Downstairs Bedroom......

sali84

missindecisive wrote: »

As your son doesn't stay that often..how about putting a sofa bed into the living room 1. Then let one of the girls have the small bedroom upstairs.

I think this is what I would do.

To help your son feel like it's his room, maybe involve him in decorating the room a bit? Depending on his age, you could let him choose a new duvet cover, or even help with painting if you decide to give the room a bit of a makeover?

nfollows1982

I looked at partitioning the bedroom but I can't find any way to make it work as whichever way the partition runs, half the room wouldn't have a window.

Brighton_belle

We use the sitting room on the ground floor as a bedroom not a sitting room. It works really well. Any room in a house can have any designation you choose: we choose to have our sittingroom upstairs in what was 'the master bedroom' because we like it and it suits theway we use our space and don't feel tied by 'convention'.
However, the downstairs bedroom does not have the front door in it! I just don't see how that can work for you all, unless you and you wife take it and creat a cheap false wall to create a pasage way though the room to the shared room behind, and that would only work if the door in on on side on the room, not in the middle.
I do think you need to do everyting you can to keep that single room for your son - it is good to hearthat situation is improving for him and you. I strongly disagree with the suggestion above of him sleeping in the dining room: that will not feel like his space and he will rightly feel an add on extra and not part of the family.
No hope of making a room in the attic, or partiioning the room the girls currently share?

Edit - I suppose windows wise, there ia no chance of partitioning part of your current bedroom for your son?

Gloomendoom

I had a front room bedroom when I was student. Despite a huge notice on the front door stating that it was out of use and all callers and deliveries should use the back door, I used to get disturbed all times of the day and night.

Security proved not to be an issue, despite the house being in roughest, most crime ridden area of a biggish city.

peachyprice

missindecisive wrote: »

As your son doesn't stay that often..how about putting a sofa bed into the living room 1. Then let one of the girls have the small bedroom upstairs. Its seems daft keeping an empty room for him when the others might really need the space. Just explain to the girls that when he comes to stay he need his own space in the living room while hes there, maybe remove some of their stuff to upstairs to de-personalise the space.
Don't think there is anything wrong with anyone sleeping in living room 1 as a bedroom..as long as the front door is secure. You coud add a door curtain to prevent draughts, maybe a homely rug and a bedroom type lamp. You have to adapt your home the best way you can to suit your family. The most important thing is that your son is happy and not uncomfortable when he visits.

OP has had serious issues with his son feeling that he has been pushed put of OP's new family, hence the need to keep a bedroom for his son, pushing him into the living room on a sofa bed at this stage would be a big mistake.

OP, could you and your wife have a sofa bed in the living room, just leave your wardrobe etc upstairs either in the bedroom or on the landing but let on/to of the girls have your bedroom?

I really don't think using the room opening onto the street is a practical idea, is there anyway you could re-route the downstairs hallway to make a separate room of the second living room, ebven if it means making two smaller rooms?

nfollows1982

There is a door out of the front living room that leads to the bottom of the stairs, then there is another door leading into the next living room, it doesn't go straight through from one room to the other.

So you would be able to come downstairs and through to the living room without going through the front room and vice versa.

It sounds terribly complicated!!

Meadows

If moving is not a viable option why not look at a loft conversion? Or if the garage if you have one is attached to the house then how about a garage conversion or an extension out of the back of the house.

It seems that just with the family you have living there you have too little room so the only way is to have some sort of conversion or extension. Also what about having an extra window put in the double bedroom so you could partition?

MacGirl80

If you contact a local college or university you may be able to get a hold of some student architects that would be happy to work on this project for you for school credit?

tyllwyd

What are you planning for when the baby gets old enough to need to move out of your bedroom (boy or girl?)

Is any kind of an extension an option?

To be honest, it sounds as if your house isn't anywhere near big enough for a family with 4/5 children, very soon to include teenagers, and the layout means it is very awkward to change - are you 100% sure that moving is not an option at all?

nfollows1982

Meadows wrote: »

If moving is not a viable option why not look at a loft conversion? Or if the garage if you have one is attached to the house then how about a garage conversion or an extension out of the back of the house.

It seems that just with the family you have living there you have too little room so the only way is to have some sort of conversion or extension. Also what about having an extra window put in the double bedroom so you could partition?

We are in a mid terrace and the bathroom is downstairs so there is no room to extend that way and we don't have a garage either.

Because there is a chimney breast that runs up through both bedrooms they're a difficult shape to partition