Autumn4, I know I have said it before but I will be watching your posts! We have pretty much the same needs when it comes to building a home. My husband also does shift work (I think the same line of work?) and I just LOVE your solution to accessing the bedroom while he sleeps. So many times I need to sneak into the room . . . not an easy task with two dogs and two kids =) It also gets really old hauling things from bathroom to bathroom when he is on a string of nights. Stressful. I will be very interested in seeing how it all comes together . . . the only thing I would change in the bathroom is I prefer a walk in shower that doesn't need a shower curtain or door. In addition to making our house work for us, I am also trying to cut down on as much house work as possible, LOL. Just a personal preference! Sorry not much to add just a compliment on a great idea . . . one I never thought of.

I don't think your tweaked layout will work the way you want it to. You'll be brushing bast clothing as you move between the laundry and closet, and I don't that little shelving area will be utilized very well. If you want to store tubs there for out-of-season clothes, maybe. But it's too deep and too covered by the hanging clothes to be of everyday use. I think the original layout works better, but can be tweaked.

With the laundry space at 6'6" x 10, I don't think you'll be able to have a set-up like the dream room -- you don't have enough width to allow for a workable aisle. Here's a drawing of a laundry room set up that way, and you'll see that it is 8' wide.

In order to get to that 8', you'd need to steal 1.5' from the master closet, which is possible if you don't need so much room at the "front" of the closet. You wouldn't have as much room for shelves/dresser at the front, but it would still be a workable size.

Is the enclosed W/C important to you? If not, you might be able to move the toilet forward in that space and put the coat closet behind it. That would allow you to add room to the shower in the former coat closet/laundry closet space.

Thanks momtoblondie! This part is fun/daunting/exciting...downright scary??? Dh is a policeman - not sure if your hubby is or not. Our kids are old enough to 'get it' (no waking the sleeping bear, lol) but the dog - she has to know what's going on everywhere all the time! Plus just the sound of the door knob turning and door opening and shutting is enough sometimes. :/

jakabedy- Thank you! I know I need 8' in that laundry area and that IS important to me. I want what you drew!!!

WC closed in not important and it looks much deeper than it needs to be to me also. Shower though is a bit smaller than I want it also (hoping for 3x5). I am starting to think we need to start from scratch in the actual bath area. I'm still not sure how to get the windows to look how we want on the elevation.

I don't think the depth is enough that we could put the laundry in the front of the house and the closet behind it and then the bath if that makes sense.

If you're concerned about disturbing each other, you might want to have the closet between the bedroom and the bathroom so that noise from the bathroom doesn't carry so much into the bedroom.

I have to say I really like the way your windows look much better than the mulled together units. Of course that may depend on how the rest of the elevation looks. But I like the individual windows. Reminds me of an older home that way.

I do think you could have things arranged differently and be able to get more out of your closet and bath. The way it is now in the closet is a lot of wasted floor space. Also will you be using the toilet at all during the day when your husband sleeps? If so you may want to move that around too. We have it in the same location and it is convenient at night, but also the flushing wakes my husband up. Of course he is a light sleeper. I don't even notice.

I like the original better too. A few suggestions: combine the hall linen closet and laundry closet. Move the washer dryer to the window wall- it will make venting the dryer easier.

Maybe add a door between the foyer and master hall.

We also work odd hours and we did take that into consideration, but I wish we had done what you are doing.

I am back - thanks again everyone for your input. We just got word back that our inspection on the home we just sold went fine (whew) so I can check that off the list. So many things to think about.

jakabedy (again) - I definitely think we can steal 1.5 from the closet and still have a nice space. The goal for the closet was to have all hanging and drawers - no dresser in the bedroom.

chicagoans-we have kicked that around also. I think it will be okay as is - rather have the bathroom not facing out front as much as the closet. Thanks for offering that up though.

lyfia and pps - thanks for your thoughts on the elevation but you aren't making this any easier! :) I have attached the whole elevation. I do think it makes it look like an older home which I don't dislike but I feel like it doesn't match the rest of the home? Maybe I'm crazy. I know nothing about architecture - just what my eye likes. I also don't like the slant over the front door. I'd rather bring the porch out and have it more prominent/inviting.

Here is the entire front:

It is growing on me a bit the more I look at it. I feel like the shed dormer needs to be moved to the left though. I think it looks squished.

lyfia-we will have a 1/2 bath too so I'm not worried about day time use for the bathroom. It's the morning time with the shower/hairdryer/turning lights on/rummaging for matching socks. That whole bit! I think the whole master bath could use some improvement for sure. I am stuck as to what to do with it.

pps-I did see a few parade homes this year with a door between the great room and the master area like you are suggesting. It seemed to work okay but I wasn't sure how much we would use those outer doors. We did kick it around but ultimately stayed with this course. The master bedroom was then completely separate from the bath/closet. You could not pass through. The bedroom door was on the right and the closet/bath was on the left.

The hall closet I think is for guests from the front door. I wouldn't have a problem having a bench and a few hooks off of the foyer instead. Thanks for the note about the dryer too - we do need to consider that!

