Plans for the Craftsman Cottage

As we get started on the Craftsman Cottage, we have a plan we are working to.  But as I've learned the hard way,  sometimes we find surprises as we peel back layers that make us change direction a bit.  So far so good, but you never know what we might find!

So let's look at the current plan:

On the first floor, I'd like to open up the wall between the foyer and living room, to create a bit more space.  Right now it feels pretty tight as you come in the front door.  It's not a dramatic change, but will make the living room feel bigger and also showcase the lovely craftsman staircase (I can just imagine how pretty it would be with a holiday garland hanging from it!).  This will make the floor plan more open, but still leave some distinction between the living room and kitchen/dining room. 

The wall between the living room and foyer will disappear

Similarly, I'd like to open the wall between the kitchen and dining room.  The kitchen is a bit dark, with its one window.  And thanks to the big bay window, the dining room is really bright.  I'd like that light to flood through both spaces. 

And speaking of the dining room, we are going to add a back door here!!  I'm installing a sliding patio door, in large part because it will bring in lots of morning sunlight, while also providing a view of the big backyard.  A sliding door helps, because you don't need to worry about the space a door swing would take up, that could interfere with your dining table and chairs. 

If budget allows, I'd like to put a deck off of the dining room.  I'm sure that would be a feature a new homeowner would really enjoy.  

The downstairs half bath is way too big.  So, I'm changing it to provide more privacy for the bathroom, while also creating additional storage. More storage is always a good thing!

The other major change - I'll be enclosing part of the front porch to create a small bonus room.  With so many people working from home, having a spot to close off for a home office is a big plus.  And with its view of the greenbelt and the Casco Bay Bridge, it's a pretty nice spot to stare out the window when you're on a Zoom call! 😂 

Upstairs, we're making much bigger changes.  The most dramatic update will be 'Project Raise the Ceiling.'  I'm hoping to have 9 feet of ceiling space on the 2nd floor, a big change from the current 6 feet 6 inches (which is just a crazy low ceiling!).   It requires quite a bit of structural change, which gives me the opportunity to move some walls around.

One of the biggest changes is creating a primary suite.  The back bedroom will get about 3 feet bigger and thanks to the existing oversized bathroom, I'm stealing a few feet from that to add a half bath.  (Sure, it would be nice to have a full bath adjacent to the bedroom, but this will be a nice update). 

The sloped ceiling makes bathroom planning a challenge! 

The second bedroom will also get larger, thanks to a new structural support post that we need to add to change the ceiling height.  We will steal that space from the hallway (which was overly large) and by removing the chimney, I get more space upstairs (and in the kitchen!). 

I'm really pleased with the second floor layout - it will be so much more livable (especially for tall people!).  Demo has started and we're off to a good start!  So stay tuned as we start making the changes! 

The third bedroom remains the same size.  It's perfect for a kids room or a home office.

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