skip to main content

Building a Home

round 2: please help with elevations & stairs!

9 years ago

Well, we got the revisions back from the designer. And we took 1 step forward and 10 steps back - anyone else ever feel like this?! It's almost laughable at this point.... my #1 desire throughout this whole (4 year) process has been wanting my sink under a kitchen window. So what happens... he sends me back a plan with my sink in the island!!! WHAT!?

anyway, here's the latest plan - please critique. Obviously, I'm moving the sink back to the window wall. I understand why he did it - for exterior reasons - but I will be changing that and putting a bank of 3 windows on that wall. Then mimicking that look in the study. Will that look ok? Not the original look of the inspiration, pic - but I'm too over all of this to really care.

My main issue now is the stairs - can anyone figure out a better stair design? that walkway through to the family room is too tight and I don't like how I'll have a nice 6ft cased opening to the family, but then a janky 3ft opening by the stairs - shouldn't they match up? (sorry, can you tell I'm a little cranky this morning?)

Upstairs - got a whole lot bigger, ugh. Bath - we will shorten the vanity to fit a pocket door in there to close off the toilet/bath.

Elevations - what do you think? I like the overall look, however we need to beef up the trim on the windows and put some more details in there (belly band? beefier frieze & rake?) I feel like the back is a little too flat & boring as well. We're also not sure about the little dormers on the front? Dh thinks the one on the left should definitely be nixed. Should the right one stay or get bigger or what? Would it look bad without the little dormers?

Thanks for your help! I'm thankful I can come here and vent as I feel like most of my friends and family don't share my love of architecture & need for details...

inspiration pic:

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

momtoblondie
9 years ago
I clicked on your image and it took me to your photo bucket . . . .there was a plan in there that looks like it was predrawn (also has two alternate elevation) Do you remember where that came from? I would be interested in looking at it further. Sorry its off topic. Thank you!
Katie S.
9 years ago
Would you be willing to cut off your study from your foyer?

I would personally pull the stairs down so the landing is on the exterior wall. You would enter the house, have a few steps immediately to your left, landing with window, and a longer straight run up. This longer run might allow you to stack the basement stairs underneath as a straight run.

Of course the guest bath would need to be reworked so you could have study access off your master hallway.

Might not be an option for you, but would certainly open up the foyer.
Related Discussions
Help with Succulent ID-ing please? Round 2
Q
Comments (20)
Ohhh I see Malaysia is a bit different from me When #4 was in flowering for me Sun time here at longest is about 15.75 hours buds where easy to see and nearly ready to open and did so with lesser sun light time and finished flowering 12 days later. Temps where in the 80 - 92 F range at the same sun times mentioned and the time of day mine opened was 16:00 hours to 23:00 hours For now I can say your heaviest rain season might be a bit much for #4 although the soil you have it in does look nice enough to drain fast enough. Again odd #4 Messeb like water more than most succulents but doesn't like wet roots for to long of time in days the top will rot out on you if to wet to long. Your other plants would certainly benefit with a lot less water than #4 can handle Other than a season rain over watering concern I have think you'll do very well with yours. As caution I think it would be best if you could provide a tarp or tent for some over head covering during your heavy tropical rain season over the entire garden bed. I and others here appreciate you and want to see your plants in there best of flowering later too. In all honesty it's best to tell you to talk to some of your local people with the same succulent garden passion as yours and ask them what they do.
...See More
critique 2nd round of plans please :)
Q
Comments (15)
thanks for all your suggestions. I'm just torn what to do - whether I should try to make this plan work or have him work up something totally different. My dh will probably kill me if I start over again. houseofsticks - you are right about all the porches. I don't really envision us using the front porch at all, but I do love the curb appeal it provides. but I could probably make it a little smaller to save $$. I'm also not sure about the back porch yet because he hasn't given me a back ext drawing to look at. I feel like we need to have something back there otherwise the whole back of the house is nothing but a flat expanse. I do love your porch pics - I have a ton of similar pics on pinterest :) kellhuck - I do really like your idea of creating more space in the mudroom but dh is already worried about sqfootage so I need to try to reduce things and not add any more (although I love your idea!) naf naf - thank you SO much for taking the time to email me your idea! that was so nice of you! I do like the ext with the breezeway and really need that extra hall space in the mudroom for my 3 kiddos' stuff (shoes, coats, backpacks. etc..) I'm going to try to do a built-in w/cubbies in that hall somewhere. but thanks again for your help! mydreamhome - thanks for your thoughts. I don't really need a table to fit that many people to eat. We're casual and many will probably just eat in their chairs or on the sofa or whatever we put out there. But I do need room for a least a 6ft table or so. I can't really run the porch around the back, because I want to be able to look out my kitchen windows and see yard, not the inside of my porch. My windows/sink will be on the back side of the house - not looking into the porch like he has them drawn. any other ideas? thanks again!
...See More
Please help round out last 2 appliances (cooking ones!)
Q
Comments (4)
I'd budget $1,000-$2,500 for a 42" hood, appropriate for a 36" range/cooktop, depending on the appearance you want and if you have a "grill" in your cooktop. The griddle is likely less of an issue than a grill, as it tends not to generate much less steam, smoke, or airborne oil. The three makes you mention are all good ones. I have heard that Wolf makes a semi-open burner which may perform better than their sealed burner. I haven't looked in detail at the open-burner Wolf pieces to comment more than that. will I notice a cooking difference? For me, cooking performance is paramount. The difference between the BlueStar we now have and most of the other ranges I have worked with (including several pro-style ranges) is very tangible. The heat uniformity, low simmer, and controllable sear make a huge difference. Some things are less tangible, but meaningful to me, such as the handles not getting as hot on the BlueStar from "heat overspill" than on many other ranges. The 11" burner spacing (front-to-back as well as side-to-side) makes it easy to have a 12" frypan and an 8" saucepan on at the same time and not smack them into each other. The Wolf and American Range should also provide a very tangible cooking difference compared to the "premium" consumer-style lines, as well as a few of the appearance-oriented pro-style ranges. The ease of cleaning of the BlueStar is a big advantage for us as well. I'm not a big baker, but I can see the difference between the BlueStar oven in the uniformity of my wife's cookies (even without convection or rotating the pan) and those from "box-store" ovens. (I can't say if the BlueStar oven is significantly better than similar pro-style ranges.)
...See More
Opinions on Home Elevators for 2 story homes, Please
Q
Comments (66)
Hello everyone. I was doing some research on home elevators for an upcoming seminar I am doing for retirees who want to "age in place" or build or buy their "forever home" and came across this thread. It's been very insightful to say the least. One thing that kept coming up is the appearance of an elevator and/or a chairlift for the stairs. Having worked with older adults and mature homeowners for the better part of 2 decades, I can tell you that when someone is faced with relocation to a senior community, assisted living or other such healthcare environment due to mobility issues, how their home looks is the least of their concerns. Before someone is at this point, the focus tends to be on appearances because we are still entertaining and "enjoying" our space. As one ages or health declines, their concern for appearances goes out the window. It's all about what needs to be done to stay here - at all costs. This is also NOT the time you want to be putting in an elevator or doing any major remodeling. People need all the energy they have to simply manage daily activities of daily living and personal care needs. I only say this because as the debate over whether to add or not add an elevator due to the way it looks (and size) tends to be one of younger retirees or empty nesters, if you are truly planning for this to be your forever home, it may be important to fast forward to what life will really be like should you "need" this amenity. My advice, for what it's worth, if you have the means and you are building a multi-level house, DO IT. Don't settle for the small model either - unless it will accommodate a wheelchair and/or full sized walker. That's the point right - mobility regardless of your situation, whether temporary or permanent. All the best. Thanks for letting me join the conversation.
...See More
laurensmom21
Original Author
9 years ago
momtoblondie - I'm linking below to that house plan.

