Helping with the floor plan of my new house...

10 months ago

Hi everybody!

Current help

This is the floor plan of the house we have just bought (attached below). It is just my wife and me—we both work from home. I would love some help arranging the furnishings in the current plan. Please could you all help? Is bedroom three big enough for a double? Where could we create work-from-home areas for both of us? We may have children in the future.

Future help

In the future, things we would love to achieve by extending would be:

Knock down the wall between the dining room and kitchen
Extend out the back
Make the living room a snug
Create a utility room somewhere

What else should I do to improve the layout? I'm open to all ideas and greatly appreciate any help.

Thanks in advance.

Featured Answer

PRO

STUDIO MOOD ETC

9 months ago

Hello!

I think getting a nice big table in the dining room that your could use as an office would be cute. If you can work in the same space and depending on how big the WFH set-ups you need.

You could install a curtain the the doorway between the dining room and the living room, so the office could disappear when the office hours are done.

The living room space is interesting but quite tricky. I feel like the property has a cottage feel; I would play with that and plan a living room with a cosy vibe and different furniture types.

Look at my proposition - there's a TV area and a fireplace spot. It might look a bit busy but if you measure up everything you should be able to get something similar.

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Comments (10)

siobhanmcgee90
10 months ago
What are the large constructs in the kitchen area? Photographs of the space would help.
chloeloves
10 months ago
I would consider putting back the wall between sitting room and stairs/hallway as you have nowhere to place sofas. Like you said open up between kichen to dining area to create kitchen/diner. Is there a reason the kitchen has the odd angle external wall? You may not need a large extension if you could square off the triangle corner the kitchen would be more practical shape. You could streak some room from the garage to make into a utility accesses from kitchen or hallway next to toilet. I don’t see that you can fit in a study downstairs with current configuration but if you extend it could be worked in. I would use bedroom 4 for one proper study and kit it out as such leaving the other bedrooms as spare for guests or future children. As Siobhan said what on earth is the big black triangle marked on the plan in the kitchen? Is this a period property or a new build?
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Isla Cherry
10 months ago
I wouldn't rush into anything just move in and sort your lives out first. Yes bedroom 3 will fit a double bed. A small double is 1370mm wide. This would leave about 465mm either side for a bedside table. I would sort out where you can work first. Is the wifi signal good everywhere? Maybe use a bedroom for a study and part of the dining room for the other one. I know you are excited but I really would live in it first and get to know the house. Building an extension is stressful, expensive and you need to be really sure that you can afford what you want and are patient enough to wait for it. It really tests you, I've done it. Move in, spread out and see how you feel in a year or so. This will give you time to see how the light tracks around the house, get to know it better (all houses have quirks) and just settle before a huge upheaval like a renovation or extension.
siobhanmcgee90
10 months ago
Totally agree with Isla. We moved into our current house for about a year and our ideas changed quite radically when we lived in the house for a while as we understood how the house did and did not work for us. It also gives you some time to put finances together.
James Lawrence
Original Author
9 months ago
Thank you for all the comments - totally agree. We won't be doing any sort of renovation work for a couple of years after moving in! We will be very much using the space before then!

The main thing to work out is how we set the house up now. We like having a good TV night, but we also don't want the living room to be too slouchy/snug like, as we do like to have people over and have a nice area to sit and host.

The other item to consider is working from home. One of us WFHs 4 days a week, the other 2 days a week.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!
Isla Cherry
9 months ago
Could you share a workspace or do the days overlap? Is it laptop and a few files sort of work or do you need a lot more space? You will need to consider a quiet space where you can concentrate or take calls as needed. It's an interesting space shape wise. Make a list of what you really need from the house. If you share a pic of what furniture you need to fit into the space we can help with that.
Jonathan
9 months ago
Personally I think the breakfast room is nearly as big as your dining room and so you should put your dining table in there and use your dining room as a slouchy TV room.

Since it’s just two of you I think you should work in a couple of the unused bedrooms. Whoever works 4 days at home gets a dedicated office (bed 4). Bed two is for guests and there should be enough room for an occasional desk in there too. Bed three then gets reserved for the future although it could be a gym for the time being.

Since your living room is the first room you see make this a reception room…… so posh lounge. I would have a wood floor in here so you don’t have to be too precious about shoes, add an armoire for coats and shoes. I would have two sociably placed sofas facing each other and an unobstructed and welcoming view of the fireplace. Then you need to make a point of using it every day… perhaps have breakfast in there or an after work drink.
Sue
9 months ago
I agree with the other comments that you need to live in the house for a while but what I would consider is:

-initially use Bed3 and Bed4 as your individual WFH spaces

-the diagonal wall in the kitchen is obviously there for a reason so you presumable have to live with that. When you knock through into the dining room you could square off that space and use it as your utility room, although I agree with person who suggested using it as your dining space until you do any works.

-are the dark "wall" areas in the kitchen load bearing because they do take up a lot of space.

-Living room, maybe not initially but I'd consider putting pocket doors in between the hall and LR and dining room so you can close off the space when you want to but open for entertaining. That also might give you some extra wall space for furniture in the LR.

-I'd also look into moving your stairs to see if you could get a more visually generous entry space, all those design programmes talk about a view through from front door to back of the house. You might be able to gain the space to have an ensuite for Bed1.

-An extension out the back would be great although you have to keep in mind the size of garden you would have left.

-Bed3 - although technically you have the space for a small double bed you have the chimney breast, on the plan, from the LR fire which cuts down your options.

Good Luck.
PRO
Piur & Co interior design
9 months ago
Hi James,

I had some free time and came up with this,

master bedroom

Guest bedroom

bedroom 3/ office

Living / dining

hope it helps :)

best of luck with your project
James Lawrence thanked Piur & Co interior design