Narrow House (15.4ft / 4.7m) - what are my layout options?

8 years ago

I've just bought a small city pad and building will start from the plans (attached) in approx 1 month. The external part of the house cannot be changed as per planning regs but the builder is willing to reconfigure the inside.

I think that the current layout plan doesn't maximise the space as much as I'd like, particularily the ground floor (living) area. Could anyone give me some ideas for alternative layouts I could propose? I am open to complete change.

On the plans my house will be the house in the middle with the 48sqm garden. The garden is south-facing.
The dimensions of the house are-
Ground floor- 13.1m x 4.7m / 43ft x 15.4ft = 662 sq ft
First floor- 11m x 4.7m / 36ft x 15.4ft = 561 sq ft

Thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

PRO

Cleary Design Studio, LLC

8 years ago

I love the greatroom's skylights and that both the greatroom and garden are orientated together facing south. There are many possibilities in this footprint depending on your lifestyle... you could slide the bathroom and kitchen towards the front to make the greatroom a bit more roomy and get rid of part of the long hall. One suggestion though, no matter what your lifestyle is, is to turn the toilet 90 degrees and put it on the same wall with the vanity. It would also be nice to put a panel, like lumicor (www.lumicor.com) or wood, between the two to even further block the view of the toilet. Currently, every time you walk down the hall, you'll see your toilet - which isn't a very refreshing site. I hope that helps. Congratulations on your new house!

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Comments (9)

Faireden
8 years ago
I would open it up as much as possible by removing all unnecessary walls and doors. And I totally agree with Cleary Design to move the toilet, it is not the first thing you want to see when you open the door to the bathroom, probably the sink would be best positioned there. I would remove at least if not all of the "jog" on the peninsula in the kitchen.

