window placement. My thought is that you would HAVE to have a shower over a bath or do away with a bath altogether as I think things would be just too cramped for both.

It could be done if you were willing to forgo a plush and luxurious ensuite..... but my thoughts are ..... I wouldn't. WE deserve to treat ourselves :-). As you can see, you have space to put in a massive walk in shower, albeit a 900mm wide x 2000mm long as you would need a cavity slider door.

I would do away with the windows at the far end of the 3rd bedroom and make that entire wall into a full width wardrobe and possibly even mirrors on the doors. You wouldn't need that window if you were going to put in a large stacker out onto the patio. I wouldn't put in the walk in wardrobe up the other end as it will just cramp up that end of the room.

Hmm I can't seem to load the plan I drew.... give me a bit to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks so much. Not sure if there was meant to be an attachment?

Sorry, that's not the one. I'll work it out and send it as soon as I can.

Sorry, for some reason I couldn't get this to send as I wanted it to, so have had to resort to taking a screen shot, so I hope you can see the details properly.

Another idea I just had - I don’t really want to brick up the window so how about building the wardrobe around the window? This would create a cosy window seat too. I’d probably need to swap it out for a slightly smaller, more square window to maximise storage space and it’d need to continue 1m around the corner (same wall as sliders). Do you think that’d be too cluttered?

I'm not sure if I really have to point out the obvious flaws in taking the wardrobe/ window seat down the patio wall as the photo is really very self explanatory however...

As the comparison photos show, taking the wardrobe around the corner, makes the room cluttered. Add curtains and it will only get worse.

The ranchslider has to be much smaller and if you centre it to the wall space as would be normal, it will no longer be central to the bed, so the room will look lop sided. The door to that wardrobe has to be much smaller to accommodate the window seat, making access to the space limited. You would be losing so much from this idea.

The window seat idea on one wall as you have shown in your pictures may work but you will get much smaller robe space either side

Only you know what is important to you, so the question is: Is giving up the window more or less important than the wardrobe space you desire?

Thinking further, I haven't made allowances for drawer units in either plan.

If you were willing to give up the window and opt for a slightly smaller ranch slider on the patio wall, [ eg. 3000mm or as small as 2400mm ] you could bring the wardrobe wall on the original plan out into the room by about another 400mm giving an internal space of about 1000mm and that would give you a semi walk in wardrobe. You could hopefully fit any drawer units into that space to hide them away to retain the clean uncluttered look to the room.

We have done this in the past.

The other thing that we once did, was to build in a bench unit inside the space with cubby holes below and hang rails above, leaving a central area to place a TV.

Just a thought.

Thanks for your thoughtful responses. The window has a nice green outlook which is why I’m a bit reluctant to give it up. It would also be the ideal spot for a window seat.

I was initially thinking to swap the window out with a more narrower one to enable a full height 750mm wide cupboard door on each side, drawers under the window (just to utilise that space), then 1500mm of wardrobe (two doors) on the same wall as the slider but I agree that this would probably look lopsided and cluttered.

"I suspect from the diagram that your ideas could benefit from a little more space. Is it possible to push the rooms out into the 600mm overhang of the eave space?"

Just going back to this comment - would this be considered an "extension" or is this simpler to do? For the wall with the window at present. Thanks

I'm in NZ. You'd have to check with your council. It may be that the eaves are considered part of the footprint of the house and you can just do it or if they treat it as a minor alteration which requires some sort of consent. I have no idea how the Canberra Council view this - sorry.

Thanks Margot. We’ve actually been here for eight years but only just in a position to afford renovations. We’re two adults and planning to be here for the medium term at least. The front door faces north

Hi Di, So no children but maybe guests? Fr door facing north will mean your 3rd bedroom window will get lots of hot afternoon sun: not the best for trying to sleep? And the living rooms would be lovely and sunny in the mornings. All good so far! OK a plan has formed: see if you can follow this!! Standing in the hall, looking south towards the rooms in question: left to right: full wall to kitchen, full length of laundry hall to ext wall: bench, trough, WM, DR more linen maybe too. Walk way ie doors either end. Then on hall end shower 900 x 900, vanity, toilet. No bath. Next is ensuite: shower in the U shape corner: bathroom shower, hall wall and new wall where bathroom door is now. Next is vanity and toilet both backing those in bathroom. Cav sl door looking at ensuite vanity. Put robe the full width of the room on the west with full, half hanging and adj shelving. On the south wall have doors if you like but do have windows too so you can have a smidgen of fresh air securely when you do not want to snooze with the doors open, propped or blowing & banging in the breeze! Oh and I love the idea of external glazed door and windows above laundry bench and by loo. In ensuite full long window by loo: lovely!! Hope that makes sense! Cheers Margot

Thanks Margot. Any chance you could draw up a very rough plan of that? It doesn’t need to be to scale or anything, I’m just not quite able to picture it

Yes but I cannot down load it to my computer ATM: if you shoot thru your mobile I can send it to that....... :)

Our house is the same floor plan (hello 1970s AV Jennings Canberra houses). So I can totally visualize your thoughts. However you cut it, the bath and laundry are already quite small spaces. The solution in ours (from a previous owner) was to extens the living/dininf and add a master and ensuite wing as an extension.

Thanks. An extension would be ideal but would cost way more than that we’d really want to spend so we’re trying to see if we can come up with any ideas based on the current footprint.

My thought would be to change the entrance to the bedroom and take space from the 2nd bedroom for your robe.. This bedroom could be a study now and in the future if you ever do an extension Basic layout for bathrooms and laundry, Family bathroom could easli be combined with the laundry keeping the external door

By the time you move all the walls and doors and fully redo the bathrooms and laundry, you might find it more cost effective to push out the wall of bedroom 3 to make a bigger master and add an ensuite at the end.  I would check with some local builders about the costs.

More than one way to approach things, if you take wardrobe space from the 2nd bedroom you could leave current laundry Family bathroom walls and take extra space from bed 3 to add to the current separate toilet to form your ensuite. What are your walls built with. Whatever you do will cost but keep in mind the best end result for now and any future additions like adding a master suite off the livng room which you or a new owner might consider

@Siriuskey, was there an attachment to your first post? I think it’s not loading properly.

I’ll definitely get some quotes from local builders to consider the different options.

I can see it, but here goes

Stage 1

The wet areas and small hall The overall size suggest it is possible to achieve A family bathroom, and an ensuite, and a small laundry.

Post the overall size and start over with your planning

Stage 2

Wardrobes, do you really need a walk-in wardrobe?

Thanks. If I had to pick I’d definitely choose a WIR over a separate laundry. Right now I only have a laundry basket there and use it to store the mop etc as there’s no cupboard in the room. I’m happy to give that up for either a WIR or ensuite/bigger bathroom.

If you removed the external laundry door you could fit a stacked washer/dryer

the following two layouts

I feel the bedroom would be claustrophobic however. By my calculations, there would be only around 900mm between the foot of the bed and the wall - which is fine if it's a secondary space - but this is to be the parents retreat and it needs to feel luxurious and open. Di Njsd also indicated originally that the window was to become a door to allow egress to the patio outside. A bed up against that wall nullifies that objective.

Yes it’s looking like the WIR would be too difficult to make work in the current footprint

I agree you can fit everything you were wanting but it would be cramped, that's why I suggested that you take space from bed 2 for a good sized robe. And possibly look at doing a 3 way bathroom for now

There are a lot of options, this would give you a Powder Room.

Send me a txt to my phone and I will be able to show you my plan which I believe is simplest..... :) Margot