Ideas to create 'vestibule' in new house purchase?

Barclayloan_query

Just wondering if anybody had any ideas on how best to create a vestibule / internal porch area on the floor plan below... I was initially thinking of getting a stud wall with a door in but am now thinking about some kind of long sliding door that hides it's self away in a mini wall if such a thing exists?! I don't have exact dimensions, as the hall area dimensions weren't included in the particulars or floorplan, but I'd guesstimate at the hall area on the floorplan below being 8 foot wide x 7 foot deep (internal area from front door to bottom of stairs).

I don't want the porch for storage ie coats/buggy etc, it's more to stop pets running out the door when it's opened! I know this is going to be fairly tight, considering that you still need to be able to get up and down the stairs once the wall or sliding door is in place - and if I do go for a wall then the door will open outwards onto the stairs - but it's something that is an essential (to me) in the new house so was hoping for some inspiration please!

ProDave

Rather than carve it up into tiny spaces. you already have a door to the ground floor rooms each side, so how about a sliding door at the bottom of the stairs. With all 3 shut, the pets can't get out when you open the front door. Easy to do, and does not carve up the space.

Barclayloan_query

ProDave wrote: »

Rather than carve it up into tiny spaces. you already have a door to the ground floor rooms each side, so how about a sliding door at the bottom of the stairs. With all 3 shut, the pets can't get out when you open the front door. Easy to do, and does not carve up the space.

Thanks for the idea but I'd like them to be able to have access to the whole house when I'm not home, if there was a sliding door at the bottom of the stairs they'd be restricted to the upstairs when I'm at work or out.

ReadingTim

Simply don't fling the door wide open and leave it like that when the animal(s) are near: if leaving the house make sure they're not ahead or you or following you, if entering, open the door a small amount to make sure they're not behind the door, and block their escape with your foot if they try and leg it. They're animals, so train them.

Alternatively, get one of those dog play pens (like this one) and stretch it across the gap between the kitchen and lounge doors. Any more permanent solution will simply turn one small space into 2 unusably tiny ones.

Barclayloan_query

ReadingTim wrote: »

Simply don't fling the door wide open and leave it like that when the animal(s) are near: if leaving the house make sure they're not ahead or you or following you, if entering, open the door a small amount to make sure they're not behind the door, and block their escape with your foot if they try and leg it. They're animals, so train them.

Alternatively, get one of those dog play pens (like this one) and stretch it across the gap between the kitchen and lounge doors. Any more permanent solution will simply turn one small space into 2 unusably tiny ones.

Thanks for the reply... unfortunately the animal in question is a cat (two actually) and they're notoriously difficult to train!

Whilst I can do the 'squeeze through the front door with leg blocking the gap' trick they're very nimble and will squeeze past me, it's also annoying when people come over or there's a delivery to have to hunt them down and trap them in whatever room they're in before opening the front door.

I realise the spaces created are going to be small but it's a 'must have' for me and the rest of the house is perfect so it's a compromise I'm prepared to make.

Was just hoping for some clever alternatives to the stud wall/door combo, after ProDave's post I'm thinking maybe a sliding door at the bottom of the stairs but with the addition of two large 'holes' on either side of the first step on the stairs - so they can gain access to all rooms, both upstairs and downstairs, when I'm not home and the stair-door is closed.

LandyAndy

Why do the cats have to stay in? I've had lots of cats in the past and they all came and went as they pleased.

martinsurrey

Barclayloan_query wrote: »

Was just hoping for some clever alternatives to the stud wall/door combo, after ProDave's post I'm thinking maybe a sliding door at the bottom of the stairs but with the addition of two large 'holes' on either side of the first step on the stairs - so they can gain access to all rooms, both upstairs and downstairs, when I'm not home and the stair-door is closed.

how about internal bifolds/double doors, they can be open when you are in, but closed as you leave, a lot of glass will keep the space feeling light

something like that, but full height

gingercordial

Depending on what's outside, and it'll be a bigger construction job, but how about you move the existing front door to the short left hand wall of the entrance hall, then build a glass porch with an external door (your new "front door") in front of the kitchen window? In other words fill in that corner of the house to make it square. Hope you understand what I mean! Then the new external porch is your "air lock" for escaping pets. As long as the porch is all glass (or at least glass walls and roof, even with half-height brick work) you shouldn't lose any light to the kitchen.

Edit: this kind of thing, on the wall that currently has the kitchen window. Your existing front door would be bricked up and a new front door made on the left side of the entrance hall going into this type of porch.

BrassicWoman

what's going on at the back door, if you have one?

Barclayloan_query

Thanks for the flurry of replies... much appreciated!

LandyAndy wrote: »

Why do the cats have to stay in? I've had lots of cats in the past and they all came and went as they pleased.

They've always been indoor cats due to the proximity of a 60mph road in my current house, the new house is even closer to a 70mph road! Don't really want to start a debate on indoor cats as I know some people have strong opinions on it - that's for another board another day!

martinsurrey wrote: »

how about internal bifolds/double doors, they can be open when you are in, but closed as you leave, a lot of glass will keep the space feeling light

something like that, but full height

Thanks, they look lovely - if the doors open out completely flat against the side panels then that would create a lovely large gap when they're open. They wouldn't need to be full height as I can have the wall built down as per your photo.

Just had a look at that website and they do concertina type folding doors which I think would be even better as could be opened out fully when I'm home.

http://www.vibrantdoors.co.uk/door/frosted-glazed-oak---3-door-roomfold-1800mm---6ft-set-3-door---1790mm-x-2078mm

gingercordial wrote: »

Depending on what's outside, and it'll be a bigger construction job, but how about you move the existing front door to the short left hand wall of the entrance hall, then build a glass porch with an external door (your new "front door") in front of the kitchen window? In other words fill in that corner of the house to make it square. Hope you understand what I mean! Then the new external porch is your "air lock" for escaping pets. As long as the porch is all glass (or at least glass walls and roof, even with half-height brick work) you shouldn't lose any light to the kitchen.

Edit: this kind of thing, on the wall that currently has the kitchen window. Your existing front door would be bricked up and a new front door made on the left side of the entrance hall going into this type of porch.

Thanks, not overly keen on the visuals of that one but if the internal solutions don't stack up then it's something I'd consider. I think it would look prettier with a half height brick wall, but then the costs are going to escalate too.

BrassicWoman wrote: »

what's going on at the back door, if you have one?

To get to the back door you'd have to go through the front of the attached garage, through the back of the garage then through the patio doors at the back - so a ready made 'airlock' but not practical on a day to day basis.

prosaver

Barclayloan_query wrote: »

Just wondering if anybody had any ideas on how best to create a vestibule / internal porch area on the floor plan below... I was initially thinking of getting a stud wall with a door in but am now thinking about some kind of long sliding door that hides it's self away in a mini wall if such a thing exists?! I don't have exact dimensions, as the hall area dimensions weren't included in the particulars or floorplan, but I'd guesstimate at the hall area on the floorplan below being 8 foot wide x 7 foot deep (internal area from front door to bottom of stairs).

I don't want the porch for storage ie coats/buggy etc, it's more to stop pets running out the door when it's opened! I know this is going to be fairly tight, considering that you still need to be able to get up and down the stairs once the wall or sliding door is in place - and if I do go for a wall then the door will open outwards onto the stairs - but it's something that is an essential (to me) in the new house so was hoping for some inspiration please!

why dont you just extend to the right also and make the front room bigger, might need planning permission tho