Please critique my floorplans!

15 years ago

I am posting my houseplans here for your consideration. I truly appreciate any and all feedback you would be willing to share on my floorplans and ideas.

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Also, I would like to build green and energy efficient as much as possible, though more by design (window placement, for example) than materials (solar power and other green methods/technology is still pretty unusual and costly in our area) so I especially appreciate any insights there.

A little about us we have no kids yet but hope that will change soon after moving. We hope this will be our forever home, so we are keeping in mind its uses for a young family through later adapting for the golden years.

A little about location/style - we have just over 4 acres on a sloping lot and plan a one story with walkout, craftsman/mountain/cottage new old kind of look as much as budget allows (details can be expensive!). The back/walkout/long side will face north and we plan to use the lower level as more of a second story flipped upside down rather than a basement Â 9 foot ceilings, trying to hide soffits, poles, etc. in walls, lots of windows Â as this is where the 2 secondary bedrooms, full bath and family room will be (also an exercise/hobby room for me and theater room for DH). We are hoping to use Hardieplank lap siding and Hardie shingle with stone as drawn.

Notes:

-Angled area is theater room, room by stairs is storage/HVAC

-area marked as "office" will be exercise area near windows, back part of room will be hobby/craft area

-possible "safe room" under front porch

Changes we have already made since these were drawn:

-Removed bay window in back and shed dormer over garage for budget

-On lower level, moved HVAC to storage area by stairs and made utility room space part of "office" (actually exercise/hobby room)

Changes we are considering:

Kitchen area:

-Put cooktop on wall with vent hood

-Pocket door to laundry

-I have posted kitchen on kitchen forum and am working on revisions, comments welcome!

Master:

-Change double windows on left to single windows, with width between at least as wide as a king size bed

-Remove pocket doors from closets, added cost, donÂt need any doors there really

Downstairs bedrooms:

-Change double windows on left to single window

-Move up retaining wall for less exterior finishing

Featured Answer

PRO

Mark Bischak, Architect

last year

Make your own gem.

Comments (40)

dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Link to album, including left/right elevation.

