I truthfully had no concept what the sq. footage was of our 1850s visitor cottage on the property. My guess was round 2k, so I used to be tremendous desirous to learn the way shut I used to be. Gretchen did us a strong and took ALLL the measurements, and whereas it isn’t good and I wouldn’t hand it over to an engineer, these ground plans are ok for us to work off of and assist us perceive what we’re actually working with.
As a reminder, we don’t plan on shifting any partitions (god keen), so the dimensions of the rooms now could be what they are going to be later. We’ll work inside this ground plan, moreover stealing area from someplace on the primary ground so as to add a toilet (we’ve concepts the place).
The Shared Kitchen/Dwelling Room
The primary room is weighing in at 427 sq. ft, which, in my view, is large enough for a small kitchen, kitchen desk, and lounge space. I can do loads with an 18×23 room, proper? Right here you’ll be able to see it beneath:
Now, an architect would possibly are available in and re-lay it out and transfer home windows, and so on, however I actually wish to maintain the plumbing on this facet of the home (the upstairs rest room is above the kitchen) and whereas I do know that shifting and reframing a window isn’t loopy costly, I additionally know that each factor you do causes you to need to do different issues (i.e. if we reframe the window then we’ve to alter the siding on the surface, take into consideration the place the helps are, and so on). A very good motto for a rework is “EVERYthing is a factor”.
The one actual mission that I need assistance determining is the place to place the lavatory on this ground. At the moment, there isn’t one (solely a bizarre rest room closet on the second ground), and it feels fairly essential, particularly if any older people needed to hold right here for a bit (these stairs are quirky to say the least). So we hope to maintain the plumbing all on that nook of the home and put the lavatory beneath the steps – only a tiny rest room, wall-mount sink, and bathe. However at 36″ huge, she’s fairly tight, so we’d need to bump that wall out a bit.
There’s nonetheless the query of the window that appears out the non-functioning chimney, which I really feel like is the place the TV could be if there have been a TV on this room, however hell, by the point we’re executed, perhaps TVs gained’t be a factor and robots shall be beaming all of it into our brains as we stare at partitions. WHO KNOWS (I’m type of critical, like perhaps we simply use a kind of transportable TVs on wheels and go away the bizarre window).
The Outdated Prop Room
This room is tremendous odd, however cute. It has a closet, a submit, and an previous chimney within the center. See right here:
Hmm. Now, in fact, taking a look at it from this view, the room could be extra practical if it have been opened up, if that closet have been gone, making it a giant rectangle. Ugh. Now that I’ve seen it as a rectangle, it’s laborious to unsee that. We aren’t positive what’s holding what up, so messing with something that is perhaps help doesn’t make sense. But when we needed to have a essential ground bed room, this could be a superb one…
The chimney is likely one of the few issues that I believe we will say is protected to go (it’s not in good condition and completely unusable). The window is the opposite factor that, whereas quirky, does actually have an effect on what we will do on each partitions (or not do).
Now that I’ve seen that this room might be a rectangle, I’m somewhat tempted to make it one in hopes of including numerous perform to it. Not saying I’ll but, however it’s a bit tempting.
The “Canning” Room
As a reminder, this room is off the principle room, constructed seemingly within the Forties or Fifties, when folks in rural America grew and canned numerous their very own meals. It’s large and excessive and stuffed with potential (and numerous issues).
That is going to be a pleasant, sq. room, with tremendous excessive ceilings. The canning cupboards will go (they sound approach cuter than they’re), and I’m unsure if the home windows will even keep (the view of each is unhealthy, and the home windows are in horrible form).
The “Backyard Shed”
A pleasant, even 12×16 room – take a look at that! Do not forget that that is the room that Brian thinks we will lose, however as you’ll be able to see beneath, it has a lot “allure”.
It simply wants somewhat assist 🙂 Possibly that is only a fairly sitting room? A library?
The Touchdown/Lavatory
Heading up the steps (that are tremendous slender, weighing in at 36″), we get to the touchdown, and it opens up a bit with an enormous window. The bathroom and bathe closet are each about 4′ deep and three′ huge, which implies that if we needed to go away them there and put a correct lavatory in, we may.
After all, I really like the concept of the sink staying the place it’s, the loos basically remaining the place they’re (simply new), however I’m not sure if as soon as it’s fastened up, will probably be completely bizarre to see a sink outdoors of the lavatory
So yeah, one transfer could be to attach the 2 “stalls” and make a standard particular person lavatory. The opposite could be to maintain the bathroom stall as-is and redo the bathe stall with tile, OR nix the bathe up right here altogether if there may be one downstairs and make this a closet. If a household have been ever to dwell right here full-time all of those selections could be completely different, however as a visitor cottage, I’m inclined to do what is straightforward/quirky/inexpensive than having or not it’s absolutely decked out for some imaginary friends. However I truthfully haven’t thought of this for one second – like perhaps we will join them in a extra intelligent approach??
The Upstairs Room
In what was seemingly the household bed room, we’ve some enjoyable quirks.
She isn’t symmetrical, as you’ll be able to see with the ceiling. Certain, we may in all probability demo out that closet (that has a ton of storage) on the suitable dimension to make them the identical, however unsure why we’d try this. I LOVE this room and all its weirdnesses.
So What’s The Remaining Sq. Footage?
She weighs in at somewhat beneath 1600 sq. ft!! I positively thought it was larger, because it truthfully feels larger than that if you end up inside it (it’s empty in any case). I suppose the truth that there isn’t an actual lavatory doesn’t assist, though we didn’t embody the closets upstairs, that are fairly large. That is tremendous useful for me to see it like this, however I’ve to essentially management myself to not take a look at it and wish to, say, transfer doorways that kinda open into different rooms or eliminate weirdnesses (just like the prop room closet in the course of the rectangle).
What’s Subsequent?
Nicely, I’ve been attempting to get a number of quotes on the inspiration, however not having the perfect of luck. I actually wish to do my due diligence, nevertheless it’s positively holding up the method. This week, we’re headed to the Oregon Historic Society to study extra about the home and property. Extra on that quickly 🙂
*Photographs by Kaitlin Inexperienced