I have tried sketching it out on graph paper and trying to reconfigure. It's not going so well. I am stuck - the domino effect is killing me.

Autumn, where did that last picture come from, I LOVE the look of that house and would love to see more!. Thanks.

If you leave the toilet as is, just make sure the tp dispenser is not on the wall shared with the master bedroom...it can be surprisingly noisy!

Hi,
I am Charles new in this forum.And found this conversation is interesting so I am here.I agree with the idea of taking much out of the closet.It seems that the floor space is now wasted and making changes in it can help you.You can also have closet between bedroom and bathroom to prevent the noise as suggested by chicagoans .

I will admit that I have not carefully read through every post---that said, my builder did suggest having two exits as my H leaves very early and I sleep later.
I wish I had listened to him! Your first version gives you that,

If all you are having in your master bedroom is a bed and nightstands (no dressers) then you might want to consider stealing 6" from it and adding it to the bathroom. Just move the wall between the bedroom and bathroom. It would make the house a tiny bit larger because you would extend the vanity. That would get your shower to a 3x4.

marjen-that is from our house designer - it's our 1st draft elevation drawing. The house is a 1 1/2 story. I'm glad you like it. :)

tkfinn-noted! I wouldn't have thought of that.

dekeoboe-I think we can steal a bit from the bedroom and a bit from the linen closet on the other side to make the window an appropriate size as well.

Thanks for the input. I feel like I need to start with just a blank space and start filling things in.

Anyone know what the dimensions of a decent sized master closet that holds haning and a place for drawers? Is it too deep and that part is wasted space? I know you need 2' for hangers.

Thanks again.

Autumn, I meant the photo of the house under construction :)

marjen-oops! Sorry. We have been driving around taking 'inspiration' pictures and that is one of them. I know it is a ranch. Not sure if it's 2 bedroom or 3 bedroom. The plans are from a West Michigan builder - are you near?

When I get a chance I'll post some more of our inspiration pics if you would like - they are all fairly similar to the one I posted here.

Hi Autumn! Yes he is in law enforcement . . . if I remember correctly I think our dogs even are alike, lol! Love the elevation that you posted! I agree with your concerns re: the windows and also that angle above the door looks a little off . . . maybe it might "translate" better is real life? How are you doing for square footage? and did you ever figure out the mudroom area? I am finding it hard to figure out how to get everything I want/need within our square footage limit - darn budgets! You are way further along in the process than us. Our house isn't even on the market yet although we had an interested party come and look yesterday . . . they really want to be on a lake so I'm not holding my breath. We are in the process of purchasing a lot, not my favorite lot but the price is soooo right. I have kind of taken a step back from looking at plans because I keep changing my mind, seeing things I like or lack of things I like and ultimately I am left totally confused and overwhelmed. Time for some mental clarity =) Unfortunately I am one of those people who doesn't feel "settled" until I have everything figured out . . . even if it doesn't need to be figured out anytime soon. Ugh! It will be fun to watch your process and maybe add my two cents here and there. Its fun to watch houses on here develop from just a "dream" to people moving in . . . its wonderful to share others joys and watch dreams come into reality =) The great big houses are fun but I have a fondest watching the "smaller" homes come to life, I guess they speak to me more. So from one law enforcement family to another . . . Blessing to you and your family and your new home!

Sorry for the hiatus. Moving and working and kids - well it's a bit inconvenient. Hahaha! Appraisal today. Now the only thing left is the health department to check the drain field and water. I hope we have a closing date soon.

momtoblondie-*LOVE* my doodle. :) She by the way is having the hardest time out of everyone with all of the house showing/packing/routine changing upheaval. ;)

We are not fans of that funny little angle by the front door either. We will be addressing that and the windows when we meet again on Monday. I am still trying to figure out the front laundry closet area with the windows pushed together-it is a struggle. I am also pondering the kitchen layout.

The mudroom however, we like. I asked for a place for lockers, a separate closet, a small 'pocket' office and to be able to close the dog in. This is what we got and I do like it:

The doorway off to the right by the closet goes outside where we will have a covered porch for grilling and also where we will let the dog in and out.

The doorway by the 1/2 bath leads into the kitchen area.

The square footage - hmmm. It is about 300 sq foot over what we were hoping for. So we need to look at that. Likely the mudroom is a little big because I don't feel like the actual rooms are too large. But we don't have any 'extra' rooms that I feel we could ditch. We are not including the screened porch (to be finished later) and the basement (also to be finished way later) in our sq. footage 'wants'.

It's about 1700 on the main floor and 550 in the upstairs.

I also need to having things figured out - this has been driving me nuts. I wouldn't say you are starting to soon but yes I concur it is overwhelming and sanity breaks are needed (chocolate also helps). We didn't think our house would sell so early. Happy it did so we can start this fall BUT the plans aren't ready and so now I feel rushed which is not what I wanted at this stage. :/ I too like watching every size build. It sometimes causes my eyes (dreams) to be larger than our budget but it is exciting to watch nonetheless!