Thanks!
marthaelena
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Dalcolli,
The images are too small (specially the floor plans) I can not see dimensions.
Of the little I can see, here are my coments:
The coats closet at the entry, If it were my house I'd locate the closet door to the opposite side (little hall to the power room), personally I do not like to enter a house and first thing , mirror or an art piece then you have a wall not a door.
Some persons find the master bathroom facing the street undesirable.
I like the proporcions of your house.
please try to post bigger floor plans. I will continue when I can actally see better.
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Whatever home I build will be my retirement house. I’ll be an empty nester. No grand kids as of yet. I do expect to have a dog or 2. So is it just you in this house? If dogs are important to you, I'd aim for a space for them ... since you say you'd do away with that half-bath near the breakfast table, that could be an ideal spot for crates and their gear. Maybe something that could be closed off with a pocket door ... or a crate type door so the dogs could be left in that room instead of a crate? Add a doggie door to the back yard, and you'd have an ideal spot to leave the dogs when you go out. I'm liking this idea. My plan is to build in southern MS , near New Orleans. I do not have the land yet but I do not plan on purchasing in an HOA area. You have an idea of what you want to build, and that's great ... you really should be shopping for land now. Focus on details after you have your property. I like the Italianate details, specifically the eaves brackets. Are you ready to pay big for these details? with a big veranda Stop and think about how you'll use the veranda(s). They are expensive to build ... think 60% the cost of interior spaces: - This plan has a lot of porch built around the front of the house ... of course every house needs at least a bit of shelter for people approaching your front door, but how do you see yourself using that large U-shaped front porch area? - This plan has a large veranda facing the back yard ... how do you see yourself using this more private space? Grilling? Playing with the dogs? Reading? - One thing I dislike is a bay window under a veranda. It's weird and cheats you of the lovely light you could have at the table ... but it's adjustable while it's still on paper. - The kitchen will be dark. Nice, lovely beams of light that we all love will not penetrate beyond the veranda and the seating area. My thoughts are that I would use the dining room as a parlor/living room. I like the idea of keeping the heart of the house for more familiar people. So you want something of an old-fashioned feel ... a formal parlor for "everyone" and the larger, more casual area for family to relax. Again, let's think through this: how often do "formal guests" come into your home? Will you have such guests often enough to justify building and maintaining this space? I would be using the master bedroom as my away space. I like to lounge, read, watch a lot of tv but don’t want to be in my bedroom all the time and also don’t want to be napping on the great room sofa all the time either. - Your master bedroom plans seem more firm, better thought out than your thoughts for the other spaces. It's a large master with a lot of closet space ... do you need that much space? I like that the master has an outside door ... that'll be convenient for bringing in large furniture, for letting the dogs in/out at night, and for fire safety. - Since this will be your retirement home, I wish the washer/dryer were closer. I'd consider bringing the laundry over to what is now a half-bath ... you could lose some bathroom space and still have plenty. I can take one of the upstairs bedrooms and if the stairs ever become too much, I can relocate to the 1st floor. Why would you not take the larger, nicer bedroom downstairs now? You can always use the stairs several times a day as exercise. I suppose my post is not so much about this plan as it is gaining knowledge about things to look for when determining if a plan, custom or stick, is a good one. Okay ... comments on this house plan: - This house has a complicated footprint ... lots of jigs and jogs, which will drive up the cost without adding anything to the comfort or function of the house. - This complex footprint will also force the roofline into something more complex, which will cost more and be more likely to leak. - The front door /foyer are oddly placed. Think through this: your garage is on the right, so that's where your driveway will be /your guests will park on the right. But the front door is on the left, so people will have to leave their cars and walk literally around the house, turning two corners before they get a glimpse of the front door. This will be confusing for guests. This is fixable ... with a second driveway /parking area /clear indications for your guests as to where they should park. - The L + island kitchen is a comfortable size and looks highly functional. I personally wish it had a larger pantry, as that's "one of my things", and I wish it had natural light. - How do you anticipate laying out furniture in the family room? I find it difficult to lay out furniture when walking aisles must be preserved around the edges. - Since you'd be "floating" furniture in this space, you definitely need to anticipate placement and have a couple floor outlets built in. This cannot be done later, and it will make a difference in your ability to place lamps, etc. - The back veranda will prevent your casual family room from receiving lovely natural light, which can make such a difference in a room. No, it won't be cave-dark, but it also won't be as pleasant as a room with windows directly to the outside. - I see the back veranda has a grilling area ... but it's on the far side from the kitchen. I'd change this. - You have a large, expensive switchback star ... and it's nicely placed to be a focal point in the main living area. Good. But it looks like the space underneath is just closed off ... I'd want those closets to be made deep /open in the back. Even if the space is half-height, it's excellent storage space ... maybe for Christmas decorations or other seldom-used items. - Alternately, you could check out Pinterest for very cool dog spaces in these under-stair areas. But what I would not do is let that space go to waste. - The two upstairs bedrooms are large enough for comfort ... but since they will be guest bedrooms, do you want to build walk-in closets? On the same topic, I'd definitely downsize to a single sink /a good-sized stack of drawers on each side for the guest bathroom. - Overall, the house is over-bathed for a single person. Four bathrooms? Two half-baths? Too much to build, too much to maintain and keep clean. The laundry is where your “drop zone” should be, for your keys, umbrella, shoes, etc. - Agree. I'd like to see a cabinet with drop space and coat hooks where the cabinet is now ... and a built-in bench with a larger window over it where the washer/dryer is ... this would give you space to leave shoes under the bench. I'd also sub in a pocket door; this door will almost always be left open. - You said you might use the space that's now the back half-bath as an entrance. I think the current laundry area would be a much better choice ... it's larger and better suited as an entry. Plus, if you're going to have your eating area in this bay window, you can't afford this space to be a major thoroughfare; it would cut down on the size table you could have. In fact, you’d probably be going through the kitchen anyway Is that a small pantry between this laundry area and the kitchen? If so, it's nicely located ... though I'd flip the door the other direction. Consider where you'd set down your bags before putting away groceries. The house seems to show a basement, but I’m thinking that houses in your area don’t have basements. So, is there enough storage for you? Yeah, but house plans usually give you the option of several foundations. If you do build a second floor, put in an elevator. Or go with a one-story house ... with adult children and no grandchildren yet, I don't see that you need two guest rooms. And yes, if you're near the coast, you will need to be above base flood elevation, so how will you plan for that as you age? Yes, this is important. My drop zone is a dresser by the front door. I keep my hats, gloves, scarves, and umbrellas in the drawers. And have trays on top for keys and mail. Practical. I actually don’t like the idea that I would seldom be using my front door because I’d be entering from the garage. So flip-flop the foyer over to the other side, creating one entry for yourself AND guests. It'll also solve the odd front-door placement, which I discussed above. I would only have one car so could use the garage for overflow storage. Don't. Does anyone actually ever use anything stored in a garage? Moving is a great oportunity for downsizing a bunch of junk you really don't need. explain how I want my house to function, what pleases me aesthetically, and how I want my house to make me feel So now you're solidifying these thoughts. The OP said she would turn that bathroom into a back door entry. The plan already has a back yard entry through the family room ... I don't see a need for another one only a few feet away in the same public space. One or the other ... doors are less energy efficient than windows, and every door is one more door to be secured.
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chisue
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yes, please bring us some larger prints if you can.

