Cottage renovation questions: we need your help! | Irish stone farmhouse restoration 

Hear me out. Picture this: it's evening, you're cooking in your kitchen with family around a table and that beautiful fireplace is lit on a cozy evening. You have all the light coming through all those windows and appendages. Instead of the "ensuite", that room has a utility sink and walls of shelves with all of your garden harvests saved in pretty jars. So what I'm suggesting is make the fireplace room (what you currently want as a bedroom) a kitchen with walk-in pantry. Then the area that you're thinking of making the kitchen and adding on can now be the master bedroom and ensuite addition. With that beautiful fireplace in your bedroom, it will never be seen. It would be a lovely transition to step up into that beautiful fireplace kitchen from the living/dining room and your master suite tucked away on the opposite side. My two cents.😊

Two steps - save the grief.

Question 2: I think you should attach the appendage to the new kitchen and walk through. Either make it part of the kitchen or a little sun room/hothouse solarium to have plants and herbs to cook with. It would be so much more open and bring in light. I say absolutely keep it and just attached it to the kitchen.😊

I would remove the en-suite door and replace it with a full height decorative window to bring light into the back of the en-suite. Putting a roll top bath in front would make for a great place to have a soak after chasing the ponies when they escape again!☺️

Having grown up on a 100 acre farm I would only recommend that you have a mud room! A mudroom w/ a place to wash up near it & a toilet is so essential on a homestead! Mudrooms make it easy to not dirty the entire house if it is raining out or if you’ve been in the pasture. Good luck🙏🙏🙏Blessing’s

I agree! Steps into bedroom seems the easiest solution.

I’d cut off the smaller appendage on the back side of the bedroom and fill it in to make wall space for the bed. Put a built-in high reading bench in the other bedroom appendage with cabinets or shelves underneath for storage. I think one of the appendages in the bedroom needs to go and the one on the backside of the house makes more sense.

I would definitely take the external door out for the ensuite and brick it up. You'll be surprised how much stone/granite you may find on your land to match. Or get a stone mason to come and take a look, it may be easier than you think. 😊

The thought of turning the lounge appendage into a throughway, I like, I'd keep the windows and have deep sills for plant starts and winter herbs and seriously that cottage is dark, they were probably added for real light. Also like the idea of making the bedroom appendage into a larger usable retreat in the main bedroom, then both of you can sit in a comfy chair and read. :)

I would remove ALL of the appendages 😊. Put in large windows or French doors so that you can keep the light ❤. Not to mention furniture placement would be so much easier ❤

You can always leave the living room or living space flooring like it is and instead of the ramp going into your bedroom, maybe do a couple of steps that way you can leave the bedroom the same and the living area the same, no digging required.

Bedroom appendage #1 - if you extend and put doors in it, it will become a transition space which won’t be inviting to spend time in. Leave the existing footprint, adjust the roof line to improve the guttering situation. False wall: Kori’s idea will work better. Apologies to Kayvan. That’s your free advice from a retired architect. You guys are doing a great job, keep up the good work!

The appendage to the kitchen. Keep it glassed and make it a walkthrough to the kitchen. You could have fresh herbs growing there off the kitchen and/or a little nook for tea or coffee.

1, I would dig down 2, I would incorporate the appendix into your kitchen 3, I would take out the appendix for your bedroom giving you a wall to but your bed upto 4, I would remove the door and replace with half pvc and top frosted glass Can’t remember the last question I asked my dad who was a builder what he would do and these are his recommendations love your videos hope I helped make some sort of a decision ❤

1. Keep as much height as possible in the lounge. That isn’t something that can be changed easily down the line. I would have steps up to the bedroom. 2. Keep the appendage and incorporate it into the kitchen down the line. More light is better especially in Ireland. Adding it into the future design also means you could have a two way fireplace (lounge and kitchen) which would be very cosy in the wild weather. 3. Extend the appendage to create a small seating area to take advantage of the view and create a suite feel in the bedroom. 4. Can you create access into the ensuite via the appendage closest to the ensuite opening? This would allow you to close in the current ensuite opening and have that whole wall for bed. It would also solve the issue with the external access to the ensuite on the plan.

