We’re still holding off on taking you on a full virtual tour of our soon-to-be new home (you know, until the deal is 100% done and we actually live there). But we thought we’d give you a sense of what we’re gonna be working with thanks to this rough floor plan that we threw together with the use of floorplanner.com (it’s a free service, btw). Everything is approximate since we’re borrowing from the measurements that we took during the inspection and copied from the sales flier, but here’s what we’ve got (the washer & dryer are stacked in the small mudroom off of the carport):
*There aren’t measurements for the smaller spaces like the bathrooms or hallways, but the total square footage for this house is around 2,500 square feet
The funny thing is that if you look at our current house’s floor plan it might seem a bit familiar. We always said if we built onto our house we’d love to add a nice bedroom with a true en-suite bath (since our current casa only has one full bath in the entire house and nothing attached to a bedroom at all) and we wouldn’t mind somehow creating a larger family/living room (we’ve always longed for a casual and comfy sectional but our current house just wouldn’t accommodate one thanks to the long narrow family and living room layouts). Sherry has also always had serious island envy and lo and behold, the new house could actually support one of those as well. In other words, just talking about it gets us all geeked out and excited since it’s kind of like a combination of our current house and a few more things we’ve always wanted.
We’re just so thankful that after some pretty rigorous searching we finally found this baby. In fact it has nearly everything going for it when it comes to our parameters (great school, great location near family, a lush and lovely yard for Burger & The Bean, within our budget, etc) except that it’s admittedly a tad bigger than we had targeted.
We like living modestly, making spaces multitask, and most of all not having to clean a huge house. But at around 2,500 square feet it’s nothing too crazy, and we’re sure we can grow into it and take the entertaining brunt off of John’s poor sister (who currently has a 3,000 square foot house so the whole crew always ends up over there- and as fun as that is, we’d love to be a place where the family gathers as well). We figure a bit of extra space couldn’t hurt in that regard, since the average get-together for us is around 10-16 people (and we can currently seat just 6 people at our dining table that sits in the corner of our living room). Plus there are more DIY projects to take on. Ha.
But anyway, here’s how we envision adapting the floor plan to make the house work best for our family (we’ve highlighted the descriptions that have changed in green, but we’ll break things down a bit more below the floor plan for ya):
You’ll notice that we’re thinking about:
- converting the carport into a garage (thanks to a sweet credit the sellers gave us)
- turning the modestly sized dining room into an office, and even adding pretty french doors to separate that area
- converting the formal front living room into an entryway with a casual dining room slash library
- adding a large doorway leading into the kitchen from the new dining room/library
- making one bedroom into a playroom/future nursery for kiddo number two in a few years (we’re waiting a while), making the second one into Clara’s bedroom, and turning the third one into a guest room for family & friends since they stay with us pretty frequently (upgrade: they’ll now have their own small bathroom to use, instead of having to share one shower with all of us).
- adding an island in the kitchen and widening the doorway that leads to the former family room…
- …which will become our one and only living room- we’ve learned that three rooms with sofas in this current house (the living room, den, and sunroom) aren’t necessary for the way we live, and the formal living room just doesn’t get used. So creating a nice large casual living space with a sectional and lots of room will hopefully make our house into a place where everyone gathers, which is a huge goal of ours. And the more spacious kitchen that’s centrally located (which is soon to be open on all four sides) will definitely help create that airy, welcoming, accommodating feeling for large groups like our huge crazy family.
- creating an amazing double sided fireplace since the back of the fireplace in the kitchen can hopefully be blown out so there’s also access to it from the living room.
Update: One change we decided to make after posting this but before moving in was to use Bedroom #1 (the smallest closest bedroom) as Clara’s room and turn Bedroom #2 (the larger middle one) into a playroom/second kids bedroom. Bedroom #2 will probably end up being Clara’s big girl room and our second child will move into the nursery (Bedroom #1) in a few years when he or she exists.
Of course we won’t do any major work (knocking down walls, building an island, fully gutting and renovating the bathrooms, blowing out that fireplace, etc) before we live there a little while and we’re sure it all makes sense for the way we actually end up using the house. We’ve never subscribed to the knock-down-walls-and-refinish-everything-before-moving-in way of life since we never would have come up with the close-off-a-door-to-gain-a-bedroom-and-a-whole-wall-of-cabinetry-in-the-kitchen plan that dawned on us only after living in our house for about six months. But we will jump right in with things like painting the walls, kitchen cabinets, trim, and doors along with switching out light fixtures, other hardware, and beginning to slowly but steadily furnish the place in a casual, affordable, and kid-friendly way. It’s honestly all I think about these days. I have about 500 tear sheets, notes, and other inspiration piles surrounding me at all times. Is it mid-December yet?
Amanda says
This makes me giddy with anticipation; I can’t hardly imagine what you two are experiencing! The french doors sounds amazing, I love french doors. I’m exicted to see how it’s going to evolve over the next months/years.