Until then...just a nosy word about the difficulties of trying to make a plan fit too many possibilities. The home a couple will enjoy when they are young isn't usually appropriate for empty-nesters. The home built for possible children will feel oversized if there are none, or only one. It's just hard to build a 'forever' house when you aren't 'there' yet. (EOS: End of Sermon)
bellamay
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I think you should do some research on "green building"....buying energy star appliances isn't green. The size of your home, 9 foot ceilings etc. will not in any way be green. This is a trendy phrase right now in the construction industry but most owners have no idea what it means nor will they make the changes necessary to have a home that is environmentally friendly. It is hugely expensive and you won't want to give up your mini mansion to accomplish a "green" project.

Have fun!!
che1sea
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
We are planning on going green but our house will be about 1200 sq ft (3 bedrooms, 2 kids), strawbale and passive solar. I will share a little of what I have learned researching our house.
I have to agree if you want to build green you are going to need to build much smaller, that is the simplest green thing you can do. 3000+ sq ft just isn't very green.
Also put most of your windows on the south with appropriate overhangs, limit windows on other sides, especially north. Research passive solar. Have the long axis of your house run east west. Insulate as much as you can afford, preferably "green" insulation. Tankless water heater, low flow showers/toilets. "Green" flooring. Long lasting and recyclable roofing like metal roofing. Consider rainwater harvesting for landscaping.
Simplify the shape of your house to minimize waste. These are the kinds of things you can do if you want to prioritize low impact building.
Keep in mind that properly designed passive solar can reduce heating/cooling bills as much as 100% depending on where you live. With the costs of fuel prices this means long term savings. Consider solar water heating, also considerable savings to be made there.
A smaller house will be easier on both the environment and your budget.
I agree that the picture is a bit small to comment on your specific floor plan.
If you are interested in some good sites on green building let me know.
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
OK, here's another try with bigger pictures. Thanks!
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Is that any better?
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allison0704
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I would want a more simple roof - all those valleys and several places for potential water problems. I would also want to change the garage to side or rear entry instead of front entry. Especially with over 4 acres, you have room to make those changes.

We are also on 4.5 acres, lake lot. House is out on a point, so we are surrounded by water on three sides. We made changes to our plan too - totally doing away with upper story (room over garage, bedroom and bath along with two gables to clean up roofline) since we did a lower level with three bedrooms (one is an exercise room) and baths with ceilings at 10.5ft. Finishes were kept comparable to main level and appraisal was written up as a flipped house.

Having moved from a home with 5 bay windows, I would suggest you either keep them to bring the outdoors in or replace with large expanses of window (energy efficient, of course). Our windows on the back of the house are 8ft and 12ft wide x 6ft tall +/-. Nothing like living in the woods.

You could technically live in the house for a long time, seeing that the main level contains everything you'll need if the stairs became a problem.

Also, with the deck off the great room/breakfast room, you could do away with the one on the side of the house. Saving money now and later (upkeep).
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Marthalena, I had the same thought about the coat closet. I was just wondering if it would be a pain to go around the corner to get to the coats opinions? Also, the lot is wooded and the drive is ours only so I think the bathroom in front shouldnt be a big problem, though we will need to put in some opaque glass or window treatments on the bottom at least and will definitely be strategically planting lots of trees/landscaping everywhere.

Chisue, thanks for the "nosy word" :-), I agree with what you are saying and know we cant really foresee what our needs may be over the next 30+ years. My hope is that we can make some choices now that could increase our odds of needing to someday make only smallish changes to accommodate universal design needs in the future. Maybe it works, maybe not, I just want to try.

Bellamay, thanks for addressing the green aspect. I know it is more than appliances and I dont plan to go 100% green, I just want to do what I can. For example, we are looking into geothermal heat as an alternative. I really dont think our house is a mini mansion by any stretch, as the main floor is less than 2100 sq ft plus 2 car garage, less than half the size of new homes in our area. If it is striking you as a mini mansion, maybe I need to rethink dimensions a McMansion is the last thing I want.

Che1sea, thank you for the info. You listed many things we are planning (such as tankless water heater, low flow everything, the insulation) and many other things I will look into more. Are you finding much cost differences?

