You may remember the '
small' house from yesterdays post. To prove my point about some small renovations were all that were needed to move this house into the 21st century I quickly (and messily) sketched some alternate floor plans.
Before: the first floor was ok but lacked an open kitchen, a powder room, and a traffic pattern for modern living.
After: I opened the entry hall to the living and dining rooms. I also opened the sunroom into the living room with a large beam holding the wall above with flanking decorative columns. I opened up the back of the house to a new terrace with a long pantry off the new kitchen. The previous kitchen was small and cramped but once it was gutted, provided enough space for a small powder room (so small the door needs to open out!) and a larger kitchen. The addition of a larger group of windows over the sink, matching those in the living and dining rooms, opens the kitchen to the side garden.
The second floor was under-bathed and had additional bedrooms that were not needed (remember the 3rd floor has 2 small bedrooms and an extra bath). I turned the old hall bath into a closet with the 3rd bedroom becoming the master bath. Double sinks and an extra large shower were on the top of my priority list. I should have reversed the door swing on the old hall linen closet of course - oops! Remember this was fast and quick. Bedroom #2 gets a small walk in closet with access to an efficient but private bath.
I tried to minimize any changes while respecting todays love of open floorplans, private bathrooms and larger closets. What would you have done differently?
That's a huge improvement. I would also want a casual TV room at the back of the house, near the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI would have enlarge the house where the rear porch was to make room for a kitchen table and large french doors.
ReplyDeleteI like what you've done. My only request would be pocket doors wherever possible. I know that throws off the placement of light switches sometimes but I think the gain in wall and floor space is worth it.
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job! But I would not have added in window in the new Bar because it conflicts with the pilaster-like arrangement indicated in the original plan for the exterior elevation. Instead, I would have centered the rear door and perhaps given it sidelights for a more glazed version of the front door.
ReplyDeleteVery nice, I like how you've opened up the house more. The bar hall at the back is a bit narrow, perhaps bump the back wall out a bit there? On the second floor, I'd do away with the funky slanted closets and make a computer/book nook at that end of the room, if I had my druthers, since you've made a great walk-in closet for that room.
ReplyDeleteI'd never have thought of moving the master bath all the way to the corner of the house like that, but then I'm not an architect - just thinking of existing connections and the expense/frustration of running new lines. But then I guess if you can afford this house, you can afford the plumber's bill. Grin. Good work, man.
For the size of this home, I think your small improvements have a great inmpact! I completely appreciate creating a better flow, the new Kitchen layout, and of course, all that extra space in the master suite..Well done!
ReplyDeleteVie
This has been a treat to ponder and study. The house reminds me very much of my grandmother's old house in New Jersey.
ReplyDeleteI really don't recall where her coat closet was located, but on the right side of the house there was a hall between the dining room and the kitchen that had the powder room (somewhat tucked under the stairs, as the stairs were on the right side of the hall) on the left and a large pantry on the right. The kitchen was a small but efficient space that had a table towards the back, which then connected to a back porch which was the 'family' entry to the house, a mud room of sorts.
The living room was dead end, which I did not like, and pretty mich ensured that the living room wasn't used much! When entering the front of the house, a hall connected through to the family room/tv room in the back, which then connected to the kitchen through a small hall.
In this house plan, I feel that there needs to be some sort of connection between the front of the house and the back of the house without going through the dining room or living room. In particular, I would not want to have to walk through the dining room if I wanted to get to the kitchen.
If the lot allowed, it would make sense to bump out the back to extend the space for the kitchen, or create a family room off the kitchen. Perhaps tuck the coat closet under the stairs, reduce the size or move the bar (especially if you create a 'wing' for the family room or kitchen).
Thank you for this post - what a treat.
I just love this post, and you have inspired me to drag out my "old house" plan books and put myself through a similar exercise.
ReplyDeleteI love your changes...of course, it could be like pulling the string on a sweater with "add this" and "make that bigger" until there was nothing left of the old girl.
I think what you show is practical and retains all the things that made the house charming to begin with. I thought maybe opening the kitchen more, but then that jeopardizes the corner cabinets in the dining room, so scratch that idea. the only thing missing is space for laundry.