would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why? Airjet because you don't have to worry about mold in the lines

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath? Placement of towel racks and other small stuff. The big stuff is easy since you are focused on it. The smaller stuff is the stuff you think about later when it is too late. One of my pet peeves is bathroom that doesn't have storage for spare toilet paper.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms? Kitchen since I do laundry usually when I am doing things in the living areas.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc) Library and game room.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food. It really depends on how you want to use it. We put the game room off the living areas since we want a flow of people between the two. We currently have a game room upstairs but only use it when we want to isolate a gaggle of grandkids.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?
I like jack and jills. I grew up in one and yes we locked each other out. But we would have found someother way to torment each other. It is clunky if it is poorly designed.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up. I like the master seperate.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional? The second sink will be usefull depending on how you cook. I am getting one because we always have more that one cook in the kitchen. I especially like it when cooking big family dinners so I can keep things cleaned up while others are preping. I am getting a single bowl for the prep sink that is like a small regular sink. I think a bar sink is too small to use as a prep sink.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? Depends on the design and the placement.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen? Absolutely. It was non-negotiable with me no matter how hard DH tried to talk me out of it.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen? A place for everything. Go through how you are going to set the table, cook, clean up and make sure your design makes sense for you. The thing I wish I could have had was toe kich storage but that was one of the first things out of the budget.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience? For the way we lived, it made sense to integrate a large dining area into the kitchen/great room area instead of having a seperate casual and formal dining areas. I am also putting in a small walk-in linen closet. It started out bigger but got smaller when we started to trim square footage. I also am putting in a large costco closet near the kitchen so my pantry only had to handle the stuff we are currently using and not all the bulk stuff and items I only use a couple times a year.

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas) Northern Az.

Current lesson learned, Really go through your plans and be sure you understand every little thing. Example, a doorway that looks like it is centered on the plans really isn't when you actually measure it. Worry about flow around furniture in the bedrooms.

We did a teardown and inherited a whirlpool, which went into our guest bath. Love my airjet in our master bath; not too big and fills in a flash. By circulating the dirty water until it blows dry there's little scum deposited on the sides.

I like our master bath linen closet, recessed extra deep medicine cabinets w/elec. outlets, dual sinks, Nu-Heat floors. So right about designing space for towel racks! Easy to lose a wall right where you want to hang a towel.

I want laundry where I am during the day, so it's in the back hall between kitchen and garage.

We once had a LR with adjacent FR which was nice for a big crowd (buffet, cocktails) but awful if there were children who could not be separated from the adults. I'd like a playroom/study that is separate from adults but where Mom can supervise -- both little kids and adolescents!

Maybe leave the locks off a Jack & Jill until the kids outgrow the lockout nonsense -- easier to do that if bath has hall access.

One solution while a family is young is to have a MBR with an alcove for a baby or a sick child -- can turn into a study later. In general I like MBR separated from kids' BRs. (Recalling our DS's stereo just on the other side of our BR wall!)

I have a prep sink in an 8-foot-long island and a 36-inch double sink under the window. Our island has a raised bar section to shield view of kitchen clutter, but for small kids, a courtertop-height seating area is better and safer. Prep sink needs to be large enough to wash your hands in it; not a 'bar' sink, which is just to draw water.

Kitchens with walkways right through them are trouble. Aisles within the prep area need to be wide enough for two people to pass easily. Refrigerators need to be near the eating area. Drawers are more useful than shelves for base cabinets. Undercabinet lighting is a must. Don't rely on ceiling lights; need pendants over island or bar. Get a good, quiet exhaust fan. Think about what you use most and in what order. I love my dishdrawers and pull-out garbage/recyling bin. (I don't like disposals.) Too much hard sell on 'kitchen cabinets, glazes, et al'. They are just boxes with doors. I don't want any so tall I can't reach without a step stool. I don't have a 'pantry', but a huge double door closet in the back hall for bulk goods. Our countertops are granite, but not the sort that needs to be sealed -- or dried after wiping. (Condo in Maui has Corian with built-in sink; that's so easy to clean.

We're a retired couple on one acre in a suburb 30 miles north of Chicago. We've lived single-story for 35 years -- as a family and now as empty-nesters. We have 36-inch doorways and all wood flooring without thresholds -- a breeze to clean with central vac. Rugs go out to be washed.

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?
Neither. We're going to have a deepish tub. My DH tubs every day, so we made sure he sat in some before we picked one.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?
A nicely designed closet that can hold all of the crap. Now that I read other people's responses, I need to think about where the towels are going to go!

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?
We have split bedrooms, so we'll have the laundry on the first floor near the family room/kitchen -- where I am during the day

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)
We're building a library, with about 450 lineal feet of shelving.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food
We have some lounging space near the kitchen, but we'll also have a bigger space in the basement (it's a walkout)

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?
No idea. No kids.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.
See above. My MILs suite is on a different floor from ours, but there's space for a caregiver if one becomes necessary.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?
No. Even though we work together often when cooking, usually only one person needs the sink at a time.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything?
No island. But we have a long counter with the sink in it. The kitchen is in the center of the house, so the sink looks through the dining area to the back yard.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?
I'm thinking about it, but the plan currently is a regular range.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?
Lights.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?
Spend a lot of time imagining how you'll move through the space. We've even gone out to the lot and pretended to park the car in the garage and carry groceries through the house. Not so easy, since our lot slopes quite a bit!
Think about how and where the sun enters the house -- if you can get any sort of 3d model it would help a lot. I've used Google SketchUp to "walk through" a model of our house that was provided by our architect. If you tell it where you are, it will give you the sun's path at different times of day and year.
Plan for the future. If you expect to grow old in the house, make sure you can do all your living on the main level (why I vetoed having the laundry in the basement).

