Floor plan improvements for a small cottage. Feedback requested!

last year

Hi! Looking for some feedback & ideas regarding the floor plan for our modest little 90s double brick & tile cottage (127sqm). There are two main problems I want to solve as part of a simple upcoming reno (in addition to aesthetic updates).

1. Define the living spaces and separate them from the bedrooms (while keeping some northern glazing to the living spaces).

2. Move the front door & entry area from the north side of the house (currently facing a shared driveway), to the west side of the house so that it is facing the street & will integrate with some landscaping updates.

To solve these issues, I'm thinking of adding some insulated stud walls to create a media / lounge room with french doors that open towards the kitchen. This will create a hallway that separates the bedrooms and bathrooms to the rear of the home & with doors on the truncation, should allow enough circulation for a modest narrow sitting area in the open plan area.

I will need to cut a new front door in on the western wall (may need to adjust the window size to accomodate this). I'm thinking of adding a small portico or veranda to help create a sense of an entry, because you will be walking directly into the open plan sitting & dining spaces - also to protect against weather from the west. Perhaps a slatted timber partition or a nib wall could help with it feeling like a simple entry on the interior.

Pictures of the floor plan adjustments, a render I've mocked up and some photos of how it currently looks are below. Please let me know what you might do differently or any improvements or considerations that I've missed. This is my first time adding walls to a house, rather than removing them. Thanks in advance!

Some photos of current state (new floors, gyprock and other aesthetic updates will be made during renovation)

Featured Answer

oklouise

last year

last modified: last year

i would still have the northern entry with smaller porch roof and existing paving and consider a fixed or adjustable awning for the western windows (similar to traditional Federation windows like the style of your house) and there are many example of wall hung brackets to support awnings and/or a porch roof without posts and keep the western area for more parking and outdoor living as i can see no advantage for a western entry to the house or front gate with steps as i think you and your guests would still walk in the shared driveway and adding gates to a shared driveway would probably mean electric car gates plus personal access gates as long as your neighbours are happy to agree

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Comments (20)

Kate
last year
Looks perfect. Perhaps post a photo of the front of house and Julie and others can provide design ideas there
T J thanked Kate
dreamer
last year
I think it is a good use of the space. Just make sure your hallways are no narrower than 900mm.
T J thanked dreamer
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bigreader
last year
I like it. Check with your Council to see if a change to the facade requires paperwork. And if you could live with a slightly smaller lounge room, I’d add a narrow full wall of doored storage on the hall side about 450mm deep.
T J thanked bigreader
T J
Original Author
last year
Thanks for your feedback Kate & Dreamer.

As for the facade, please see a couple of photos of what it looks like now. Very stark I know. And a couple of renders for what I have in mind... one is more traditional with a veranda, another that is more modern with screening off the gable. Leaning towards the veranda, but it will eat into the small outdoor space due to placement of retaining walls. I'm not certain on the finishes or colours yet, but the vibe will likely be a coastal beach house / cottage. The patio partially seen in one of the photos will be relocated to the south side of the house off the kitchen (not ideal, but fine for summer).

The driveway and fencing arrangement is being discussed with the neighbour but we are likely to fence in some of the large common driveway (to create two side by side driveways - one for our front property and the other for the rear property. This can be done via resurveying or through exclusive use by-laws given its a 2 lot strata). This will require some crossover widening and retaining work on our side, and will require reclamation of some of the garden beds on our front boundary and along the side boundary of the driveway..

Photos of current setup (top photo streetview, patio not pictured).

Existing patio can be seen here, will be relocated.

Facade idea 1: 'Traditional' option - narrow veranda off front door (preferred option). Perhaps a small gatehouse at the entry.

Facade idea 2: 'Modern' option - slat screening over western glazing.

Please let me know your thoughts, preferences and improvements.
siriuskey
last year
I didn't see this post before I made my suggestions, not sure if you will get approval for a verandah across the front, but you can ask, if not the sliding door off the dining could relocate to the south side.
oklouise
last year
last modified: last year
such a great idea to make better use of available space but my suggestions also includes an alternate entry location with sheltered front porch and a simple pergola wrapped around the north west corner and, as you are already building new walls, a smaller corner opening with cavity sliding doors would avoid the problem of the extra wide opening needed for hinged doors and where they take up so much space to open
T J thanked oklouise
siriuskey
last year
Good to see that we both agree on the new entrance OKL
T J thanked siriuskey
T J
Original Author
last year
Thanks so much @siriuskey & @oklouise - I love your designs! My only concern is that I'm going to be dependent on having tandem parking that will encroach on the northern boundary there & don't have the width for a parking bay and a veranda / pergola (see my above renders). I would love to have this parking bay as a flexible out door space that could be used in the winter time to capture northern sun when not being used for a vehicle. Perhaps a clever gate could help with this.

