Melissa and Emily’s primary objective is to reconfigure and redesign the layout of their beloved Victorian home without opting for an extension. This was because they wish to stick to their agreed budget, ensuring that they keep the project spend under control.
The couple are hopeful that the redesign will bring with it increased open plan kitchen and dining space, more bedrooms, better natural light and improved storage facilities, all of which would increase the overall value of the property.
In need of some outside inspiration, Emily and Melissa called upon Magda to conduct one of Pride Road’s much-vaunted Concept Design Workshops. After undertaking a detailed inspection of the home, Magda and the couple sat down to discuss the current core sticking points.
They included the haphazard access to the existing downstairs toilet, which is in between the ground floor front and back rooms and only accessible through the dining room, which the couple say is an inconvenience.
In addition, Emily and Melissa agree that the kitchen is lacking in light and could be rearranged to improve the functionality, while the basement would be better used for general storage.
Finally, it was agreed that as the house is long, the large loft footprint would benefit from a conversion, resulting in desirable extra bedrooms.
Mindful of all the points raised during this initial consultation, Magda drew up a selection of creative ideas to redesign and reconfigure this semi-detached period home.
All plans are to scale
Here, we would introduce ‘L-shaped’ dormer windows and transform the entire loft floor into a master bedroom at the rear of the house for the couple to move into. We would also include a walk-in wardrobe and dressing room in the middle of the floor that has a large skylight and could be turned back into a bedroom should Melissa and Emily ever decide to sell the house. At the end of the house, under the roof where the pitch starts, we would install an ensuite bathroom and even a utility room if required.
In need of a lightbulb moment? Try our handy tips for a brighter home.
An extra proposal that we offered was to add just one extra bedroom to the loft as a way of cutting costs. This would also include a utility cupboard and small ensuite shower room.
The main bedroom on the first floor is extremely spacious so the couple now have the luxury of deciding whether or not to invest in the loft, a nice-to-have commodity that would represent a pure investment to ultimately drive the overall house value. If you need ideas on where to start with your conversion project, we have information all about how to wisely invest in your home.
The general consensus was that a utility room in the loft might be impractical if the couple were to extend their family in the future. As a result, we looked at adding a utility room to the large first floor main bathroom to conveniently serve all of the bedrooms and more family members if required. There are several utility room options to be considered
We explored the option of adding a shower to the bathtub, washbasin and toilet that already occupy the main bathroom. This would offer the couple an indulgent pampering space versus adding a handy utility room, a solid plan that could be considered at a later date, should the family indeed grow.
We kept the kitchen in its current location in the middle of the property and added a kitchen island to allow for people easily move around it and socialise with one another.
Here, we moved the kitchen to the rear of the house as a modern, open plan cooking and dining space. We looked at using part of the adjoining corridor to make it even bigger, all dependent on the couple’s budget. There would be no island but wraparound units would result in a ‘U-shaped’ kitchen with plenty of worktop space. The sink would overlook the garden, offering a pleasant garden perspective. At the very rear, there would be a soft seating area and larder storage.
We then placed the entrance to the downstairs bathroom through a small corridor near the staircase, rather than having to navigate, as is currently the case, through the main rooms of the home to get to it.
We have lots of ways up our sleeve to help you maximise your kitchen space.
Melissa and Emily appreciated the ideas we devised during the Concept Design Workshop. For our part, we felt that we were well-equipped to respond to all the of the points raised and delivered a comprehensive range of redesign and reconfiguration ideas, all without resorting to an extension.
Our plans are hand drawn to scale so that both our clients and builders can measure from them to get first cost estimates. Now, Melissa and Emily will review our ideas, request ballpark prices and decide on the redesign that works best for them. For our part, we will be happy to continue adjusting the space to maximise it for them. We have an entire suite of ideas to help you reconfigure and redesign your own home.
Melissa and Emily say: “Magda arrived with us and took very detailed measurements of the house and drew out layouts. We then worked through lots of different layouts and configurations and what would work for us, while giving us alternatives to go away and reflect upon.
“All of the plans are exciting, some of which we’re going to argue over! We’ll get there in the end and we’re delighted with what Magda has given us, particularly for people like us who have absolutely no design skills or visual perception. She’s been really good and I would heartily recommend.”
Would you like to change your house to create more space, add light and increase functionality? Book a Pride Road Concept Design Workshop.
“All of the plans are exciting, some of which we’re going to argue over! We’ll get there in the end and we’re delighted with what Magda has given us, particularly for people like us who have absolutely no design skills or visual perception. She’s been really good and I would heartily recommend.”
Melissa and Emily
“Magda arrived with us and took very detailed measurements of the house and drew out layouts. We then worked through lots of different layouts and configurations and what would work for us, while giving us alternatives to go away and reflect upon."
"Melissa and Emily appreciated the ideas we devised during the Concept Design Workshop."
"We felt that we were well-equipped to respond to all the of the points raised and delivered a comprehensive range of redesign and reconfiguration ideas, all without resorting to an extension."
Pride Road
