Rowhouse layout

We have a 4 story townhome and live in the triplex over garden rental. Right now we use the parlor floor as kitchen and living, 3rd floor as our bedroom and kids room. There is also a bathroom on this floor. The 4th floor remains largely unfinished, but I have an office up there,plus there is an Au pair suite, bathroom, and laundry. Eventually the kids will move up there and the 3rd floor will be a master with sitting room.

livingthedreamingreenpoint

in About Brooklyn 10 years and 5 months ago

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melissabraun | 10 years and 5 months ago

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My husband and I bought a three story row house in Bed Stuy recently that is divided up as a duplex on the garden and parlor level and a separate 1.5 bedroom on the third floor. The kitchen is on the garden level and the bedrooms on the parlor level. We live in the third floor apartment and have been discussing future renovations we want to make to the home once our tenants leave, the main one being swapping the duplex configuration. For those of you that have this configuration (kitchen/living room on parlor level and bedrooms on 3rd floor) and do not rent out your garden level, how do you use the garden level space? As an area for guests to stay over? Family room with TV? Home office? The thought of not having a garden level rental never really crossed our minds but as we think about kids and keep accumulating things, the extra floor might be needed and we don’t want to spend money making it a rental and then converting it to something else shortly afterwards. Would love to hear how people with 3 story homes use their space!

catboot | 10 years and 5 months ago

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My house was originally built as a 2-family (owners duplex, top floor rental). We currently rent the garden level apartment and live on the top two floors. Out kitchen is still on the third floor, which makes for a goofy layout. Anyway, the people I know who live in the whole house usually have kitchen/dining on the garden level, living on the parlor level, and bedrooms on the top floor.

BSDOD | 10 years and 5 months ago

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My layout is similar to what you describe melissabraun, in a few years I’m converting my garden rental to a home gym with a small home office in the back. I’m keeping the kitchen, will come in handy for garden parties.

Putnamdenizen | 10 years and 5 months ago

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Perhaps your financial situation is very different, but I would find it very difficult to let go of the rental income in my house. Unless you already have children demanding their own spaces, it would seem worth setting up the bottom floor as a possible rental rather than warehouse it for possible use in the future. A rather modest kitchen and two rooms can easily be modified into a master bedroom suite in the future or a family room and guest suite.

DouglasAlan | 10 years and 5 months ago

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We have the same house layout. My wife and I live on the bottom two floors, the ones you’re apparently renting out, with our two boys. We rent the third floor. If I understand what you’re saying, it seems like the simplest solution is just to move into your current rental when your family expands and then rent the top floor where you currently live. Even with renovations to make everything to your liking, it would have to be easier than re-dividing the whole house.

Arkady | 10 years and 5 months ago

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Bottom floor – kitchen, dining room, powder room. Middle floor – living room, study, library, powder room Top floor – Master bath, bedroom, dressing room. 1 large & 1 small bedroom & another full bath.