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Well sure but these things O is going to find out. We don't know yet for sure if any of the walls are load bearing he wants to remove really we are guessing. So let's just enjoy the spiraling cost overruns and ever expanding time table in a kinder gentler way.
I had the same question you did when I saw the floor plan. I think the worst part is how they're typically featured right when you walk into a house...this big room that no one is ever in.
Is that dark rectangle right above the dimensions of the basement a post? That's a good clue where the load bearing wall is...
definitely a post, graphically. but lower wall/post don't appear to line up with 1st floor wall above.
This makes a ton of sense.Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
I'm no architect and I'm just an NYC renter but could you do this and then split (not physically, but maybe) the original family room into a dining area on one side and something else (like a nice bar set up) on the other? That's a huge room and it doesn't seem like you're really going to use it much as is.This makes a ton of sense.Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
Here's the thing -- we really love traditional center hall colonials and general layouts, but with a modern twist. We'd like to do that with this house.this.This is why you don't buy this house.Otis said:
For chrissakes- these houses were not built to accommodate the HGTV Open ConceptTM crap without looking messed up. Walls define spaces. Some can be moved/removed to open spaces, but that kitchen is locked over in that corner with the main staircase between it and the living space. It ain't happening unless you throw all sorts of money at this place.
Then what is the point of buying this place??
:heavysigh:
sorry otis.
Pushing the Living Room up (adding on) is your only bet, short of moving those stairs (bad idea).
I'm not a fan of the Family Room off the Living Room the way this is set up, unless you don't mind the constant required movement through the more formal Living Room.
I'd prefer having the Dining Room area more of the informal hanging/family/kids space and somehow moving the Dining over to the top of the Living Room (addition? rearraging the LR).
Our brokers suggested it and we talked about it. It completely wrecks the traditional center hall feel is the problem. It is an option though.This makes a ton of sense.Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
yeah- that's what I suggested above. best option for keeping the existing Dining room as a dining room and pulling the Living room into the kitchen/family zone. makes the Living room a lot less formal (open views/passage into a busy/messy kitchen).Here's the thing -- we really love traditional center hall colonials and general layouts, but with a modern twist. We'd like to do that with this house.this.This is why you don't buy this house.Otis said:
For chrissakes- these houses were not built to accommodate the HGTV Open ConceptTM crap without looking messed up. Walls define spaces. Some can be moved/removed to open spaces, but that kitchen is locked over in that corner with the main staircase between it and the living space. It ain't happening unless you throw all sorts of money at this place.
Then what is the point of buying this place??
:heavysigh:
sorry otis.
Pushing the Living Room up (adding on) is your only bet, short of moving those stairs (bad idea).
I'm not a fan of the Family Room off the Living Room the way this is set up, unless you don't mind the constant required movement through the more formal Living Room.
I'd prefer having the Dining Room area more of the informal hanging/family/kids space and somehow moving the Dining over to the top of the Living Room (addition? rearraging the LR).
Here's an example of the kitchen from UglyHouse. You can see they blew out the back of the house and added on the modern great room concept with a massive kitchen island. That would be our ideal.
LINK
So one thing we are considering is eventually bumping out along the back line of the house so that the kitchen wraps around into what is now the formal living room (we will repurpose as a more informal family room), and then we have an open flow into there and more room for a massive island and high end kitchen.
Maybe you're right that we should consider that more when we do the kitchen reno one day (probably 3-5 years out, maybe).Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
not a great idea. you want the Dining Room near as possible to the kitchen- definintely not across the Living Room from it.I'm no architect and I'm just an NYC renter but could you do this and then split (not physically, but maybe) the original family room into a dining area on one side and something else (like a nice bar set up) on the other? That's a huge room and it doesn't seem like you're really going to use it much as is.This makes a ton of sense.Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
I vote you just do the floors and paint/wallpaper, and move in and find out what you like and don't like about the space. Do renovations later, once you've lived in it.
Yeah. That will likely be replaced pretty quickly, Otis isn't exactly a serious golfer. It will be good shtick for when my dad and BIL come over for a first party, but pretty quickly after that we'll convert it, either into more playroom space for the kids, or maybe a bar
Honestly- I see lots of little this and thats, but big picture- that place looks really good floor plan-wise... completely ready to move into.Maybe you're right that we should consider that more when we do the kitchen reno one day (probably 3-5 years out, maybe).Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
Sex dungeon.Yeah. That will likely be replaced pretty quickly, Otis isn't exactly a serious golfer. It will be good shtick for when my dad and BIL come over for a first party, but pretty quickly after that we'll convert it, either into more playroom space for the kids, or maybe a bar
This isn't a bad idea. The first floor half bath is also a bit of a disaster (it's new enough, but the decorating isn't our style at all), so we may want to do that before moving in. Then again, with so many other bathrooms in the house, I suppose we could have that done while we're living there, it's not like that's going to be a majorly messy project....
