Renovation Dilemma: Larger Room vs Natural Light
I have the opportunity to add a living room attachment to my primary suite but in doing so i would block the only source of natural lighting for what is essentially a passthrough area which currently acts as our library and study. this source of light is also the only source of natural light which illuminates the staircase. The window size and location is such that in all cases I have to keep the lights turned on all day otherwise the space is way too dark to be functional (i have also had to add step lights on the staircase for this very reason). For clarity, I have attached a photo of the current floor plan:-
Below is what we are thinking of doing, the single window will be replaced with the door into the primary suite:
I am also attaching more details of the new living room attachment (if we decide to go for it) so you can understand it a little better. the yellow represent the location of the windows (which would EXPONENTIALLY increase the amount of light in that area and the natural light could possibly flow into the library/study if the door is left open (which it would be during the day time), the red lines represent the walls that will be knocked down to create an arch to enter into the actual sleeping area of the primary suite from the living area:
A few things to note: Ignore the headings and details other than the ones in color, as they do not represent the actual layout of the house (it has undergone several renovations over the years). We already have the green light from our architect and contractor as to the technical feesibility of this approach and all permits are also in place.
So my question to you is as follows: Should I increase the size of the primary suite and forgo natural light in the study/library? How important is it to have a natural light source, even if it is an inadequate one? If you have any experience with a room with no natural lighting please share the pros and cons, in all of the apartments and homes I have lived in over the years, this would be the ONLY room in which no window exists (even bathrooms and toilets in all my previous homes have had a window).
Thank you so much in advance for all your input and ideas!
Comments (13)
ISA
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (7)Thanks for all the feedback. You have given me a lot to think about. Interesting idea to move the light but I'm not sure it would work - it would have to be moved through a joist which probably means expensive and the bathroom has me pretty well tapped out. Plus right now it lines up with the door and the center cabinet -- I think it would bug me to have it off center.I guess I could move it back closer to the cabinets but I really just want to be done with the home renovations, LOL! However, in the process of googling about for pictures of schoolhouse lights, I found a very similar looking lamp at Home Depot for $40 -- it's 12" diameter and takes a 100w bulb so I'd get the brightness I want in a slightly smaller fixture for 1/3 the price. (If you're curious, you can see it here: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Esdale-1-Light-Ceiling-Oil-Rubbed-Bronze-Semi-Flush-Mount-Light-SF230/203194915) The glass and metal look cheaper and thinner but it's just the laundry room so I'm not too worried. So I think I'll go buy it -- that way, if it looks awful or the laundry gets stuck up there, I can return it. I think it should be ok though -- the light will be close enough to the ceiling and the chute far enough away that I think it would be hard for laundry to catch. And I suppose if it does, I could always build the chute lower as in the picture Oly posted. Thanks again! (And feel free to keep offering opinions -- it's not a done deal yet and I'd rather make sure I think about all the options now vs. wishing I had done something differently later.)...See MoreOrdering custom cabinets: dilemma re: white paint vs. light stain
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Comments (51)The addition already has a loft incorporated. Also, as stated in a previous response, it is not a pop top design. It has taken months with multiple design revisions to maintain the character of the home. I am already working with the historical society and the architect specializes in historical homes. The reason behind the outside spiral stairs is simple. 1) My current house is only 742sqft, inside stairs would have taken up more than half of my office space. 2) Again, my lot size is pretty small and incorporating traditional stairs would work; however they take up a significant amount of space. It is hard to give up the little "green space" that I currently have. Worst case scenario, if my parents come to visit and they eventually have problems getting up and down the stairs, they can use my room and I will use the space upstairs. Again, the space upstairs is more of a guest suite and for moments where I can take in a nice evening sunset. And if I eventually get tired of the spiral stairs, I can incorporate regular stairs. But back to the original concern, I spoke with my architect and he is looking into incorporating the "plexiglass" or whatever you would like to call it floor sections where the dormers/skylights are located. I understand that it will not give me the same amount of light that I have now, but it should be able to resolve the issue. Thanks for all the comments and ideas....See MoreISA
2 years agoISA
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoWow! Thank you ALL for your valuable feedback, you've given me a lot to think about.
Remember when i said don't pay too much attention to the details on the drawings as they do not reflect the current floor plan.
The primary suit actually looks like this now (the blue is my husband's walk-in closet and the area marked "changing" is my walk in closet):
3onthetree I agree whole heartedly that a bath is inefficient so it was the first thing to go when we remodeled our bathroom last month! the breaking of the stairwell is not technically an option as per our contractor and architect's advise.Jennifer K, what you can't see from the attached plans is that this house is semi-detached i.e. the yellow line is a shared wall with my neighbor so there is no possibility whatsoever of adding any windows to that wall. You hit the nail on the head with: "It sounds like your home has plenty of space, but some of it is in the wrong spot", and although this is very much a first world problem it is also very frustrating!
K L definitely a living room! the terrace faces my neighbor (he has a window directly looking onto the terrace )and given that it is only covered by a small pergola, our voices would carry. if i decide to leave this terrace area I will be turning it into a very small garden to bring in some greenery as you walk up onto the first floor, it is unlikely that I would add seating. Also, don't forget that the primary suit already has a balcony (it looks small in the floor plan attached but it has recently been made larger and can seat two with a small coffee table VERY comfortably).ISA
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoKendrah would you change your mind if I add clerestory-windows to "borrow" light from the new living room attachment similar to what has been done in this room:
the windows would go along the yellow dotted line as shown below, they would be high enough to afford my much sought privacy but would be large enough to "capture" the light that would be flooding into the room once we add the two large windows to the living room attachment:
All your thoughts would be welcome! They have been so valuable thus far!kl23
2 years agokl23
2 years ago
kl23