Hello dear house building enthusiasts,
I would like to convert the attic (2nd floor) of an older building (built in 1974). When the house was constructed in the 1970s, the builder already planned a floor layout for the attic, knowing that it would be converted a few years after completion.
Unfortunately, life got in the way and it was never converted. For the past 45 years, it has been used as a “luxury storage attic.” As you can see from the two floor plans, there is a balcony, several skylights, and also regular windows. I have attached the current state (Ist-Stand_2018.jpg). As you can see, no walls have been built yet.
I reconstructed the originally planned layout (see attachment “Ursprünglicher_Grundriss.jpg”) from the old documents and redrawn it. Unfortunately, I am unsatisfied with this layout for the following reasons:
I have already put a lot of thought into this but haven’t found a satisfactory solution. I have attached one of my drafts (Grundriss_Neuentwurf.jpg). In this version, I like the placement of the kitchen, dining area, and bathroom very much, but I have the following issues:
In general, I have a question:
The apartment measures 107 m² (1150 sq ft) calculated according to living space regulations. Is it common for a size like this to accommodate 2 children’s bedrooms plus 1 master bedroom, or is it more usual nowadays to have 1 child’s bedroom and 1 master bedroom?
Since the apartment is not intended for me, I have no personal preferences.
Thank you in advance for any help and ideas!
Best regards,
Flasher
I would like to convert the attic (2nd floor) of an older building (built in 1974). When the house was constructed in the 1970s, the builder already planned a floor layout for the attic, knowing that it would be converted a few years after completion.
Unfortunately, life got in the way and it was never converted. For the past 45 years, it has been used as a “luxury storage attic.” As you can see from the two floor plans, there is a balcony, several skylights, and also regular windows. I have attached the current state (Ist-Stand_2018.jpg). As you can see, no walls have been built yet.
I reconstructed the originally planned layout (see attachment “Ursprünglicher_Grundriss.jpg”) from the old documents and redrawn it. Unfortunately, I am unsatisfied with this layout for the following reasons:
- The kitchen was also meant to serve as a dining area (typical open kitchen). Due to the kitchen’s position under the sloped roof, it is undersized. It was intended to place a table for 3 people in the kitchen.
- A child’s room can only be accessed via the common staircase, not through the apartment itself. That is a no-go for me.
- I would have liked a combined living and dining area.
I have already put a lot of thought into this but haven’t found a satisfactory solution. I have attached one of my drafts (Grundriss_Neuentwurf.jpg). In this version, I like the placement of the kitchen, dining area, and bathroom very much, but I have the following issues:
- I can’t find a satisfactory way to place the sofa.
- I would have liked to use the entire width of the balcony for the living room. Now, I placed a bedroom in half of the balcony space and would even have to remove the door-window combination to the balcony.
In general, I have a question:
The apartment measures 107 m² (1150 sq ft) calculated according to living space regulations. Is it common for a size like this to accommodate 2 children’s bedrooms plus 1 master bedroom, or is it more usual nowadays to have 1 child’s bedroom and 1 master bedroom?
Since the apartment is not intended for me, I have no personal preferences.
Thank you in advance for any help and ideas!
Best regards,
Flasher
First attempt.
Possibly, the blue sofa could be replaced by a fireplace. The column in the middle of the living room is really cool. You would have to look around it to watch TV. But a recliner could probably fit somewhere nearby. A window to the bedroom would need to be added.
Without precise measurements, this can only be a rough sketch with estimated furniture.
Possibly, the blue sofa could be replaced by a fireplace. The column in the middle of the living room is really cool. You would have to look around it to watch TV. But a recliner could probably fit somewhere nearby. A window to the bedroom would need to be added.
Without precise measurements, this can only be a rough sketch with estimated furniture.
Hello Katja,
thank you very much for your effort! You are already bringing a fresh perspective to my fixed ideas. I would not have dared to reduce the size of the bedroom and children's rooms.
