remodeling to solve bowling alley of a room and lack of bedrooms

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

We're buying a house that we love but it needs some help.

It's a lake house style A-frame, with a full first floor and .5 second floor. The first floor has a bedroom, full bath, laundry, kitchen, and a bowling alley of a front room that is 10 x 22, two stories high, all glass on one side, giant stone fireplace on the other. The room is oriented so that the fireplace is opposite the window, the narrow way, so 10 feet from the giant, 22 foot long, wall of windows. The previous own put a sofa in front of the windows facing the fireplace. We'd really like NOT to do that.Above and behind the fireplace is the loft intended to serve as a master bedroom, with a full bath, storage in the eaves and a small walk-in closet.

So, this is a two bedroom house with the narrowest space I've ever seen intended to serve as both dining and living room. The whole thing is roughly 1500 sq ft.

Our plan is to build an addition on the back, away from this front room, that would extend the first floor bedroom into a master suite, adding a bath, and also include a small bedroom/office/whatever room. The second floor of this addition would become two small bedrooms, for kids, behind the loft. The front room and loft remain entirely as is.

BUT. This means we wouldn't use the loft as a master anymore; we'd like to use it as the living room. The sole living room. It faces the two story wall of windows through a railing/balcony, along with the back side of the stone fireplace, so the view would be relatively uncompromised and the room is more appropriately sized for couches etc.

The 10 x22 fireplace/window room on the first floor would become a dining room, with a very long table between the window and fireplace (note, it's just off the kitchen), and probably two oversized chairs at one end of the room. Our current lifestyle actually supports this arrangement in that we regularly cook for and taste wine with friends (my husband has a fattening hobby...) and end up sitting around our island or table 99% of the time. Even when we are alone we tend to hang out there.

Is this nuts? No first-floor living room? Even if it is technically a balcony very connected to the first floor? Or should we focus our remodel on trying to expand the living area on the first floor? One problem with this would be that the front of the house doesn't allow for much, if any, addition given the windows, terrain, and view. Another is that the additional bedroom space is needed, both for a home office and for kids' rooms.

Thoughts?

Featured Answer

Fori

9 years ago

Is it a cabin-type home? A frames with views are often casual woodsy sort of things if you know what I mean. And that means you can get away with things you can't in a typical home. I think it could work out really well, but without photos and floorplans it's just a guess.

One reason we have first floor living rooms is that people get tired of stairs as they age. So even if you do it right so that it's not weird (it isn't, as you describe it), it's not as practical and could affect resale. (But a first floor bedroom IS practical for stairphobes...)

So, photos!

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Comments (6)

Vith
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I agree, stairs are your enemy the older you get. Not having a living room, kitchen, bed, and bath on main floor is odd. (I know some two story houses dont have a bed on main floor but that is not ideal either)

IMO
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Kimberly Hase
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago

Once we actually own it, I'll take better pictures, these are from the listing. The kitchen table isn't staying, my husband wants an island. Non-negotiable. Flooring is being replaced throughout; the wood is only in this room and it's not in great shape. The other rooms have stinky mint green carpet, we'll replace all carpet, kitchen tile, and this floor with one wood.

The room is 10-11 feet wide, varying based on the slight window bump out. French doors at either end, so the whole wall is window or door. You can see the stairs to the loft as well as what is now a knee wall but will be a railing. There are no other photos of this space. In addition to the configuration we're talking about, the wall color, window treatments, flooring, pendant lights, stair railing, will all change. I'm more concerned about using this space as a long dining room with a small sitting area and using the loft for a living room with TV, video games, etc (you know, mostly kid stuff as that's not anything we use often).

Part of the reason for the first-floor master is to maintain livability as we age. It's not a cabin, more like a beach house, lighter, airier, with views of a lake, but wooded.

I keep searching for design/decor images that show this idea of living space spread on two floors but it seems no one makes this choice so I'm second guessing our decision. I'd like to keep a small seating area at the end of the room, so that one can see out of the windows and look at the fireplace. This would really be for just two or maybe three people, depending on what fits in this narrow room.

I'm stumped as how to make this room work for both. I'll take some pics at our inspection (if it happens...sellers are reluctant...and we are worried they won't put their verbal agreement in writing...).
kirkhall
9 years ago
Have it be your casual reading corner, and put your "family room" upstairs. As you age, you may not go up there that much, but when family visits, they can.
artemis_ma
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
"I'm stumped as how to make this room work for both. I'll take some pics at our inspection (if it happens...sellers are reluctant...and we are worried they won't put their verbal agreement in writing...)."

I'd insist on an inspection. I guess I've been watching too many (or maybe just enough) of episodes of Holmes on Homes to INSURE I have an inspection.
Kimberly Hase
Original Author
9 years ago
I mean that they are reluctant to sell, and we weren't sure if they would follow thru on their verbal agreement to our price. They did not renege on price, we had the inspection, and have decided to move forward with a smaller addition of two first floor bedrooms for kids/office space, keeping (much to houzzers chagrin, I suppose) the master in the loft with a renovated bath in it's existing location and a walk in closet in the eaves of the addition. We've decided to just live with the narrow living room and use the proposed kitchen island for dining. Our current home is similar, with just island dining and small living room area adjacent, so aside from figuring out furniture in this bowling alley, I think our plans are solid.