Wednesday, April 20, 2011

New Bath Plans


In the area of the dark side, I'm going to be creating a new bathroom.  I did talk about this idea about a year ago and I've made some changes based on the feedback I was given.

Below is a floor plan of the entire downstairs of the house.



The area in question has been highlighted in yellow.  I'm taking 2-1/2 feet from the dining room and 2-1/2 feet from the kitchen to carve out this modest, full bathroom.

Below are the plans showing the prospective bathroom.


The bathroom is accessed from the hallway at the top of the basement stairs.  I've slightly enlarged this area into what I call the bathroom foyer.  The blue indicates the placement of the hidden window.  This is immediately below a window in the upstairs hallway and will help bring some much needed light into the end of the hallway.

In the previous plan, the bathroom door was off the dining room which several people took issue with.  I didn't love the idea myself and you all picked right up on it.  Moving the door to the hallway, required giving up a new closet.  We'll also take extra measures to soundproof the wall between the dining room and the bathroom.


Above is a closeup of the bathroom itself.  The tub extends into the kitchen space by 30 inches and will require a new support structure overhead.  In fact, there's quite a bit of structural work that will be done as part of this project.  New joists will be added under the bathroom area and a few posts are being added into the basement to correct and support some sagging.

The bathroom has no window unfortunately but the window that's covered up will be right outside so I'm considering taking out the panels in the door and adding some Florentine glass to obscure any view.  But, I don't know, it's just a thought right now.  Plenty of bathrooms don't have windows.  


Here is the elevation of the bathroom.  It's nothing fancy by any means but I hope to choose fixtures and materials that will give it a vintage-with-a-twist look. 





 Since the upstairs bath is off of the master bedroom, I thought it was important to get a tub in this bath downstairs for any guests that might want to tolerate staying with me.
Another purpose of creating this new bath in the middle of the house is to a create a much better kitchen.


As you can see by the floorplan of the kitchen, it's lined with windows and doors which make it hard to create a decent span of countertop. 

By creating a new bathroom in the center of the house, I'll be able to demo the PANTRY and BATH and expand the kitchen to the entire back wall of the kitchen.  The new tub takes up 2-1/2 feet by 5-1/2 of the old kitchen but removing the pantry and old bathroom  adds 4 feet by 12 feet to the new kitchen.  If my math is correct that's a net gain of about 32 square feet of kitchen

Here's a photo of that back kitchen wall.  The sliding doors go in the bathroom on the right and the pantry on the left. 




Here's the plan for the future kitchen.  When I showed the Sketchup Model of the kitchen last year, some of you freaked out on me.  I hope you have a little more trust in me at this stage of the game.  The floor plan is more for placement of appliances.

The blue, again, is a new window that will go in the kitchen.  I've gone back and forth between having only one window so the sink is centered on the window and this two-window plan so the windows are symmetrical on both sides of the room.  If I slide the sink down, I feel it's just too close to the fridge.  I'd rather have the extra light.

Notice the little square outside the new kitchen window?

That's this chimney.  It's gotta go.

This project will do all of the structural work for the new bathroom and isolate the space that will become the bathroom.  This will allow me to finish the dining room so you can see all four walls.  Okay, Randy?


27 comments:

  1. Hi Steve, this looks like a great plan. The biggest bonus is the added footage for the kitchen. Oh the possibilites! I just want you to hurry up and get it done so we can see it. Yours is one of my favorite blogs because of your vision and your eye. Question. Have your neighbors done these types of restorations too? (Not nearly as brilliantly, I'm sure!)

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  2. Carol,
    I'm excited about the larger kitchen. It will be a frequent gathering place for my friends.

    Most of the houses on the street have been updated in the past 10 years. Mine was one of three were way past due for restoration.

    Steve

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  3. It looks like a well thought out floor plan with excellent details. I can't wait to see the reveal!

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  4. Love the plans..especially the insulating/soundproofing part. We lived in base housing in NJ, and let's just say I knew when the neighbors were in the bathroom. I know, TMI. Hey, it was a fact of life, my life!
    Yeah, insulation is pretty damn important! Who's Randy...?

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  5. I must be an eight year old boy at heart because I've over here sniggering about the extra sound-proofing measure for the bathroom.

    Ahem. Seriously, your plan looks very well thought-out, and I especially like the fact that you are allowing for extra light in the kitchen. Light is everything and well worth making other accommodations.

    Also, thank you for the pretty bathroom pictures.

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  6. I 100% agree with two things right off the bat. Keep the bath entry separate. Mine is right off the kitchen and I can tell my guests are like I have to go on there when you are out here. Embarrassing. Also, I LOVE your new kitchen floor plan. The counter space between work areas is great. My original kitchen has 9 inches between the sink and cooktop. I hated it. Now I have 36. The best.

    I love seeing architectural plans too. How many different sketches did you do checking out your possibilities?

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  7. What a lot of detail which I am sure you have lost some sleep over. The new kitchen is wonderful running all the way to the back. I have no thoughts on the kitchen windows - I am too sleepy. I will enjoy that new bathroom when I visit. :)

    xo Terri

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  8. wow... big project... and exciting... look forward to seeing the progress!

