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I'm trying to renovate what was once a group home into a single-family house. It is a 3-story (plus full basement) boxy colonial-type house:
As seen from Google maps.
The current first floor plan is here:
I intend on modifying it to something like this:
Some notes:
- There are two areas in the middle which are walled-off, probably because they're chimneys and/or load-bearing walls.
- There is space for about 6-7 bedrooms, 2 half baths on the first floor, maybe 1 half bath in the basement (to be partially finished), around 2 full baths and 1 half bath on the second floor, and 1 full bath on the third floor.
- I imagine the large third floor (finished attic space) to be a M-I-L suite of some sort, with a kitchenette.
- No leaks or other major structural issues, but all of the flooring, kitchen and baths will have to be redone.
Are my ideas for the first floor a good one? How would you change/improve on it? Thanks!
I've seen worse floorplans, but frankly you are not really making the kind of changes that really are going to maximize the utility / value of this house. There are is no value in having two powderrooms / half baths on the first floor, especially when you are moving plumbing. Similarly, though you seem to be moving a whole lot around for the kitchen, you cannot leave 4' of "deadspace" smack in the middle of that space -- you need to determine what is inside that space and then use it appropriately -- unless the vintage of the home is MUCH older than it appears it is likely NOT all chimney, nor it would make any sense as a mechanical chase, just too much space. My guess is it some kind of staircase, and likely will need to be made safe / code compliant.
You need to work on getting a floorplan that is less choppy, likely relocate stairs to be more centrally accessible, or at least rotate it so that is opens into the center of the house and not just the front corner. Don't devote a space that is almost 14' wide to office, you can't call it "bedroom" without closest. Family room is not wide enough, funky deadspace needs to be addressed as well...
BTW Don't draw all your windows as doors! Even if you are putting in casements the look of your plan is confusing / amateurish...
Until you know what the framing is like I'd be holding off on any grandiose plans.
You'll find there can be limitations to "opening a plan".
For example, there's the wall that runs pretty much front to back- that's most likely a load-bearing wall. And in your "proposed plan" that wall is GONE! Just wondering, how were you going to support two more floors and a roof?
Until you know what the framing is like I'd be holding off on any grandiose plans.
You'll find there can be limitations to "opening a plan".
For example, there's the wall that runs pretty much front to back- that's most likely a load-bearing wall. And in your "proposed plan" that wall is GONE! Just wondering, how were you going to support two more floors and a roof?
That's what I was thinking.
Your depicted wall widths, load bearing assumptions and presumed chases, flues or chimneys don't seem to accurately relate to actual conditions.
Where is the laundry room? Unless it is on the second floor, you need to put it near the kitchen. I do not like to see (or hear) a bathroom next to the dining room, so I would reconfigure that area, along with the kitchen, to allow for a laundry room.
When I see a home that has been "chopped up" by bad previous renovations I often like to do a little research into what the original intent of the architect / builders may have looked like. While I can't be sure the OP's house really started out as an American Foursquare, it does have some characteristics that suggest that was the starting point.
A layout that builds on the characteristics here would be a nice start:
While I know that having a familyroom that flows into the kitchen is almost certainly more desirable for current buyers, I believe it should be possible to use some of the key points from this design to influence the ultimate layout. Namely, try to make living space flow across the width of the home. Together with a plumbing stack place in the rear corner of the home for both kitchen and adjacent powderroom, that also has separate utility space, this can both be a smart move moneywise AND respectful of the fact that this home almost certainly needs some kind of impressive fireplace...
I would probably tweak the dining room so that it remained CLOSE to its location in the "current as-is" drawing and probably add an opening (maybe pocket doors...) so that there some way of joining the space to the "frontroom". Where the "antique" four square has an interior hall that runs behind the fireplace and small openings between rooms I would widen the openings and essentially utilize the "hallway" as part of the functional rooms. That will greatly enhance the flow without creating an unnaturally "gutted out" feeling that often happens when unskilled remodelers attempt to make an "open floor plan" without regard for things like the functional and historic placement of details like windows, alcoves, chimneys and original stairs...
First of all, heed the other posters warnings about framing and load bearing walls, it may require a structural engineer to do what you want to do. Based on the changes you want to make, it looks like you're just trying to change the floorplan a bit, so can we assume you're on a limited budget? You may want to take a closer look into your project before doing anything, because you're making structural changes you're going to have to get a building permit, if you're doing plumbing and electrical, it will need to meet current codes. Depending on the age of the house, when you begin upgrades, costs will escalate, typically (my Dad did remodeling) trying to tie old plumbing and electrical into new results in more unforeseen problems. I see what you're doing, you're working around the current location of windows, doors, and plumbing, as chet said, you're working around previous renovations. It's whatever you like, my opinion doesn't matter, but that floorplan doesn't work for me. Good luck!
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