Do you have any ideas on how I might place an entrance on the western wall?

Regarding the veranda, I believe I can get a setback variation that will allow for this providing it doesn't protrude more than 1.5-2m.
siriuskey
last year
It appears you have a battle axe shared driveway which doesn't allow for parking, your parking space is on the western end of your house which you need to keep as such. There is a lot of paved hard surface which would be good to reduce and soften, things like Grass Cell made with recycled council bins etc or the similar concrete which is grassed and can be parked on.

Your new front porch on the Northern side could have timber slats on the outer driveway side to define the entrance and spaced enough not to block too much sun, this slated wall could extend to the beginning of the living room window. You can still have the automated driveway gate for security as they are great as long as your neighbour agrees.
T J thanked siriuskey
dreamer
last year
TJ. The same suggestions apply as to your previous post in mar 2023. what was discussed in posts from then is still relevant for the external driveway access for rear unit, timber slats etc etc
siriuskey
last year
This post asked about changing the front entrance and making a new room which eventually came back to the original post once the photos were added. so yes same issues
T J
Original Author
last year
@siriuskey @dreamer thanks for your feedback. What I'm failing to communicate is that we are intending to split the very wide driveway into two separate driveways with a dividing fence per the image below. This will create complete separation between the two lots, except for a widened shared crossover.

As a result of this I am hoping to achieve tandem parking for the front house along the northern boundary (removing the need for inconvenient and unsafe parking at 90 degrees and encroaching into the shared driveway. As previously stated this can be done due to the excessive width of the common property and either through resurveying or some carefully designed exclusive use by-laws.

The intent of the facade design is to accomodate & compliment these changes by providing a new orientation towards the street & away from the driveway.
siriuskey
last year
last modified: last year
That would have been good to know so that suggestions could be made to work with that.

I can see that if you do get approval the battle axe block will choose to park just in from the cross over to avoid the long narrow back out. Good luck with your ideas.
T J thanked siriuskey
T J
Original Author
last year
Thanks @siriuskey. I've added your suggestions to the interior render and think that it works really well creating both an entry and a study nook, with the added bonus of a glass door letting in more northern light potentially. See image below! Thanks so much. Also loved your suggestion about moving the laundry to the current linen cupboard to free up space in the shared bathroom.

Regarding the battle axe block to the rear, they have a large turning bay and double lock up garage at the end of the driveway so don't see parking on the driveway as an issue.

When I get some time I will see how the north facing front door interferes with the tandem parking, hopefully their is enough space to make it work.

Also, thank you to @oklouise for your suggestions - I will try the double pocket slider on the interior truncation to see if that's another alternative.
T J
Original Author
last year
@dreamer yes same house, same issues - intent of this post was to discuss the interior floor plan rather than landscaping & exterior.
dreamer
last year
TJ, regarding the interior as this post is about that. What is the height of your new diving driveway fence going to be? Internally, if the fence is a standard 1800mm high, then you will lose a lot of winter northern sun getting into the living and bedroom areas. I really like the latest render of your thoughts.
T J thanked dreamer
Kate
last year
Talk to your council’’s planner about the driveway changes before you do anything else. You need to firm up that first.
T J thanked Kate
T J
Original Author
last year
@dreamer thanks - I'm thinking 1.8m would be ideal for privacy. Between the front door and the proposed fence would be about 3.4m width & about 2.1m off the media / lounge room - hoping it won't impact light too severely. There is no overshadowing from neighbouring buildings as there's 10m+ to house next door. Could also adjust the eaves slightly if needed, they are huge but do provide lots of benefits.

@kate yes absolutely, everything is subject to a crossover application being approved too. Though, I think the worst case is widening the existing single crossover to the council's max width, but ideally two separate side by side would be good.

@siriuskey & @oklouise I have had another go at some exterior renders with your suggested front door location on the northern facade. I've also left the existing patio structure where it is currently & added an awning to the western window. Doesn't have the same cute cottage appeal but I do think it works ok and it would be much, much easier & more cost effective to implement. Would love your thoughts on any design improvements.. particularly how to define the entry from the driveway.. I've pictured a simple flyover pergola, but I'm sure there's a better way to do this.

Pleasingly, this entry configuration would allow the interior plans proposed above, which for me ticks quite a few boxes including two well defined living spaces with some northern glazing and a defined entrance space. Potentially even a study nook too (thanks to @siriuskey!)

Forgive the imperfections & the finishes in the renders, I'm still learning how to use Sketchup. Thanks all.
oklouise
last year
try a heritage style awning (with or without a post) for front door and wall hung awning for western windows as previously suggested and maybe replace some brick paving with a different colour to define the entry space and keep some big potted plants