My husband and I faced a lot of decisions when we moved into our current home. We tackled each one just as you are! It’s so rewarding when it all falls into place. While watching your show this morning, 2 ideas popped into my head… Facing the back wall in the master bedroom, close off that doorway to the closet and enter the en suite through the right doorway. You won’t need to put up a false wall which, I think, would negatively impact your beautiful peaked roofline. Place your bed right against the wall under the peak. As far as the ramp entering your master, why not put three 6” steps there instead of removing all of that soil? Hope these ideas will help in your decision making! Love your show and love Ireland. We spent 2 weeks there in 2021 and plan to return so I can research the origins of my Irish grandfather.

5. Leave the door to the bathroom! Imagine going able to walk right in and avoid tracking dirt into the house before showering. That sounds like a dream to me.

For the batheoom door - maybe do half (or so) window with a small make up vanity table under it inside. Lots of natural light. Outside bottom, perhaps a decorative feature or flower box. with wood background that would accent the stone.

I like Kori's idea for the bed in the bedroom with the false wall for storage. Id block up the door.

Hi guys! We watch your show religiously! We have two ideas concerning the bedroom. Firstly, keep the floor levels between the lounge and bedroom the same, but bring the bedroom floor level in the passage and put steps. As for the door in the bathroom, put a beautiful floor to ceiling window. That brings in natural light. Love you guys! Thomas and Mandy Kentucky USA

Always good to hear about your plans for your dream-home! I like the idea of putting in French doors and patios wherever there’s an appendage, create a couple of steps rather than dig, keep the en-suite door and the living room door in-ine (so you’re not having to walk around the bed every time), nix the external door into the en-suite and add a window, don’t lower the head-height in the living room (we’re all under 5/5 here, but there are eight-foot minimums where ever I’ve lived, so I can’t imagine the claustrophobia of something less). And, Please consult an architect to go over your plans - just in case! Cheers🎉!

Do you have a mudroom? If not, I would maybe try to leave the door into the ensuite. As a former farmer, having the ability to come in directly to a mudroom/bathroom and get cleaned up without having to go through anything is a big plus.

Definitely extend the bedroom appendage with the lake view and add French doors to a patio; Magical!!! Imagine: The Fireplace lit and fresh frosty air wafting in from the fall night, gazing at the moonlit lake; chilliness and warmth; coziness and wildness. Also, waking up, wrapping fluffy robe around you and padding straight out to your patio and the pre-dawn lake bathing you in wonder. Priceless!!! I like the floating wall against the ensuite wall, with space for wardrobe. Bed faces fireplace and still has lake view (?). And I agree with several people that the lounge appendage would be wonderful connected with the kitchen (and could one day be enlarged into solarium or stay cozy and Also have French doors to another patio). My motto is that there are never enough French doors in people's lives. 😊 Best of luck with these tough decisions and timelines.

Question 5; I would consult a stone mason in regards to that door. It may be easily do-able to cover it over with similar stone.

I agree about steps into the bedroom. We have an area from the kitchen to dining area with one step due to a previous addition. This step does not cause a trip hazard and works out well. This would decrease costs as you wouldn’t have to change the grade and dig out the current level of the floor

i would ask west cork wander any questions,as they have completly renovated their irish cottage , took roof off /replaced .they have literallly done everything and nearly completed ,clare n rob ,amazing couple

The only suggestion I have is to change the outside door in the bathroom into an opaque window/wall. Maybe glasss block. You will enjoy the natural lighting in your shower.

I think a 6" difference between the two rooms, along with adding 4" in one room and digging 8" in the other should work very well. But have you thought about putting in a 6" step between the two rooms instead of a ramp? Now the first appendage. I think you should take away the appendage, and add French doors that open on to a patio that will work for the lounge and the kitchen extension. Think outdoor table and chairs on a sunny day! I would remove the smaller bedroom appendage, (replace it with a window) and keep the bigger one. I like the idea of enlarging the bigger one. I personally would make it into a sitting room for two. Then on winter days, you could sit in it with a nice snuggly blanket and read or just enjoy as much sunshine as you can. Also, with the small appendage gone, you can put your bed on that wall. You could use an open type headboard such as an iron one, or one that is not solid to get the max amount of benefit from the window behind it. The one thing I would suggest in the bathroom is to replace the door with glass bricks, and make that one wall of your shower. That adds lots of light to the bathroom and you wouldn't have to change the frame, thus nothing to change on the outside structurally.

