We received our building permits, so I wanted to share our plans as we get the project started. We aren't making big structural changes to this house. But we are updating it with modern conveniences (like a dishwasher! And more than one electrical per bedroom!) to make it far more functional for the next owners. Of course we will also be improving the energy efficiency of the entire house.
The first floor will see most of the changes. We are opening up a couple of walls to improve traffic flow. But the big change is completely gutting the kitchen and updating it with new cabinetry, electrical, plumbing, insulation, flooring and appliances. I'm still working on the kitchen design and hope to share it soon.
Is this an open floor plan? Kind of. But with a center chimney, this can never be a true open floor plan. And in keeping with the original design intent, we've struck a nice balance between defined rooms and lines of sight between different rooms.
The guys have just gotten a little of the demo completed, but it's already so different!!! Look at how the sunlight floods in through the dining room, brightening up the kitchen as well. And it feels HUGE!
What are we changing on the 2nd floor? There will be fewer changes upstairs. The bathroom will get a full gut job and will be totally rearranged. And the 2nd bedroom will get new wardrobes added, to provide much needed closet space. But the rest of the spaces will stay the same.
Do you plan to keep the ductless mini splits?
ReplyDeleteIn the bedroom where you plan to add wardrobes, would you consider moving the closet door? I know you’d create a conflicting door situation, but it seems like it would make that closet more accessible.
I’ll be sure to follow along, as I have for many years now!
We will keep the mini splits. They’re not really strong enough for the cold winter months, but are great the rest of the year.
DeleteThe closet you mentioned is built into the eaves of the dormer. So it starts at 6’ tall and goes down to 1’ pretty fast. So the only spot high enough to hang clothes is where the current door is.
We will keep the mini splits. They’re not really strong enough for the cold winter months, but are great the rest of the year!
DeleteThe closet you mentioned is built into the eaves of the dormer (of course you can’t tell that from the floor plan drawings, but if you look at an exterior photo you can see it). So it starts at 6’ tall and goes down to 1’ at a 45 degree angle. The only spot high enough to hang clothes is where the current door is. And it’s only 18” wide, so there isn’t much closet space - but it’s great for storing things like suitcases!