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libby999999999

Need help please

libby999999999
10 years ago

Updated: I found some solutions based on the suggestions here. Thank you so much.

I have an unusual design dillema. When we built our small cabin style home, there was really no private area to place the half bath. We winded up placing it catacorner to the dining area/kitchen. Which means it is in the corner of the living area. We don't entertain that often and if we do, everyone is on the deck so going indoors to use the bathroom is not a problem.

The problem is when you are seated, you can see the bathroom and ofcoarse the privacy issue of people going in and out may make things uncomfortable. So far it hasn't.

There is no way we can move the bathroom elsewhere. No room! We do have a full bathroom off the master.

So with that in mind, I am wondering how I can provide a bit of a visual buffer between the seating area and the door. To the left of the wall is the door to the bedroom. We are going to move it to the far left corner so it can look symetrical to the bathroom door. I thought about building a divider to hide the bathroom door and maybe one to also hide the bedroom door.

I tried looking for solutions online, but it seems like we are the only unfortunate souls with this problem.

Update: Wall is completed. Picture is towards the end of thread.

This post was edited by swissmom on Sun, Feb 23, 14 at 12:39

Comments (36)

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    double post

    This post was edited by swissmom on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 8:40

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Edited to remove picture. Found some solutions to the problem.

    This post was edited by swissmom on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 8:42

  • Houseofsticks
    10 years ago

    A large built in bookshelf unit that spans the between space would provide a small buffer. I can't tell by your photos if a corner unit at a 90degree angle with the wall would work for a bit of a hallway between the public and private area.

  • lavender_lass
    10 years ago

    Wow, that's a tough one. I think I would invest in a very good, yet quiet fan and keep the door closed at all times when entertaining indoors. It would look like another closet, until it was needed. Sorry, I don't have a better idea...

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you houseofsticks and lavender lass for your ideas. I have a good quality fan in there, and I think the bookshelf idea is a good one.

  • katlan
    10 years ago

    I think I would switch the door so the hinges are on the left hand side, the door knob is on the right hand side. So when the door is open, the opening will be facing the window.

    Maybe put in a little half wall/bookcase type thing, about door knob height, with shelves, and you could put tall copper or glass or whatever vases/urns with cool looking bamboo shoots, or plumes of some kind, or a cool lamp. I don't think I'm describing this well. Sorry! Do you have any idea what I mean??

  • chickieD
    10 years ago

    What about a nice screen in that corner?

  • Shades_of_idaho
    10 years ago

    What is the cabinet used for on the far left of the picture? I would see what it felt like by moving it out from the wall narrow end to the wall by the iindow in front of your bath door. If it is a mirror on the front side it would reflect the window light into the room even more and the back side could be painted to feel like a wall. I did this with china cabinets once and it really worked well. Gave me nice hidden storage behind in a long narrow room.

    Then if it did not box in your area too much you would know how a book case would feel there. Even a nice screen made from two old house doors set on kind of a V would be nice. And if you did not like it they could easily be moved.

    Would love to see more of your house. Looks wonderful what I can see of it.

    chris

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I do like the idea of building a partition with hidden storage!

    This post was edited by swissmom on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 8:43

  • Shades_of_idaho
    10 years ago

    If you wanted storage for the bath side you could turn the cabinet the other way and paint the back side like your wall is and hang art on it. Or get a second cabinet. I was thinking to give it a try with the cabinet you had there just to get the feel of it. It might be awful and would hate to waste money and have it not work.

    Darn it I need to get back to work for real now. time is a wasting.

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Removed pictures since I found some solutions.

    This post was edited by swissmom on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 8:45

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    double post

    This post was edited by swissmom on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 8:46

  • Shades_of_idaho
    10 years ago

    Your house is really really pretty. It does not look like you have a lot of room for a wide shelf beside the window sticking out from the wall. Unless you changed your door for bi-fold with one half on each side of the door frame.

    Soooooooooo you could change direction and put a book case out from the wall your TV is on and put the pictures on the other side of the TV. If it were right at the door frame it probably would not block the TV from the arm chair. Would not need to be very far out from the wall. Maybe three foot.

    Hahaha Why a quite fan. I would want one that ROARED!!!!

    NOW looking at your spotless house I must go clean up mine. As much as I can with all the painting I still have going on. While I wait for this next coat of paint to dry. Kisses to your puppies. Mine are banned to outside until I get my painting done. I do not like picking dog fur out of wet paint.

    Chris

  • wordie89
    10 years ago

    I immediately thought of what Katlan suggested: have door open on other side. Moving the master bedroom door may also shift attention towards it and away from the bathroom. Good ideas for putting something to the left side to shift focus. How about a potted palm?

    Lovely house. Let us know what you try!

  • camlan
    10 years ago

    My first thought is to keep the bathroom door closed. Then you won't see the bathroom.

    Second would be katlan's suggestion of rehanging the door so it opens in the opposite direction. That would block some of the view.

