Making a Small House Work for Us
Angela Peterson
5 years ago
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mercurygirl
5 years agobleusblue2
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Making small house look bigger inside
Comments (5)Did you have to special order it? I found it wasn't easy finding a sliding glass door for my LR area. It's only a little over 75" high. most are higher than that. I guess they could have enlarged the opening but I think dbf figured that'd cost as much or more than the one he had them order. be sure to take those pics - it'll be interesting to see the difference. I think it'll be great!...See MoreMaking a small kitchen work
Comments (29)Here's an alternative placement of the exterior door for Plan B above: You don't lose the basement window. It does route traffic in front of the fireplace but since it's likely you'd have an aisle of sorts in front of it anyway, placing the door closest to the fireplace doesn't eat up precious space as much as a door and aisle would at the other end of that wall would. Here's Plan A redrawn based on your latest dimensions. The island had to shrink a bit but it's still doable. I've linked to a single bowl sink that will fit a 27" cab. I'm sure there are others. Another option is to go with a 24" apron front sink in a 24" sink cab (not always possible, ask your contractor). That would allow you to increase the island cab by 3". Here is a walk-in pantry with dimensions nearly exactly what I'm proposing for your kitchen: [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/new-york-transformation-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~1254228) [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Millbrook Architects & Building Designers Crisp Architects Because I added a pocket door to the pantry, I added a 12" pull-out pantry cab between pantry wall and fridge. This will allow you to open the fridge doors wide enough to pull out the fridge drawers. I guessed a bit on your fridge size. If you can manage with a slightly narrow fridge and/or a counter depth fridge, that would give you a little more wiggle room in your kitchen. I had to guess on a few dimensions. You gave us only one dimension for the side walls. I assumed they are 9" wide; double the thickness of standard interior wall widths. My calculations are based on that but that's why 3 of the measurements have ?s after them. I also had to make a few assumptions elsewhere so you will need to double check my math to see if it fits your space and make adjustments as needed. We don't need dimensions of your current kitchen so much as we need the dimensions of it as if it were an empty space. IOW, corner to corner, corner to window or door opening, etc. We're not working with your existing kitchen's footprint, we're altering it so measurements based on its current lay-out are unnecessary and slightly confusing. The banquette & table seats 4 on a daily basis; turn it 90 deg to seat 6. Black shows the day to day seating set-up, including aisles; blue shows the table turned for 6, including aisles. The placement is a bit awkward because it straddles the shallow side walls housing plumbing and heating and the beam, and it doesn't straddle it evenly. You could place a chandelier above the table but it might accentuate that the table isn't centered in the space. Can lights might be the better option, especially since the table placement isn't fixed. This plan is likely your least costly fix. Structural changes include the new door from garage to kitchen and the removal and new placement of plumbing and heating ductwork but existing windows and sliding door remain in place. If you're going to entertain the possibility of moving the stairs to create one last space (a costly proposal), you should also consider building an addition, blowing out the great room wall opposite the kitchen. IIRC, you said you had a pie-shaped lot so this should be doable. Here is a link that might be useful: BLANCO PRECISION™ 16'' R10 Single Bowl...See MoreHow can we make room for our new addition in our small house?
Comments (2)^Agree with eld6161. First priority is the baby (congrats!). Use one of the secondary bedrooms for the nursery. Next is your husband's gaming space and a distant third is entertaining overnight guests. I know the need to nest is strong, especially during pregnancy, but I don't think taking on the basement rehab now is a good idea. As mentioned above, put those guests on a sofa bed or in a nearby hotel until you get the basement reno done - after the baby is born. Do the basement reno when time and budget permit which may be longer than a couple of years :)...See MoreHelp us make this house feel like a home!
Comments (30)Perhaps you were being "tongue in cheek" with your original post about making a home. If your house is the place where you drop your belongings with no concern, sleep peacefully when you get into your bed and turn out the lights, lock the door to the outside world, and enjoy your dinner, then you have a home. No amount of home decor is going to change that. Sometimes when I am on an airplane it occurs to me that I am looking down on so many homes where the people who live there are living in their own little bubble of security and comfort in their homes. When you are in your home, it seems so encompassing and comfortable. But, when you view it from so far above, you see how very small and it is and how it is just a small drop in a sea of others just like it. but, there you are in your own little, tiny space of earth, your own tiny, tiny piece of the planet that you "own". How can such a tiny piece of the earth be filled with so much that concerns us? There are so many floors, pillows, landscaping, plumbing, rugs, kitchen cabinets, bathroom fixtures that demand our attention, yet it is such a tiny and insignificant speck of earth!!!! Sometimes I imagine what my neighborhood would look like if all of the walls and structures disappeared and all that was left was just the people, suspended right there where they are doing what ever they would be doing if the walls were still there. It is hard to imagine just how many people are surrounding you when they are all in their houses. Can you imagine the solid block of humanity that would reveal itself if it were in a large dense city? But, they are all behind walls...homes, offices, etc........ until it all disappears. At this moment I am sitting probably less than 30 feet away from my neighbors who are doing what ever it is that they are doing. They are so close, but we can't see each other., hear each other. We are each in our own little homes, with walls. Home gives us such peace and a somewhat delusional sense of safety. I love my home, no matter the decor. It is full of what gives me comfort and refuge. Losing ones home has got to be traumatizing. I feel deeply for those who have lost their homes out in California recently. My family members lost everything in Katrina. Treasure your home....and add some teal colored pillows, for sure! You are very fortunate to have a nice home to retreat to....enjoy! Maybe I will fly over your home someday....See Morehollybar
5 years agoeld6161
5 years agoRaiKai
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoartistsharonva
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5 years agoJ Williams
5 years agomjlb
5 years agoJ Williams
5 years agowednesday morning
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