Hello - I live in the states and am a retired professional interior designer. My comment is a suggestion for the ‘appendages’ in your future master bedroom. Keep both. Make the one with the desirable view into a sitting area for both of you, make the other one into a closet, possibly a walk-in closet. This might mean enlarging both ‘appendages’, but the realized added storage of a large closet is invaluable over time; and of course a sitting nook with a terrific view is always fabulous. I had a walk in closet (room) in a home of mine and it actually had a window which was terrific for airing out my clothes and air flow in general. So if you were able to enclose the walls in one of the appendages but possibly allow for a small window as well it could be an excellent closet. In the sitting nook appendage the more glass the better. Good luck, can’t wait to see what you do!

I would start again . . . with the layout ideas ! The appendages may need to be moved to make the space more user friendly. Ideally the room with your vaulting ceiling becomes the sitting room . . . this would become a feature The ensuite becomes your kitchen So the master bedroom then moves to the other end of the building It would be good to use one of the appendiges as a entrance hall for muddy boots and coats. At this point it would be good to talk to an architect for professional ideas on a useable comfortable home 🙂 The important questions are what do you want to achieve, how does the design help you evolve as a family ? What is the purpose of the building - how will you use the building - for the next 10 years ? Do you plan to sell vegetable etc from your home. Other buisiness requirements - dedicated office - in the near future?

Hi guys, I'm a former Interior architect and thesw things come to mind: In the bedroom against the wall to the ensuite, a clever wall of cabinets/storage which doubles as a headboard could be cool. You could even hide a door into the ensuite in the unit. For the external door in the ensuite, i'd replace it with one large framed window, preferably with the ability to open and provide an escape route incase of emergency. (Hi, fire and safety officer 😉) For the appendage beside the new extension, my first question is, will you be applying for planning for the new kitchen? If so why not extend the width of the extension to absorb the appendage making the kitchen one big open space Just some ideas, maybe not viable but opens the conversations which hopefully leads to your creative solution

I agree-get an architect who specializes in old buildings, esp if you want to preserve this in the best way for the future-there are too many strange things about the layout. An architect can give advice without detailed drawings if you don't want to use an architect but I think you will be sorry in the future if you don't have professional advice. We had odd situations at our home and the architect easily fixed the problems and it looks wonderful now. Get rid of the appendages and wood ceilings and focus on what the original building looked like.

Your bump outs (“appendage”) are a great feature. With a rural property especially, it is helpful to be able to see as much of the property as possible (we enjoy that aspect of having bay windows).

1.Do whatever you need to do to make it as level as you can. 2. Nice patio door where appendage is. 3.I like the idea of extending the bedroom appendage. 4. Get rid of the other appendage in the bedroom. 5. En suite, it has to be comfortable for you, if the door is in the way get rid of it but it could also be really good to have if the weather is really bad and you just need to strip off and go straight in the shower/bath. 🤔🤔🤔

For the appendage off the lounge, I would incorporate it into the new kitchen/dining room. With large windows, it would bring a lot of light into the lounge and the kitchen/dining room. It would also make the Lounge feel larger. You could create a little library and reading nook in it. I also think it may help blend the new addition exterior into the existing cottage exterior. For your bedroom, I think the false wall across from the fireplace would be good, and the idea of creating a wardrobe/closet behind it is a really good idea! For the exterior door in the ensuite, I would replace it with a frosted glass window. If you did a full-length window, it would make for a kind of cool shower space, or you could do a regular window (also frosted) and put a bathtub/shower in--either would call for minimal unmatched exterior siding, which could be hidden with plants. It looks like it's at the front of the house, so for privacy, a tree or shrubs could be planted in front of the window, maybe even create a kind of mini courtyard (which can be done in the future) so foot traffic isn't up against the house near the window. For the master bedroom appendage, making it a little bigger might make it more useful, but leaving it as is with a cozy seat in it is also nice. I am so interested to see all the ideas others come up with! Good luck!