I’ve always been partial to a bigger house since my dads house (house I grew up in) is 3 floors (basement included), but I’m becoming partial to a 1 or 2 floor house — and as you say: less to clean, which would be amazing. But I have years to change my mind again :D :P
Kristin Jo says
Sherry, You guys amaze me. I can’t wait to see what you do for Xmas. :)
Jay says
Have you considered turning the dining room into the office and making the living room into the dining room? Then you would have your family room as the family/living room. You could easily close the opening at the end of the dining room that connects it to the living room. Then the person(s) working would not be sequestered to a rear bedroom/office area. It would work great in your new home.
Jay says
Whoops. I made my last comment before I scrolled down and saw the revamped floor plan. I guess great minds think alike!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! You read our mind.
xo,
s
Anne says
I LOVE the new floorplan!! Cannot wait to see the real thing!
Sarah says
I love a house with a fireplace in the kitchen! Can you imagine anything more cozy than having your kids relax on/near the hearth on a cold winter day while you cook? Or vice versa?
Nicole says
Just curious about what looks like a “mini” porch right outside the “family room” and also adjacent to the master bedroom…. is it possible to put a door in the master bedroom that could lead outside to that little porch? Thinking a short wall around a private master bedroom porch with some lovely pots…a bistro set and a quiet place outside to read a book early in the morning in a nice day…
YoungHouseLove says
That’s definitely a possibility! We were thinking of making that into a cutting garden since it’s near the kitchen but you never know…
xo,
s
Sarah says
Your blog could equal my life. My husband and I just purchased a hundred year old foursquare. Have a sizeable renovation budget and having it reno’d now. My advice to you would be to have a renovation contingency fund, and then a contingency for that contingency. Between the plumbing, the cut floor joists, the missing floor beam and every other thing that could go wrong, our budget for a fantastic detached garage is being whittled away to nothing. Good luck in your endeavors – I hope they go better than ours are currently going.
Emily says
How exciting!! The house looks great. An extra bedroom PLUS and office. It seems perfect for you. I have a couple of questions though… 1) It looks like there is a doorway from the office to the kitchen. Do you think you’ll close it off? 2)Does you new house have hardwood floors? I can’t tell from the floor plan.
I can’t wait until you move in and do a video.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Emily,
We don’t think we’ll close that doorway into the kitchen from the office since we figure it’ll be convenient to not have to walk the other way around (since everyone ends up in the kitchen anyway, it’s the heart of the house, right?). We do have some wood floors and some vinyl and some tile. Lots to do!
xo,
s
Melissa @ HOUSEography says
Just seeing the title of this post got me excited and you guys didn’t disappoint. We may be renovating soul mates :) Before I even scrolled down, I was already mentally blocking off the dining room and making it your office with french doors to the new much bigger dining room (nee living room). The kitchen reconfiguration will be the toughest and it may (MAY) be worth consulting an architect for a few hours to see what might be possible as far as tearing more walls down to make it really open and light and bright. Kitchens in the center of the house can be a little tough if they lack windows but I think you are on the right track! And with such a long dining room, you may want to square it up with some sort of entry foyer area, which despite major renovation, we could still not find a way to work in! Cannot wait to see all of your great ideas evolve and come to fruition!
nikki says
hi! delurking for a moment… (love this blog, btw) i’ve always thought of kitchen islands as the mother of all workspaces so i’m wondering why you’d have one so far from your work triangle. as someone who’s planning a new kitchen as well, i know it’s wonderful to have an island but maybe in that space, a table (a great hefty farmtable that you could also work on, if that’s your style) would be better. i see your work area is probably too narrow for an island but an island for the sake of an island doesn’t feel very efficient. you’ve already planned for seating at your island so why not keep it an eat-in space? it’s a great house and i do love that the kitchen is literally the heart of your new home!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Nikki,
John’s sister has an island and it’s the perfect place for kids to do homework and have casual snacks and lunches so that’s what we envision. She doesn’t use it to prep food or anything, and we don’t imagine we would either- although we would use at least one isde of it for extra storage (we picture drawers or cabinetry on the side near the heart of the kitchen and chairs on the other side facing into the space). Sure, popping a table there would create a homework and casual eating zone, but we’d lose the storage that we’d gain from it- plus we’ll have a nice spacious table in the nearby dining room. Of course nothing’s set in stone so we’ll move in and see how we use everything. Who knows where we’ll end up!
xo,
s
heather says
I’m with the others on walking into a dining room – I’m not a fan. I looked at a house that was set up that way and was immediately turned off of the house. Theirs was a casual setup as well (no formal furniture – a small dining table and cushy chairs) but it felt odd to be walking into the dining space.
annabelvita says
I could see that area off the kitchen being a lovely and super private outdoor dining area, with lights strung between the two rooves. (also liked the suggestion of opening a door up from the master bedroom – OR Oooh, what about French doors to the garden from there, since y’all love sunrooms so much.)
Obviously ithat area is also ideally located for a kitchen garden but I’d worry about the plants getting enough light.
It looks great though and have faith that whatever you do will be very covetable and perfect for your family!
Wanjiku says
Is it just me or is December so far off…cant wait to see what YHL has in store for their new home. How exciting!!! Cheers and keep well.
