How do we incorporate two extra bedrooms, expand our kitchen

Anita
by Anita
We have five soon to be adopted foster children who have been in our care for the past two years. We desperately need to build two additional bedrooms for the two older siblings over our living room and need to expand our kitchen for more cabinets/pantry space w/hopefully room for an island for food preparation and to accommodate all seven of us for meal times, gatherings. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration to our request for ideas, suggestions, directions, etc.

  5 answers
  • AmAtHome AmAtHome on May 21, 2018

    What's above the living room now - attic, crawl space, roof?

    • Anita Anita on May 21, 2018

      Thank you for your reply back. But we have 15 ft. Ceilings in our living room. So that is the only logical place to build the two additional bedrooms is over our living room.

  • 17335038 17335038 on May 22, 2018

    Are you thinking then of loft style bedrooms? If you are starting with only a 15ft ceiling, what ceiling height of the lofts are you hoping to end up with?

    • Anita Anita on May 22, 2018

      Thank you for your reply. We have a slate ceiling on the outside wall of our living room ceiling. So the actual flat ceiling of the bedrooms with be probably be no more than 5/6 feet high. The slate part of the bedroom is obviously wasted space so that is where we would put the knee wall that is required according to our village code.

    • Anita Anita on May 22, 2018

      Thank you William for your suggestion. I do appreciate it. I will be looking through this webpage asap.

  • 17335038 17335038 on May 22, 2018

    Its good to hear that you have checked already to see what some building codes might be in your area of residence. Will there be a window large enough for exit in the new bedroom area? You might also want to check with your insurance carrier to see what the requirements (stairwells, windows, exterior secure ladder, etc.) may be to ensure that your fire insurance policy is not put in jeopardy by the changes to the home.

    • Anita Anita on May 22, 2018

      Yes there will be a skylight type window for each room that has been okay by our village building code. I never though about our home owners fire insurance policy. Thank you on that one for sure. I'll be giving our agent a call first thing in the morning. Shouldn't be a problem, the 2 additional bedroom will be right off from our stair case as are the other bedroom the four girls now share and the one other bedroom that the only boy has. Thank you again for all your input and knowledge. I do appreciate it.

  • 17335038 17335038 on May 23, 2018


    You're welcome. You are taking on a new responsibility that comes from the

    heart. Wishing you success and fulfillment in your endeavors.