Do you have actual dimensions for your floor plan? What you are proposing isn't the best plan, either for the dollars spent or the function gained. It will be especially difficult if you are in a cold climate. You wouldn't want to do the bumpout without a corresponding bumpout of the first floor, and cantilevering a bumpout like that will be significantly more costly than just doing a conventional foundation and two story addition. If we knew the dimensions of the existing bedrooms, halls, and baths, perhaps a few things could be rearranged. And, if we also knew the source of the conflict here about using the existing bathrooms, that would help as well. Have you considered closing in the open foyer? Then using bedroom 3 for a bath and closet? That would give you better temperature control and sound control in the house, and be a much easier project than a bumpout would be.

TheFranLover, good luck with your project! Did you have to go thru the Coastal Commission for your remodel? How long did it take and how painful? We're also thinking of remodeling a very old home (1950), not yet purchased. It's still in an exploratory phase to see how feasible and expensive it's going to be. The house hasn't been remodeled in 60 years, and not liveable. We're thinking of doing it in 2 phases. 1) Keep same footprint and remodel interior walls. Exterior walls are also badly damaged, so to remodel that, do we need a permit? Redo electrical, plumbing, gas lines. We want to do enough to be able to live in it, while applying for a permit to build it up or out. 2) Add another story up, but hear the coastal commision may take a long time to approve anything. All, please share your experiences and advice. Thanks!

Anj_p - thank you for your detailed notes. BR 1 is tiny. Those are bifolds in the closet door to maximize the usability of a reach-in closet. BR 2 is an odd shape, agreed. Originally the architect had the closet on the wall that is shared with the bathroom. I had them move it because there wasn’t enough clearance any where you put the bed (including this note in case you think that was a better placement). I’m a fanatic about symmetry though, and once we moved the closet, it meant the windows were off-centered which is why I had them put built-ins in the jut-out to balance the room. The windows are 4 ft windows though, so I don’t think a bed will block the light... but maybe I’m wrong. BR 3 will have a built-in in the weird corner - I should have noted that in the plans. Master - I agree on the walk. I plan to have another child in this house and I cannot fathom doing this walk 47x in the middle of the night. However, my husband gets up very early (~4:30 am) and says he would like to use the shower in the morning without fear of waking me... Additionally, the kitchen is right below the master bath right now so I think this placement was chosen for easy plumbing. I had tried to swing the master around - put the WIC where the hall bath is and then shift the Master Bath to where all the closets are and my husband hated it... That being said, I wanted to come here to see if a lot of other people share this opinion. I think right now he is comparing my thoughts (novice, never built a home) to those of a professional architect and builder and thinking there is no way I can come up with a preferable layout. He might be right, but I figured it’s definitely worth checking! Thank you for all the other notes as well. I will keep this all in mind.

I don't see a loft area. And what's to the left? We need a bit more info to be useful. But a legal bedroom must have a window, a closet, and not be used for passage to another room...