by Bex
The upstairs layout of our new house is shown below. We're really lucky we've been able to afford somewhere with so much space! I love the big rooms as we're so used to the amazing (and much cheaper) Glasgow tenement with huge rooms and tall ceilings. It also has a much better layout than many of the houses we've viewed.
It has caused a little debate about how to allocate some of the rooms though. Obviously Bedroom 1 will be our master bedroom with the ensuite shower room but you can see there is another ensuite bathroom. The bathroom off Bedroom 3 is actually the biggest bathroom with lots of storage and floor space. It would be ideal for bathing the babies and if bedroom 3 was theirs then after bathtime, it's just a case of relaxing time right next door before bed and it's plenty big enough for 2 cots and some other furniture. It's also the closest room to us. This would leave Bedroom 2 (the room above the garage) as a great big spare room for guests which we could fit a sofa in.
The only issue with this plan is that the family bathroom has no shower. It wouldn't be simple to add one above the bath due to the design of the taps so we can't afford to do this as it would mean re-tiling and extra plumbing as well as the cost of a shower and we'd rather use what cash we have left over to open up the kitchen and dining room as I previously discussed. Having no shower would be a bit inconvenient for guests and given that my parents live abroad so stay for a while at their yearly visit plus we're in the countryside so friends may also want to stay over if they come to visit and they'd have to use either the shower in our room or the twins' room. It wouldn't be difficult as I'm sure the twins will be up in the morning anyway but it's not ideal.
I think given that the family bathroom is still a decent size and a bath is all we really need for the twins until they're much older anyway, we'll probably keep Bedroom 3 with the en suite as a guest room and have the twins in Bedroom 2. This also allows space for us to put the Hemnes daybed in there so if the babies are sick or Nik is on awkward shifts, one of us could sleep in there with the babies and there'd still be plenty of space for playing. It would also be comfy with lots of cushions on it as a place for me to sit and feed the babies. I was a little unsure about having them in the furthest room from ours but as they'll be in with us for the first few months anyway, I guess it doesn't matter too much if they aren't right next door. The bath in the ensuite has a curved screen at one end anyway which might be in the way when bathing the twins so we think we've finally decided that they'll be in Bedroom 2. It also seems like a waste not to use Bedroom 2 all year round when it's such a great size. Keeping it just for guests means it would probably only get used a few times a year. (Watch this space, things may change once I get down there and see it all for myself!)
At the moment, plans are to have the 2 cots at the end with the window (it has slanted walls and the other 2 windows are velux - great for listening to the rain!) similar to this but with one on either side of the window:
We'd probably put a chest of drawers that will double as a changing table between the cots, below the window. And I'd like a little gallery wall like this above each cot with each babies' initial:
I'll be sharing more about the nursery and other decor ideas soon but we'll be having pale grey walls and white furniture similar to the one above too although more modern style furniture. That leaves the rest of the room for toy storage, books, the daybed and some shelves. I also have a great idea for a wee storytime nook too! Obviously given my love of colour, the nursery will not be just white and grey! ;)
Bedroom 4 will be Nik's study which will probably have a similar design to our current study but on a smaller scale. There's room on the landing for a console table and there's a pressurised water tank in the airing cupboard.
The upstairs layout of our new house is shown below. We're really lucky we've been able to afford somewhere with so much space! I love the big rooms as we're so used to the amazing (and much cheaper) Glasgow tenement with huge rooms and tall ceilings. It also has a much better layout than many of the houses we've viewed.
It has caused a little debate about how to allocate some of the rooms though. Obviously Bedroom 1 will be our master bedroom with the ensuite shower room but you can see there is another ensuite bathroom. The bathroom off Bedroom 3 is actually the biggest bathroom with lots of storage and floor space. It would be ideal for bathing the babies and if bedroom 3 was theirs then after bathtime, it's just a case of relaxing time right next door before bed and it's plenty big enough for 2 cots and some other furniture. It's also the closest room to us. This would leave Bedroom 2 (the room above the garage) as a great big spare room for guests which we could fit a sofa in.
The only issue with this plan is that the family bathroom has no shower. It wouldn't be simple to add one above the bath due to the design of the taps so we can't afford to do this as it would mean re-tiling and extra plumbing as well as the cost of a shower and we'd rather use what cash we have left over to open up the kitchen and dining room as I previously discussed. Having no shower would be a bit inconvenient for guests and given that my parents live abroad so stay for a while at their yearly visit plus we're in the countryside so friends may also want to stay over if they come to visit and they'd have to use either the shower in our room or the twins' room. It wouldn't be difficult as I'm sure the twins will be up in the morning anyway but it's not ideal.
