Monday 31 December 2012

Z draws up a plan

Right, here's a rough floor plan of the bungalow.  Not at all to scale, the drawing room isn't as huge as that so the proportions are out somewhere, but it should give you an idea.  Ah, I've just noticed - the laundry room, dressing room, cloakroom, hall and drawing room outer walls should all be one line and the porch be an addition.

Originally, the sitting room was two bedrooms and the bungalow ended after that.  The cupboards plus cloakroom were where the bathroom was.  Where the bedroom, bathroom, dressing room and laundry room are now used to be my in-laws' little extension which housed Hilda's bathroom, the boiler room and the warm room which was used to dry clothes etc and had cupboards to store bedlinen and towels. The lobby is a little hallway which the other rooms lead off from.

We paid for the alterations of course, the house belongs to the Sage so we had the structural work done.  My mother spent almost as much (some £17,000) on decorations and furnishing.  It was ludicrous really, on a new house, but we went along with it.  My stepfather had died, you see, in January 1997.  She never did have the new conservatory, which should have been along the right hand, as you see it, drawing room wall, because she'd wanted it for him, but the rest was all done.  The council, having tried hard to make us restrict the size of the extension to 800 square feet (we argued it up because Ma had lived in a large house and her furniture was in proportion), passed the alterations and extension without comment.

10 comments:

allotmentqueen said...

Why is the larder in the opposite corner to the kitchen? Accessed via the drawing room, the hall, the dressing room, the laundry room and the lobby? Ergonomics not strong in your family?

Liz said...

Does that larder belong to the main house?

Will the bungalow look anything like this once the teenageers have finished with it tonight?

Macy said...

I love the way the first comments are all questions! Here's another one. I'm showing ignorance now, but what's the difference between a drawing room and a sitting room?

Apart from the spelling obviously...

Rog said...

The drawing room was reproduced with a pencil

Unknown said...

I think originally the 'drawing room' was a 'withdrawing room' for the ladies, whilst the chaps got on with the serious business of their port and cigars.
Those were the days (sighs regretfully.

No, not really. Prefer mixed company anyway.

Z said...

Yes, the bungalow kitchen has its own larder, see top right.

There hasn't been a horrifying influx, I feel quite relaxed about the evening.

Withdrawing room, yes. I was brought up with a drawing room, so that's what I call it. Also, if one has a ludicrous amount of living space, you need to differentiate, and a lounge belongs in an airport or hotel.

I'm afraid I'm more likely to be a port and cigar girl - though appreciative sniffing rather than actual smoking is my preference.

Rosie said...

This is very confusing. I have never understood architectural drawings...however, I have decided you are of a very scientific nature upon seeing your handwriting.

mig bardsley said...

That seems to be a lot of rooms in what looked like a fairly unobtrusive bungalow. I love seeing how other people's houses fit together.

Happy New Year dear Z, to you and The Sage and all your family. I hope it's a very good one xxx

Tim said...

So, the dressing room leads directly off the hall, without an intervening door? That's very modern.

Z said...

Oh Rosie, you are a tease. I haven't been so discomfited since a musical friend heard me humming 'A Room in Bloomsbury' and started talking about Noel Coward, to my confusion until I realised he thought I'd been singing 'A Room With A View."

It's a pretty large bungalow, Mig, it could have 4 good bedrooms with some internal rearrangement.

You want the doors drawn in, Tim? You're very demanding. There is a door between the passage leading off the hall and the dressing room.