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  9. Very well thought out (and a lot of work!) That extra room in the kitchen is key! More light is always good but seeing the chimney brought down makes me sad as it has such character - but perhaps it's no longer needed (I'm not totally up on that sort of thing.) I'm sure you're making the right moves though - you always do.

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  10. What well-thought out plans these are! Worth waiting for.

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  11. You know I love renovations - and this one is very well thought out. I like how you moved the bath and exteneded the kitchen. Did I miss what if there are to be windows on the back wall? Love it! Cant wait to follow the process!
    xx-Gina

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  12. Oooooh...the taxman cometh bathroom. I likey! I Lovey the kitchen idea...can't wait to see what range you pick!!

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  13. hi steve,

    it's early so i'm in no condition to comment fully. all i can say is that it sounds like you've got it all worked out and i know it will be amazing. i am concerned though because now it sounds as if sarah and i are competing with randy and now terri for your guest quarters. hmmmm.

    xo

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  14. Don't worry, Janet. I'll just add on.

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  15. This is going to be great! I love what you're doing in the kitchen as well as the new bathroom. Did you come into money? Do I take a number to visit behind Janet & co?

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  16. Nope. I'm broke for a while. Since I lost last summer the exterior, I'm going to stop so I can enjoy it and save my pennies for fixtures and tile.

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  17. Steve,
    I like this so much better than having a door to the bathroom in the dining room. And personally, I don't have a problem with a bathroom without a window. I won't be complaining when I come to visit! I love your inspiration photos, and actually have saved them for inspiration for when I add a bath to my house (in the someday file).
    Karin

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  18. Try putting a transom window over the bathroom door.

    Feeling like you're putting on a shadow show (through the opaque glass panels in the door)in the bathroom can be uncomfortable and the transom would give you the simple, vintage feeling you're going for if you have enough clearance for it.

    Good luck!

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  19. I digested every word of this post (unlike when I read the health care bill), studied the floorplans(thanks for including. It satified my floorplan fetish) ... and held my breath.

    The entire time I was thinking...

    1. If he puts a full bath downstairs (clearly for my upcoming visit)the other bath better be going away. Good plan!
    2. My favorite part is the 'bath foyer'. I have a bath with no window and I did a frosted glass door. It freaks some people out, but they get over it. Also, I like Anonymous's transom idea.
    3. Can we open up the space between the kitchen and the dining more? or would that be out of character?
    4. I need to see that side porch. What's going on there?
    5. Can we find room for a a scullery or some type wentches space.

    I'll plan a visit as soon as my bathroom is complete, which will give you plenty of time to get that dining wall finished!

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  20. Love the plans. Especially like the idea of the "bathroom foyer" with the window right outside. And a transom would be a great idea for light. However, I do have one bath with no window, and it's fine. As long as you put a good fan in for ventilation.
    Oh, and are you going to keep that cool gate thing from the chimney when you demolish it? Seems like you could find a new home for it in the house maybe...it seems a shame not to.
    Keep up the good work and the wonderful sharing!

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  21. I think I have said this before, "Anything worth doing is worth doing well." Great plans.

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  22. very exciting!!! (especially since it's your project;) I, of course, had to look back through the orig comments, and you weren't kidding that they ripped you a new one!
    I love all your plans, but do like anon's idea of the transom (I love, love the one we added to the pantry) I'm afraid the panels will freak me out and I will have to use the master bath when I come to visit;)
    Now, do you have to get approval from the hysterical society to do this interior project (I know you need approval for the window, but I mean everything else.) The architectural salvage place in NH has some fabulous sinks....

    Happy weekend!
    j.

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  23. Hello -
    I am jumping in late here as I am infrequent reader but I hate having a bathroom off the kitchen more than off the dining room so I think this is a VERY good change. No window needed in a bathroom - since it is a little small you will need the wall space for hooks and towel bars.Besides you don't need someone breaking in through the "forgot to close the bathroom window" when a guest was in there. Spend on a quality, noisy fan and no one will hear anything from the dining room. The window in the bath foyer will be great and add interest to the whole area including light into the dining room.If I was reading correctly - I vote no on any kind of glass-frosted door to the bathroom.
    My final comment - SLIDING GLASS DOORS to replace the windows to the porch!!!

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  24. Oh yah - a transom over the bathroom window WOULD be cool.
    oh and what aboutr a pocket door in the doorway between the bathroom foyer and the dining room itself. Than you could close it for formal occasions or when guests want to run from the upstairs in their robe to the downstairs shower while other folks may be in dining room or wandering from living room to dining to kitchen - just a thought.

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  25. I like it all every much, especially the transom idea. The only thing I question is the need for a tub (versus a shower) on the first floor. Whenever I encounter a tub in someone else's home, I feel like I am intruding into very personal space. Also, showers can be floor to ceiling glass, helping to keep the space from feeling crowded. Also, (sorry didn't know I'd get so into this) I haven't had any guest but my mom want to take a bath at my house, and she's welcome to use the master bath for that.

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  26. hello, Steve, I was one of last year's freakers. but I seem to remember a project that integrated kitchen and dining in a much more "modern" project.... I think it all looks great, but I might still try to save the pantry. trust em: you need a pantry!

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  27. I'm having the exact same layout to my bathroom. I bought an original cast iron pedestal basin from an antique store in a country town a few months ago. Just got to get the rest of the bathroom now! Great post. Thanks for sharing the plans.

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