Exterior door in shower - can you build an outdoor shower and you can go from inside shower to exterior shower? Build privacy wall and be able to enjoy an outdoor shower. Showering outside with warm water is just so relaxing when weather appropriate.

I suggest for your floors, to make the floors level by bringing up on a suspended floor for the lower area. Electrics, divide the house into zones, with separate zone areas to allow for future "change your mind times". Stud your outer walls and insulate between, and plasterboard. This will facilitate wiring the house and also give a route for pipework. Bring your services into the Kitchen, especially water, and have a master drinking tap, and stopcock where you can reach it. You can pipes through the roof space, and wires. Do your first fix before the floors and wall coverings. Think of under-floor heating , and levels. A level floor throughout is better for the future for anyone using a wheelchair, or otherwise disabled. Think about building bigger in the future, and prepare the groundwork now, i.e. bedroom annex, into shower and ensuite room. Hope that helps, we have tidied up many houses, from six bedroom rectory, to building a four bedroomed house between us (never again, she says), so think outside the box, and look at up-market houses on the Net, for sale for ideas. I would double the width of the property to get better use of space. Draw it out on A2 paper, makes it easier to scale the rooms. Hope this helps.

I think I would call them bays!

Like you finally said planning for ancillisries. My ring main had 9 double sockets, ten downlighters, one interconnected smoke alarm, plus plumbing for 4 radiators all in three rooms.

Question 2. - I highly recommend you hir an architect. From our own experience we went ahead and made modifications to our home in Southern California. Later, we hired an architect and discovered we could have saved ourselves time and money had we hired her first. We ended up having to redo a couple of areas. However afterward we were extremely happy. Last question- I would brick up the opening halfway up. Install a large window. Would give you more space for tables and lamps, and I would let you enjoy the scenery and light.

I like Kayvan's idea for the appendage with the door leading out side and I like Cori's idea for the bed ❤❤

The first and most important thing to consider when building/renovating a “forever home”, what ever that means, is…..happy wife, happy life! This Belief has served me well.😀😀🙏🎃🇨🇦

Question 5,get rid off door,put in a window,bath,double sinks,toilet, heated towel rail

What about using the appendage next to the kitchen as a breakfast nook? Like you said essentially adding it into the kitchen. That way you would still be bringing in an abundance of light. Seeing how natural light can be an issue in these cottages.

You did mention sockets a couple of times and you have also said that you want this to be your forever home. I have also noticed that the sockets that you have are relatively high on the walls. My suggestion comes from working in care homes and old people's homes. Put the new sockets also high on the walls, not just above the boards, because when you're older bending all that way down is no longer comfortable or even possible. For the bedroom the idea of making that 'bed wall' in front of the en suite is by far the best idea. Like you said, you can have storage behind it. The door in the bathroom: lock it and make it a feature! All the best with your questions and I hope you will find the ansesrs you are looking for in some of the many comments you will doubtless receive!

I have a house built, originally, as a summer cottage. This means there was no central heating. #1 Eventually, the floor space was dug out for heating vents, plumbing, and sewer pipes. Then the joists were put in at three feet above the final level of the floors. So, dig down, pour you concrete floor, run your utility lines, and raise the floor to whatever height you want. All your pipes etc will be under the floor. Make a crawl space for access. #2 Have you considered the appendage off the kitchen widened into a kind of mud room. You'd actually be attaching it to the outside of the house and put in a door between the appendage and the kitchen. Put an outer door to the mud room to the outside. You could put in cupboards to store winter clothes, boots, coats etc. Maybe some hooks to hang jackets, hats, or a hanging drying rack for laundry. #3 If you got rid of the far appendage in the bedroom and replace it with a big window, you could put the bed under the window. Make your other appendage (on the front) your window seat. #4 Brick up the outer bathroom door. You can easily find enough stone on your property to use as a facade to match the rest of the stone work on the house. No one will ever know that bit of stone work isn't as thick as the rest of the cottage. (check out the RU-vid channel The Indigo Escape to see their stonework facade on their new build).

Love kayvans idea for the first appendage in bedroom, out onto a small patio with a view to the lake.

