hasaquestion Posted December 31, 2015 Posted December 31, 2015 My lease is ending soon. I have found a place that is in nearly every way my dream apartment. Pretty cheap, penthouse feel, mini roofdeck where you can see the Boston skyline. Feels like its straight out of Mad Men. However, there is one caveat. It has two "rooms" - one on the bottom floor and one in the loft. The loft "bedroom" does not have a door but is just out of sight. This is a picture of the place. The door on the far left that is open is one bedroom. Atop the staircase is where the loft bedroom is: http://i.imgur.com/OkHFrcz.jpg I don't want the housemate who lives in the otherwise posh loft to run into issues with their sex life because no one is comfortable without a door. So I ask you - people of LS. To what extent is the loft a complicating factor for intimacy? How big of an issue is this? I love the place but I'm worried it could be a sex-suppressing environment.
sportygirl89 Posted December 31, 2015 Posted December 31, 2015 If it is a den like second room. Drape a curtain over it. If it is that much of a problem ask the partner of the time if you can go over to their house. If they ask why, explain the situation.
Author hasaquestion Posted December 31, 2015 Author Posted December 31, 2015 If it is a den like second room. Drape a curtain over it. If it is that much of a problem ask the partner of the time if you can go over to their house. If they ask why, explain the situation. Thanks for the response. Funny that the two most recent posts in the forum are both about doors. I've thought about draping a curtain to "close it off" but it won't be simple. The is ceiling high, and it V-shaped and not flat because the loft is in the roof of the old fire station. Here's a diagram. http://i.imgur.com/6hEwAJN.jpg In short a curtain isn't really feasible as it demands hanging the rod across the space. It would 1) take some clever engineering because it is only attached at two points and 2) have to be very lightweight. Also it would not truly 'enclose' the loft - just cover the human-level part of it. I really want this to work but I'm not sure if it will.
preraph Posted December 31, 2015 Posted December 31, 2015 You just have to screen the person to see if they're right for living up there. With the door closed to the bedroom downstairs, it should be fairly private, but not if you're running around downstairs to the kitchen and whatnot. It's a detail you'd have to work out. First of all, you'd be surprised how few times a lot of people would even bring a date home. So don't rent it to a player or someone you already know has a girlfriend. Rent it to someone who probably doesn't date much. And they have the option to stay at their gf's house instead of there. You can poke your head out the door and if you hear grunting and panting, go right back in and wait 10 minutes. Or be very, very stealthy.
TheArtist Posted December 31, 2015 Posted December 31, 2015 Stairway to loft. I'm glad Led Zeppelin revised that title before they recorded anything. 1
carhill Posted December 31, 2015 Posted December 31, 2015 IMO, this is a situation where both housemates would necessarily have to agree that lack of privacy for sexual relations was a given and they were both OK with it. Since you're asking the question, it appears you don't already have a long-term housemate whom you've worked all this out with and my response then would be don't rent the flat with a flatmate if you can't afford it alone. Why? If things go sideways on this or any other issue one of you will be left on the hook when push comes to shove. Since privacy is a big issue with small spaces, even with people who known each other for a long time, tread carefully. Nice digs though. Good luck!
bluefeather Posted December 31, 2015 Posted December 31, 2015 That place looks awesome, but I don't get the point of having a 2 bedroom place with one bedroom completely open. If you can't handle the lease on your own, I might consider trying to build a fake wall covering that whole upstairs area up. 1
Anderlie Posted December 31, 2015 Posted December 31, 2015 What about one of those wooden room dividers, would that work? I see them all the time in cheap shops these days. Probably wouldn't do much for noise but it would give more of an illusion of privacy and can fold away when not needed. Just google room dividers if you need a pic reference, they're everywhere. 1
Author hasaquestion Posted January 1, 2016 Author Posted January 1, 2016 That place looks awesome, but I don't get the point of having a 2 bedroom place with one bedroom completely open. If you can't handle the lease on your own, I might consider trying to build a fake wall covering that whole upstairs area up. The point likely has less to do with planning and more to do with history. The place was originally a fire engine house and got converted into an apartment building recently. Hence the unusual configuration. Thanks for the replies everyone. As much as I love its unique charm I think I might have to pass and wait for something to turn up that checks all the boxes. 1
Popsicle Posted January 1, 2016 Posted January 1, 2016 yeah i think it was meant for just one person or a couple, not roommates.
Els Posted January 1, 2016 Posted January 1, 2016 (edited) It's highly unlikely that someone will come to view the place and agree to rent the room and THEN run into issues with the lack of privacy... it's a lot more likely that they would notice it right away and you would find it more difficult to rent the room out to a good renter at a decent price. I mean, even if I was single, if I saw that room during a viewing, I would mark it off my list right away. And I would be miffed if the roommate ad had not stated that it was an 'open concept' room (and if it HAD stated it, I wouldn't even go to the viewing, I'd cross it off my list immediately). That apartment isn't suitable for a standard roommate situation, IMO - it's for a couple or, uh, 'friends'. Edited January 1, 2016 by Elswyth
veggirl Posted January 1, 2016 Posted January 1, 2016 I think the only roommate you'll find who will be okay with sleeping in the loft would be someone very young. I had an apt with a loft when I was 22 and my roommate who slept in the loft was the same age. Similarly, a girl at my work sleeps in a lofted bedroom and has roommates and she is 24. Older than that...doubt you'll find interest.
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