Allison0704, thank you for your comments. Unfortunately, the lot is in an extremely hilly area (called the Knobs) and we dont have as much flexibility as it would seem for the acreage no side or rear entry garage for sure, but we have been looking at the garage angle. Wow, your location sounds amazing, I will be sure to search on your username for pix (seems like I remember you posting some). If we have budget, the bay is first on the list to add back, but, in any case, there will be a lot of tall, wide windows we are aiming for the same feel as you. We also did away with the second story and are doing the lower level, pretty much as you describe I like that flipped house term, that is how I have been describing it but didnt know it was an official term. Last thing the back deck is actually a screened porch so no grill there, though we have gone back and forth on having that side grilling deck.

Thanks for the comments everyone, lots of good thoughts and love hearing different perspectives please keep them coming!
carguy60
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I like the workability of the main floor layout.
In my mind that is always the most important.
I would echo the comments about simplifying the roof if possible.

My other comment is my standard one. I would only put one
bathtub in a house. Guests always prefer a walk in shower and code normally only requires one tub.

Having spent a lot of time trying to justify geothermal, I think you will have trouble with the numbers, unless you do not have access to natural gas, or you have a pond you can use. With the amount of land you have, you can probably fit a geothermal "field" into your property, but you may have to sacrifice trees if you have a wooded lot.

Good luck
It looks like a great house to live in.

Carguy
chisue
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks for the larger pix. Now that I can *see* it, I like it a lot. I think it could 'live well' with or without children -- after the children are school age. Where would a toddler and/or a baby sleep? An older couple would probably want a secondary BR on the main floor, too. (Will you ever have an 'Aged P' visit overnight?)

We have an angled, front-loading garage, but our house stretches out farther along the front whereas this plan stretches back. This garage seems to dwarf the house. I'm trying to look at the elevation and mentally lower the roof (since you say you are not going to have a second story). Actually, that presents another whole question: would you build all that 'attic' or lower the roof?

Which way is North? Will your screened deck/porch get any breeze, tucked in like that? I'd want it at least 12-feet deep. We use our screened porch a lot in the summer and need space for a table and chairs. Will it make the Great Room dark? I wouldn't use two decks/porohes. You could have an elongated stoop outside the kitchen eating area to house a grill.

I'd recess the rounded kitchen island back a tad so you don't have to skirt it going to or from the back door. How will you vent the island cooktop?

I love the roomy 'back hall' area between garage and house, but... could you make an opening to access the powder room?

Would a smaller foundation serve? Perhaps you have plans for the unlabled spaces.

I think this plan has potential. Please realize that I'm only trying to bring out what I see as its deficiencies -- poking some holes in the plan, not your dream!
che1sea
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I am actually finding nothing that has a higher 10 year cost. Our passive solar design actually doesn't cost us anymore at outset and saves us tons of money.
But we also don't plan on necessarily using that many special "green" materials. One place that might cost us a bit more is the insulation for the floor and roof. We don't want to use fiber glass so we are considering blown in cellulose or a spray in foam which could cost us more (I don't know how much yet) but we won't have to deal with fiberglass insulation.
We don't plan on using any special "green" counter top for example, instead we are choosing local natural materials (wood or stone for example) that will last a long time. We are going a similar route with flooring. Likely a softer wood, finished with tung oil.
We plan on using milk paint which can cost a bit more than latex paint except that we will mix it ourselves to save money.
The rainwater harvesting will cost a bit for the water tank and filter but will significantly reduce our water demand.
dhat
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I have been lurking for a year or two but need to respond to your post. Our land sounds very similar to yours..however, we are at the retirement stage. The layout is similar to everything I have imagined but we would flip the house so the master is on the east side. You mentioned that you got rid of the upper floor...was this a stock plan that you tweaked? If so, would you share the site you found it. PLEASE? I suspect we will have to go custom but would really prefer to start with a stock plan to save some money. Our pockets aren't as deep as some of the builders on this site. I envy so many of these homes. (Especially that darn Allison...I WANT HER HOUSE!) I will be following your posts closely to follow your progress. We are also on a hill but we face north and I am afraid a walk-out basement would be dark and dank so I am exploring the possibility of going up instead of down.
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Carguy, thanks for the comments and compliment. I have to admit I have not paid that much attention to the roof lines and will be taking a closer look. The secondary bedrooms will someday be for children so we will need a bath there and I like one for myself, but I do appreciate the input. We spoke with a builder (I think "the one"!) last night, he is the only one who has shown any interest in "green" or alternatives or even learning new technologies, and he is in love with the geothermal. It would cost us about $15k extra (eek) and has a payback period of about 6 years. We plan to stay there much longer so if there is room in the budget we will most likely go with it. More research for me! Did you decide against it in your case then?