Place sockets in the floor for lamps and lighting Christmas tree. Also consider a socket on fireplace for lighting. Make a small breakfast nook off the kitchen, or make it a pantry for your vegetables canning from the garden. How about a computer station.

You guys are the important in this conversation. don't loose site of this.

I’ve always looked at your layout and thought about how you enjoy the fireplace the most and I would say as having that room as a kitchen. My other thought about the appendages would actually to extend and join them together all across the front to create a sun room which can be a lovely place for reading, growing plants, and having somewhere with an out door feel protected from the weather.

Re: the exterior door in the bedroom, I would suggest taking it out. For the exterior appearance, you could use the inset area to build in heavy shelving for plantings in pots, garden statuary, etc.

Here‘s my not very thought through thoughts: make an orangerie of the first appendage in the corner of the living room and new kitchen, take away the appendage in the bedroom if it‘s facing north(just not very much sun coming in then anyways), replace with window not to lose the view but it would make it easier to fit in a bed, and about the door in the bathroom, keep it and put the shower there, then you can step straight into the shower, i‘ve seen that in another house somewhere and thought it looked kind of practical and cool. Good luck with all the decisions!

1. put a couple of steps up to bedroom, 2. make it a thoroughfare to the next room, 3. extend appendage and make a sunroom with french doors, 4. remove one appendage for and relace with a window for a wall for the bed, 5. remove the door and replace with a window. Good luck and have a great week!

As a plant person I recommend keeping those appendages (somehow) for having your seedlings in the early spring, far from rain, slugs, rabbits, deer etc… I suppose I would build a sort of a loft for the bed, I had one of those and absolutely loved it, and when I see something like that I kind of envy people who sleep on their little loft (maybe with a nice velux window or two to look at the stars - or at those amazing Northern lights from three nights ago here in West Cork)

What a fun and challenging job! I would maybe use the space in the bedroom where the bed would go as a backdrop for a built to the wall headboard,if that makes sense, and remove the appendage. Also close in the door in the bathroom unless you need a quick escape route! I think i would leave the appendage in the kitchen unless you plan to extend that wall out for more space. In the end, i do believe a builder or architect would have good ideas or you could research DIY renovation online. Best wishes!

Love the idea of placing the bed in front of the tiny appendage. You could lose the appendage completely, and place the bed against the wall. Or, you could leave the triangular top of the small appendage to bring light into the room.

Greetings from South Australia. I love your channel.❤ Points to consider 1. Why were the bay windows built... probably for bringing in the light. Will removing them or replacing them with windows make the rooms too dark. 2. Are they, as others have commented, a problem ie will you lose heat in winter, be water-tight? Will you actually be sitting still in your bedroom looking at the view, and would you see it from bed or chair level? 3. Steps are easier than changing floor levels, and ramps are easier to retrofit if you need them in your dotage. 4.Lounge bay window.. do a proper job..remove the current structure and rebuild it outward to create a conservatory from the left side of the bay opening and curved around to meet the corner of the kitchen wall. I can imagine a low wall with wide window sills for plant starts, a wall of double-glazed windows for light and views. And an open plan kitchen bench facing the windows where the wall is removed with all other kitchen necessities along the back wall. 5. Bedroom : I suggest don't block the flow from the entrance to the ensuite with the bed. Rather, modify the bigger bay window to be half the size. Build up to the height needed for bed headboard ( then bed has view of the fire) create a cosy window/ reading nook above the bed. 6. Considering farmlife and weather keep external bathroom entrance ..invaluable as a mudroom idea. Thank you for the questions..they have certainly stimulated lots of ideas... have fun working things out. I will stay tuned 😊

I'd remove the small appendage in the master bedroom eliminating the need for a false wall and keep the 2 larger appendages, but make both of the remaining appendages the same size. You'd get your bedroom window seat and as a bonus have a nice little space for growing herbs right off the kitchen. The 2 larger appendages both seem to be a great source of natural light. Edit I'm Relizing I've never used the word appendages so many times. 😂

Ong so many decisions for you to make!!! Can’t wait to fast forward and see the finished product item?? Keep going love watching you.

