floor plan help

4 years ago

We’re getting ready to do a full gut renovation on this house for our family of 4. The condition of the house is such that we don’t have room in the budget for an architect so we’re working with a engineer/designer. He’s quite good but I think the layout needs some finessing.

This is my first time posting on Houzz so please let me know if more info or pics would be helpful. I really appreciate any and all input!

Basement - we’re pretty happy. My contractor assured me the 3 door mechanical room won’t require that many doors 😅

First floor - the powder room layout is giving me the biggest issues. I’m not concerned about the interior wall situation in the living/dining area as it’s not structural so we’ll workshop that with our contractors later.

Second floor - I’m open to suggestions but I think this might be as good as it gets? I wish there was a way to have a walk-in closet for the primary but I’m largely satisfied. We have built-in Ikea Pax wardrobes in our current home and quite enjoy them.

Third floor - we’re tempted to lose the third bedroom and give each kid a giant room and ensuite but are we hurting long term resale by dropping a bedroom? Idk the layout feels not ideal right now.

Info that might be useful:

this isn’t our first gut reno and we love and trust our contractors. I could share pics from our current home if that’s helpful
the house is maybe 120 years old and is quite literally falling apart. We need to spend A LOT of on some very unsexy ways like on the roof, foundation, new windows, the exterior brick walls, etc.

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Comments (12)

PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
4 years ago
Advice on remodeling a structure are best received from someone that can analyze the existing conditions first hand. Tear down and build new is always an alternative to explore.
Amy Skippen
Original Author
4 years ago
As it’s a row house, tearing down isn’t an option.
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elisejames
4 years ago
For the powder room, I’d be tempted to close that 12ft opening a bit to create a hall-ish entrance to the powder room — it would also give you some other layout options in there. For the master, it looks like you have both a study and a little sitting area on that floor. Consider whether to create a WIC out of that. For the kids’ rooms - unless you are planning to sell in less that 5 years, I think you should do what works best for your family and not worry about resale. If you go the route for resale, I’d also consider another bathroom up on that floor. Best of luck. This seems like a fun project. I like a lot of your layout overall.
Julie Praus
4 years ago
I would reverse the toilet and sink in the half bath so the toilet isn’t the first thing you see if the door is open. I like all the rest including above comments.
Amy Skippen
Original Author
4 years ago
Powder room alternatives?
elisejames
4 years ago
Yes! That’s what I had in mind. You could possible the toilet back up to the w/d wall, then the lav would be along the outside wall — so it’s what you see when you walk in the door.
Amy Skippen
Original Author
4 years ago
I think it could work nicely. I’m pretty committed to not have the powder room open into the dining room and I think we have more than enough room to add a hallway.
emilyam819
4 years ago
I’d leave one bathroom on the kids’ level so they can use the extra room as a playroom.
WestCoast Hopeful
4 years ago
Seems like a lot of bathrooms on master bedroom floor for one bedroom and a study?

I like kids floor as is.

Kitchen seems so cut off from living spaces
loobab
4 years ago
On the children's level you have three bedrooms and one bathroom.

People just don't live that way any more, and you hurt your resale value.

Yet you have two bathrooms on the master bedroom level which has 1 bedroom.

That doesn't make sense.

Either add a bathroom to the children's level, or lose a bedroom up there, since you do have other bedrooms in the house.
emilyam819
4 years ago
Are there closets in all of the bedrooms?
I agree that 2 bathrooms on the master level is overkill (unless the study is really a bedroom? Maybe open the master bath into the hallway for the occasional guest).
Make another entrance into the kitchen, with powder opening into a little hallway:
WestCoast Hopeful
4 years ago
I don’t think two kids need more than one bathroom on the kid level. That’s totally fine and I wouldn’t add one.