Help for a friend please - picture included, suggestions req

[749s]

Hi

My friend is currently having an extension comprising of a loft extension and some additonal rooms at the rear of the property.

The attached pic is the new stairwell that is intruding into the lounge.

He's understandably not keen on this but (long story) there are no real options and so it's here to stay by looks of things.

Please, any suggestion for disguising or making a feature of this?

THanks

Untitled

• 749s
• 5 Dec 2011
• 1

 

[WabbitPoo]

Hardly a disaster, is it? Why not get it plasterboarded, sklimmed and painted? He'll soon forget its there. Maybe.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I'd be more worried about that freekin great big hole in the ceiling!

 

[plugwash]

My thoughts would be to incoporate it as part of a built-in cupboard of some sort.

 

[big-all]

My thoughts would be to incoporate it as part of a built-in cupboard of some sort.

fully agree with plugs book shelves or cupboards with doors and a flush ish look with maybe a rectangle panel in the side off the stairs to give a uniform design

 

[Space cat]

First off, do you know exactly what's underneath that very rough and ready looking box? My experience of our own loft conversion is that builders aren't keen to spend much time crafting an enclosure around the underside of a staircase with winders in it. Why bother when it's so much easier to build a simple box big enough to hide the lot. With a little careful planning it might be possible to build something much neater.

Failing that, I agree with plugwash.and big-all. You can't really use that corner of the room now because you'll be forever hitting your head on the thing so turn it into a cupboard. If you're really clever - and if you can lose that massive protruding corner - you could incorporate the TV into it as well. If you want to do this, the most important design detail to get right is the viewing angle so you'll probably want a triangular cupboard rather than a simple rectangle. It's not so easy to design and build but it'll look a whole lot neater.

 

[749s]

thanks all - have passed this all on to him and he's very grateful.

 

[LauraAutoflair]

I agree,i had similar problem, made a feature out of it by painting walls neutral colour and the "problem" in a funky wallpaper. Room looked brand new!!

 

[foamit]

Hi can I make another observation,
If that is the underside of stairs, should it not be built from a fire resistant material ?[/b]