hi there. for the question you asked 1 the floor, i would dig down half ways and then make the in cline a little longer so it becomes lower in a way.( if you get what i mean?) 2 the appendage in the kitchen/dining room, i would take down the glass and then make a wooden/ cement floor and then put up some kind of lettuce walls that diffrent kind off flowers and stuff can climb on, in this way then you have a nice spot in the evening/ morning to sit in and do what ever you want to do there. 3 the appendage in the master room facing the entrence, i would remove the stone wall then put in wood walls and make it a little bigger so you can go in there and actually move around whit out feeling claustrophobic becasue it is so small. 4 master bed, i would place a false wall a little further away from the en-suite like she showed becasue then you can hide clothes and stuff behind the false walls and you can wake up looking at the appendage and maybe even get morning sun into the room. 5 the en-suite, in the small room then i would place toilet/ shower and so on, and in the big room then i would place the bathtub and washer/ dryer and stuff like that and i would remove the door and put a window there instead so light could come in. hope this helps, have a great day ! :)

I would leave door in ensuite and build an outdoor shower outside the door. Easy place to hose off if needed before coming inside. I like the false wall with possible small wardrobe behind it, or get rid of the back wall appendage. I would attach other appendage to kitchen, great place for plants or seed starting.

I would never want to give up ceiling height unless I was worried about heating loss to the ceiling. Most ceiling heights in modern homes is 10 foot I think with window height of 6-8 from the top.

I would take the smaller appendage out of the bedroom or make it larger to fit my bed. I would also leave the floor heights as is and put a step or two in. I would incorporate the living room appendage into the kitchen for herbs, plants etc. or you enclose it for a bar or small library. Whatever you decide it’s going to be beautiful. Appendage is such a funny word for an extension, make me smile every time I use it. Thank you and cheers.

Lampshades 😂, if you think you will need a socket somewhere, fit it. You can never have too many and it's a nightmare if you don't have it. I would also suggest two way light switches on the stairs and larger rooms with two entries, it's easy to do and plan at this stage. There are so many things to think about, I think asking for input is a great way of not forgetting about something. Take care and stay calm lol.❤️

Some shallow steps would nice and cottagey . Just remember you live in your kitchen and sleep in your bedroom I would swap them around.

Question 4 - false wall in front of the en suit is a great idea but do this to headboard height not full height to keep the size of the room and light.

Bedroom appendage : I like the idea of a lovely large window and getting more wall space since you seem to be short on that In regard to the bed, I’d get rid of the appendage all together and maybe have a window up higher. The door that goes outside could you take it out put in a frosted window (window bricks) at the top and then wall at the bottom again, bc wall space seems to be at a premium. And I know absolutely nothing about any of this it’s just what I thought when I was watching 😊

You could use the “appendage” as walk in closet. I would consider one of them closing off from the bedroom so you have wall space but access it from the outside as a small greenhouse to start your seedlings. The house will help minimize how much you would need to heat it.

Great video good luck on whatever comes up

Kayvans idea for the floor discrepancies, the 2 "appendages or popouts". Kori's idea for the bed/wall. If you have the false wall as Kori described, you can have your closet/storage outside of the bath and have all the space inside the ensuite for the things. I would suggest replacing that door in the ensuite with a window the same size of the door that way you could still put your bathtub there, and not have to worry about matching the rocks on the outside of the cottage. Enjoying watching your journey!

I love the idea of adding the appendage into the kitchen. You could make it a butler's pantry, but you'd lose a lot of light. Maybe you could leave most of the windows and make it a coffee bar?

6 inch ramp is the way to go. The bedroom extension could have one door with a bench to one side if you make it wider and definitely a flat roof with a lantern roof light. The single small appendage I would brick up. The large appendage is in the way of view from your kitchen, but you could incorporate it as a small dining area. The door to the outside in the en-suite that stone looks like sandstone which should be easy to get and any good stone mason would be able to marry it in. One other thing you might check out is the original inglenook fireplace and how it was reduced to a normal size fireplace as I have experienced some terrible bodge jobs ie no liners/cavities full of soot etc.

When I first saw the inside,like previous commenter Nicole I thought that room with the fireplace would make an awesome kitchen with walk in pantry,and maybe a separate toilet that you access when you are working outside through that door that you don’t know what to do with, with the vaulted ceiling it would make an incredible kitchen.

