topic Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS? in Home

DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

Oznell — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:00:40 GMT

Designer Laurel Bern is an old hand at rearranging spaces. On her blog, she discussed the cost of housing in Boston, eek, where she lives. She took an actual Back Bay studio apartment, and showed how, theoretically, it could be turned from a studio, to a legal one bedroom. (Which in an expensive real estate market, could have very attractive resale value, for one thing.)

She's so clever. She said the entry was disproportionately large, for a studio apartment. So she gained room for a petite kitchen there, and proposed a bedroom for where the old kitchen and part of living room was.

She kept some closet space, and created other vital storage space in the apartment. But of course, you "lose some and you gain some".

Before--

After:

Now, the main seating in the l.r. is pretty much the angled couch in the bay window.

But she even did alternate one bedroom versions:

In the one above, there's a couch and two chair seating area in front of the fireplace, and just a drop leaf table behind the couch. You could re-arrange things and bring out the extended table when you wanted formal dining, but it is more of a hassle.

That being said, I might take plan #3, rather than the studio, or couch in the window bay option. The couch and two chairs in #3 seem cozy.

I've seen studio apartments where the visible bed in the room looked cute, and integrated into the design. But, on the other hand, it's nice to have an extra room to retreat to!

Would you opt for an open studio, or an enclosed bedroom like the other two?

If interested in all of Laurel's drawings and explanations of the hypothetical apartment transformations, go to Laurel Bern, and search-- Can A Studio Apartment Become a 1-Bedroom?

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

Patriot3 — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:11:35 GMT

Yes, I'm always taking floor plans and re-arranging them. Designed and drew our home. Should have been an architect

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

Mindy D — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:56:41 GMT

I like the second option but I'd put two of the dining chairs flanking the fireplace and mount a TV on the wall next to the dining table so it could be viewed from the couch.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

AuntG — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:45:29 GMT

I can get lost in floorplans for hours. I wouldn't want the studio version, but really like the change to a one bedroom. Yes, a good sized closet is lost, but in a small apartment, I'd manage quite well using things like underbed drawers and storage ottomans.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

Desert Lily — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 18:30:33 GMT

I was in college in an Architecture program in North Carolina in the mid-1990's. I learned AutoCAD then to create floor plans.

Software for floor plans is much more user-friendly than it was back then.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

GenXmuse — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 20:02:01 GMT

I could pour over floorplans for hours!

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

DSD2 — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 21:01:39 GMT

I have never worked with floor plans but this was interesting. A very creative use of a relatively small space.

As I value a bit of privacy, I definitely would opt for one bedroom and prefer the second option.

Thanks so much for posting @Oznell this was fun and informative.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

stevieb — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 22:43:17 GMT

I enjoy floor plans a lot. Probably should have been an architect. I used to buy the floor plan books by the score and pour over them, dissecting them and deciding on the plans I might choose one fine day. Unfortunately, one fine day has yet to come.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

jubilant — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 23:00:17 GMT

My choice would be #3. More closest space and just like the arrangement of the living area better. I would have a sleeper sofa for guest.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

Icegoddess — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 23:26:45 GMT

I would move the Washer/Dryer out of the kitchen and put it outside the bathroom where it looks like she has a table with a lamp.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

ECBG — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 01:37:54 GMT

I can read floor plans since I taught Interior Design. I have designed and built 2 houses.

In the plans shown, I would go wiih the last plan since a larger dining area isn't often needed. I always appreciate a closed bedroom.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

gardenman — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 11:02:41 GMT

I'd like to see how she gets the furniture into the apartment after her redesign. The door opens in and traps you in the small entry until it's closed. Unless you take the door off it's hinges, there's no room to get any sizable furniture in. Her redesign also moves some fairly expensive plumbing (kitchen sink) and electrical (oven) around that would make the changes fairly expensive.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

Iwantcoffee — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:20:23 GMT

I would opt for an enclosed bedroom instead of a studio.

I choose this floor plan. I like the couch in the bay window and seems like more space than the other plan.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

Mindy D — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:17:14 GMT

@gardenman @I see that, but I would not have noticed it unless you pointed it out.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

Oznell — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 16:34:38 GMT

I knew there'd be lots of architecture fans in this group!

@Icegoddess , that's an interesting re-location of the washer dryer. I think I would go for that also, as long as they could be enclosed, concealed by a door, or even a posh curtain. Then you'd have more room in kitchen for other stuff...

@gardenman -- great eye for the cramped front door situation! Since she's well familiar with plans and actual dimensions, I'm thinking that, to her mind, the benefits of creating the new spaces would outweigh the fact that when you move furniture into the apartment, you'd have to take the door off the hinges.

She does mention the sacrifice of the space in the entry area, and the newly "reduced" (read 'tiny') closet.

I do like that she created storage elsewhere-- the new bedroom closet, and, in the living room-- the new narrow pantry, general closet and china closet lining the walls.

She mentioned that this vintage apartment had eleven foot ceilings, but dismissed the idea of creating a sleeping (or storage?) loft near the ceiling. It would have to be pretty cramped, but might have been an interesting option...

She mentioned, that, since this apt. is in an old house, not an apartment building, that moving a kitchen would be less complicated, and less expensive, than in a conventional apartment building.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

NYCLatinaMe — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 19:48:38 GMT

Hi @gardenman sorry to go off-topic, but did you get off that waitlist? 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼. I have been praying for that, wanting to hear, but I don't do football or reality tv, your usual haunts, so don't know!

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

gardenman — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 22:41:49 GMT

@NYCLatinaMe wrote:

Hi @gardenman sorry to go off-topic, but did you get off that waitlist? 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼. I have been praying for that, wanting to hear, but I don't do football or reality tv, your usual haunts, so don't know!

I got my apartment on June second and finished moving the last of my stuff on June eighteenth. I'm very happy to report I'm no longer homeless. I've still got a few things to add, but I'm in and pretty much settled.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

jubilant — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:44:55 GMT

Just a side note. I had a washer and dryer in the kitchen in the home we raised our kids in. I loved it and found it to be a real step-saver. There was plenty of space in that home to move it but I chose not to. While I have a laundry room now, I can't multi-task in my kitchen as I once did with the "old" set-up and I actually kind of miss it.

Guess I'm a little "old fashioned"! It does save steps so maybe I am getting to an age where that sounds good!

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

NYCLatinaMe — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 23:23:11 GMT

I am so happy for you @gardenman!!!!! I am having housing issues myself and hope I solve them too!

Funny how my timing in asking was fairly perfect! Just very happy for you. Good luck with settling in.

Re: DO YOU LOVE FLOOR PLANS?

gardenman — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 23:55:45 GMT

@NYCLatinaMe

I wish you luck! My planning worked out pretty well. I was able to stay in cheap hotels using my savings from December 29th until May 20th, then I lived in my car from May 20th to June second. I could have made it all the way, but my Wyndham rewards which supposedly let you get a stay for 7,500 points doesn't work with local hotels. They're all 15,000 points per stay. That cut my number of free nights in half. It's nice having some stability again.