First-time house renovation

jimbugalee

Have you considered part glass doors for the alcove? It might give you more choice but understand it wouldn't completely blend in. Loads here, if I've got the right idea http://www.spaceslide.co.uk/wardrobe-doors/info/

This looks good too http://www.mirrordoors.co.uk/wardrobe-door-panel-options-3-w.asp

I love the furniture in bedroom 2 - if there were gaps round the edge could you fill these with something like those twig lights in a nice vase? (sure there's something posher than that but you see what I mean!)

latecomer

@TM - I have to say I dont like built in wardrobes but I love free standing oak in bedroom 2 (similar to what we have in our bedroom) so my opinion is just slightly biased. Downside with oak is that its expensive and heavy if you have to move it (or get it up stairs!)

that said, we are going to try and build something into the coomb space in the main loft bedroom. We've got some ideas about using some oak veneered kitchen carcass material which is made to order but dont know whether it will be strong enough etc. May also have a look at buying something made to measure too....

Interesting people are talking about doors - we've been told that our need to be a minimum of 800mm wide which means we cant get the doors we wanted from wickes. What size is everyone else buying/bought?

We were going to have the Oxford which is a similar style to the original ones downstairs but they dont come that big. Also liked the the york ones but OH isn't sure. The Geneva was our original choice but isn't a great match for downstairs.

jimbugalee

Is 800mm wider than a normal door or narrower? Upstairs our doors were smaller than the frame so the carpenter adjusted the frame. It was prob a couple of cm's out.

TomsMom

Thanks both.

Jimmie - I've looked at every type of sliding door and can't make up my mind if they're right for the room. I have to say I prefer hinged doors but again can't say I've yet seen anything that says "I'm right for your room" - but then again I've only looked online, haven't been able to get out anywhere to see any in the flesh.

Latecomer - I do like real furniture and I love proper wood. I love our bedroom furniture, it's a lovely colour too. When TD is stronger, he and our son could get them up the stairs. The delivery people got the last lot up but unfortunately because it was all boxed they weren't careful and the boxes made dreadful scuff marks on the h/s/l walls and we had to get the decorator back to repaint so that was another £100. TD says if we have these freestanding wardrobes again he would only have them delivered to the door and would take the boxes off and he and DS could CAREFULLY maneouvre them up the stairs without marking the paint.

My only worry is that it will be too much wood and too chunky looking, especially as we can only have the "gents" robes and not the full length doors. Saying that, the walls are Timeless which is a very soft whiteish colour and will probably stay that way so it gives an airy feel to what is already a fairly generous size room. I'll have to measure the alcove again and see how big the gaps would be I think.

Anyone else got any thoughts?

Latecomer Our doors were the standard doors 686mm. As all our door frames and architraves were replaced, and a few walls moved, the builders did it all to standard size. We would have had a hard job if we'd kept the previous owners frames. Your doors must be quite wide then at 800mm, now I would love that as I really love big doors.

jamtart6

Thanks for the tip TomsDad hope he is doing ok

I'm a big fan of sliding doors.....

latecomer

@jimbuglee - I'm not sure but most doors for sale (certainly on wickes website0 are either 27" (686mm), 30" (762mm) or 33" (838mm). Hence my confusion as to why we've got to have the doors a minimum of 800mm wide.

I like big doors but it seems to be restricting our choice somewhat which is annoying. I'm hoping its not just the builder talking rubbish but the architect is visiting today so the in laws will be finding out for definite.

latecomer

@TM - i meant to ask - what colour were your Wickes doors when they were delivered? I'm guessing as they are real oak veneer that its just plain oak.

We are getting solid oak skirting boards and facings and hence want to make sure the doors will be a reasonable match.

TomsMom

latecomer wrote: »

@TM - i meant to ask - what colour were your Wickes doors when they were delivered? I'm guessing as they are real oak veneer that its just plain oak.

We are getting solid oak skirting boards and facings and hence want to make sure the doors will be a reasonable match.

Yes, LC, they're a real oak veneer and a medium colour (more possibly on the light-medium side but darkened slightly when TD put the Osmo oil on). They are very close to the furniture colour, if you're screen is like mine it gives a very life-like colour which shows up well when the photo is enlarged.

By the way, reading your previous post, I've just realised that our doors would have been the 762mm ones - I'm not brilliant at converting, I knew they were 2'6" but the brain wouldn't work, I blame it on my headache!

latecomer

Thanks TM - apparently the architect said that the physical opening once the door has been fitted must be 775mm between the side of the opened door and the standard opposite. Not sure how that could ever be achieved with a door that was less than 800 or so wide? Anyway thats what they have to be so we'll just have to get the bigger ones. Need to get OH when she's not as annoyed about the whole thing and see if we can decide on a style of door.

Ours stairs were pretty much completed yesterday although there is still some support required underneath. He also said that the stairs were sufficiently wide so they should pass the building warrant despite not actually being wide enough. Annoying but as long as it gets passed we're not too concerned.

We do have a major new issue though, they started putting in soffit vents and found that they might be asbestos. And while the builder seemed to be ok with still fitting the vents we were not so work has stopped on that and a sample is being taken to the council for testing which will take 3 working days. It could be a cement board but I wouldn't know the difference but anyway its not worth the risk. If its asbestos we'll either leave it where it is and go back to roof vents or have it all removed.

littlerose12345

Hi Everyone, hope you had a nice weekend! We finished our main bedroom (wardrobes to be fitted next week!!) and utility room.

Next stop - box room! Hopefully shouldn't take too long. Skirting board was done at the weekend and will be painted this week and room to be lined and papered! Exciting!

Just wondering where you have all got your door handles / knobs from? I'm after something like this: http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=20001&partNumber=046811&Trail=searchtext>MORTICE+KNOB but at that price.. and with 7 doors to buy for it's going to work out a little pricy!