Feedback on 1st attempt at en-suite / bedroom floor plan

[Gill]

Would love some feedback on my first shot at rearranging our bedroom / en-suite.  I suspect plenty of rookie errors and / or missed opportunities. 

 

Here's some of the factors that led me to come up with this.

• En-suite doesn't need to be as big as it currently is
• Corridor to the current bathroom / bedroom feels like wasted space
• Would like a shower and bath in the en-suite  (possibly the design is too cramped and shower over bath will be needed)
• Got house cats litter trays in the bathroom so currently have to leave the door to the bedroom open.  I want a bedroom door to reduce noise from the living area without locking the mogs out of the bathroom
• Generate some separation between the bathroom and the bedroom to reduce noise
• Can't move the bedroom door as the lounge area is a different level
• Wont be moving or creating any new windows 
• Not concerned with adding (or removing) value - not planning on moving again 
• Walls between bedroom / en-suite / bedroom hallway aren't structural

 

Appreciate any input.  

 

 

[Adsibob]

The layout you have come up with is very functional but not very generous. Everything feels boxy and the corridor effect claustrophobic. Do you have to have a walk in wardrobe? I find they only work well if they are spacious and have plenty of natural light. As far as I can see there is no natural light in that walk-in wardrobe. I guess you could compensate with high CRI light bulbs.

 

 Do you need all that space for a sun lounge? Could you take a 75cm wide strip from the sun lounge to make your master suite bigger?

[ProDave]

My impression is you don't like the "wasted" corridor so you want to make the corridor do something.  All you have achieved is a narrow walk in wardrobe that you pass through just to get to the bedroom (that always strikes me as odd)  and having the basin in the corridor is odd as there is no basin in the same room as the WC.

 

You have just made the corridor longer and more awkward. 

 

I am sure you could just re model the existing en-suite to give you bath, shower and WC, particularly if you are not intent on keeping the bidet and twin basins.

 

If you are removing (or moving) the existing built in wardrobe I would take down the wall between that corner of the bedroom and the corridor, so the corridor becomes just a corner of the room.

[Jilly]

It's unusual to have the washroom in the wardrobe rather than the bathroom. Maybe I'm OCD but you would have to touch the door before you've washed your hands after visiting the loo, so if either of you were ill it would spread germs (or even if you weren't!). 

 

The first impression will be cupboards rather than a 'ta da' posh bedroom, but maybe you want the privacy? 

Edited November 20, 2022 by Jilly

[Radian]

2 hours ago, Gill said:

Got house cats litter trays in the bathroom so currently have to leave the door to the bedroom open.  I want a bedroom door to reduce noise from the living area without locking the mogs out of the bathroom

So why not just move the door to the two rooms from the main corridor round to the bedroom opening. Yes it's no longer en-suite but it's only a fancy word for 'easy to go for a pee in the night'.

[ProDave]

Do you really need 2 bathrooms?  Is the other bedroom regularly occupied?

 

A way to get real extra space and a real walk in wardrobe would be completely re model that area to give one decent Jack and Jill bathroom accessed from both bedrooms and then you have space for a proper walk in wardrobe, but that would probably only work if the second bedroom was a guest room and you only had to share your facilities occasionally.

[Gill]

Thanks all -  I'm not blessed with spacial awareness or a flare for these types of things so appreciate the input.  Back to the drawing board.  

 

 

41 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

 

The layout you have come up with is very functional but not very generous. Everything feels boxy and the corridor effect claustrophobic. Do you have to have a walk in wardrobe? I find they only work well if they are spacious and have plenty of natural light. As far as I can see there is no natural light in that walk-in wardrobe. I guess you could compensate with high CRI light bulbs.

 

 Do you need all that space for a sun lounge? Could you take a 75cm wide strip from the sun lounge to make your master suite bigger?

 

@Adsibob -  Boxy / claustrophobic was a concern

 

Walk in wardrobe - not an essential but I keep different hours from the fella so not having me clatter around early morning in and around the bed is something he would appreciated.  