A few comments on your notes:
Fireplace:
The fireplace you discovered is indeed intended – and has always been used on the ground floor – for a room heater stove. Currently, there is an open fireplace on the ground floor which I occasionally heat with firewood. I can well imagine installing an ethanol fireplace on the second floor. I would hesitate to install a wood-burning fireplace there, as I don’t want to require the occupants to carry wood up to the second floor and also to deal with the mess this would create in the stairwell. I also have some concerns about fire safety, which to me seems subjectively lower with an ethanol fireplace.
Column:
Unfortunately, I cannot remove the column in the living room because the ridge beam rests on it. I have often thought about extending the column into a freestanding wall (maybe about 1.5 m (5 feet)) to hang a TV there.
Windows:
To give you a better impression, I’ve just attached a photo of the living room window/door (LivingRoom-Window.jpg). On the floor, you might notice the stones laid out. They are not screed, but Ytong blocks, which were originally planned for partition walls. Years ago, these blocks were laid out to improve thermal insulation.
I have also attached photos of the two windows in the proposed bathroom (Bathroom-Window.jpg) and an example of one of the large roof windows (Roof-Window.jpg).
As you can see in the pictures, new, high-quality windows were installed just a few years ago. The balcony was also completely renovated a few years ago.
Washing machine:
A washing machine is not necessary in the apartment. The residents will have a basement room and a shared laundry room where a space for a washing machine and dryer is provided.
Dimensions:
To facilitate the discussion, I will soon attach a digitized floor plan (with SweetHome 3D). I will start drawing it right now.
I will get back to you shortly, also with further ideas for your design.
Until then,
best regards,
Flasher
thank you very much for your effort! You are already bringing a fresh perspective to my fixed ideas. I would not have dared to reduce the size of the bedroom and children's rooms.
A few comments on your notes:
Fireplace:
The fireplace you discovered is indeed intended – and has always been used on the ground floor – for a room heater stove. Currently, there is an open fireplace on the ground floor which I occasionally heat with firewood. I can well imagine installing an ethanol fireplace on the second floor. I would hesitate to install a wood-burning fireplace there, as I don’t want to require the occupants to carry wood up to the second floor and also to deal with the mess this would create in the stairwell. I also have some concerns about fire safety, which to me seems subjectively lower with an ethanol fireplace.
Column:
Unfortunately, I cannot remove the column in the living room because the ridge beam rests on it. I have often thought about extending the column into a freestanding wall (maybe about 1.5 m (5 feet)) to hang a TV there.
Windows:
To give you a better impression, I’ve just attached a photo of the living room window/door (LivingRoom-Window.jpg). On the floor, you might notice the stones laid out. They are not screed, but Ytong blocks, which were originally planned for partition walls. Years ago, these blocks were laid out to improve thermal insulation.
I have also attached photos of the two windows in the proposed bathroom (Bathroom-Window.jpg) and an example of one of the large roof windows (Roof-Window.jpg).
As you can see in the pictures, new, high-quality windows were installed just a few years ago. The balcony was also completely renovated a few years ago.
Washing machine:
A washing machine is not necessary in the apartment. The residents will have a basement room and a shared laundry room where a space for a washing machine and dryer is provided.
Dimensions:
To facilitate the discussion, I will soon attach a digitized floor plan (with SweetHome 3D). I will start drawing it right now.
I will get back to you shortly, also with further ideas for your design.
Until then,
best regards,
Flasher
Flasher schrieb:
I wouldn’t have dared to reduce the size of the bedrooms and children’s rooms. Yes, the problem is that there are no exact measurements. The children’s rooms under the sloped ceilings might actually end up too small or extremely difficult to use. It’s best to measure every distance carefully. Columns, chimneys, windows — including those in the roof, stairwell, sloped ceilings that protrude somewhere, or other unchangeable conditions. And don’t forget to measure the 2m (6 ft 7 in) height line if possible.
Is there any chance to move the water supply and drainage pipes even just a few meters in the kitchen? For example, could the sink be placed not next to the planned washing machine, but further along the right-hand countertop? Maybe with new walls and a new floor?
I think there are two main issues that really complicate the implementation here: the obviously very low knee wall (dimensions would be really helpful; so far you can only guess from a photo) and the fact that all connections have to be arranged around this pillar, meaning the bathroom and kitchen locations are fixed.
