I like it a lot -- with the changes you listed. I do think you'll be spending a fortune on roofs. Will you USE that area over the garage? If not, I'd consider leaving off the dormers and HVAC in there until you do want to use it. That way you won't be heating/cooling it and you won't be taxed on it.

Not thrilled with eating at an island with a cooktop; also consider how you will vent it.

Chisue -
Thanks so much for your prompt reply. Good point on roofing costs - we'll need to discuss that with our builder. It's true that were not considering using that area over the garage, so there is an opportunity for savings there.

I forgot to mention that I want to move the cooktop off of the island. Where to do that is another question! Thanks again - as we get more detailed plans, I will definitely send them along.

Amy

Overall, it's really nice. I would move the refrigerator by the breakfast nook and put the cooktop where the fridge is.

The master bedroom entrance should have a little hallway or foyer (whatever you call it) to hide the view from the front foyer. And are you putting doors on the closet area?

I took a quick look at your plan and would like to make a few points. The master suite is not well placed. Think of when you have guests that are new to your home. If they take a wrong turn from the foyer they end up in your bedroom....an embarrassing thing for all and secondly why would someone design a home with the master suite at the front of the main living areas? The kitchen needs work it won't funtion well as designed, and using the island as your eating area for four people is not a realistic plan, what is really "hot" right now in design is attaching a table and chairs to the kitchen island. In general, having a dining room/living room area without a wall between looks cool on paper but gets old quickly in reality. There is a blending of space that is difficult to define and even more difficult to use on a daily basis. The last thing I would like to point out is the connected bath between the upstairs bedrooms is awkward and also won't function well. (I'm sneaking in another pet peeve....move the garage doors to the rear of the house, they dwarf the entrance and are not proportional with the rest of the house.)

Thanks again for all of your great feedback. We are marking up the plan and adding / knocking down walls daily! Your perspective is helpful. It's hard to know what something will look like once built.

Bellamy - I love the idea of the table 'attached' to the island. Do you know of any websites that show pictures of this? Just curious. Also, in terms of the kitchen not being functional, do you think the appliances need to be rearranged? I was thinking the range on the long wall (where the sink is), the fridge on the short wall (adjacent to the laundry), and the sink in the island.

Thanks again everyone!
Amy

I like the exterior and I like the overall plan, except I think there is so much wasted space, but where a large space would matter to me there isn't one. The living room is very small imo in comparison to the rest of the house's rooms.

Is there a way you can push it into the master and foyer some as in those areas where there is open space that can't really be used for anything. In the area between the master door entry, bed, and sitting area it is just empty space that you can't really use for anything and it seems like using some of it to enlarge the living would be good. The same goes for the entry area in front of the door. You could move the door to the powder room into the hallway by the stairs, but don't have it open straight across from where you come down the stairs.

Exterior- I think that bellamay is right about the garage doors in theory. A 3 car garage on this size house is probably too much to put at the front this way. However, in the rendering, I think that the extra details (arched garage doors/stonework/etc) make it look as if it could be pulled together nicely. The part that I wouldn't like is sitting on the front porch and looking into my lovely garage! With children, however, it makes a nice play area...toys in the garage can easily be dragged onto the driveway.
Also, a little thing, but the little window in the right front gable throws off the symmetry of the facade. I'd look into doing something in that area.
Otherwise, I think it is a cute house!

Interior-
Master bedroom- are you sure you want to enter it from the foyer? Seems like a major privacy issue!

Kitchen area- I don't like the step up/step down from the kitchen to the hallway leading to the garage. This is going to be traversed with groceries in hand (in), garbage in hand (out), and it is going to be a big hazard.

Living room/dining room- I have never seen a family room/dining room open to one another. I don't think that I'd like this set-up. Could you do a small 3'(length not height) half wall on each side with columns above? That way it is mostly open, but you still have a separation between the rooms? Or, if nothing else, frame up a casing between the spaces and drop an 18" transom there to visually break up the areas?

Island- I'm sorry that I can't find a quick pic for you of the island, but in your kitchen scenario, what it would look like is a regular island (with cabinetry below) for about 3' and then an actual table piece for another 2' or so. The table part is built out from the island and will have legs at the corners for support. You'd be able to fit 4 chairs in this arrangement, as long as your island is about 4'+ wide. The kitchen doesn't look all that wide as drawn, so be certain that you have enough clearance on the sides. Since people would be sitting on the sides, you'll want at least 48" of walk space...but probably more.

Jack & Jill bath- This is not designed well. All the angles make it an odd space. I'd work on this area first.

Master closet- Are you going to add walls to form a hallway from the bedroom to the bathroom? Do you really want to walk through the actual closet to get from room to room?

Other than that, I really like the plan. It is super cute! Good luck!

