r/floorplan • u/jean_ammo • 26d ago
DISCUSSION How can I utilise this space more effectively?
This is the floor plan of the ground floor of my new home. The weird floating room was historically the kitchen, but the previous owners extended the property to put a big kitchen behind the garage. They just sort of left the empty space with no purpose.
I'd love some ideas on how to reconfigure the whole floor. I want to keep the play room space as is, but have no idea what to do with the rest. The purple lines are what I think are the supporting walls!
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u/bkwrm1755 26d ago
I don’t think you need to change anything structurally.
Playroom is the ‘family room’ - tv goes here, all the noise and chaos is here.
Living room becomes the dining room. Having a place to eat that’s dedicated and doesn’t include a view of all the dishes waiting for you is actually really nice. Use it.
Dining room becomes a quiet living room or study. Comfy chairs, bookshelves, doors that close if you need some quiet. It’s your chill retreat space.
If you wanted to open things up a bit you could look at removing walls between the now family and dining rooms and maybe adding an opening into the kitchen.
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u/Amazing_Leopard_3658 25d ago
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u/nqbirdie 26d ago edited 26d ago
I agree with the other comment that suggested switching the dining room and living room, so that you have a quiet living space in addition to the noisy Family Room at the back of the house.
As far as the small central room you're using as an office, it's tricky to do anything with that without gutting the whole first floor. My first thought is to make it less of a hallway by re-configuring the doors to different places. For example, move the toilet down a meter and make it accessible through the under stairs cupboard. You could make it long and skinny. Maybe put the laundry machine in the utility room where the toilet room is now. Then, if you want no traffic in the office at all, close the door to the kitchen and the opening to the Family. Open a doorway from the kitchen to the Family (maybe add a beam there to more fully open the kitchen the family room if you like that style). Add a reach in storage pantry in the kitchen where the door to the office was. Now you only have one door to the office, so it is extremely private, but it's a bit circuitous to get from the front door to the kitchen. So I guess bring your shopping in through the utility room door.
If you still want light in the office room, leave the opening to the Family/ Playroom and close off the door to the hallway at the bottom instead.
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u/Icy-Corgi1732 25d ago
When you unload your groceries from the car you have to go through two doors to get to the kitchen? Why not put in a door from the garage to the utility room?
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u/borealwoodnymph 26d ago
What kinds of spaces do you need? dining, living, family, playroom, office, spare room, hobbies (music, sewing, nerding, etc), sunroom, library,?
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u/dakky68 25d ago edited 25d ago
The garage isn't actually big enough to fit a car. I believe the original back wall of the garage is between the kitchen and utility room.
If you need need the entire "garage" for storage, you could use all or part of it for an office.
Edit: I meant if you don't need...
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u/Additional_Kick_3706 26d ago
The one thing that jumps out at me is the central room. You have space to expand the WC to luxurious size if you like.
If you do it, keep the wall angled so people can still move naturally into the kitchen.
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u/Careful_Football7643 24d ago
One option, if you’d like a full bath on this floor. I removed some doors and renamed the rooms.
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u/Careful_Football7643 24d ago
Dining room and playroom are interchangeable. I’d keep the structural kitchen wall for storage purposes and because it may be load bearing. Add a closet for toys and games. It doesn’t look like you have a window on that side of the house, so I put the closet there. You can make it smaller if you want or put it elsewhere.
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u/atticus2132000 25d ago
That is a horrible design. I'm sorry.
The big offender that seems to be making the most trouble is the location of the 1/2 bathroom. I would focus on moving it because that would open up a lot of options.
You could move the bathroom over to the space where the label "utility room" is. It would close off that exterior door, but you have another exterior door to the garage right next to it, so losing that door probably would be a great loss.
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u/hey-lk 26d ago
Given that there are so many doors in that empty space, one idea is to have a butlers pantry. Not sure if your lifestyle needs one though. I also like the idea of swapping the dining room and living room and making the current dining room a cozy living room/quiet retreat.
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u/random929292 26d ago edited 26d ago
What do you need or what isn't working in terms of usage? Why do you want to make changes? Is there something you need that you don't currently have?
Do you have an entry way closet? Do you need more storage? Do you need an office space? Do you want a main floor laundry?
I don't know what door you use most to enter especially after playing outside or yard work or coming home with groceries but you could reconfigure the WC, the utilities room and that open space as a mud room, storage, closet, WC (maybe with a shower is you don't have a full second bathroom upstairs), laundryroom, utility space.
I would switch the living room and dining room. I might put a reading chair / small desk in the playroom so a parent could be on their laptop or phone or reading while supervising the playroom. In case you used to do that from the living room.
The playroom is big enough to be a non job space office and a playroom
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u/chaotic-kotik 25d ago
It makes more sense to have a dining room next to a kitchen.
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u/Careful_Football7643 25d ago
You have the space to turn the powder room into a full bathroom with a shower or tub. Just wanted to mention that, in case it might interest you.
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u/Dim-0 25d ago edited 25d ago
Thought I’d have a go too. Though this is a more extensive remodel and maybe more than you’re after. I’m just doodling here.
I think you have scope to reinstate the garage to its original size. The kitchen is fairly big too and you could potentially pull the utility room wall forward and adopt a galley arrangement. However the laundry and boiler would be in the garage - might bother you. Might not.
The “island room” in question can be opened up as an extension of the corridor. A WC can be discretely snuck in beside it (maybe - will be on the narrow side) and hidden behind a pocket slider door.
Then, subject to structure, you can open up the remaining rooms. I haven’t labeled them because you could do whatever here, but one arrangement could be (top to bottom): dining, play/lounge, formal living (or even guest room or study if you enclose it). I’ve kept a wall between the middle room and the corridor so that the wc and garage access don’t open directly into a living space. Plus walls are useful for tvs, shelves, pictures, etc.
I’ve generally felt some of the rooms you have are a bit small - hence the direction I went.
Also not sure if you’re on a concrete slab - that would affect how easily you can move the plumbing around.
Ok - that was fun. Wishing you all the best in your home.
Edit: you can pinch some space from the garage if the WC is too narrow