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Bedroom Layout Help

11 years ago

Hi Internet,

DW and I are in the process of designing a house in Calgary. Our constraints are a bit different than most, focusing on high insulation for the cold climate, keeping the building envelope simple to reduce costs and heat loss, having a narrow 28' pocket (with neighbors on both sides), but still wanting to take advantage of views (to the left in the plan). Because of the views and wanting to keep the living space separated from the MIL suite on the lower level, we decided on a reverse living plan, with the main living area and two bedrooms on the upper floor, the master suite and office on the main floor, and the suite on the walkout floor. We are mostly happy except for the layout of Bedroom 1. I like how the door to that room opens to a window, helping to brighten the hallway, but neither of us are happy with how the hallway eats into the room, making for difficult furniture placement, as well as having the door to the room open against the closet door.

I was thinking of trimming the upper right corner of the pantry/laundry and have the door to that bedroom on an angled wall which would run from the bottom right of the bathroom to the top left of the bedroom closet. If we did that though we would lose the space for the laundry sink, so I'm not sure if it's worth it. Does anyone see any better solutions? Thanks!

PS. Other comments about the drawing are welcome.

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Comments (3)

Houseofsticks
11 years ago
*If* I am reading this plan correctly (I'm finding it difficult to see) have you tried turning the bath 90 degrees and placing in between both bedrooms?
Bedroom 1's closet would then share the nook wall.
kirkhall
11 years ago
If it were me, I'd sacrifice the second (pocket) door of the laundry room, and shrink it "down" by turning the laundry machine wall 90* (machines against hallway, which is now slid "down" a bit as well).

The way I read it, Bedroom 1 is only 10' in the up/down direction INCLUDING the door area, (with the bath wall of that room more like 7 or 8 feet)? I think that is too small. If you can slide the hallway "down" (by shrinking the laundry), that is what I'd try to do. You might be able to get an accessory door in the bedroom door hallway, then, to the laundry (or at least a pass through).

Or, remove the door to the laundry at the stair end (the swinging one) and again shrink the laundry.

I guess I think your laundry room is disproportionately large compared to the bedroom.
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That door swings the European way, or the 19th c. when people had servants way. By swinging into the room it meant that the door could not be cracked a bit and the person in the room observed. It it Does swing this way, their may be a reason for it depending on the sightlines. I am doing a renovation project where, because of a quirk with the sightlines, you would be able to see the son's Bed directly from the front window of the house or from several points in the family room--Unless the door was Completely closed. Moving the door would be ideal, but as a second choice we are swinging the door this way so that it blocks the bed from view. That is aside, but what is it that you don't like about the current layout?
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The window locations are your biggest problem with furniture placement. The bed will always be off center blocking part of one. Could you post a picture of the closet wall? I like having a bench at the foot of the bed. You need 2 night tables, if anything get bigger ones. Can the tall dresser fit on the closet wall? Move the short dresser to the wall the tall one is on. You could also center the bed on the longest wall with the short dresser under the other window or in the same spot as it is now doing double duty as a night table. leave the wall directly in front of the door empty. Tall dresser on the closet wall. Maybe you could add drapery that extends further on one side that when closed makes the window behind the bed look centered but open only the drapes in front of the window for maximum natural light. I would only add enough to center the bed on the wall not the whole wall. Keep the blinds for maximum darkness when sleeping. I like dressers as night tables, a bench at end of bed and blackout drapes but no tv in bedroom. Add nice 3x5 area rugs either side of bed for some color and plush
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Where does the bed make sense to your daughter? Headboard on the WIC wall? Headboard on the window wall? It's nice to see the headboard when walking into a bedroom but it's not everyone's preference. Have you done any furniture arranging with a scaled room layout on graph paper? A lot easier than killing one's back moving furniture in situ! :) Cut out the furniture pieces to scale. Start with the bed and desk placement. Those are the essentials. Then inventory storage needs to see what furniture is essential and where it makes sense. (How much clothing will be hung. How much folded. Etc. Don't customize it too much. Storage is best when versatile before storage needs change with the years.) I can't imagine needing a dresser in the bedroom addition to a WIC. Bedside tables usually make sense though. For a lamp, books, alarm clock or phone. Finally, figure out the quiet seating corner options (slipper chair or rocking chair?). HTH.
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Annie Deighnaugh
11 years ago
I agree with the others about the size of the laundry and the BRs.

I think I would swap the laundry and the bath to give the bath more space. If that is closet space (so hard to see) in the current laundry that's open to the GR, I would turn that into a closet and not have access to that space from the GR at all. The old bath space should be plenty for W, D, and sink as well as hanging space and storage. If you can move that wall to the left at all, as a laundry room, then that will add more space to BR1.

Then you can shrink the old laundry space and still have a larger new bath than before. Change the entrances to the bedroom so the wall between the new laundry and BR1 can extend to the bottom of the hallway, (along that red vertical measurement line) and you walk straight down the hall into that bedroom...still get light from the window. The current closet becomes the closet for bedroom 2 and BR 1 closet runs along the wall to the new laundry for sound attenuation.

BR2 entrance is now opposite the entrance to the new laundry room, as the new bathroom wall can move closer to the GR. BR2 closet space becomes part of BR2.

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