Chisue, all good points, you have read my mind as these are things I have agonized over and I appreciate you taking the time to point them out. I am grateful that people on this board are helpful and caring enough to point out pluses AND minuses bring it on! The minuses especially give me some things to think about or force me to organize my thoughts, explain choices Ive made and revisit some decisions.

I decided not to put a secondary bedroom on the main floor because we would either have an addl full bath or a bedroom without an assigned full bath on its floor. To reduce the footprint, we moved the bedrooms to the lower level and that is where a nursery would be. I am sure a lot of people would cringe at this. One of the reasons I describe it as flipped is that my mom balked at us putting a "baby in the basement", I realize this is semantics, but I have seen this done well and really like it. As far as stairs in the middle of the night, I figure this isnt any different than so many of the homes today with main floor master and other bedrooms on a second floor. All that said, it is still eating at me a bit, though planning for a security system helps me feel a little better (already a very low crime area). Good call on the aged p thing, too, another thing I have obsessed about. I finally decided, someday that may be a concern, but we live close to our families (overnight stays are not very likely), our parents are young (mid-50s) and none are likely to want to move in with their kids anyway so we will just cross that bridge if/when we come to it.

Great question about lowering the house roof it led me to address it with the builder last night and we will see what comes of that. I am not sure what can be done there as there are certain considerations as far as minimum roof pitches for snow, etc, and to account for the back dormer. The great room will be vaulted, I believe everything else will be attic. Maybe the roof height is just leftover from when we had the second story we will see!

I was trying to avoid the garage-dwarfing syndrome with the angle, I guess I need to look into it more. I like the angle for numerous reasons, but that is a great idea on lowering the roof and I will look into that.

North is top of the plans, on the side of the walkout so that is a concern I have also had. I also wonder about the great room being dark and that is one reason I have the dormer/clerestory above the porch roof. Not sure what else to do there. In the few model homes I have seen with this layout, they were darkish without the dormer.

I agree on the kitchen island that is just what the drafter put in and it looks funny. We have decided to move the cooktop against the wall, in large part to avoid the venting issue.

What do you mean about the smaller foundation? I think we are using every inch? (angled room is theater room, room by stairs is storage and HVAC has been moved there, will combine office with current HVAC and add a closet, room under porch may be safe tornado room)

Che1sea, passive solar was exactly the type of thing I was looking for (green by design). I have come to terms that it wont really work in our case the homesite is on the North slope of a hill and is wooded. We will do cellulose or foam insulation (not much more here). I am excited to look into the other ideas you mentioned and hope you post your progress and pix (love milk paint!).
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
dhat, it was not a stock plan, though we tried to find one too. You may be relieved to know the custom plans through our drafter actually cost much less than buying stock would have. We had our plans drawn up by a drafter, which originally had a second floor. Once we started talking to builders we quickly found prices are much much higher than we thought and we could barely afford a house at all, much less a second floor or special features (inglenook, see-through fireplace, library, bonus room, copper roof bay window). My inspiration has been thousands of plans and pictures over the years. I will say that many of my ideas came from Donald Gardner plans, link below, but I could not find one plan of his that was close enough. I especially liked Solstice Springs, Dogwood Ridge, Laurelwood and Peekskill (when we had the 2nd floor) - and he has a photo gallery to die for, interior and exterior, it is wonderful. These photos are what most 2D plans are lacking for me.

I drew out exactly what I wanted to scale and with interior/exterior 3D pictures and gave those to the drafter. For example, I included a picture of a great room to illustrate the dormer/clerestory window since that is so hard to depict in 2D. I have spent a lot of time tweaking plans and trying to think about things like traffic patterns, "feel" of rooms, line of sight, functionality, etc. Every time I read something new, I take another look at the plans.

I also read (and, eek, have *bought*) about every book Sarah Susanka has ever published (Not So Big House, etc.) and a ton of other similar books and magazines. Somehow, I didn't find this website until a few weeks ago and, of course, it is now my #1 fave.

We are definitely going to be house buddies as our pockets sound more similar than some and have the same orientation with the walkout facing North. We are making a lot of effort to make it feel un-basement - 9ft ceilings, wide open stairway, lots of tall windows, hiding support posts in walls, *trying* to hide any soffits, same finish as Main floor. I guess we will also need to do a lot of careful lighting as well.

I have house envy of many houses here, too. I am so grateful to people like Allison0704 that are willing to share their own amazing homes and ideas, which are such great inspiration and open my mind to all the possibilities.