Looking at the 1st floor again, that basement stair really gets in the way of expanding out back in a clean way for the open kitchen/family room- ends up too much in the middle of the space, IMO. not the end of the world, but not super clean.Maybe you're right that we should consider that more when we do the kitchen reno one day (probably 3-5 years out, maybe).Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
Honestly, if we can even make just a doorway size opening between the kitchen and the living room, that would make a nice difference for us. I guess I'll get someone in and ask him what's possible without doing massive renovation or screwing with anything load bearing.
What if you bumped out to the back so you have a clean line from the current back of the kitchen all the way along to where the family room and outside patio start? You'd have about 10-15 feet I think from the basement stairs to the back of the house. That's a nice sized space all the way along there.Looking at the 1st floor again, that basement stair really gets in the way of expanding out back in a clean way for the open kitchen/family room- ends up too much in the middle of the space, IMO. not the end of the world, but not super clean.Maybe you're right that we should consider that more when we do the kitchen reno one day (probably 3-5 years out, maybe).Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
Great thing about having 5000 square feet is that you can still live there while some work happens and not have it destroy your daily life.
9'6", according to your plan. not the end of the world, but I don't like the box of the stair poking into it.What if you bumped out to the back so you have a clean line from the current back of the kitchen all the way along to where the family room and outside patio start? You'd have about 10-15 feet I think from the basement stairs to the back of the house. That's a nice sized space all the way along there.Looking at the 1st floor again, that basement stair really gets in the way of expanding out back in a clean way for the open kitchen/family room- ends up too much in the middle of the space, IMO. not the end of the world, but not super clean.Maybe you're right that we should consider that more when we do the kitchen reno one day (probably 3-5 years out, maybe).Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
not a great idea. you want the Dining Room near as possible to the kitchen- definintely not across the Living Room from it.I'm no architect and I'm just an NYC renter but could you do this and then split (not physically, but maybe) the original family room into a dining area on one side and something else (like a nice bar set up) on the other? That's a huge room and it doesn't seem like you're really going to use it much as is.This makes a ton of sense.Place looks great, O.
Bathrooms are a little funkily laid out- an easy fix for later- but it all looks great.
If it was me- I'd make that Dining Room the family room (blow out the mud room and closets, relocate the fridge and rejigger the kitchen) and then figure something else out for formal dining. But as it is, it works great for a formal dining room (that nobody will ever step foot into)
Obviously.
There will be a study to the right when you walk in that could always be converted into a dining room if we ever sell. I just don't see the "until you need it". I won't ever "need" a formal dining room. Our layout has a dining room space connected with the kitchen that flows into a great room. It will fit our current dining table that seats 8 comfortably (and up to 10). I can't imagine a scenario where I'd wish I had those people sitting in a secluded room and wish they weren't able to actually view the kitchen.
When it comes to construction there isn't really anything that can't be done.....the only thing that is usually prohibitive is the cost....
Just listen to Jon.......This guy is giving solid professional information.....and for free.
adding structure doesn't seem like it's the problem there... the stair taking up space is.
The "master" bath needs to steal from some of that. Only a stall shower up in there.
The layout of UglyHaus has some bad feng shui. Be glad you passed.Here's the thing -- we really love traditional center hall colonials and general layouts, but with a modern twist. We'd like to do that with this house.this.This is why you don't buy this house.Otis said:
For chrissakes- these houses were not built to accommodate the HGTV Open ConceptTM crap without looking messed up. Walls define spaces. Some can be moved/removed to open spaces, but that kitchen is locked over in that corner with the main staircase between it and the living space. It ain't happening unless you throw all sorts of money at this place.
Then what is the point of buying this place??
:heavysigh:
sorry otis.
Pushing the Living Room up (adding on) is your only bet, short of moving those stairs (bad idea).
I'm not a fan of the Family Room off the Living Room the way this is set up, unless you don't mind the constant required movement through the more formal Living Room.
I'd prefer having the Dining Room area more of the informal hanging/family/kids space and somehow moving the Dining over to the top of the Living Room (addition? rearraging the LR).
Here's an example of the kitchen from UglyHouse. You can see they blew out the back of the house and added on the modern great room concept with a massive kitchen island. That would be our ideal.
LINK
So one thing we are considering is eventually bumping out along the back line of the house so that the kitchen wraps around into what is now the formal living room (we will repurpose as a more informal family room), and then we have an open flow into there and more room for a massive island and high end kitchen.
I was on a conference call with a client when I read your first post on that in this thread and started laughing out loud. Had to turn it into a cough midway. Killed me.
x2
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