Monday, January 6, 2014

Getting To Know You Part 4 - Upstairs

Since the house renovation is unlikely to look much different for the next two weeks (as the cabinets are still under construction and we have temporarily run out of money), I thought I'd take a minute to introduce you to the 2nd floor.

It was my wish when we built our dream house to have all 3 kids and us on the 2nd floor.  My main reasoning for that is that in every house we've lived in, the master bedroom has been on the main and the kids have been on another floor (upstairs here and our 1st house, basement at our last house).  That means I'm always trekking up or down stairs in the middle of the night when my kids are sick, scared, thirsty, or in need of a good spanking.  Just kidding.  But seriously, I've never liked not being near my kids.  But worse, I've always HATED having my bedroom be in the middle of Grand Central Station.  Kids running through it playing tag, the TV noise/kitchen noise/playing tag noise/beating each other noise always permeating the walls and taking over my room.  And the kids' stuff always migrating to my bedroom.  I just wanted a peaceful retreat, away from the hustle and bustle. 

So when we found Little Pink House III, and the master was on the main with 4 bedrooms upstairs, and a big lofted space above the living room, I saw my chance:  I wanted to cover over the lofted area to make a 5th bedroom, convert the largest bedroom into the master (with its huge bay windows looking out on the valley), turn the smallest bedroom on the other side of the Jack-and-Jill bathroom into our master closet, and then all of us would finally be upstairs!

But it was not to be.  The cost of such a renovation was prohibitive considering everything else we had to do.  Plus, what to do with the main floor master suite?  What would we make that into??  And EVERYONE from our builder to our architect to my husband and most of my friends assured me that someday I REALLY will be glad to have my room far away from my kids' rooms. 

Instead, we decided to take the smallest of the 4 upstairs bedrooms and convert it to an upstairs laundry...


So this is the current plan.  Beck and Daphne will get the two bedrooms on the south that have a Jack-and-Jill bathroom.

Beck's room...


Jack-and-Jill bath...


Daphne's room...



 Pippa will get the huge bay window bedroom by virtue of the fact that it is the quietest room and she still naps...


Her Jack-and-Jill bath will become just a Jill bath, and the Jack half, which adjoins to the new laundry room, will be closed off with a big laundry sink. 

Someday we may need to reconfigure.  I'm sure at some point the two girls will probably want to be together.  Or maybe Daphne will want a room off to herself.  In which case we'll do a little switcheroo-ing.  But for now, that's how the layout seems to work best.

Added to those rooms, there's also a little loft area at the top of the stairs.  I think I'll make it a reading nook--two nice comfy arm chairs, a book case, a side table and lamp...I think it'll be a great place to read stories before bed.  (As long as the kids don't decide to climb up the bookcase and swan dive off the balcony into the living room below.  Oh the nightmares I have thinking about that!!!)



Well, that's the upstairs.  It's the area of the house that's probably getting the least change.  Mostly cosmetic, except for the change from 4th bedroom to laundry room.  As soon as we have money, we can probably already start to re-carpet and paint it.  We do want to renovate both upstairs bathrooms at some point as they are VERY 80's and the sinks/toilets/tubs are decrepit.  But the vanities, sinks, and tubs at least are functional, so they'll probably be last on the list to be changed.

Here is the floor plan, both before and after the minor change to the laundry room (and with the new stairs skillfully added on with some mad Picassa skills by yours truly)...









Next time:  The master suite

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