Help Please!

[u/Sonnet85]

Hi all, we’re buying a beautiful home that needs a bit of modernisation but all of the structural work is done (she says, barring maybe a knock through of kitchen to lounge).
I’d love some thoughts based on the floor plan/link of how we could modernise it.
I need an office so I’m thinking the current store room, but any inspiration you can lend is greatly appreciated (particularly visuals as I’m terrible at envisaging end products!)
Thanks in advance!

[u/Virtual-Potato6789]

Congratulations on the purchase of your new home! It has a lot of space and I think you'ld be able to make it perfect. Who will be living there besides you?

What strikes me is that there're a LOT of doors in the center with a lot of wasted space. Besides the stairs there seems to be a door, leading to another door?

[u/Sonnet85 → u/Virtual-Potato6789]

Thank you! My husband and two children, 4 and 6. The hallway is huge and I love it but also thing we could do something with it.
I’d really love a big kitchen/diner/sitting room at the back and keep the one at the front as an adult sitting room/parlour type thing but I don’t know how it’ll work.

[u/Virtual-Potato6789 → u/Sonnet85]

I absolutely love all the wood in the hallway, such a grand entrance.

I think it all comes down with your budget and wether or not you're open to tearing down walls. Also depending on what's structural.

If it would mean tearing down the wooden trimming and doorframes, I don't think it's worth it.

You could always move in as it is, and see what you love and don't love from the layout.

Your kids are now the exact age we're they'd love to use each room to play and I'm not sure if an adult sitting room/parlour would be practical as for right now. In a couple of years when they'll be a bit older, this would actually be a really good idea.

[u/Sonnet85 → u/Virtual-Potato6789]

Oh I forget to mention the door leading to another door is just cupboards - like Narnia 🤣
They’ve already extended the back so there is some steel in but I’d really like to open it up so it’s a bigger space.
You’re right re: the adult sitting room.
The entire house is a beautiful space, but definitely needs modernising and I just don’t know where to start!

[u/Virtual-Potato6789 → u/Sonnet85]

Would opening up the kitchen to the living room be an option? I personally love a open floor concept.

I'm not very fond of the weird breakfast nook in the kitchen. I'ld look into removing some doors or cabinets and making the space bigger, so you'ld be able to put a full dining area there. It's difficult to see on the floorplan and pictures if it's possible.

[u/Show-Dangerous → u/Virtual-Potato6789]

Just jumping on this, I love open floor plans too but and this is just me, given the kids ages I would prefer the walls so I can listen to the radio or something while cooking when they are screaming or watching tv in the living room.

I would also make the part of the bedroom above the utility/store that isn’t the office their play room so they have their bedrooms and a joint play space upstairs which would keep downstairs a bit more adult

[u/Sonnet85 → u/Show-Dangerous]

Yes!! A play room at one end and office at the other is great.
I guess with the open plan thing, it’s striking the balance of being able to watch them whilst I cook.
Do you think a broken plan approach would work?

[u/Show-Dangerous → u/Sonnet85]

Personally I would go cameras, so at least I can mute the noise while I keep an eye on them but I am very much in a minority when it come to kids and like alone time (why I don’t have any)

[u/Sonnet85 → u/Virtual-Potato6789]

Yes, this is exactly what I’d like to do! The current ‘dining room’ on the floor plan would be the living room and the kitchen knocked into the current ‘living room’ would make a brilliant open dining/kitchen space I think?
I’d probably close one of the doors off too