I think given that the family bathroom is still a decent size and a bath is all we really need for the twins until they're much older anyway, we'll probably keep Bedroom 3 with the en suite as a guest room and have the twins in Bedroom 2. This also allows space for us to put the Hemnes daybed in there so if the babies are sick or Nik is on awkward shifts, one of us could sleep in there with the babies and there'd still be plenty of space for playing. It would also be comfy with lots of cushions on it as a place for me to sit and feed the babies. I was a little unsure about having them in the furthest room from ours but as they'll be in with us for the first few months anyway, I guess it doesn't matter too much if they aren't right next door. The bath in the ensuite has a curved screen at one end anyway which might be in the way when bathing the twins so we think we've finally decided that they'll be in Bedroom 2. It also seems like a waste not to use Bedroom 2 all year round when it's such a great size. Keeping it just for guests means it would probably only get used a few times a year. (Watch this space, things may change once I get down there and see it all for myself!)
At the moment, plans are to have the 2 cots at the end with the window (it has slanted walls and the other 2 windows are velux - great for listening to the rain!) similar to this but with one on either side of the window:
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| Image Source |
We'd probably put a chest of drawers that will double as a changing table between the cots, below the window. And I'd like a little gallery wall like this above each cot with each babies' initial:
 |
| Image Source |
I'll be sharing more about the nursery and other decor ideas soon but we'll be having pale grey walls and white furniture similar to the one above too although more modern style furniture. That leaves the rest of the room for toy storage, books, the daybed and some shelves. I also have a great idea for a wee storytime nook too! Obviously given my love of colour, the nursery will not be just white and grey! ;)
Bedroom 4 will be Nik's study which will probably have a similar design to our current study but on a smaller scale. There's room on the landing for a console table and there's a pressurised water tank in the airing cupboard.
7 comments:
Could you get these kind of taps instead?
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/bathroom/bathroom-taps-and-mixer-taps/beta-lever-bath-shower-mixer-298897
http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/bathroom/bathroom-taps-and-mixer-taps/victorian-bath-and-shower-mixer-tap---chrome-plated-186956
I've had these in a couple of flats and really liked them as a compromise - you usually get a bracket for them to attach to the wall, so you just screw it in to the tiles. Much safer with kids than an electric shower as the temperature is easier to control, and handy for hair washing over the side too :-) they come in loads of different shapes and sizes, so they'll fit pretty much every bath.
I had thought we might be able to add something like that Gwen until I saw the video. The tap knobs are built in to the tiles above the bath at one end and the water comes out of the side of the bath which isn't against a wall but not via a spout - sounds weird, I'll try to find a picture of it!!
To add either an electric or other kind of shower would involve accessing the pipes behind the tiles.
Here - like this, called a bath filler apparently rather than a tap! http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bathroomand.co.uk%2Fekmps%2Fshops%2Fbilllyton%2Fimages%2Fpura-bathrooms-bath-filler-waste-overflow-chrome-1256-p.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bathroomand.co.uk%2Fpura-bathrooms-bath-filler-waste--overflow-chrome-1256-p.asp&h=400&w=300&tbnid=xjGL1VPQLgsxPM%3A&zoom=1&docid=pQuY9XnOTesI2M&ei=C0i5U5uLCYKy7Ab0hoCICQ&tbm=isch&ved=0CDoQMygQMBA&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=333&page=2&start=13&ndsp=27
Given that the bathroom isn't going to be in use all the time, can you not just get one of those temporary shower heads that detach whenever?
I suppose you'll have the twins in with you for the beginning anyway and will only be moving them once they start sleeping better so its not as if they NEED to be next to your bedroom?
Ah twin babies are going to be so cute!!!!!!
That's all I have to say.
Your new home looks so beautiful!
We have a bedroom above the garage and it is the coldest room in the house. I know all builds are completely different but it's something to think about. We've had builders / companies out to check our insulation etc and it's all to the correct standard yet that room is always frozen in Winter xx
Just to add that K has an en suite and I LOVE it. I have my changing table in there, (which I also recommend, having been dead against one whilst I was pregnant) and changing nappies in the same room as the sink has been brilliant on SO many occasions, not least because I don't have to pick her up with dirty hands to go to the sink. We've also put her under the shower quite a few times (post swimming, beach and very messy dinners) so I wouldn't discount needing it either! So hard though, such lovely rooms! x
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