I can't wait to watch your build progress as well. When are you hoping to list your home? It kind of sneaks up on you so hang on to your hat!

Thank you for your kind words and blessings - right back at you. There are a few kindred police/fire spirits on here. :)

The mudroom area looks great! I like how you have a door going into the locker area. I have been debating about putting a locker area vs a walk in closet in the next build. As of now, we have lockers in our garage right before you walk in and I can not get the kids to use it correctly, lol =( it seems like I am always straightening shoes, jackets, etc because I cant stand looking at it . . . great idea on the door. It looks like you are going to have a very well thought out plan, everything so far looks great! Can't wait to see the rest! What are the stairs by the garage? Do they go up to a bonus room? Down to Basement? Isn't hard to stay within a certain square footage? I have been going nuts trying to figure out how I am going to fit everything in! We will be building on a slab (can't convince hubby otherwise) so without a basement, which is such useable space/storage, I have to be extra diligent in maximizing square footage. But how . . when I want want want, Lol! We are on all one level right now, so I debate doing the same or sending the kids up stairs. My husband has expressed a desire for all bedrooms up, but I am not so sure about that right now. Ohhh decisions decisions! And YES chocolate is always involved in the decision making process or lack there of ;-)

mom-I hope it's not overkill but I have the closet there also for cleaning stuff/mops/brooms/vacuum and also for off season coats. No way can a cubby handle winter/fall/spring jackets plus back packs and the like. The door was mainly to keep my pooch contained when need be - seems I'm the only one that wipes her feet when I let her in. I hope they can at least close her in there if she's wet or whatever. Plus she is a scaredy cat so during storms or other times sometimes she's best in a small area.

Stairs in the garage - they go down to the basement mechanical area. If we need service we can leave that part unlocked and not worry about the whole house being open. Plus we can use it for bringing furniture and things down in a straight shot and not worry about carrying them down a U shaped stair case.

The designer did draw a bonus above the garage but since we have a basement we are having that removed. It would be a great option for you though if you don't have a basement. It's a 300 some square foot space.

Our kids are old enough that we thought it'd be perfect to have them up and us on the main. Then when in college or after married with kids, etc and visiting there would still be some privacy.

Square footage is hard enough - getting the right configuration is proving to be harder yet. I think we are close but I just can't figure this space out! :( I hope he will have some 'magic' ideas.

Thanks again for your kind words.

I was reading this with interest. We built our home a year ago and one of my favorite features is the master closet to laundry room connection. Your house seems to have similar dimensions to mine in this area of the house so I think if you rearranged the bathroom/closet/laundry room you could have plenty of room. My husband did the layout for this and since he's an engineer he paid attention to where the water hookups will be, so the shower, toilet and washer all share a wall. I guess that's a good thing in a builder's world.

The master in our house is 12 x 15.6. I'm going to try to attach the pdf of the floor plan, but I don't give myself my chance of succeeding...sorry.

We don't have a large mc but we have shelves along the short wall bordering the laundry room. We have baskets there for all the clothes that don't need to be too carefully stored - socks, underwear, undershirts, exercise wear, etc. Between the baskets and 6 hooks and double racks we're in good shape. We have one dresser in the bedroom and still have one empty drawer.

We also don't have doors between the mb and mc or a door between the mudroom and the laundry room. We also rarely close the door between the mc and the laundry (we're empty nesters so no children in the house). We didn't put up doors because doors = money and the door to the closet would never be closed anyway. We did have the door jamb framed in so in the future installing a door will be easy. We wish we had put a pocket door between the laundry and the mudroom.

GreenVTtoNY-I am so glad your PDF posting worked! It is so helpful to see different options. I like that there is a hall of sorts and the bath and closet are separate. I am trying to be mindful of plumbing but more mindful of venting the dryer. Was that a challenge for you having it on an inside wall?

We are also working at keeping doors down. I think we can get away with 3. Because we work opposite shifts we need to be sure that there isn't any extra light/noise transfer if either of us is up while the other is sleeping.

This is really helpful, thanks! It's nice to see other options since this is somewhat "un"traditional. :)

Im glad the drawing helped. When we were in the design phase we lurked here quite a bit and seeing other people's plans definitely helped us refine our needs.

The dryer vents through the basement and outside about 10 feet of duct. We've had no issues with it any we have easy access to the duct through the basement, if needed. However, now it occurs that I should probably go clean it out.

Not sure if this is too late for your meeting, but here are a couple ideas. One I just basically flipped things around to give you a really big laundry room, but the bedroom would be smaller. Nothing is to scale, I just cut and pasted. The other one I basically got rid of the hall way to add feet so you could turn the shower and walk in the end instead of the side. This would give you the length you wanted. It also would take room out of the bathroom so you could lengthen the closet and make it more narrow so your laundry can be wider like you want. I don't know how to post two photos in one post, so I'll have to post twice.

Here is the 2nd idea. Hope it helps!