Emily Fisher of Rock Paper Hammer via HGTV
Two weeks ago I shared a sketch of a possible kitchen floor plan in the context of our main floor remodel. I didn’t yet mention a potential second bathroom on this level, so today I’m circling back to that idea and answering a few questions readers raised. If you missed the earlier posts, they lay out the initial concepts and context for this project.
At the moment our house has two full bathrooms: one on the main floor and one in the lower level. Two works for us now, but if we eventually reconfigure our bedroom and bathroom into a closed-off master suite, a second main-floor bathroom for guests would be helpful. Another consideration is long-term flexibility: when our son leaves for college we might convert the lower level into a rentable unit. In Seattle, rentable spaces can make a home more marketable and practical given the high cost of living. If we create a rental downstairs, the existing lower-level bathroom and laundry might become part of that unit, which would leave us needing a second bathroom and a main-floor washer and dryer for the primary living area.
Heather Garrett Interior Design
We don’t want to take on more work than necessary, but it’s useful and fun to explore possibilities before committing. We’re weighing both modest updates and more extensive changes so we can choose what makes sense for our family. All options remain under consideration, and I’m excited by the potential improvements—big or small.
One additional plan I sketched for the kitchen area really energized me and made the idea of remodeling feel much more appealing.
Above is our proposed kitchen floor plan. The island is a placeholder (size and orientation TBD); this plan does not yet show the mudroom concept to the left of the Dutch door.
Several readers, including my mom, suggested turning the Dutch door entrance into a mudroom-style entry. That idea seems both dreamy and practical. One possibility would be to remove the current pantry cabinets and refrigerator and convert my son’s bedroom into a connected mudroom/pantry/bathroom/laundry area. We could create a teen hangout or bedroom in the lower level to replace the lost upstairs bedroom if needed, keeping flexibility whether or not we rent the basement.
Style At Home
Envision walking in through the Dutch door from the new side yard and finding the mudroom to the left of the kitchen—either open or closed off with a pocket or barn door. The space could include a wall of hooks, cubbies and bins for coats and shoes, overflow pantry storage and perhaps an extra fridge or freezer. There would be a dedicated feeding station for the dogs away from kitchen traffic, and a washer and dryer nearby so laundry is easy to sort and retrieve. From the front hall, or from this new room, you could access a compact full bathroom convenient for guests.
Sage Design – Custom Millwork
Murphy & Co
BHG
We haven’t settled on where the main kitchen refrigerator would go in this layout, but that’s a solvable detail—maybe refrigerator drawers in the island for produce and everyday items, or another integrated solution. The core idea is to make this transition area multifunctional: storage, laundry, pet care and a guest bathroom, all conveniently located off the kitchen.
Although I may ultimately choose a lighter kitchen facelift instead of a full-scale remodel, this mudroom concept has captured my imagination and will be hard to ignore.
PS. We recently installed a new washer and dryer downstairs; I’ll share an update and a tour of the lower level soon.