HEY!!! Would everybody still be interested in the winter sowing swap?? I have not had any contact with Wendy for two weeks and it is getting late for a winter sowing swap.....I hate to let this opportunity slip by, esp with any newbies this year. Signups would be till the 21st(?) and I'd hope to have them returned in the beginning of February....which is still a little late but let me know if anyone still would like to see it posted!!! ~Michael heavenlyfarm

Thank you so much for the feedback. It's funny, but I've looked at this plan a hundred times and never noticed the discrepancy between the first floor showing the 'two-story' foyer and the second floor with the bathroom above the foyer. Frankly, I prefer the bathroom. To answer some of the questions: Our family tends to all congregate in one area, so we're trying to aim for as open of a main floor as possible. It's just where we spend all of our time. We anticipate most of the traffic occurring between the kitchen, family & dining area. Rather than actually use a breakfast table, we'll more likely just add some seats at the island. In terms of first floor closets, we're thinking about bumping out the plan a little in order to accommodate a closet (rather than bookshelf) near the front door. We'd also like to turn the closet by the garage into a cubby area rather than a closet. I'm not crazy about hearth rooms because it just seems like an additional room to furnish. I also feel that way about formal living rooms though. Our plan would be to frame in the opening a bit, enough to add sliding doors (barn style sliders, not pocket), and use it as an office/work space. We would leave the doors open most of the time, but slide them closed for privacy when needed. With respect to the guest bath on the first floor, I agree that that layout is horrible. My inclination is to adjust it so that it's simply one room that accommodates a vanity (with space for linen storage), toilet and a walk-in shower. I curious about the laundry room location. Would you move it upstairs and just plan on insulating the room for noise control? It just seems so far away from where the laundry is actually accumulated. In terms of the kitchen, I'm actually planning on going with a full range, instead of a cooktop/oven combo. We're also contemplating extending the island and expanding the opening between the kitchen and the dining room, which would open the floor plan even more. We're pretty casual, even in our entertaining. We're contemplating something like this: I'll throw the kitchen layout out to the kitchen forum for feedback though. Thank you for that suggestion!

I do not think the corner bathroom sinks in the one hall bath add anything. They look to be too close together to function as 2 sinks--the 2 people would have to stand in the same spot. In this regard, your second posted plan is much better (I like the upstairs arrangement, generally, better in the second plan). The one thing I do not really "like" in the second plan upstairs is the use of what could be a window wall in the smallest bedroom as a closet wall. I feel like something should be reworked there. The big thing the downstairs is missing, on this second plan, is a drop zone. If you plan to use the garage regularly, and come in the garage door to the house, it has no place (except maybe the den?) for shoes, coats, backpacks, etc. Perhaps if you flipped the den and laundry so the den accessed from dining, and the laundry accessed from garage hallway? What will you use your den for? On the first plan: First, I like the second elevation better. (front door/porch is more intimate). Here, they did the mudroom well--there is ample room for jackets, coats, shoes, backpacks. And, there is plenty of room in the laundry to fold clothes. I already mentioned I dislike the corner sinks in the bathroom. And, again, they are using a corner where a window could go for a closet in the bedroom upstairs. Also, I would not choose to buy a house that you had to walk through the master bathroom to get to the master closet. Especially if it didn't have an enclosed toilet. Also, if bedroom #5 is really more than you need in this plan, would the plan suffer if you removed it? (wonder what others will say to this suggestion of mine... It is a little hair-brained.) that is what I have for these plans on Christmas Eve.

I own a 1960s tract home in Southern California. One would think, based on its location, that I would have an abundance of light streaming in. I don't, though, because of the orientation of the house and the location of the rooms and windows. I agree with David and others that you've got to look for a plan that solves this issue first. Given that your front door faces south, it seems to me that your garage should be in the southwest corner. Then use the southeast corner for your main living area (e.g. your great room). The kitchen and dining areas could be in the northeast corner. I would move the bedrooms to the back (north) side of the house, and perhaps the master could be behind the garage in the northwest corner. It would be very secluded there. With Tamara's plan, while better than yours, the bedrooms are still clustered in the south and east sides of the house, and the main living spaces are all of the north side, where you're not going to get much light during the day.