Could use a few opinions, and bear with me as without pics it is tough to visualize. I am debating changing the layout of a room on the 1st floor. Basically it currently is an odd layout as a 2 story colonial that used to be a 1 floor ranch. when the 2nd floor was added by the prev owner, the 1st floor bedroom became a small den or office space with 1 standard doorway from the hallway, and doesn't get good natural light being shaded by the farmers porch. there is also some wasted space with the new stairway being built adjacent to this room.
the house also doesn't have a dining room and a good size dining room table can't fit in this den/office.
i am debating tearing down a wall (and rebuilding 3 feet away) to expand this room so it may be used as a dining room. however, in doing so i would need to choose between 2 options in changing the layout.
option 1-just expand the room and use the existing doorway as the only doorway to the room (from hallway, about 5 feet away from kitchen)
option 2-expand the room per above, but in addition to the existing doorway, create an open case doorway on the opposite end of the same wall that would put you at the bottom of the staircase and open up flow directly to the living room, also creating better lighting to the room. however, since this was a ranch with a narrower foundation, the bottom of the stairs is an elevated landing that has 1 step sideways to the living room on the opposite side. so, this new doorway would require to build a step up to the landing from the dining room, creating a "double step landing".
would creating this "double step landing" seem like too wierd of a layout and actually detract value from the home? or would having 2 entrances be beneficial and more like a common dining room even though it would be an odd step up and step down to get from the living room to dining room? or would it also lose value with the room no longer able to be "private" and unable to be closed off. on the other hand if we just expand the room without creating an open doorway, would that add value as a dining room with only 1 entrance and no flow from the living room?
the house also doesn't have a dining room and a good size dining room table can't fit in this den/office.
i am debating tearing down a wall (and rebuilding 3 feet away) to expand this room so it may be used as a dining room. however, in doing so i would need to choose between 2 options in changing the layout.
option 1-just expand the room and use the existing doorway as the only doorway to the room (from hallway, about 5 feet away from kitchen)
option 2-expand the room per above, but in addition to the existing doorway, create an open case doorway on the opposite end of the same wall that would put you at the bottom of the staircase and open up flow directly to the living room, also creating better lighting to the room. however, since this was a ranch with a narrower foundation, the bottom of the stairs is an elevated landing that has 1 step sideways to the living room on the opposite side. so, this new doorway would require to build a step up to the landing from the dining room, creating a "double step landing".
would creating this "double step landing" seem like too wierd of a layout and actually detract value from the home? or would having 2 entrances be beneficial and more like a common dining room even though it would be an odd step up and step down to get from the living room to dining room? or would it also lose value with the room no longer able to be "private" and unable to be closed off. on the other hand if we just expand the room without creating an open doorway, would that add value as a dining room with only 1 entrance and no flow from the living room?