Consider putting either the range top or the sink on the peninsula since you will not have windows. Good luck!
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Comments (10)
That's looking a lot better. A few followup comments: 1. I agree with bepsf that the opening to the dining (formerly living) from the entry should be an "archway" or similar opening. A pair of pocket doors would work or make sure the french doors can open 180 degrees and stay out of the way. Similarly, I'd add an opening (with french doors if you must) on the other side of the fireplace to match the ones you have. 2. I'd flip the door to the utility room to the left so it aligns with the exterior door. Much more efficient use of space OR (better yet) flip the exterior door to the east and move the countertop to the other side. This way the door won't be as visible from the entry, you'll get more countertop, and the flow will be better. 3. Sitting room - if you need to keep the entrance from the front hall, why not move the fireplace to the southeast corner, flip the couch to the north wall and use this as your formal living room (and no door). The flow into the room will be much better. It also gives you much better use of the bay window. Then you can use the room now labeled "living room" as your more informal sitting/family room. 4. Squeezing past the shower to enter the powder room is still awkward. 5. Kitchen - it looks like the island (I assume that's what's in the middle) should move to the west to give yourself enough space to have a usable counter on the east wall. 4'6" is a pretty good distance between counters.. You seem to have more space than you need between the island and the patio doors. There's also a lot of inefficient space between the fireplace and island. I'd make sure that there's either enough room for a small table, or just make the island and east wall cabinets longer. 6. One last thought - since you rearranged the use of the rooms, had you considered switching between the dining and living? I think this would make things work even better. If you do, I'd go back to my comment of opening the sitting room from the study ha
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Wow, I really like this design and the rest of the house....really has a lovely flow to it and is very bright. My only concern with opening up the original living room to the hallway would be that the existing house is poorly insulated and would leave the front room cold during the winter. I imagine the existing front room as a dynamic room in that the doors to the dining room can be closed, a stove fire turned on and it would be a quiet reading/relaxing zone in the house. Though I must admit...the above example provided is really tempting. thanks Dytecture!
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Lots of ideas....couldn't resist adding my two cents. i copied your photos and did a little cut and paste- it's messy, but hopefully gets the main idea across. i'd put your sofa in front of the large book case, chair by the fireplace, tv on the stand on the wall opposite the fireplace - so you can either look at the fire or the tv. Someone suggested using frames of one color for your photos - an inexpensive way to do that would be to spray paint them all a dark color-black goes with everything. Since your shelves are a medium tone wood, display things that are dark or light so that they contrast against the wood. Limiting your display items pallette to a few values usually helps to unify things. (I think that's why so many people want to paint the shelves or put inserts in the back to help your nice things read more clearly...some get lost). If you want to "splurge" -you may consider having a carpenter make a few solid tall cabinet doors to provide a visual break in the shelving. I'm showing 3 doors - 1 on the right side of the fireplace and 2 on the left to leave two open vertical shelves for display on each side - with things arranged to frame the fireplace as the focal point. To add some height to your big vases, consider stacking some books beneath them. Enjoy experimenting untill you get something you're happy with - good luck!
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Hi Emmeline. Have measured as best I could. The room is 9ft wide and 18ft long going right up to the bay window sill.Imagine you are standing in the doorway. The door opens inwards and to the left. The space between the open door frame and the wall perpendicular i.e. facing the bay window is approx 2ft. On that perpendicular wall are cubes for art work, a tv and a flat chrome edged gas fire. The fire is 1ft of the ground.. The cube unit is 2ft off the ground as is the tv. So not much space to play around with there. Still standing in the doorway on the wall to your right is a longish radiator. At a slight diaganonal opposite you is a window. Height from floor is 2ft6in. Length of window is 3ft Distance ofrom fire place wall to window is 8ft4in. . Distance from end of window to alcove wall of bay window is 3ft2in. There are two small alcove wall each 2ft6in in length. The bay window is a square shape rather than curved. The length is 4ft. Depth 3ft. Height 2ft.6in.from floor. We moved house recently so the furniture does not really fit the space. I would like to keep the sofa if possible. It is a standard shape with rounded arms and very comfortable. It is a 2 and 1/2 seater approx 5ft 8in long and 3ft high. In an ideal world I'd like 1920s 30s or mid century scandanavian. But would also like to keep the sofa. The only thing I can think of doing is put the sofa facing the fire and take it from there. What about a window seat which would also provide storage? If the sofa faces the fire what do I do with the rest of the room? Chair angled at small window... ottoman??? As for colours the room is painted chalk white. When you come in the front door ( 1930s with coloured glass) there is a curved polished plaster wall in burnt umber. So am thinking moss green, mustard i.e autumn colours a la Orla Kiely??? Many thanks
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lefty47
8 years ago
HI --- Change the bathrooms. The one on the main floor -- use the space that shows on the plan , the closet area for the lounge , take that for the bath by moving the toilet into that back corner, backed to the kitchen wall so the toilet is behind a wall or in it's own little room then back the vanity to the kitchen wall , have the door moved to the left and set back from the hall . And for the bathrooms upstairs , turn them so each bedroom has it's own bathroom , You don't need to have the entrance to a bath off the hall . The upstairs is the private area and your guests will use the one on the main floor , right. If you don't understand what I've said I will try to post the plan changes. Now for the kitchen layout. I'm not sure I like the horse shoe arrangement , maybe you might like a big island instead ? Then that would be more open , better flow.
Ann Gross
8 years ago
Agree island instead of peninsula. Which way are you most frequently entering from. I don't see a coat closet. I would move the bathroom to the same side as stairs. Depending what you are going to use that lounge for I reall think once you put that bathroom there will be major work if you want an open floor plan. Love it or list it, Holmes on homes all they are doing is making open floor plans from front to back of row house. I think you will hate have that bathroom smack inthe middle of that space.
lefty47
8 years ago
HI -- gross635 -- Your right to some degree but you can't move the main floor bath to the other side because then that interfers with the floor plan on the second floor. Would not work . I would have loved to turn the whole plan around but it won't work in this case. Added note to what I posted before is to get rid of anywalls you don't need and also not every room has to have a door. Like the one on the lounge and the one at the end of the hall. I would open the lounge up by not having the walls on the entrance hall . As for a closet , there is space in front of the set back powder room for some coat hooks etc. I also question the fact of , if the lounge is really needed. Everything could have been shifted to the front and the kitchen set back , then that would have made a larger dining/familyroom area . But that would have ruined the resale value . So I think moving the bathrooms was the lest and best for this plan. One question I have , is this an English plan ?, because the English love putting doors on every room ?And usually the doors swing the wrong way.
trifides
Original Author
8 years ago
Hi all,

Thanks for all the imput, its been really helpful and there are a lot of things I hadn't considered. Lefty47- yes its an english plan and I have to admit I find all the doors pretty irritating myself. Lefty could you also explain further about the resale value if you wouldn't mind?
Ann Gross
8 years ago
Is that a fireplace in the lounge? can you move that to the front somewhat and then move the bathroom forward too. I really think one you get table or furniture in the living dr area it is going to feel small. Does the plan have a basement? I think you are going to spend most of your time in living room.dr. If you shrink that loung space it would give you more room where you will really need it. Maybe use lounge as office. I'd remove wall to lounge from to to bathrooms. I would get rid of door to lounge and put closet on left of entry between foyer and lounge.
PRO
Dytecture
8 years ago
I agree with moving the bathroom closer to the front of the home to give you more area for the 'great room', also agree with having an island instead for the kitchen.
lefty47
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
HI -- trifides -- I think if the lounge was taken out of the floor plan this may reduce the buyers, because more would expect a lounge area . Most English buyers still like their traditional spaces. PS : One thing I was going to ask was - Where is your laundry going to be?

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Narrow House (15.4ft / 4.7m) - what are my layout options?

Comments (9)

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trifidesOriginal Author

trifides
Original Author