Sorry to be so windy I have so much pent up house talk!
che1sea
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Here is a link that might help. It allows a certain degree of passive solar even if the house is situated perfectly.
allison0704
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
LOL Dhat! I'm not finished with it yet!

dalcolli, it sounds like you've thought the house out - a lot - and that is great. We bought our lot, got the plans, then poured over them for two years while waiting on last 2 to finish/almost finish HS before making changes/starting our build. If you area good visualizer, picture yourself "in" the house, doing every day things. You will "see" what needs to be done to make the house "yours." Even during construction, minor changes that don't cost extra to make the most out of your home, each space.

Our GC suggested we go ahead and pour a room under our front veranda. We were calling it our safe room (tornadoes) as well. It is FULL of DH's tools! Silly DH thought everything would fit fine in lower garage. Don't know what we would have done with everything had we not built that extra room. (42ft x 10ft)

Strike the word "basement" from the vocabulary of everyone who works on your home. Ours is "the lower level." Everybody got it by the end of their Day 2. We had excellent subs, but I think having them understand it was a lower level and that it was going to be finished off with greater detail than "a basement" gave them the mentality to treat it better - does that make sense?

Allison
chisue
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
dhat -- You are not alone. Everybody loves Allison's house! Think she'd mind if everybody scrapped plans and moved in? LOL

dalcolli -- Nevermind about the foundation; I forgot you had a use for the entire basement. I was trying to save a tad by substituting some crawls.

North is good for a porch. North-East is good if you decide on the kitchen porch.

North isn't so good for the lower level, as you know. Still, you have windows East and West. I have to admit that this positioning would be a deal killer for me for a 'flipped' house. But then we searched for two years to find an acre where South could be our home's focus. How much will you save by flipping while still building that big roof? Would there be a future market for a flipped home in your area? (You never know about *tomorrow*.)

I'm not worried about Baby sleeping on a different level -- it's toddlers and small children. Will you lock them in at night? Where will they play? Littles want to be within sight of Mom, and Mom needs to be watching them when they're somewhat older. There's no separate play space on the main level. (Idea for creating messy space and fixing the over-large garage: Separate the garage from the house and enlarge the 'back hall'.) Think about children needing direct access to a toilet and sink from the back hall, too.

EOS on Child Rearing. (Really LOL now. You'd have to know mine.)
meldy_nva
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Place the porch where the best breeze is -- and that may not be on the north side! You need to spend enough time at the property to *know* the predominant wind direction, and from which direction summer and winter storms come. Storm directions may be influenced by local topography, and IF you know that blizzards mostly come from the south (and they do at my place) then you can locate doors and garage opening to face away from the blowing snow. And at my place, summer breezes come from the west or southwest, so the porch is on the south side (open to the west), and also provides extra shade on the house's southside during the summer.
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Allison - that TOTALLY makes sense. Thanks for that. As of this moment, we no longer have a "basement" :-).

Good to hear about the safe room, we were getting mixed messages but I think we are doing it. The tornado aspect is one thing that makes me feel better about nixing the 2nd floor and having the kids in the "lower level" ;-), especially with all the nasty storms, many with tornados, we have had the last few years. Also, will be good extra storage.

I keep meaning to take the quiet time to visualize, I will have to make time for that. I am learning BHG software and have it close to being useful for a "visual walk-throughs". It is a very cool program and I hope to post pix from it sometime - it even allows for time lapse landscaping (what will this look like in 10 years?) and whatever it is called when it simulates sun movement.

che1sea - thanks for the link. DH and I will review tonight!
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Whoops, got distracted mid-reply and took too long to post and missed a couple.

meldy_nva - good points, I will have to check around. I am not so good with understanding weather patterns and have never paid enough attention.

chisue - the flipped houses feature in our local home shows so I think we are OK should resell ever come up. The second floor was another $30k or so and I am going to look into reducing that roof. I agree the North issue is opposite of ideal. We bought the land 2 years ago and it never crossed my mind at the time, though honestly, there are so many positives for the property that I may not have done anything differently.

Not having children yet, I admit to ignorance here. Do people lock them in at night? For playing, I had pictured me in the 'office', actually exercise and hobby room, with the kids in that family room or with me doing crafts. And screened porch, kitchen or living room if I am in the kitchen. We are not showhouse type of people, very informal, so I don't see myself upset if some toys are seen by people at the front door. Then again, what do I know :-).
marthaelena
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I would like to see Allison house pictures and floor plan if it were possible. I saw the kitchen and it is fabulous!!! Are they posted somewere?
Allison your house is very famous!!! That is great!
allison0704
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
dacolli, Zone 6 - you're not far north of me. What state do you live in? Won't hurt my feelings if you do not want to answer. I wouldn't live anywhere without a good tornado shelter.

