Should we move things around?

[rootzdawta]

Let me see if I can describe the layout of our house. We live on a single floor. We have a front room which we call the cold room. We can't use it during the winter months at all. Next to that and moving towards the back of the house, we have a large room with a fireplace (currently the living room--Room A). Separated by french pocket doors, next to that (and continuing to move towards the back of the house) is the room that's serving as our master bedroom (Room B). Separated by a solid wood door, next to that (all the way at the back of the house) is the children's bedroom.

I'm wondering if we should make what is currently the living room (Room A) into our master bedroom and make what's currently the master bedroom (Room B) into the living room. It was set up that way before but should we change it back?

Here are the pros of Room A:
1. It's larger.
2. It's toward the front of the house: guests can walk directly into it
3. It has a fireplace
4. It's two rooms away from the kids' room which is great because I workout in the morning and my husband and I can hang out when they go to sleep without bothering them.

Here are the cons of Room A (mainly one): it is dark. We need to have lights on in there are all times no matter how bright it is outside.

Here are the pros of Room B (mainly one): it is very bright--4 high windows. Another pro is that it's closer to the kitchen where I spend lots of time and since it would have the computer in it, I would be closer to the computer. (Yes, I could also get a laptop and have a computer in the kitchen but that's a long way off.)

Here are the cons of Room B:
1. Guests have to walk through the kitchen or through Room A to get to Room B.
2. It's in the middle of the house, adjacent to the kids' room.
3. It's smaller than the Room A (the bookcase would have to remain in Room A)

[FarrenSquare]

Maybe it is just me, but I would NEVER want people to walk through my bedroom on the way to the livingroom. For me, it is just the ultimate in private space and I keep it that way.

[ChetMC]

I Don't Know

What made you change the layout in the first place?

I don't like dark rooms. I would suck up a weird layout, or my friends seeing my bed, if it meant that we spend more in the better lit room.

I'd wouldn't think twice about people needing to walk through the kitchen. For a lot of people, the kitchen in the main room for socializing and entertaining.

Can you work out in the bedroom if the bedroom is moved to room A?

[rootzdawta]

Originally Posted by FarrenSquare

Maybe it is just me, but I would NEVER want people to walk through my bedroom on the way to the livingroom. For me, it is just the ultimate in private space and I keep it that way.

Folks could walk through the kitchen.

Originally Posted by ChetMC

What made you change the layout in the first place?

I don't like dark rooms. I would suck up a weird layout, or my friends seeing my bed, if it meant that we spend more in the better lit room.

I'd wouldn't think twice about people needing to walk through the kitchen. For a lot of people, the kitchen in the main room for socializing and entertaining.

Can you work out in the bedroom if the bedroom is moved to room A?

I don't like dark rooms either. It really bugs me.

We moved everything after fighting with bed bugs and having some renovations done. We thought the very front room (adjacent to Room A) would be usable as an office and then we'd have the living room next to the office. But we can't use that room as the office because it gets so cold.

I could work out in Room B. I don't make that much noise and there's a solid door between it and the kids room.

I really would love to move it. DH is so opposed. He hates moving things around.

[FarrenSquare]

Originally Posted by rootzdawta

Folks could walk through the kitchen.

Oops, sorry! I totally misread and it changes my vote completely! If the other room is brighter I would make the switch. Bright and open rooms are much more motivating!

[Tjej]

I spend more time during the day in the living room with the kids, so I'd want that to be the brightest room. A dark bedroom - that's okay because we use it at night when we are going to sleep anyway.

We have a pretty dark house and our official living room is semi-dark, but our computer room/kids bring toys in here and play room is bright and used all the time. It's especially nice in the winter, when daylight is more scarce.

If you try it a new way you CAN always switch it back in two or three months if you hate it. I think you'll love it in the new arrangement, though. It sounds like it'd really be perfect.

And yeah, coming in through the kitchen isn't bad - it's really normal.

Tjej

[Alyantavid]

Well I love changing things around so I'd do it. You can always move it back if it really doesn't work out.

I did flip my entire house around about 2 years ago and while it worked fine, I want to change it again. So I may not be the best one to give advice here.

[homemademom]

Just curious. Why is that front room so cold? Is there anything you could do with insulation (even quilts on the walls or windows) or space heaters to make it more comfy?

As for my vote, I'd switch the rooms. If it doesn't work, you can change back. I agree that a nice bright living room is much better.

[rootzdawta]

Originally Posted by homemademom

Just curious. Why is that front room so cold? Is there anything you could do with insulation (even quilts on the walls or windows) or space heaters to make it more comfy?

As for my vote, I'd switch the rooms. If it doesn't work, you can change back. I agree that a nice bright living room is much better.

The front room is really an enclosed porch (added on by DH's grandfather years ago) so it doesn't have it own heat source. The room was re-done and they added a lot of insulation in the walls and around the windows. We tried a space heater in there but our utilities bill sky-rocketed. But I think maybe more could be done to keep whatever heat in. I'm not completely sure if there's anything we could do.