Need private access to bedroom through bedroom

[fandabby]

Hi all

We purchased a house which was built in late 17th century and upstairs are 4 rooms, bathroom and shower room. One bedroom being walk through a bedroom.

We have 4 kids, two of each.

We moved in a little over a year ago but now with kids getting older we have to do something about privacy.

Current sleeping arrangements, eldest boy in bedroom 3, second eldest bedroom 1, girls (2) share bedroom 2 and us parents in bedroom 4.

I have attached a plan of upstairs.

The only options I can see it put up a wall in bedroom 2 to act as a hallway and maybe place another door off the landing which means moving a radiator which currently sits there. Seems such a waste of space as will be a long corridor. This would then offer separate access to both bedrooms.

other option if do-able:

There are stairs which come from the sitting room up to a small landing where bedroom 4 is, you think it would be possible to break through the bottom end of the stairs wall which would then access part way down bedroom 2 and then angle a smaller access route walling it all off. It probably needs structurally supporting but would that flow right or not and be odd having to leave bedroom onto stairs and up to get to bathroom.

Would appreciate any input and been scratching my head on this one.

Just to throw something else in. Bedroom 3 has a stud bit of wall on left on entering which was an access into bedroom 4 which is now currently built in wardrobes. It is roughly where the black arrows are showing. Do we make our room much small, lose wardrobes and make a walled off corridor to access his room that way and block off the door from bedroom 2? We would lose a lot of space and don't particularly like that idea because our bedroom is tucked away from the kids currently giving us good privacy.

Look forward to thoughts.

Thank you.

 

[stem]

How about stairs from the dining room directly into bedroom 3?

Various types are available. Some have open treads and allow the space beneath them to be used, or a 1.2m diameter spiral staircase could be tucked into the corner of the dining room adjacent to the sitting room. If you then wanted to recover some space for bedroom 3, you might consider seeing if the wall between 2 and 3 could be moved to increase the space in 3 if required.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Is there a loft you could convert, to avoid making an awkward layout on the first floor?

 

[fandabby]

How about stairs from the dining room directly into bedroom 3?

Various types are available. Some have open treads and allow the space beneath them to be used, or a 1.2m diameter spiral staircase could be tucked into the corner of the dining room adjacent to the sitting room. If you then wanted to recover some space for bedroom 3, you might consider seeing if the wall between 2 and 3 could be moved to increase the space in 3 if required.

We thought about new stairs from here but have reservations as turning the dining room into a work area for me where clients would visit. The property was originally two hence the two stairs and that lies a problem with floor and ceiling. Bedroom 2's floor slopes down towards bedroom 3 and has a very low ceiling and going into bedroom 2 is like a hobbit style door way and you step down into this room. This bedroom floor also has a slight slope but the ceiling is much higher.

We also plan to level these floors but realise will be a massive task.

thanks for putting the idea there

 

[fandabby]

Is there a loft you could convert, to avoid making an awkward layout on the first floor?

Thanks, yes there is a loft which we could access through from bedroom 1 by building the stairs up from here and then do two bedrooms up with a shared ensuite and put boys up there but we don't have the finances for that yet, that'll be a good few years down the line.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Either way you are going to end up with 2 children sharing a room. Is it impossible for both pairs to share?

You could open the doorway between 3 and 4 and turn 3 into a jack-and-jill bathroom ensuite to 2 and 4, use those for the children, and rework the wall between bedroom 1 and the bathroom to make a new adult en-suite double bedroom. That gives you three double bedrooms (2 with a shared en-suite), rather than four.

Or make 3 an en-suite bathroom for 2 for one pair of children, and rework the wall between 1 and bathroom to make a new twin for the other pair.

Building Regs will rear their ugly head for any new work you do, including means of escape from fire with those staircases descending into habitable rooms rather than final exit routes, and headroom over staircases.

 

[SFK]

As you suggest I would put the corridor in bedroom 2 (making it smaller). I know it takes up space, but it does make the rooms more usable.

Note that I assumed new corridor is 1118 mm wide and new wall is 100mm thick: "The minimum corridor width ..... determined in Section 1005.1, ... not less than 44 inches (1118 mm). ....18 Nov 2011" <<<<This needs confirming as not sure what correct value is.

 

[SFK]

And just to show how easy it is to make changes on paper, but I am sure not in the realities of your actual house:
1) I would also remove the stairs between the Lounge and Bedroom and take out wall between bedroom 4 and the landing to make bedroom 4 feel bigger.
2) And move the immersion tank from bathroom (into loft above?) to make bedroom 1 better shaped). (noting that you will have to then use the stairs in the kitchen)

 

[tony1851]

If it's 17th century, presumably it's listed? - if so, your local conservation officer will want some input.

Building Control will probably need to be flexible when interpreting regs, particularly with regard to stairs.

 

[fandabby]

Some interesting ideas thank you. I think the way forward would be corridor bedroom 2 as SFK has detailed. Nice idea about extending bedroom 4 but we quite like jumping upstairs straight from sitting room but worth a mention to my husband for his thoughts.

No surprisingly the house is not listed.

Built during the 17th century with later additions over the last 50 years by previous owners who lived here for 58 years. When we purchased some 16 months ago our Solicitor was paying more attention to that as we assumed it would be listed but confirmed it is not.

For us to do these changes, do we need planning permission since not listed? Presumably building control would need to check the corridor is done correctly.

This house is certainly different which is what attracted us but reality sinks in and realisation the flow is off and is weird stairs don't flow from entrance to home.

Thanks to all and any more input still welcome.

 

[Keithmac]

I'd do corridor to bedroom 3 as well, nothing fancy just a stud and plasterboard wall if possible.

Quick, cheap and easily removed in the future..

 

[endecotp]

Into which of the resulting rooms will you try to squeeze two beds?
I think you need to move the wall between 2 and 3 to make 2 the smallest room, and have two beds in 3.