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janeth5260

Need help with remodeling layout please!

Janet
9 years ago

Hello. My husband and I bought a house that was built in 1974 complete with shag carpet and avocado appliances. The kitchen and master bath are the first projects on our remodeling list. I would like the open concept from the kitchen to family room but don't know how to achieve it. Also we would like to create a walk-in closet as we remodel the master bath. We know some walls need to come down and plumbing moved around but we first need a layout plan. I have drawn out the house plan as best I could. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

This post was edited by elgin_janet on Sun, Jul 6, 14 at 19:42

Comments (8)

  • pixie_lou
    9 years ago

    Do you know which walls are load bearing? That will be a key factor in opening up the kitchen.

    Is the current master closet the L shaped closet around the master bath? How is the closet accessed?

    Is the house on a basement or a slab? It's easier to move plumbing with a basement.

  • Janet
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hello, thank you for your interest. My husband says the middle wall between the living and family rooms is load bearing but says if he needs to use a steel header or post for support he would to open up the space. The home sits on a 3 1/2 ft crawlspace so accessing the plumbing is no problem. Yes the closet is actually divided into two spaces with bifold doors. The entire space is 12 x 12ft. The first 12 ft was measured from inside the closet to the to the window in the bathroom. The other 12 ft was measured from the inside of the other closet to the wall between the bathtub and the toilet. Odd bathroom setup where you must go down a short hall and turn left to visit the toilet. Let me know if you have and more questions.

  • Janet
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Oh forgot to add that we do not need a bathtub. Thought we'd use a 3 x 5 shower base instead.

  • live_wire_oak
    9 years ago

    What's your budget and DIY experience level? Just to replace the main supporting wall with steel and new foundation piers to support that steel is easily 10-15K if you're paying labor. (Which is about 10% of the probable overall job costs for your list.) And the steel is heavy enough that you will need that labor (and expertise). You'll have a boatload of electrical and HVAC needing re-routing, so you need to think about that as well. IF the current panel is up to snuff (200 amps) and can handle the load demands of a modern kitchen. It very well could need to be upgraded. Same with the HVAC. Rerouting duct lines messes with the system's overall balance, and will need a pro to calculate how to keep the system pressure balanced while giving you the air turns that the now open space will need.

    The first thing I would do is to get in a structural engineer to confirm my suspicions about the supporting walls and to design the beam and support placements for your soil type, snow or wind loading, and other site specific elements. Then you'd be able to see if there was any part of that that could be DIYed (like maybe taking care of the electrical rerouting before the wall comes down, etc.)

    Then you have to do a cost/benefit analysis. If you are going to be in this house for a long while, it's probably worth it to make it more livable. If this is a short term, do a cosmetic reno, and leave sleeping dogs lie. You won't get your money back in the short term.

  • weedyacres
    9 years ago

    On the master bath/closet layout, try slicing the space into two 6'x12' spaces, with the closet on the hall side and the bath on the window side. Doors to both into the master bedroom.

    In the bathroom, put the shower against the far wall, the toilet on the long wall next to it, and then the vanity (should have room for ~6').

  • Janet
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you for your ideas, Over the summer we gutted the master bath and settled on a layout we could both agree on. Our next project now is the kitchen, dining, family and formal LR layout. I really want the open concept and do not need two living areas. There are too many doorways in the kitchen for me to know how to remodel this. Any more ideas?

  • weedyacres
    9 years ago

    GW rules say you have to share photos of your project when you come back. :-)

    The Kitchen Forum will be a better place than here to get layout advice.

  • PRO
    LMP Designs
    9 years ago

    You should probably decide if you want a large eat-in kitchen or plan on doing most of your dining in the dining room, which I assume you want to keep. I think combining the family room, living room and kitchen all into one large "great room" would be great. If the wall between the FR and LR is load bearing you could add some nice columns, on either side of a nice island, to hold up the beam. Maybe turn the old kitchen into a breakfast nook, the family room into the kitchen and utilize the living room as your family space. Maybe get real bold and find a space for a powder room at that end of the house?

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