I don't know if you have room to angle your garage "wing". Ours is at a 120-degree angle to the facade of our house.

The refrigerator is the most-visited appliance in the kitchen. Placement near the eating area works well. DH and kids coming for drinks, etc. don't get into your work space.

I agree with the need for a more private entry to the MBR.

The access to the master bedroom directly from the foyer is not good and walking through a closet to get to master bathroom not a good idea either.
The living room is very small and will seem even more so as it has a volume ceiling-sort of small but tall. The foyer is very large and seems to have a lot of waisted space which would be better used as a part of the living room(master bedroom is very large also)

Taking out the wall between the living room and dining room might not look too good as the living room has the volume ceiling and the dining room section does not, unless you incorporate some columns etc as suggested above.

The eating nook in the kitchen at 8'8" wide is too small. Figure out what you will put in this area and you will see that not too much will fit into 8'8"- the wall here needs to be longer than 8'8".

The powder room definitely needs moving as its' door opening directly into the foyer is not good.

On the front elevation the window in the gable near the garage looks too small compared to the other windows. As this window is over the stairs it would be better if it were larger to give more light to this area.

I would close off each closet in the master and use pocket doors to access them. I'm not a fan of walking thru a closet to get to the bathroom.

If at all possible get rid of the steps leading to the garage. Too many accidents would happen there in my house hold.

I noticed you said that you might not use the bonus space. I think this would be a big mistake. Even if you don't finish it, it would be a shame to waste all of that space. Our finished bonus room is one of our favorite places in the house. Cozy little nook to escape. I'm in there right now :). Plus taking out that dormer is going to make the front of the house too *roofy* IMO.

Is it just me or is the access to the bonus area not quite right? It doesn't look like the door would actually work where they have it placed. It's right in the middle of the stairs.

First, I really love your house it is really cute!! I also personally, I wouldnÂt like my master bedroom facing the front of the house and off the front entryway either, but maybe it will work for you. I can see it working on more of a quiet street or area, rather than a street that gets a fair amount of traffic. I also donÂt like having to walk through a closet to get to the bathroomÂBUT I tend to have messy closets, so maybe if yours are nice, that wonÂt be a problem!! :-) I also wouldnÂt take out the division between the great room and the dining room. I think some sort of definition between the two would be a good thing. I would also keep the breakfast nookÂsitting at an island to eat can get old. With two little kids, I would think it would be easier and more convenient to eat in the kitchen!

But with all that being said it is your house and you should do what works for you!! Like I said it really is a very cute house!! Good luck!!

I completely missed the "walk-through" closet. My mind saw what our house has: two closets w/pocket doors flanking a short hallway from MBR to bath. You will want a door on the bathroom to keep the warmth and moisture in, but won't need one between MBR and hallway.

I think the back hall/laundry room/pantry jutting into the Kitchen could be reworked into a really nice walkthrough Butler's Pantry into a huge laundry room - still leaving entrance from Garage area - Maybe no doors on that side. What is the Closet to the left of the Garage Door going to be used for? That might be a great spot for a small gem of a Powder Room.
If you leave the entrance into the Master Bedroom in the Foyer, I wonder if you could do French Doors with a nice Transom over it. Cover the Glass with Curtains, or use Rice Paper Glass.

Wow, I am so appreciative of the time you all have spent in writing your suggestions. This forum is invaluable.

The builder has reworked the original plan I posted here and I think you would all like it MUCH better based on the suggestions you gave! I would love to post it, but I am not quite sure yet legally if it's 'ours' yet.

We haven't signed anything... so I should probably wait. The exterior is much improved though - we wanted more of a 'nantucket' look than the original plan. The garage was moved to the left a bit so that small, awkward window becomes a large assymetrical window for the landing on the stairs.

A study is now to the left when you enter the foyer, so the master bedroom now sits down a hallway beyond that. The bathroom and closet have been rearranged so you no longer must walk through one to get to the other!

I'll post the updated plan as soon as I am 'allowed'. I would love to hear what you all think! Thanks again - Amy

OK, Amy, we'll be looking for that updated plan! Sounds great!

I like this plan, especially certain things here and there...The laundry room no one walks through and actually has room for an ironing board, the way the upstairs bedrooms have access to baths, the way the kitchen isn't too enclosed, but you can't see any cooking mess from the main rooms, and the changes you propose, like the keeping room and changing the master suite around. It looks like a nice house for a growing family. You are fortunate to have this much room at this early stage of your lives.

Only one other thing: I, however, would not at all like being that far from my little ones' bedrooms (nightmares, sicknesses, emergencies), and would use one of the upstairs rooms as the master until they were older. But the great thing about this plan is you could do that if you want!

Best wishes on your build!