Code in my area requires keys or thumb bolts in exterior doors (unless it goes to balcony). This has been discussed numerous times on GW. Both allow the Boogie Man to let himself in. We do not keep keys in our exterior doors - children are no longer at home (I just had two graduate from college this month!! Yea!).

Besides the key issue, discussions about being on a different level than younger children have also taken place. We were all on the same level until they were 6, 8 and 10. I never worried about a fire, I could hear them if they needed me which was rare by that age. If one was sick, I would simply stay downstairs.

DD2 did live here briefly. She knew where the keys were and in case of a fire could have let herself out. With the sensitivity of smoke detectors and fire alarms (aren't they code almost everywhere now?) I wouldn't worry too much but would have a plan in place in case of an emergency.

marthaelena, I rarely post pictures due to changes in GW rules. I'm sure the thread is still here about how everyone feels about someone else building their home. Let's just say I've had a couple of bad experiences. I have never posted my plans - there is too much of "me" in them. It would be like giving away my dog and I love my dog too much. ; )

...and Chisue, I don't think I could explain that scenario very well to DH!
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Allison, I am in Southern Indiana. LOL on the Boogieman because that is pretty much what was in the back of my mind! I am paranoid that way even though I have had exactly zero experience with crime of any sort (knock on wood). I think I watch too much Crime TV and CSI. I will be sure to search around here on the young children issue. I don't know anyone local that uses keys and yet another thing I have never thought about. Thumb bolts are the ones up high that slide across?

Thanks!
allison0704
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thumb bolt was probably the wrong name - thumb latch, maybe. I'll link Emtek, since that is what we used. They just call it a deadbolt. I used the Bronze Style #1 on the outside and inside of front door. We don't keep key in since we have french doors. On veranda doors (main level, no stairs to access), we used those on the outside but something like the one directly underneath it on the inside - don't show a picture of ours.

I would think the code would be universal, not just in a few states. Fire safety usually is pretty close.
chisue
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
"Do people lock them in at night?" I actually met someone who did lock her toddler in his BR overnight (with a potty chair). She told me that she and her DH liked to linger in bed in the mornings, uninterrupted. (Very strange woman, perfectionist, not meant for motherhood. You don't sound a bit like her!)

I'm not concerned about forced entry. I'm concerned that you will be running up and down stairs constantly or living amidst clutter. Moms spend a LOT of time in kitchens and bathrooms and awash in toys with little people. Children come with a whole world of 'stuff'. We're not talking about a few toys. You don't want to have a big old house and no place for the clutter to stay out of YOUR living space. (You have a place, but it's in the wrong spot, IMO, so the clutter will migrate to the main level.)

Can there be a main level room somewhere that will be a playroom -- morph into an office or library later? Even old folks like DH and I like to be able to sit apart sometimes -- on the same level, but not in the same room. I'd cut down on the master suite to have this. (I can't recall spending much time in our MBR during child-rearing years. Anyone else?)

Relieved that flipped houses sell well in your market.

My comment about porches came from our experience with one that was useless after noon all summer; it was SW. Current porch is SE and has big shade tree on S side.

Re: Big attic. We have a single level home w/unfinished *basement* -- not anyone's idea of a 'lower level'. Land vialue in our area made it impractical to build a 2-BR house on a acre, so we have a HUGE attic and walk-up staircase. Yes, it makes the elevation look pretty, but it can become another 3000 sq ft of BRs and baths for a future owner. We live in 2900 sq ft. New homes (teardowns) here are 5-6,000 sq ft. I'm relating this in case it may apply to your area and warrant the big attic.
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
chisue, lol, but wow. Did she also leave bread and water?

Lots of things for DH and I to discuss...

Allison, thanks for the info and link. Deadbolt is the word I was looking for, too. I apologize though I am confused still - locks on the outside?
allison0704
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sorry for the confusion - we used the Bronze Style #1 on the outside of all exterior doors. The interior side of the exterior doors are different depending on whether or not they open out onto a front or lower veranda (with easy access) or the back veranda (that has no walk up access).
marthaelena
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Allison, I had no clue what your approach to your house design was. I assumed (because I think you showed me some pictures of your kitchen, you also have a web page of your kitchen and you had some other pictures around) that it was ok to ask. I am sorry about that. On the other hand I was not asking you to give me your dog, only asked to see it. If you want to keep your dog under a cristal box I underestand - wait a minute, that will not work - people will be abble to see it :)
Now being seriuos - Sorry to hear you had bad experiences. My husband was not too happy when I posted my plan in another forum (not a GW one) because someone wanted to copy it and honestly it was ok with me, Actually, it makes me happy to help. I do not have kids so my designs are my creations.
allison0704
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
No need to apologize! The kitchen is not such a big deal, most pieces were reworked from or designed by combining ideas magazines - island from a Chalon ad, coffee station reworked from an article, double plate rack from another. I actually had it removed from the FKB at one point. Attic Mag, the other website my kitchen is on, is the baby of a GW member I consider a friend, so when she asked if I would let her put in on her website, I sent her photos.

