As we approach the final stage of planning approvals and building permits, it's almost too late to make changes to our plans. Almost, but not quite. Changes after this will require us to go back through the approvals process with revised structural plans, but we have time to squeeze in an alteration now if we are quick about it.
If we're going to add a sunken living room, then, now is the time to do it. Are we going to add a sunken living room? Should we add a sunken living room? I'd really like to. Flipping through pictures of houses, as I do whenever I get the chance, the single level 'great room' is starting to look a little flat. Maybe a drop in floor levels would add an interesting dimension, and provide a bit more separation between the zones. I pictured a couple of shallow steps, a total of a 1' drop between levels.
This is the current layout:
The neatest place to put in a couple of steps would be along the end of the kitchen - but then the dining room would be a couple of steps down from the kitchen which might be annoying. Plus it makes more sense for kitchen and dining to be in the same zone, and the living room to be separated.
I scribbled a couple of scenarios on the floor plan, and mithered about the best place to put the steps. I guestimated how much space our dining table and our sofa would need and thought it would probably fit OK.
Then I read a couple of articles about how the age of the fully open plan living space is coming to an end, and 'broken plan' is the new way to go. And I found some pictures of shallow steps between dining and living rooms which had me and Ash fully convinced.
So I dropped a line to our architect asking for their thoughts. And then reality bit.
It turns out I hadn't allowed nearly enough space around the dining table. Best practice is to allow a couple of feet for someone to push their chair back from the table, and another two or three feet for someone to walk around that. It sounds like a lot but I mocked it up - as he suggested - and it's about right. Less than that is possible but feels like a squeeze. And we don't want to build a house that has a dining table that you have to squeeze around.
If we expanded the dining room to allow for the recommended about of space, we'd have less space in the living room. And now these steps, while providing all the cool sunken living room vibes, are starting to cramp our style. It takes a couple of feet out for a piece of occasional furniture, or a Christmas tree, or one of P's massive jigsaw galleries.
After all that, then, we are not making any changes to the plans. We'll live with a single level open plan space and it will be perfectly nice. It was fun to noodle on the alternative though.
If we're going to add a sunken living room, then, now is the time to do it. Are we going to add a sunken living room? Should we add a sunken living room? I'd really like to. Flipping through pictures of houses, as I do whenever I get the chance, the single level 'great room' is starting to look a little flat. Maybe a drop in floor levels would add an interesting dimension, and provide a bit more separation between the zones. I pictured a couple of shallow steps, a total of a 1' drop between levels.
This is the current layout:
 |
| Kitchen, dining room, living room |
The neatest place to put in a couple of steps would be along the end of the kitchen - but then the dining room would be a couple of steps down from the kitchen which might be annoying. Plus it makes more sense for kitchen and dining to be in the same zone, and the living room to be separated.
I scribbled a couple of scenarios on the floor plan, and mithered about the best place to put the steps. I guestimated how much space our dining table and our sofa would need and thought it would probably fit OK.
It turns out I hadn't allowed nearly enough space around the dining table. Best practice is to allow a couple of feet for someone to push their chair back from the table, and another two or three feet for someone to walk around that. It sounds like a lot but I mocked it up - as he suggested - and it's about right. Less than that is possible but feels like a squeeze. And we don't want to build a house that has a dining table that you have to squeeze around.
If we expanded the dining room to allow for the recommended about of space, we'd have less space in the living room. And now these steps, while providing all the cool sunken living room vibes, are starting to cramp our style. It takes a couple of feet out for a piece of occasional furniture, or a Christmas tree, or one of P's massive jigsaw galleries.
After all that, then, we are not making any changes to the plans. We'll live with a single level open plan space and it will be perfectly nice. It was fun to noodle on the alternative though.
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