First, I would consult a plumber to see if there is any possibility to install water and sewage pipes on the other side. Perhaps there is also a water connection in the apartment below that could possibly be routed up through the ceiling.
If the knee wall is not to be raised, I would limit the layout to one child’s bedroom, otherwise everything will become very cramped. It’s better to have a well-designed three-room apartment than a complicated four-(tiny)-room layout. The floor area measurements are negligible with such large roof slopes; you simply have to include the big roof angles in your calculations.
If a second water connection is not possible, what bothers me most is that the bathroom has to be located behind the kitchen, and with the current layout you always have to walk through the entire living area to get from the bedroom to the bathroom. This is very inconvenient, especially when one person is already in bed and the other is in the living room or kitchen with guests. I don’t necessarily want to parade my nightwear in public…
Therefore, I have the following suggestion (at the expense of a second child’s bedroom, but in return you gain some storage space in the apartment):
Relocate the entrance, then a hallway (even if narrow; possibly brightened with a glass dome) can be added. The bedroom and child’s room would no longer need to pass through the living area to reach the bathroom. From your new floor plan, I assume the balcony windows could be replaced, because if I’m not mistaken, the wall you newly inserted between the bedroom and living room intersects the existing window; I took the liberty to do that as well.
In the end, this would result in an apartment well suited for a couple, with a third room consisting almost entirely of roof slopes. This would work well as an office, but I’m not sure I would want to raise a child in there up to their teenage years.
Unfortunately, your files cannot be downloaded or printed (at least it didn’t work for me), so I roughly traced the floor plan from the screen. The sketch is accordingly shaky. Measurements would be helpful, as has already been mentioned several times here.
But just as an idea for a completely different layout (where best to place the door to the living/dining area is open for discussion, or whether two doors would make sense, etc.)
If it is possible to install a water connection in the area currently marked as storage/child’s room/bedroom, that would be the better solution. This way, you could clearly separate private areas (bathroom/child’s room/bedroom) and public areas (WC/kitchen/dining/living), and much less space would be needed for a hallway.
First, I would consult a plumber to see if there is any possibility to install water and sewage pipes on the other side. Perhaps there is also a water connection in the apartment below that could possibly be routed up through the ceiling.
If the knee wall is not to be raised, I would limit the layout to one child’s bedroom, otherwise everything will become very cramped. It’s better to have a well-designed three-room apartment than a complicated four-(tiny)-room layout. The floor area measurements are negligible with such large roof slopes; you simply have to include the big roof angles in your calculations.
If a second water connection is not possible, what bothers me most is that the bathroom has to be located behind the kitchen, and with the current layout you always have to walk through the entire living area to get from the bedroom to the bathroom. This is very inconvenient, especially when one person is already in bed and the other is in the living room or kitchen with guests. I don’t necessarily want to parade my nightwear in public…
Therefore, I have the following suggestion (at the expense of a second child’s bedroom, but in return you gain some storage space in the apartment):
Relocate the entrance, then a hallway (even if narrow; possibly brightened with a glass dome) can be added. The bedroom and child’s room would no longer need to pass through the living area to reach the bathroom. From your new floor plan, I assume the balcony windows could be replaced, because if I’m not mistaken, the wall you newly inserted between the bedroom and living room intersects the existing window; I took the liberty to do that as well.
In the end, this would result in an apartment well suited for a couple, with a third room consisting almost entirely of roof slopes. This would work well as an office, but I’m not sure I would want to raise a child in there up to their teenage years.
Unfortunately, your files cannot be downloaded or printed (at least it didn’t work for me), so I roughly traced the floor plan from the screen. The sketch is accordingly shaky. Measurements would be helpful, as has already been mentioned several times here.
But just as an idea for a completely different layout (where best to place the door to the living/dining area is open for discussion, or whether two doors would make sense, etc.)
If it is possible to install a water connection in the area currently marked as storage/child’s room/bedroom, that would be the better solution. This way, you could clearly separate private areas (bathroom/child’s room/bedroom) and public areas (WC/kitchen/dining/living), and much less space would be needed for a hallway.
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