Respectfully, the problem isn't that you're crazy. Everyone here is working on developing the perfect house plan. Some people begin with a house plan and make adjustments, while others start from scratch. However, I haven't seen two that come out identical in the end; thus, while I understand your quest for "perfect", you're not going to find agreement on this or any other board. You won't even get "perfect" for yourself (much less yourself and your spouse). Building a house is an exercise in compromise. No matter how many wonderful ideas, no matter how many opinions and how many drawings you go through, you will always end up sacraficing something. Here's an example: I want plenty of natural sunlight streaming into my kitchen. However, after much discussion and professional help, the bottom line is that the house is going to face east. That means my kitchen will face west, and it will be hit by the afternoon sun, making my kitchen into an oven. So I can either scrap my whole houseplan (which I do not want to do) or add a covered porch over the back portion of the house. I really don't want to add a porch, but it does solve my kitchen problem, it will serve the pool area well, and it's the best solution. The point: I'm not getting "perfect" in this situation. To keep the house plan I like, I'm making a compromise on one item in the kitchen. You're going to end up making compromises in numerous ways as you build. It's just the nature of the beast. To borrow your analogy from your referenced thread, you may end up with the "ipad of houses"; that is, you may end up with the best product in your category, price point, etc. The real problem, as I see it -- and I mean this in the nicest possible way -- isn't crazy so much as lazy. You've not done your homework. If you want something other than a cookie cutter house, you have to make that happen yourself. You need to do some reading on home building, and you need to start searching plans yourself. No one else knows your opinions, tastes, and preferences, so no one else can do this for you. The builder is going to tell you how he typically builds master bedrooms; he isn't going to reach into your mind and pull out your ideal master bedroom. When he tells you, "No, we don't do it that way", ask WHY he doesn't do it that way. It may be that your concept is unworkable, or it may be that it's just not cost-effective. As you do some reading, you're going to find lots of questions that'll help you refine your ideas and pinpoint what matters to you. More importantly, you'll develop your ideas into terms that you can communicate to other people. Having a picture in your head is great, but if you cannot accurately project that picture to your builder and your architect, you're all going to be frustrated. I also suggest that you start collecting pictures of things you like. You're not all that strong with verbal communications (typical engineer -- I'm married to one, so I know), so photographs might help get your idea across to the builder and architect. Also, you've not given us any idea of what kind of house you plan to build -- these are the basics that you're either ignoring or aren't communicating to us. Is it to be an old South-type house, a house with a European flair, a ranch? What does it need to do for you? Do you have children? Do you need it to function for you and your spouse . . . but then expand once a month for weekend guests? It's impossible to know what kind of advice go give without knowing what you need the house to do. To give an analogy, it's like asking what kind of dishes you should buy -- without telling us whether you need something durable for kids, something lightweight because you can't lift heavy stoneware, or something inexpensive. Once you have a plan (or a couple plans) that you think you like, come back and post them. With a "starting place" to work from, people can give you ideas on how to improve and how to proceed.

This is a small point but it looks like there's a pocket door in your master closet on a wall that shows shelves and a hanging rod, and also is a plumbing wall. I don't think that will work (plumbing and things screwed into a wall that a door will slide into.) I'd rather have the door to the WIC be at the top of that wall, and a swing door opening against the top wall of the WIC. Then your two sinks with a nice long counter and storage drawers go below the door and on the closet side it's a nice long rod and shelf. This also lets you go into the WIC without walking through so much of the bathroom. I'd post on the kitchens forum too for great help with your kitchen layout.

Steps to a tub are a HUGE safety hazard. HUGE. The only way that it's ever recommended is if a non slip coating is applied to them and you have several grab bars that are easy to access. An island cooking zone is a lot more expensive and difficult to construct than one against a wall. With 70% of the time spent in the kitchen devoted to prep, it's also a false way of accomplishing sociability in the kitchen> Better to devote an island to prep only with the cooking zone a quick pivot and turn away. The breakfast area is too small and the dining area is too large and too far. Then you have seating at the island too. Better to have a single more versatile eating area that can expand and just the casual stools at the island than to have 3 places that don't work well for any of the eating functions. If you've got enough room for the angled garage, then you have enough room to do a side load garage. That will be a MUCH more attractive look. There's a lot of wierd space wasting awkward angles in the master that don't add anything to the functionality and just cost you money. And the closet is as big as a bedroom. The whole master area occupies way too much space proportionately for the amount of time it's actually occupied --and you're asleep.

Here's an option with a 2nd bath but in an efficient plan: http://tightlinesdesigns.com/house/clarke/clarke-i After living in this (1140sqft)space for 12yrs we are adding on. It this your forever home or are you planning on moving after the kids are older? This home worked well for us before kids and even with 1 child, still fine. Forward a few years to two kids and kids wanting friends over, well it's a problem. Here's what's saved us for a spell: Having an upstairs bedroom-DH sometimes works nights and needs it quiet. It's great storage with the kneewall cabinets. 2nd bathroom (upstairs it's tub/not shower) but helps for when we all need to be somewhere at once. Vaulted ceiling in living/dining as it feels bigger. A large yard and covered front porch (sandboxes, balls and toy cars...) We put a large screen TV in my DD's room and daybed so it's often movie time when friends are over as they have so little play space. Transitional pieces of furniture: our coffee table is on industrial wheels and has a countertop insert. It serves as additional eating area, table, or seating with cushions added or we can roll it out of the way for more Thomas the Train floor space. Our laundry is in the kitchen covered by pantry doors-I hate this but there is no other space for it. The doors make it acceptable. Ideally if we had the Master on the main and 2 bedrooms upstairs the addition would not be as pressing an issue. We almost never have people over other than our kids friends. Our space is just too small to entertain well unless it's nice weather. When we do have adults over we pray for sunshine:) I should mention some of our issues are also due to having a boy and girl rather than children capable of sharing a room. Hope this helps. Here is a link that might be useful: 1138 sqft