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Monday, March 26, 2012

We've Got a Master Plan!

When we decided to keep this house rather than find something a little bit bigger, we knew that some changes would have to happen. The square footage here is small - less than 900sf. But it's not the space that's a problem, it's the efficiency of the space. So here are a couple of sketches. One is the existing floor plan, and the other is a proposed master floor plan. We've done lots of sketching and thinking, and this new plan will better fit our lifestyle. It's definitely not typical for a bungalow, but we are ok with that.

Existing Floor Plan

The current floor plan has the attraction of a large living room that opens to the dining room. We do like the openness, but so much of the space is used for circulation. We also have no comfortable place for guests to stay. We've been wanting a third bedroom, and one early sketch included an addition off the back of the house. The most ideal addition would be a second floor, but that could cost somewhere near six figures because of all the structural upgrades. It's not a realistic option for us. After living in the house for six years, we've concluded that the kitchen is not really working for us, either. So, we've come up with a new layout that allows a third bedroom, a bigger kitchen, a closet at the entry, and a linen closet across from the bathroom.

Proposed Floor Plan

We realize that this new plan will have to be tweaked as we get into demolition. It also needs to be phased because of budget and so that I don't go crazy. We have high hopes that the big changes could happen over the next three years, with some detail work having to be finished later. Also, the addition off the living room with a fireplace is sort of a "dream house" idea right now. That would happen outside of the three year window, as well.

So I'll just point out the major changes: the entry will be centered, the dining room becomes a bedroom, the kitchen becomes a dining area and the kitchen moves to the front of the house. We are optimistic that this will eventually all work out, but we have a few back up ideas incase it doesn't. Our next big project is to revamp the back hall/basement stairwell so that it no longer leaks. But the next "fun" project will be busting through the wall between the existing living room and kitchen. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted!




12 comments:

  1. Oh wow. I like the new plan, such a good idea and keeps the living - kitchen - dining room flow. I need you to do this for me so we can fit a 1/2 bath on the first floor. How did you even begin to plan this out?

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    1. Oh, thanks! We knew we couldn't afford to build up or dig down, and I also didn't want to build into the backyard. So we only had the existing footprint to work with. It may not be financially reasonable to move the kitchen - but we went big with the plan knowing we can scale back if needed. We are excited!

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  2. Wow what a change! A lot of work too, but it will be worth it to have that bedroom for guests and a more functional layout for everyday life.

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    1. A. Lot. Of. Work. The extra bedroom will be well used, and a less awkward kitchen much appreciated :)

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  3. I know I'm late to the party (just catching up on over 800 posts in my Google reader ... phew!) but I LOVE the new layout. Nice job!

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    1. 800?! Thanks for taking the time to read mine :)

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  4. The new floor plan looks a lot more practical and comfortable :) believe it or not, once you get your plans finalized & approved the demo should be the easy part as you only have one full wall to remove (from the plans) and any flooring etc that is going out with the old too.

    At least you're being practical with a long time line ;)

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    1. Thanks for the vote of confidence. We are pretty excited about the design opportunities within the new floor plan - especially the kitchen.

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  5. Wow, big changes! Is that center wall a bearing wall? If so, that is going to cost you a bundle to replace. But, I'm sure it will be beautiful and wonderfully functional when you're done.

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    1. I sure could cost a lot. We are willing to make smaller openings (like 6' or so) in order to just use some LVL headers. However, our budget for 2012 is done (back hall and radon mitigation) so everything else is on hold probably until next spring/summer.

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  6. oh my gosh, what a change that will be. Will you live through the remodel, or stay somewhere else?

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    1. We would have to live through it...somehow. We need to get some numbers, but at this point we think it may be better to keep the front room a living/dining combination that is more consistent with Portland bungalows. Just thinking ahead for resale, though I personally would love a galley kitchen!

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