Primary Suite Update

This house didn't originally have a primary suite.  One bedroom was slightly larger than the others, but it still wasn't big or spacious.  My goal was to find some adjacent space that could help us create a much larger space. It wasn't an easy or quick job - there were a lot of steps that had to be done - but totally worth it.

We were lucky the house had a really big upstairs hallway - with a chimney/flue taking space in the middle of it.  Removing that chimney was the key to making the hallway smaller and the bedrooms bigger (the chimney was for an old furnace that we removed). 

Removing the chimney allowed us to more the door to the bedroom and gain 3 additional feet

We were able to make the primary bedroom about three feet wider - a huge change from our starting point.  When you couple that with the new, 9 foot ceiling height, it looks and feels dramatically different.

Additionally, we were able to carve out enough space for a half bath, from the former giant bathroom at the top of the stairs.  

Changing the layout of the second floor was a huge job - here's the primary suite in process

What other changes are we making?  We were able to add a closet that's more than twice the size of the original one.  In an old house, that's a huge update!

This room faces east, so there is a lot of light pouring in every morning.  But with just one window, it still wasn't as bright as I wanted it to be.  So we added a skylight, which brings sunlight throughout the room.  And because summer sunrise is so early in Maine - we added solar powered blackout shades in case someone wants to sleep in.

Cutting away the roof sheathing for skylight installation

With the new drywall installed, look at the difference!  By going taller and wider, this room feels like it's from a different house than we started from. 

The half bath might not look like much now, but stay tuned, because it's a really nice addition that makes this primary suite so much better.  The angled ceiling was a bit tricky to integrate into the design, but we put the toilet in front of it and will build custom storage in the slanted section.  A vanity will also provide some nice storage space.  

We insulated all the bathroom walls to provide privacy from the bedrooms

It's a lot of changes in what was once a low ceilinged space without a lot of sunlight.  Stay tuned as we get it done! 

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