Kids upstairs vs. 1st floor
lyfia
5 years ago
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1st post, 1st Kitchen Reno, White Paint?
Comments (7)White Dove reads a bit gray in my light. Have you gotten some test pots and checked in your light? I know you're in a hurry, but i'm going to suggest that you slow down and take your time. My kitchen was icky when we bought it. I'm sooooo glad that we waited to do the reno. First, it gave us time to live in the house and see how it flowed and how we use it. I know I'd be unhappy with the kitchen now if we had done the reno when we first bought it. Secondly, there are so many things to learn here if you are a TKO like most of us. Take the time to come up with a good layout. That's the most important thing over all the pretty finishes and cool gadgets. Just my 2 cents!...See MoreWould Love Feedback on Layout for 1st floor expansion
Comments (22)Just to add my $.02, we had no eat in kitchen when my children were that age. Sadly, their table manners were better then than they are now that we eat (always at a table) in the kitchen! And the dining room in our former house was CARPETED! That was the worst part! You dining room is so close, that with the rooms completely open to each other it will practically become an eat in kitchen. Kids behave better, eat better, and communicate better sitting at a table. Seat covers would be easy to make. I was thinking of something like this (see link below). BTW, my kids now do all homework at the table. We are actually getting rid of island seating (which is never used) for more storage. I do want to add to what others have said. Your DR built ins really narrow your dining room. What I think bothers me more is the way it makes your window off center. At the very least, I wouldn't take cabinetry all the way to the corner. Use your cut outs and really measure how much space you have to get around the table. If you ask in a separate thread, there are people here that know the recommended allowances. And I sympathize with this issue. I will have the same problem due to my stubbornness in keeping my beloved grandfather's large table and the deep sideboard I "had" to buy. ;) It probably will be tight between my table and sideboard. Here is a link that might be useful: cheap seat covers...See MoreSmall house 1st floor - comments please - elevation?
Comments (99)Comments on small things: - I don't have any opinion about whether your bedroom should be just off the kitchen, but I can tell you that a child's bedroom should not be in this position! We were a "sit in the kitchen" family, and I had the bedroom just off the kitchen. I overheard MANY things that were really none of my business, for example, I remember being terrified after a smoke alarm salesman came to our house to talk to my parents (yes, when they first came out, they were sold door to door), and I really shouldn't have heard all the details about why my parents were divorcing. - Width of the door isn't the only consideration. A larger door is heavier and larger, and it is more difficult for an elderly or infirm person to open (because the person has to reach 4" farther to reach the door and allow it to swing open); we're a short family, and our arms aren't that long. A larger door also requires a greater "swing area", meaning that in a small house furniture placement may be hindered, and you might like to use those few extra inches for slightly larger kitchen cabinets or slightly larger bookshelves. If you are ever confined to a wheelchair full time, you'll probably buy an electric wheelchair, which is more narrow than a traditional push-it chair (because electric chairs are "driven" with a joystick on the arm, and you don't need to allow space for your hands beside the wheels); I had a student in such a wheelchair this semester, and she could scoot through small spaces -- but she couldn't fit under a standard-height table! Additionally, if you go with smaller doors now and later find that you need the extra few inches, you can always switch your doors to swing-away hinges later. And since you want both accessibility and budget-friendly choices, be sure you choose standard-sized doors; I think it's 34" that isn't standard (?). Note, too, that these arguments don't apply to pocket doors. Okay, after reading on in the thread, I see the above thoughts on 36" doors had already been covered. -- Since you mentioned wheelchairs, I'll toss this out: My grandmother didn't have any type of accident or disease, but as she approached 100 she became more fragile. She was never confined to a wheelchair (few people are actually in wheelchairs ALL THE TIME); rather, she went through the typical old-age progression: First she started using a walker only when she left the house ... then she started using the walker inside the house too ... and in the last two years of her life she started using a wheelchair outside the house but used the walker inside the house. Until the last 2-3 days of her life, she never used the wheelchair in the house. She never had any problem with any doors (and I know the ones in my house -- she lived with me for a time), and I know the doors in my house are 32". What WAS a problem was not having a place to store the walker (and later the wheelchair) when she wasn't using it! Finally we bought a second walker, so she used the blue one INSIDE the house, and she was able to take the one step down to the garage, where her pink walker was waiting by the door. When she started using the wheelchair outside the house, we'd help her up the ramp and into the house, then after she was seated in her favorite recliner, one of us would have to take the wheelchair back out to be stored in the garage ... and then she she was ready to go out again, someone had to bring it back in the house for her. We were always moving something because we had no place to store the things! As a result, for the house we're building, I'm planning a spot (in the utility room) near the garage entry that will hold a 36" chest of drawers in a little alcove ... but in the future, if we need to house a wheelchair inside the house, we can remove the chest and use that alcove as a wheelchair storage spot. Regardless, the walker-and-wheelchair and/or doors weren't what gave my grandmother the most trouble. The #1 thing that gave her trouble was the shower; she had trouble lifting her foot over the threshhold (though it only about 6") and a larger shower with a larger, more comfortable stool would've been good. The #2 problem for her was being able to carry her laundry and reach into the machine. #3 was probably changes in flooring (even a 1/2" difference between tile and hardwood could trip her). Oh, and she wouldn't go to one relative's house because she couldn't get into the toilet-in-a-closet. In contrast, the household detail that gave her the most joy was probably the big bay window by the table where she always sat. It let in so much light and she could enjoy the lovely back yard. Honestly, aging-in-place is a common topic on this board, but most people are discussing the wrong things. The discussion goes way beyond wider doorways and walkways; I definitely learned a great deal from being my grandmother's caretaker. - I don't know how large a shower kids "need", but my girls have a tub-sized shower in their bathroom, and we all LOVE it. (I say tub-sized because we recently had the old tub pulled out and replaced with a tiled shower.) My only regret about their shower is that I wish we'd had two niches build (or an extra-long niche); they aren't particularly high-maintenance, but a big squirt bottle of shampoo and another of conditioner plus a bottle of squirt soap ... well, it's all full, so they have to keep shaving cream and body wash on the floor. It would've required only a tiny bit more effort and money to have had more storage. The shower in my bathroom is 3'x4', and it's comfortable; however, I'm planning to make the one in my new house 8" wider. Why? Because I want to install grab bars on both sides, and I don't want to make the usable space any less than 3' wide. - Dormers may not be necessary, but I think they'll add significantly to the quality of light in the upstairs. I'd do my best to include them....See Moreadding extension - reconfigure 1st floor layout
Comments (40)I recently added a little more than 300 sf one story addition to the back of my 2 story house (similar to yours and about 90 yrs old). Extended tiny kitchen by 5 ft, added an office (I work from home) with plans to turn it into my bedroom after retirement (aging in place, here I come!), a full bath. and storage closet. I also took out the load bearing wall between kitchen and DR to get more light and openness. Oy! that was a messy surprise. Had to move/replace all the pipes (including old iron sewer pipe) electrical, radiator pipes, etc. The cost of the consultation with an engineering architect for that one wall alone was almost 1k. Anyway, I also looked into buying a different home (with main floor bed/bath) as an alternative as it definitely would have been cheaper overall. The addition cost almost 160k (an hour from to DC). As luck would have it, nothing suitable was popping up on the market in the area so I bit the bullet. I live in a very desirable small historic district which I adore and wanted to stay. plus I got to pick out everything myself! So I get wanting to stay in your location. I wanted to share my experience, cost, and the plans (below)with you. I only wish I had made the office larger so it would be a more spacious bedroom later....See Morelyfia
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5 years ago
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