In this video update, I’m sharing some of the ways we planned to change the overall layout of the house, particularly on the ground floor. Overall, we didn’t change the footprint too much. But as part of the updating, it made sense to make a few key changes.
What You See in the Video
- There were several changes made to the room that had formerly been used as a shop.
- Doors were changed to windows and a connection point to this room from the house’s entryway was planned.
- Upstairs, a connection point was planned to allow us to get to the second floor of the barn.
The Story Behind-the-Scenes
We thought long and hard about any changes to the footprint of the house. One of the reasons we loved the house from the beginning was its layout. It had a perfect mix of communal spaces and plenty of rooms for everyone to feel like they had their own space. We bought this house with my sister and her husband so this division of space was important for all of us.
But in this old shop room, as well as in a few other rooms on the ground floor, there were several entry doors to the house from the street. We knew we didn’t need or want all of them. (With the actual entry door, that made five doors in total leading to the street.) So, changing them to windows made the most sense.
Interestingly, the shop room and the rooms next to it were never connected internally to the rest of the house. Originally, anyone living there would have had to walk outside to the courtyard and enter from there.
We saw an opportunity to open a doorway that would connect to the main entryway of the house from a spot where the wall was not as thick as in other areas. This was a lucky break, in all honesty, because otherwise the stone wall would have been too much to break through.
This shop room was also next to a small sitting room and the wall between them wasn’t structurally important. We couldn’t see a practical use for this small room and thought it would be better off made into one large kitchen and dining area. So, the wall would be removed.
On the second floor, we planned to open a doorway to access the barn. When we bought the house, the only way up to the second level was by using the built in rung steps on the side of the barn in the courtyard. The first time we looked at the house, the previous owners showed us how their barn had been converted to a beautiful covered terrace and we knew instantly we would want to do something similar with this barn space.
Where To Next?
See all the renovation updates in order by heading back to this renovation journey page.
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Previous update: Renovation Begins: First Days Overview
Next update: Renovation Update Part 2 – Upper Floor Changes