Question 3 I would enlarge the room. But instead of having a flat roof, I would incorporate the funny little window . Use that as your roof line/pitch for the roof line of the enlarged addition and just open up the roof in your bedroom.

you could build a greenhouse on to the kitchen - you could make the first 2 or 3 ft of stone and reclaimed glass above - that might be useful and attractive.

Move the entrance of your en-suite flush with the left wall. That will create a bigger wall to put the bed against. In doing that you can even make two entrances leading into the en-suite on either of the bed. Left & right

I like Cory's idea for the bedroom false wall better, with a wardrobe behind it. But still do the extension on the appendage with the double doors to boot! ❤

I would make 2 steps up to bedroom, pull that apendage off , take door out of ensuite putting in a window for light block up with stone wall , love idea floating wall across from ensuite great for storage and hanging space . I think the bedroom would be very dark if you take the other two appendages off the bedroom . Cheers Sharyn and Rosie 🇳🇿🇳🇿

Love the idea with a window and a wall for the bed.

Question 1: raise the floor with insulation- quick to do and will be better for the underfloor heating and the whole house performance. Question 2: run it across the cottage and make a green house/orangery. Great for self sufficiency and also creates a warm space to sit and read and add to the thermal blanket of the building. Also allows you to grow more tropical things. Question 3: link it to the one in the living room. Can have a dividing space between them. Creates a winter garden for the master bedroom. They need to be deeper. You can also have the uf heating looped into these spaces so it’s warm all year around. Question 4: IMO en-suite and bedroom need to be swapped around. The internal wall would need have to be rebuilt but the bedroom essentially be behind the en-suite. The cathedral ceiling is the wow factor of the space, the gable end as the bedroom would be amazing on to the ceiling especially if you can make it natural stone. Question 5: See above. Sorry means moving a wall, but the master bedroom should be a sanctuary. Leave the door in and over wall the internal so you can use the entire wall. All just quick ideas written whilst watching. Keep on going folks do what feels right to ye.

Could you block up the internal door to the en-suite and create a corridor via the rear appendage into the back door of the en-suite? Would give you a solid wall for the bed to go against and not waste any corridor space in the room.

I like hubby s idea for the bedroom appendage. Make the other appendage a window seat. I like the kitchen expansion of the other appendage. Having a kitchen table area and some kitchen herbs growing. Like wifey’s idea about the bedroom wall with closet behind. Lose the door and put a high window in the bathroom. One that opens to dry out the room. If you like natural light.

Question 1: maybe 3 steps each approx. 6” rise and a run that is comfortable, starting away from the door to end up at the higher level. An unexpected ramp can be disorienting. Seeing the steps allows your brain to adjust. Also why loose head height unnecessarily? We have something like this in our West Cork home and it works well.

For the door in the bathroom keep the door shape but have a long window with a free standing bath there so you can look out your house is rural enough that you'll not be overlooked natural light in the bathroom is lovely

Except for the smallest appendage, cutting them off you are losing space. The small one could become a window, still letting in the light, but giving you a headboard wall without eating into the room. The one closest to the kitchen would add loads of space as a walk through as you suggested. I like both of your ideas for the third one.🤔❤️

Crazy thought…..bedroom and bed placement. Build up a 6’6” wall across the front of appendage 2. There’d be an empty space behind, but lots of light over your bed. Bed would be early centred on that wall….good view through the other appendage.

1.) can you do a small step going down from the bedroom to a natural descending ramp, into the high ceiling room and do a loft. (One of those neat threaded soft ceiling lofts) you can make stepped bookcase loft stairs on one side of the room. 2.) Appendage 1 please make a humid greenhouse, right off the kitchen and walk through to the living room. You could grow citrus trees and other warm climate produce. 3.) Appendage 2 coffee tea bar with walk out. Or make a door in the inside and have the appendage a covered outdoor space. 4.) I love the false wall idea where it give you more storage and doesn’t impact the first impression of the room when you first walk in 5.) please excavate and make that a door directly to a sauna or secret room. You could even have a whole spa space and put the bath out there.