Back to dacolli's floorplans!
marthaelena
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
dalcolli,
Everybody have been giving you good advise/comments/input
I really like this board.

Here are my comments
Elevations:
I think you have too many materials in your elevation: stone, shingle looking siding, regular siding, concrete and wood (beams, railings, shutters, columns?). I suggest to limit the materials to 4: stone, regular siding, wood and concrete. The result will be a CLEANER LOOKING HOUSE. If you want additional contrast play with the colors or textures.
I am assuming that the exterior columns will be wood. Using fiberglass will add up another texture.

Try to unify the kind of arch you want to use. So far you have 3 kinds: the garage door ones (segmental), the doors and windows at the gables (three centered) and the little window on top of garage gable (semicircular). All different. I vote for making all of them like the ones on the garage doors.

Floor plan:
Love it! I like that every space has a window including the mud room hallway!!!
I still think that it is worth to walk 4 more feet to hang the coats. Place the coat closet door at the little hallway. Most interior designers will advise you of having a wall at the entry to place a nice piece of art/mirror/console/sconces. Remember about the first good impression. To the left of the entry you have the stairs and you will not be abble to do much.
By the way, I love the proportion of your foyer.

Going to the movie ...Sex and the city!!!
continue...
marthaelena
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You have a nice MB, walk in closets and MB. Not sure how the lower right corner is going to work whrilpool/vanities). If it were my bath I will solve it a bit different. Again they have a nice proportion. I like that your MB is almost an square.
I hate those MBs where you have to go around and have weird shapes.
I love your great room, kitchen/mud/laundry/garage

Since you unified Dining Room/Breakfast nook into a Eating area, I think you need to trim the island because right now the eating area is officially 12' but at the island is not.
The island looks skinny. If you have some inches make it a bit wider, will look nicer and you will love the counter space
I think you did a great job. Even if you do not fix some of our commente, it is still a good floor plan.

Basemet, I mean, lower level:
That is another story. I see some issues there and I am sorry to say that you did not think it out as the main level :)
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks Allison for the explanation - I was having a brain block on that one.

marthaelena, thanks for all your comments! Really great feedback on the arches. The drafter just threw stuff in and I really need to get together a list of the cosmetic things for him to change - as soon as I figure out what I want them to be. The windows are a big one. Same with the island - what he stuck in there is really funny looking being so skinny and jutting out. I am working in BHG home design software to see how large that island can really be. For the exterior, I see what you mean. I attached a link below to an example of what I was going for - not exact but similar feel and mix.

Would love to hear suggestions for the lower level!

How was the movie?
chisue
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Exterior -- Too many conflicting styles; garage is still overpowering; would you really waste money on a bay window in a *garage*?
dalcolli
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh, sorry for not being clear, chisue. No bay on the garage for us. We are not even doing the shed dormer anymore. I was thinking more along the lines of the stone and Hardie exterior with woodsy colors - sorry, I really should have specified!
marthaelena
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Dalcoli,
What I do not like in your basement is mainly the bathroom. The door location is not ok.
There are 8 openings off of the central area (family room?)
is a little hard to place furniture.
It is preferable when the furnace/water heater are somehow centrally located for better energy efficiency.
Are the ducts going to cross the central area? hope not.
It is nice to nave a clen ceilin with no dropped soffit for ducts.
Good luck.
marthaelena
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sorry, I did not check my spelling.
chisue
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
RE: Exterior. OK, no bay and no shed dormer. That's an improvement, but the garage is still AS BIG AS THE HOUSE! And there are still conflicting elements of style.

As to colors, they seem fine. I would drop either the brick or the board. Drop the 'victorian-looking' under-gable trim and the banding on the gable.

To be honest, I'd be looking at another plan due to the overpowering garage and a lot of useless roof.
kacee2002
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
the only thing that I would suggest is in the bathrooms....
I would put the toilet in both rooms in it's own little room...a water closet.....not just a wall as in your plans .
makes the bathroom much more useful for more than one person at a time....something to think about with kids maybe down the line.

I will never live in another house that doesn't have this setup...that is how much I love it.
C. Wolf
last year
Just stumbled upon this gem from many ago. This is the exact orientation and house type im struggling with! Unfortunately the image links no longer work. Any chance you would re-share the floorplan or pictures since the build??

Please critique my floorplans!

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