Sarah C says
Awesome floor plan..somewhat similar to mine! I can’t wait
to see the “real” pics! Also, in reference to the poster discussing not putting kids together–My kids don’t wake up when the baby cries, even if they’re in the same room, so not necessarily a worry–all kids are different I guess!
Pammy says
Floorplanner.com is how I found your awesome blog! Many months ago I was searching for an online tool for drawing up floorplans (we had a contract on a short sale & were naively optimistic at the time) and after a google search, found your post about it. From then on I was hooked on your website! And now that we close on our house next week (NOT the short sale, which isn’t a bad thing), i’m back at floorplanner playing around :) So thanks!
Becka @ Life as an Artistpreneur says
That’s pretty much the exact floor plan I want in a house. One day…. (said wistfully)
SandyL says
oooo smoky, risky, sophisticated decor in the new casa! Of course you can pull it off. I have complete faith in you guys! Can’t wait!
Pam says
Something tells me that I’ve been in that house before :) I’m gonna miss hanging out there, so feel free to invite me over!
Pam
YoungHouseLove says
Haha. Can’t wait to meet you at the party, Pam! Should be lots of fun. And we promise to stop planning what walls we’ll knock down and take a moment to get to know everyone…
xo,
s
Natalie says
Oooh thanks for sharing the floorplan! I always thought a formal living room seemed a bit of a waste, so I’m glad to see you guys are utilizing your large living room and having the other room be a dining room. It seems much more practical/functional!
And I looove your idea of creating a double-fire place. It reminds me of Panera Bread, lol :)
Lindsay says
We are in the process of buying our first house and are scheduled to close on Dec 15! I stay up at night thinking about paint colors, furniture placement, and furniture pieces I want to save up for because I know they will be just right. My husband is deployed right now (and until June) so house projects are a great distraction! We have a baby girl due in March so I will be referring to your nursery redo lots when I tackle that project in Jan/Feb. Thanks!
Kristin says
Congrats on the new house!
One teeny suggestion for your new floor plan. Perhaps you can swing your new office french doors in the opposite direction (towards the Dining Room). The built-ins provide a nice little alcove, so the doors won’t encroach on the Dining Room, and you’ll gain a little breathing room in the Office instead of the double door swing space. Just a thought.
Can’t wait to see how it’s all transformed!
Minru says
Is it weird having the dining room as the first room you enter when you come into the house?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Minru,
In our last house the dining area was in the room that you entered and it wasn’t bad. We plan to make an entryway so it doesn’t seem weird.
xo,
s
Katie says
So your living room & master bedroom were added onto the house at some point in the past?
It looks great! I can’t wait to see what yo do with the kitchen!! Get some paint on that puppy!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
Yes! The back living room and master were additions in the 70’s and the sunroom was built around 10 years ago.
xo,
s
Michelle Nichols says
Here’s an idea for a DIY kitchen island. I found it over at Binkies and Briefcases. She used an old dresser as her new kitchen island.
http://binkiesandbriefcases.blogspot.com/2010/10/kitchen-island-almost-done.html
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Thanks for the link Michelle!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Fab to see your plans for the new house and I look forward to following your DIY adventures over the next few years.
I love how the kitchen is at the ‘centre’ of the house with the doors coming off it to different rooms… I reckon that’ll be perfect with a young family when you need to get things done in there but keep at eye on wee ones in other rooms at the same time. Currently my daughter ends up sitting on the floor or our small kitchen playing with kitchen utensils whilst we’re cooking…!
Becca says
Hey, just curious, what year was your house built?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Becca,
1962. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hayley says
I didn’t read every page, so I’m not sure if it was mentioned…but, have you thought about making the fireplace double sided? I know nothing about fireplaces, but when I have seen to two sided ones, I have always been envious.
Also, I grew up with a dining room right off the front entry and it worked because it had to columns on either side of the opened doorway (if that makes sense). Maybe if it feels weird, you could go along with the library/built ins theme and create one or two waist high book shelves to separate entrance from dining. Just a thought. Can’t wait to see what happens :)
Hayley says
…just saw the fireplace plan, lol. good thinking :)
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! We can’t wait to tackle the whole double sided thing…
xo,
s
John says
The cool thing about your current floor plan (I think) is that you have so much great space. If I were in on the debate/arguments, I would say dont put a hole in the living room wall to go through to the kitchen. You dont want to walk into a home and immediately see a sink, stove, dirty dishes or food. Put the hole on the family room side. No point in having two rooms that do the same thing, which is what a hole in the living room wall would accomplish. You would get 2 dens. My 2 cents.
georgia says
What are your plans for your floors. Are you keeping the parquet, staining all of it to look the same, or getting new hardwoods? What about the kitchen floor?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re not sure yet about the kitchen floor but we’re leaning towards cork in there and then we’ll refinish all the wood flooring in the house (wide plank, standard hardwoods, and parquet) – probably in a rich dark finish so the house feels a lot more cohesive.
xo,
s
Leah B says
I love, love, love the way you guys did your home. I love even more the decorations! Could you do my home :) hah
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah! Sure!
xo
s