Re the sun lounge - it's 50 cm lower floor level from the bedroom so was avoiding going near that.  

 

39 minutes ago, ProDave said:

My impression is you don't like the "wasted" corridor so you want to make the corridor do something.  All you have achieved is a narrow walk in wardrobe that you pass through just to get to the bedroom (that always strikes me as odd)  and having the basin in the corridor is odd as there is no basin in the same room as the WC.

 

I am sure you could just re model the existing en-suite to give you bath, shower and WC, particularly if you are not intent on keeping the bidet and twin basins.

 

If you are removing (or moving) the existing built in wardrobe I would take down the wall between that corner of the bedroom and the corridor, so the corridor becomes just a corner of the room.  

 

31 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Do you really need 2 bathrooms?  Is the other bedroom regularly occupied?

 

A way to get real extra space and a real walk in wardrobe would be completely re model that area to give one decent Jack and Jill bathroom accessed from both bedrooms and then you have space for a proper walk in wardrobe, but that would probably only work if the second bedroom was a guest room and you only had to share your facilities occasionally.

 

@ProDave My attempt to fit in a separate shower resulted in the sink position.  Have stayed in a few hotels with sink just outside the bathroom but i think those were better designed than my attempt!  Either we'll keep the bathroom size large or will go with shower over bath and put the sink back in a standard position and rethink a dressing space.   

We do have people staying over so 2nd bathroom needed - the Jack and Jill idea is interesting and not one i was familiar with.  Maybe access from master bedroom & hall instead of the 2nd bedroom.  No space for a 3rd toilet and wouldn't want visitors to only access a toilet through a bedroom.  

 

52 minutes ago, Jilly said:

It's unusual to have the washroom in the wardrobe rather than the bathroom. Maybe I'm OCD but you would have to touch the door before you've washed your hands after visiting the loo, so if either of you were ill it would spread germs (or even if you weren't!). 

 

The first impression will be cupboards rather than a 'ta da' posh bedroom, but maybe you want the privacy? 

@Jilly  Because of the cats - our bathroom door is rarely shut.  The 2nd door was to give privacy.  The cupboard area was more for reducing noise for the other half as I clatter around in the early morning.  Think it's safe to say I need to re-think some fundamentals.

 

47 minutes ago, Radian said:

So why not just move the door to the two rooms from the main corridor round to the bedroom opening. Yes it's no longer en-suite but it's only a fancy word for 'easy to go for a pee in the night'.

@Radian Not fussed about it being syntactically an "en-suite" but I'm sure something can be done with that strange bed/en suite hall space.  

[Adsibob]

1 hour ago, Gill said:

Re the sun lounge - it's 50 cm lower floor level from the bedroom so was avoiding going near that.

If you really want a large sun lounge, then keep it as it is, but otherwise I would take some space from that. It’s not insurmountable to raise the floor level 50cm and knock down and erect a new wall. Others will be able to advise, but maybe £2.5k in material costs and labour.

[ETC]

I’d like to do a quick layout but can’t seem to get the plans overlapped.

[Ferdinand]

I think you need to have a quiet word with these cats; they seem to be a complicating factor.

 

Can you move the litter tray to the sunlounge or the family bathroom?

[Adsibob]

Alternatively, this would get rid of the corridor problem, make the bathroom more spacious and keep the washbasin within the bathroom:

 

 

I’ve put doors in as normal doors, because sliding doors will not give you the soundproofing you want. And I’ve moved that small chest of drawers/wardrobe to the bedroom. It could your fella’s so that you getting dressed don’t bother him.

[Gill]

@ETC Suspect that's my inexperience with smart draw and my attempts to measure solo.  Sorry.  That said the plan on the schedule isn't right - the sunroom doors open in the way and are 40mm from the wall.  The window in the bedroom is 870mm from the wall and not right up in the corner as the schedule shows.  

Edited November 20, 2022 by Gill

[Gill]

6 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

I think you need to have a quiet word with these cats; they seem to be a complicating factor.

 

Can you move the litter tray to the sunlounge or the family bathroom?