cas - thanks for your suggestions, but I was hoping not to have to rework the bath area, etc... I'm hoping there's a way to redo the stairs that wouldn't need to majorly overhaul everything else...

anyone have any thoughts on elevations? or more stair ideas? thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: house
laurensmom21
Original Author
9 years ago
bumping this up to get some more suggestions...
Nick
9 years ago
I see two options. The first one being making the two mid landings on the stairs into winders, effectively making one step into two. That would slice two steps out of the center of the foyer and open it up a bit. Not sure about the math or residential code when it comes to winders though... Ren8 would have to check me on that.

Second option would be to trim that bump out off the study and have the stairs run towards the exterior wall. How it is currently would interfere with the windows, but if you are mirroring the triple kitchen window in the study I think you could work it out.
done_again_2
9 years ago
Could you work on moving the pantry/office to the other side of the kitchen near the laundry and garage? Or make the pantry/office shallower? That would let you keep the stairs as is and increase the foyer width.

My foyer and staircase have a spot where it's just over 3 ft. coming in from the front door. It's definitely tight. I would do what you can to make it bigger or reconfigure the staircase.

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Snowberry Pleases Year-Round

Bright spring foliage, pretty summer flowers, white berries in winter ... Symphoricarpos albus is a sight to behold in every season

HOME OFFICES Quiet, Please! How to Cut Noise Pollution at Home

By Christine Ciarmello

Leaf blowers, trucks or noisy neighbors driving you berserk? These sound-reduction strategies can help you hush things up

STANDARD MEASUREMENTS The Right Dimensions for Your Porch

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

Depth, width, proportion and detailing all contribute to the comfort and functionality of this transitional space

UNIVERSAL DESIGN My Houzz: Universal Design Helps an 8-Year-Old Feel at Home

By Becki Peckham

An innovative sensory room, wide doors and hallways, and other thoughtful design moves make this Canadian home work for the whole family

COLOR March Into Year-Round Chic With 15 Twists on Red, White and Blue

By Becky Harris

Parade your patriotism and your style sophistication with new looks for a classic color trio. Drumroll, please ...

SUMMER GARDENING Houzz Call: Please Show Us Your Summer Garden!

By Annie Thornton

Share pictures of your home and yard this summer — we’d love to feature them in an upcoming story

ARCHITECTURE House-Hunting Help: If You Could Pick Your Home Style ...

By Laura Gaskill

Love an open layout? Steer clear of Victorians. Hate stairs? Sidle up to a ranch. Whatever home you're looking for, this guide can help

STAIRWAYS Help Your Stair Landing Take Off

By Danyelle Mathews

Whether for storage, art, plants or whatever else strikes your fancy, your stair landing can serve your home in a thoughtful way

COLOR Pick-a-Paint Help: How to Create a Whole-House Color Palette

By Laura Gaskill

Don't be daunted. With these strategies, building a cohesive palette for your entire home is less difficult than it seems

PETS 6 Ways to Help Your Dog and Landscape Play Nicely Together

By Marianne Lipanovich

Keep your prized plantings intact and your dog happy too, with this wisdom from an expert gardener and dog guardian

Sponsored

More Discussions

Please critique my floorplan

47

Which quality is good for framing a house and the subfloor

11

Alternative to drywall for garage?

16

Fireplace Built-ins Measurement and Window Selection Help

19

Tile installation standards help

13