Pradeep’s Remodel in India – Part 1

Slow Home Studio

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Pradeep from India has a question about the remodel of high-rise home.

“Hello John and Mathew, I watch your YouTube videos and am a fan of yours from India. I am hoping you can solve a dilemma of mine. I booked a 4-bedroom apartment, the construction of which will finish in a year. Now that I have become more familiar with the dimensions, I am really worried about how cramped it will be, and am trying to make changes.

The most important constraint is that the builder cannot change exteriors, such as window positions, or structural columns.

The apartment is a duplex on the top two floors. The original layout is a 4-bedroom +study with an open kitchen. The stairs is in the center of the house. The terrace is a private terrace, which is something we are excited about. We are a family of three- soon to be four, and my mother also stays with me. I want to change the interior layout so that rooms are more spacious. We can get rid of 1 bedroom so as to make room for a small formal living room that will give privacy to the rest of the house, plus a family room. The stairs as is is wasting too much space in the middle of the house. I want to change it so that it takes up less space, there is some visual communication between top & lower floors, and space underneath can be used for storage cabinets (optional), or change the rest of the layout around it. The bathrooms and bedrooms look very small. The kitchen could use more work surfaces.

I tried to modify the layout- I have attached the original layout, the position of beams as I remember them, and my modified layout as well. Columns are in solid black. Yellow rectangles in my drawing is for shelves/almirahs. The master bedroom & bathroom is bigger. I made the kitchen also slightly bigger, changed the dining to a banquette table, with a ‘coffee counter’ nearby.

I would like your expert opinion on the changes, and how the final layout can be improved. Kindly let me know if you are willing to consider this.

Thanks a lot,
Pradeep”