 

The cat factor is problematic.  If only they could reliably do doors.  

The sunroom is a fresh 9 degrees C at the moment so that's open only when the sun is shining.   The bathroom in the hall is currently a wetroom so not litter box friendly - maybe if we refactor it could be an option.

[Gill]

11 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

Alternatively, this would get rid of the corridor problem, make the bathroom more spacious and keep the washbasin within the bathroom:

 

 

I’ve put doors in as normal doors, because sliding doors will not give you the soundproofing you want. And I’ve moved that small chest of drawers/wardrobe to the bedroom. It could your fella’s so that you getting dressed don’t bother him.

 

That would certainly tick a lot of boxes (cats, doors, noise etc)  - is it strange to get to a bedroom through a bathroom?  I really wish I was able to visualize from floor plans.  

[Ferdinand]

38 minutes ago, Gill said:

 

The cat factor is problematic.  If only they could reliably do doors.  

The sunroom is a fresh 9 degrees C at the moment so that's open only when the sun is shining.   The bathroom in the hall is currently a wetroom so not litter box friendly - maybe if we refactor it could be an option.

 

Have you considered fitting the world's only room to room indoor catflap, if that would help manage the doors problem? 🙂

 

If you are worried about loss of heat to the sunlounge if that is where it goes, you can get passive house catflaps like the airlocks to spaceships - but that would require you to build an uber-thick inside wall to fit it in. 

[Onoff]

21 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Have you considered fitting the world's only room to room indoor catflap, if that would help manage the doors problem? 🙂

 

Our furry b'stard sleeps with us. Sometimes I'm up 4 or 5 times to let him in/out of the sliding bedroom door. Ignore him long enough and he will scratch it open but hasn't learnt to shut it behind him. Sometimes he brings us presents. 

[Gill]

14 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Have you considered fitting the world's only room to room indoor catflap, if that would help manage the doors problem? 🙂

 

If you are worried about loss of heat to the sunlounge if that is where it goes, you can get passive house catflaps like the airlocks to spaceships - but that would require you to build an uber-thick inside wall to fit it in. 

 

 

I have indeed...and my research tells me it wouldn't be the world's first 😁

 

I omitted one of the key points and that is that my cats are incredibly stupid. Hole in the door they might just about manage, eventually. Flappy thing embedded in door = impenetrable barrier = howl until door is opened. 

 

Maybe I need outdoor cats. 

 

 

[ETC]

My initial attempt.

[Adsibob]

1 hour ago, Gill said:

is it strange to get to a bedroom through a bathroom? 

In a word, yes. But it’s your house.

i wouldn’t do it in mine. Think about the smell after your fella does a poo. Would you want to walk through that to get to your bedroom.

[Adsibob]

38 minutes ago, ETC said:

My initial attempt.

This is much better! Solves all the problems.

[Radian]

Is the shower in the second bathroom actually needed in there or could it relocate to the ensuite? I can see why you'd want to have the second loo and wash basin for visitors but it could give up some useful space if the shower wasn't located in that room.

[Gill]

Thanks @ETC

Hadn't considered the window being part of the other bathroom.  Toilets /sinks close to a wall that has the bed is something I was avoiding but I think they could flip with the bath. Seems no way to avoid a corridor somewhere but it does give us both bath and shower access without reverting to an overhead. 

 

I'll need to get exact measurements as the schedule can't be trusted. Only just noticed it has the sunroom set back from the bedroom wall when it's actually a continuation!

[Gill]

2 minutes ago, Radian said:

Is the shower in the second bathroom actually needed in there or could it relocate to the ensuite? I can see why you'd want to have the second loo and wash basin for visitors but it could give up some useful space if the shower wasn't located in that room.

 

Makes sense - guests could use main bathroom for showers as they'd not be accessing from our bedroom. 

 

Not sure I'd want to give up the only bathroom window to a loo and sink room though. 

[ETC]

Second attempt.

[Jilly]

How about using the other loo and shower in the morning? The actual ensuite close to the bed might wake him up? Just use the proper one when you have guests or when he's awake?