Also Thank you for another lovely video! ZenHugs all round.

I am wondering why you don't make that room with the fireplace a large kitchen (instead of master suite)and the attached space would be bathroom and large pantry/laundry space. The the door to the outside would then make perfect sense. It would be nice to have the fireplace in the kitchen where you spend a lot of time. That would allow you to create an en-suite where you know plan to build a kitchen diner. You could then plan for putting the bed in a spot instead of creating false walls. Sorry to totally go off plan with this suggestion. I love your posts on Sundays! Can't wait to see everything that is in store for us!

As someone who has renovated a old house with several extensions, external wall cladding under plaster board etc, at least you can install underfloor heating, you are at the most critical stage as you are aware, reducing the steepness into your room future proofs it, personally would ensure you can assess the bathroom as easy as possible, because it will have your only downstairs toilet!!! Replace the door in the ensuite, with a window. The false wall in the bedroom against the ensuite, would allow you to have a storage area etc. The current lounge appendage would make a great mudroom or attractive entrance to your new lounge, plant growing area etc.

I think keeping more existing space in the interior is always going to pay off in the end. Removing existing space seems a lot of effort with potentially unexpected results. With that in mind, I would keep the kitchen appendage, but turn it into the hallway into your new kitchen area. This will keep the light, given that winter will be so much more grey, with added bonus allowing you to grow some herbs year round. I like the false wall facing the fireplace, as it will also trap heat from any fire you have and throw it back to you in the bed. This provides a nice clothing/footwear storage behind it, allowing you to avoid a big clunky armoire. Keep the bedroom appendage to the left of the bed as is for now, with the option to extend it outward and incorporate a door later. If you extend the floor, you won’t need to extend the in floor heating, as what you have in place will be sufficient, especially if you include seating. I would leave the door into the bathroom from the outside, but make it a half door, so you can open the upper portion on a glorious summer evening and enjoy a soak in your tub with the scents of your garden wafting through. Minimal changes rather than drastic, allowing you to get moving and completed without risking structural integrity.

With the appendage that is hindering the kitchen windows/doors, could you consider relocating those doors to the opposite side of the kitchen and using that wall for your cabinetry? Then you could keep the solarium without it being in the way. If you could replace the door in the bathroom with a window, that would be a nice way to get light in, not have an awkward door there and get more useable floor space.

Glass of wine and a piece of paper sounds great! You have enough entry areas… get rid of the door into the en suite.. sub with a half solid wall with a large window

Master: If the false wall is about 5 or 6 feet tall, it doesn't visually block windows, ceiling, etc. I might consider losing the appendage on the wall with the doors. However, your pathway is then blocked. Lose the outside door in the bathroom. Window is a good idea. Can you move the door to the bathroom so it is more in line with the other door? Living room, reading nook might be nice. Or, like others said, connect it to the kitchen.

I think I would lose the appendage at the back of the bedroom, giving you a wall to put the headboard against. Half brick up the door in the en suite with a window instead. You should be able to match the stone work on the outside. I think I’d lose the triangular windows too. They look a bit modern

Q.2 suggestion. Either go out all the way to the far wall or pull down the appendage & block it up. Try not to have to many corners in your cottage - corners lead to heat lose & cold bridges, resulting in higher heating bills. Plus use live near a coastal area. Q.5 block it up. It's a bathroom. There is a place called Mcgoverns salvage in Islandbridge, Dublin - near the city. They may have the historic stone or period features to blend in. They have a website. You could spend hours walking around the shop.

#2 make it to an office or area where you can have breakfast it really super cute. # 5 the bathroom door will be great if you had a pool that way you would have bathroom access. But I do love all of your ideas. Can’t wait to see the staring build. You guys are so cute.

on the side with the 2 appendages i would join them up up as sun room/office/pantry space

Yes Kayvan, expand and enhance your bedroom appendage. 😮 snicker. I have lived on the coast, and the more LIGHT brought into the house, the better. Perhaps cut off your smaller appendage. 😢 😂 snicker... Having an outside door directly into the loo/laundry, could be very handy, and maybe later a patio off the master suite.

Lounge appendage. What about a lovely bay window that could preserve your light and a window seat could be added as a reading nook.