Beacon Hill -frustrated on how to expand

[shelbylominac]

I have been staring at my Beacon Hill for 2 months now partially assembled shell (with masking tape) hoping to get an idea for how to expand to get a dining room-I REALLY don't want to stick it in the foyer. I have a Houseworks conservatory for one side or the other but I can not figure out what to do to not ruin the design and asymmetrical balance of the house. To me, it looks weird to just stick a conservatory on 1 side and have nothing on the other. I have purchased a bunch of period books on plans and details, but am still perplexed. From all the period design floor plans I've seen, the kitchen would not have been in the front of the house but in the rear. Please give me your 2 cents.

[ilovecats]

I like the idea of the conservatory off to the side of the house (next to the kitchen). I really think it would look pretty there. If you put it in back it would be hard to see into the other rooms unless you plan on doing alot of adding on. Personally, I think you would then have to add additional floors so that it doesn't look odd that you just placed a conservatory at the back. I don't know if that helps or not....

[madhatter]

I feel your pain,

My beacon hill has been in a box for over a year i think. Iv'e been waiting to start it, and in all that time ive been planning.

Im planning to put on extensions on both sides, im doing this to try and keep the balanced look of the house.

I dont plan to go behind the house just to the side.

I am contimplating the houseworks conservatory too, but have not decided yet because of the same question you are asking. I was planning to build on top of my conservatory to solve this. Maybe make my own one, with a double french doors leading out from the living room.

I was planning on putting it on the side of the living room because I wanted another entering area.

I was not going to use it for the dining room, because I did not want my guest to have to travel through the living room to get to the dining room.

I am planning on putting the dining room where the kitchen is and adding an on a kitchen with a little pantry on the side. I plan to build on top of this too. Out front i want a wrap around porch that extends to the kitchen so i can put a door that leads outside from the kitchen. I also put the kitchen on the outside for the same reason, i did not think that guests would travel through the kitchen to get to the dining room.

I have even contimplated putting in seperate stairs for the servents to use. On the same side as the kitchen.

Ive inculded a pic of a house i found with the houseworks con on it. Hope this helps to see, im sorry it is small it is the only one i could find.

Well thats all for now, i have to run but hope this helps a little.

Sunnyray also has pictures posted of her beacon with an extension on it.

Happy house building,

Jenn

[havanaholly]

I have even contimplated putting in seperate stairs for the servents to use.

Totally authentic!

[ouchouch]

How about a garage on the other side? Or just extend the living room...possibly making that into the new dining room, but dining rooms are usually located right next to the kitchen. And if you add on something on the other side, you'd have to give up the bay window on the side most likely. Will you be using the conservatory as like a sun room/breakfast room? The only off balance would be the roofs.

[Minis On The Edge]

Everything sounds wonderful. The planning stage is so fun!

Extending the living room sounds like a good plan too

[Anya]

I have extended my BH kitchen and put a lean to shed at the front of the extension inline with the porch.

You could even make the side living room hole for the window into an entrance for another room on the other side of the wall. I would have done that if I had the space.

[havanaholly]

I'd like to see how it turned out (HINT!).