Help me redesign my living space please! 15 December 2022 at 2:54PM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 29 replies 1.9K views

mylifemyrules

Hi, 
I need some advice please on the best use of our downstairs space. As you can see I have a L shaped living/dining space ive always been against the idea of having the dining table in the lounge I don't know why I guess I've never been keen on sitting on the sofa and looking at my dining table but we have had our conservatory insulated so have that as another living room in the day time and a bedroom at night. I did think about having doors separating the living space and dining space but will this make the lounge area too small? 

ashe

It depend what you want to achieve really 

at a basic level your easiest option is something like the below 



if you don't want lounge to be too small consider opening doorway that you can leave open rather than a wall or doorway. Join kitchen to the dining room and have it open plan, it makes your kitchen feel bigger and you can have it as a social space 

mylifemyrules

Thanks maybe glass french doors across lounge diner?

Mutton_Geoff

mylifemyrules said:

Thanks maybe glass french doors across lounge diner?

Or sliding glass (or pocket) doors since you're building a new wall with that design.

FreeBear

Mutton_Geoff said:

mylifemyrules said:

Thanks maybe glass french doors across lounge diner?

Or sliding glass (or pocket) doors since you're building a new wall with that design.

Or if you have the money, a disappearing wall like they have at Trenchard Manor - https://www.coombetrenchard.co.uk/the-disappearing-wall

Mutton_Geoff

That's cool. I wanted to build a fake bookcase, secret door in my last house ..

greensalad

Personally I think living rooms are one room that can be small.As long as you can fit an appropriate amount of seating to accommodate your family and the occasional guests then I think they can be as small as will allow and still feel nice. Nothing worse than a cavernous living room IMO where you don't feel like bedding in for the night under some blankets with a nice film on. 

I don't know how feasible this would be but this would be the ideal:



This would involve removing the staircase and honestly I have no idea if it's feasible based on the support required for the house, but wouldn't it be lovely! It'd give you an actual entrance hall and bypass the living room entirely, making it a cosy space. 

Then you could add double doors through from kitchen to the living room, plus maybe even kitchen bifolds?

FTB_Dan

greensalad said:

Personally I think living rooms are one room that can be small.As long as you can fit an appropriate amount of seating to accommodate your family and the occasional guests then I think they can be as small as will allow and still feel nice. Nothing worse than a cavernous living room IMO where you don't feel like bedding in for the night under some blankets with a nice film on. 

I don't know how feasible this would be but this would be the ideal:



This would involve removing the staircase and honestly I have no idea if it's feasible based on the support required for the house, but wouldn't it be lovely! It'd give you an actual entrance hall and bypass the living room entirely, making it a cosy space. 

Then you could add double doors through from kitchen to the living room, plus maybe even kitchen bifolds?

I think you've over complicated that! You can keep the stairs in the same direction and have the entrance to the kitchen up the hallway (so similarly you don't need to go via the lounge).

greensalad

FTB_Dan said:

greensalad said:

Personally I think living rooms are one room that can be small.As long as you can fit an appropriate amount of seating to accommodate your family and the occasional guests then I think they can be as small as will allow and still feel nice. Nothing worse than a cavernous living room IMO where you don't feel like bedding in for the night under some blankets with a nice film on. 

I don't know how feasible this would be but this would be the ideal:



This would involve removing the staircase and honestly I have no idea if it's feasible based on the support required for the house, but wouldn't it be lovely! It'd give you an actual entrance hall and bypass the living room entirely, making it a cosy space. 

Then you could add double doors through from kitchen to the living room, plus maybe even kitchen bifolds?

I think you've over complicated that! You can keep the stairs in the same direction and have the entrance to the kitchen up the hallway (so similarly you don't need to go via the lounge).

Whoops, I thought I had added a door! That was my whole desire, to add a hallway through to the kitchen/diner directly. I think I also compressed the size of OP's house a little. Here's a better one:



The idea of adding doors through from the living room to dining room is just because it's a nice way to open up. I would suggest pocket doors in a solid wood (not glazed). There's a decent window in the living room anyway, and closing the pocket doors across would then act as a wall and make the living room feel cosy and closed off from the dining/kitchen. However when entertaining, say a family BBQ or something, you can open up the whole house by pushing the pocket doors in and having a lovely wide space. I am considering something similar in my house, I currently have bifold doors in between living and kitchen, but I am considering pocket doors instead. I would have to build a stud wall along the current solid wall. OP would be putting up a partition wall so would get a lovely streamlined look!

The entrance hall may not be feasible if the wall on the right of the stairs is supporting/solid, but it would make a huge difference. Being able to walk into the kitchen directly bypassing the living room is great. Hardwood floors continuing through would be excellent, and then a plush carpet in the living room. No having to kick off your shoes whilst holding a load of grocery shopping, just walk right into the kitchen as it's all hardwood and easier to clean. 

housebuyer143

mylifemyrules said:

Hi, 
I need some advice please on the best use of our downstairs space. As you can see I have a L shaped living/dining space ive always been against the idea of having the dining table in the lounge I don't know why I guess I've never been keen on sitting on the sofa and looking at my dining table but we have had our conservatory insulated so have that as another living room in the day time and a bedroom at night. I did think about having doors separating the living space and dining space but will this make the lounge area too small? 

My house was almost the exact same set up as this and so I personally think a hallway is a waste of space and will make the living room too small. 
Double doors though through would be nice.

mylifemyrules

I think pocket doors would be a good idea but my husband hates the idea 😢 he thinks it will make the lounge too small