    Third would be to rearrange the furniture so that it doesn't all focus on that area, but that would mean moving the TV.

    You seem to have boxed yourself into a corner--can't move the TV, don't like the view into the bathroom right next to it.

    They make cabinets that hold the TV inside and raise it up at the touch of a button. If you invested in one of those, you could turn the sofa around to face the other side of the room and move it closer to the wall with the bathroom door, leaving just a walkway behind it. Position the TV cabinet in the middle of the room.

    When you want to watch TV, push a button and there it is. When you don't, you can make it disappear.

    This arrangement would turn the focus of your seating arrangement away from the wall with the open bathroom door and turn it to the center of the room. That might be all you need to solve the problem.

    Another tech alternative would be to wall or ceiling mount an HD project and run the cable TV through that. Then wall-mount a projection screen over those three windows. Orient your seating towards the windows, and again, you've shifted focus from the bathroom door to the great outdoors. You'd probably have space to put a low bookcase at a 90 degree angle to the wall in front of the bathroom door, as well, to help screen it.

    There's a lot of technology out there that will allow you to move the TV off that wall and shift the center of focus of the room.

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    We are definitely going with the suggestion of rehanging the door. I really like that idea. We are also going for some type of cabinet shelving system and a wall partition. I think that may be the best solution. We are going to start this project sometime in October so hopefully will update you all with some progress pictures.

    I appreciate all the great ideas. Thank you!

    This post was edited by swissmom on Tue, Aug 27, 13 at 8:47

  • KBSpider
    10 years ago

    Gosh, I'm a bit bummed that you removed the pics. A friend of mine has a similar problem, but it's hard to tell without your pics whether the placements are close enough that she could use the ideas...

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    testing

    This post was edited by swissmom on Wed, May 14, 14 at 13:53

  • KBSpider
    10 years ago

    Hi Swissmom! I don't know why I didn't get the "ping" that you responded - I clicked the box....I'm sorry for the delay in responding. Thanks very much for posting the pic; it does look similar to my friend's set up. I'll look forward to seeing your solution!

  • noodlesportland
    10 years ago

    Could you could rehang both doors so they swing to the left?

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi Noodlesportland. I am going to rehang both doors. The door to the bedroom is tricky because of where the opening is placed. It's very awkward and really should not have been placed in that spot to begin with. It was the case of too many things going on and it led to some mistakes. And I agree with your suggestion, the door to the bathroom will be rehanged to swing to the left.

    KBSpider, I'm so glad this might help your friend out. I am hoping to get it done before Thanksgiving.

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    edited to delete extra pictures.

    This post was edited by swissmom on Sun, Feb 23, 14 at 12:40

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Edited to delete double photo. Better after picture is posted below.

    This post was edited by swissmom on Sun, Feb 23, 14 at 12:41

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And one facing the bathroom. My husband built the partition wall/closet and now we have much more storage. It's great.

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    testing

    This post was edited by swissmom on Wed, May 14, 14 at 13:56

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    testing

    This post was edited by swissmom on Wed, May 14, 14 at 13:54

  • finallyhome
    10 years ago

    Great solution. Storage and privacy.

  • TxMarti
    10 years ago

    Oh I like that! I like the way you wrapped the siding around all the walls. Can you back off and take a photo from behind the sofa like the Sept 1 photo? I'd like to see if it changes the overall look of the room. Also, if you can, would you take a close up photo of your barrister bookcase top? I need to build a top for mine and yours might give me an idea how to construct it.

  • KBSpider
    10 years ago

    That turned out really well - thanks for posting an update; very helpful!

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    testing

    This post was edited by swissmom on Wed, May 14, 14 at 13:52

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    duplicate post

    This post was edited by swissmom on Sun, Feb 23, 14 at 12:51

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Marti, here is a picture of the top of the bookcase. Hope it helps.

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And another.

  • TxMarti
    10 years ago

    It's perfect! And that siding does tie everything together really well.

    Thank you for the bookcase photos, that really helps. I haven't seen one like that but I think I can do something like it.

    I have two stacks of 5 sections and only one top. My mom let a friend use them and the woman put a potted plant on the one top and water ran over and buckled the veneer. It's the rounded type and I know I can't duplicate it. I think the easier thing to do is build matching tops and just sell the one I have, if that's possible with damage it has.

    How old are yours?

    This post was edited by marti8a on Sat, Feb 15, 14 at 16:31

  • libby999999999
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hi Marti. It's actually not very old. I purchased it from a friend and she bought it from a craftsman. So I'm guessing it's about 30 yrs. old? It looks much older, and that's what I like about it.

    It's too bad about the veneer. I wonder if you could just peel off the bubbly bit and try to get a thin sheet of veneer and glue it on using construction adhesive and clamps?

  • TxMarti
    10 years ago

    I bought some replacement veneer, but haven't attempted it yet. Even so, I need another top.

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