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas)
Southeast Michigan

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why? Air jet. We have a whirlpool where we live now, it was fine when it was used every day, but have found the mold issue intolerable. We're still investigating alternate solutions, because I do love to soak and get out the aches and pains with this type of pulsating system - showers just don't do the same job.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath? Adequate storage, either in a linen closet or other closet for extra towels, soap, cleaning accessories, etc. Towel rack placement is important, and should be done early in planning stage.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms? With kids, my personal preference is to have the w/d close to the bedrooms, that's where all the stuff goes back to, and I don't like carrying it through the house.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc) Combination office/library/hobby room.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food With kids, (we have 4), we loved having our media/game room upstairs near their bedrooms. It kept the noise and horsing around space separate from our adult area downstairs.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom? Wish I'd done a jack and jill in our last house, instead of individual baths for each, which was more expensive and just that much more to clean. One of those baths had a sink and toilet room accessible from the tv/game room, and that was a bonus and we'll do it that way again.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up. In a single story or two story, I still prefer a separate master bedroom suite on the ground floor separate from other bedrooms.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional? Absolutely 2 sinks, for same reasons as other poster, now even in a household with only 2 at home. The 2nd sink needs to be at least 14" x 18". DH has added cooking to his repratore and he makes a mess.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? Love my island with it's 2nd sink!!!

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen? Having two ovens is an absolute if you like to cook!

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen? Adequate storage for over-sized pots, small appliances, occasionally used items and bulk storage. A walk-in pantry or closet is a must.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience? Too many to list......

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas) South Carolina

My perspective is that of a re-remodeler. We bought a sixty year old house (now closer to seventy) and essentially rebuilt it almost ten years ago, adding on as well. Right now we're going back and fine-tuning it. No structural changes this time, but some tweaking, altering the things we wish we'd done differently.

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?
We have a whirlpool tub because my DH likes it. I would have preferred a standard tub.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?
I agree that storage is important. If you run out of toilet paper at a critical moment, you are really happy that spare rolls stored in the bathroom, not out in a hall closet.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?
I have my laundry room in an annex off the kitchen and that is perfect for me. I'm much more likely to be working in that part of the house than in the bedrooms. Also, our bedrooms are scattered throughout the house.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)
My DH has a radio room (he is a ham) and I have a sewing room. We also have extensive built-in bookcases in the family room and sometimes consider adding more.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food
Our house is built on a steep slope. The main floor is the original house. It has the kitchen, dining room, living room, two bedrooms (one of which is now my sewing room) and a bath, with a master bedroom and bath added on. The downstairs addition (walk out on three sides) has a study, bedroom, bathroom and family room/media center.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?
No experience with this kind of bathroom arrangement.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.
Privacy is a really nice thing to have.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?
We both cook, but usually at different times, so not for us.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything?
We have a U-shaped counter, one leg of which is is a peninsula. I like this better than an island because it reduces traffic in the work area. The cooktop/oven are in the peninsula, the sink along the outside wall, and the fridge in the third wall, all very close to each other yet separate.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?
I think double ovens come in handy maybe once or twice a year. If you host a lot of family feasts, you might find them more useful than I would.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?
I agree about the lights

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?
Two things the previous poster said really resonated with me. Think about natural daylight. Try to have more than one source of it in every room if you can. It makes the room feel more comfortable.

Think about how long you will live in this house. If it is to be your "forever" house, consider how easy it would be for an elderly person to move around in it.

Finally a thought of my own. Many houses are built with fans in place of windows in the bathrooms. I have no objection to the fans, but I have a strong objection to any room without a window, even a bathroom. Maybe especially a bathroom. I love to throw the window open and allow fresh air to flow through freely. Maybe it is claustrophobia; I don't know. But I would never buy a house with a bathroom that lacked a window to the outside. If you think you might ever sell the house, you might want to consider that point.

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas)
Bay Area California

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?
We prefer the stronger hydrojets. You can get whirlpool tubs that shoot a blast of air to clear the lines after use.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?
Most useful...a large storage closet and a good exhaust fan for clearing steam. Most overlooked...not enough niches in tiled showers and poorly placed (or missing) towel bars.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?
I prefer the laundry near the kitchen since that's where I spend most of my time.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)
We have a game/media room for the kids, sewing room, and packrat room for me (I collect).

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food Since our children are older we will have their game room upstairs. When they were younger we converted the dining room to a play room so that they would be within eye & earshot while playing.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom? I'm not a fan of J&Js.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up. We've had them all 3 ways. When the kids were small we had all the bedrooms in the same wing of a one-story house. In this house the master is downstairs and the kids rooms are upstairs. At the new house all the bedrooms are downstairs, but the master is on the opposite end of the house.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional? I LOVE to cook and spend the majority of my time in the kitchen. I need two sinks. The main (cleanup) sink is a 36" single with the dishwasher beside it and cabinets within easy reach. Our island is also 8' and has an 18" prep sink. That sink is on the far end of the island so that we are able to maximize the amount of countertop work area.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything?If an island is large I like a sink in it, but do not like ranges on islands no matter what the size. They're not safe with small children and make venting difficult. I too prefer islands to be all one height.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen? Couldn't do without them.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen? Continuous runs of countertops, task lighting, and drawers in lower cabinetry. A big pet peeve are pantries that are so deep that you can't see what's inside of them.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?
1. Make your family areas larger than what you think you will need.
2. Make sure to add plenty of room to walk around the vehicles while they are parked in the garage...then add another few feet. LOL
3. Bedrooms don't need to be huge...typically the only time the kids are in them is when they're sleeping.
4. Design the layout of the house for day-to-day living, but incorporate storage into every available space. You will use those spaces!

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas) GA

-would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?
Air Jet only...I'm a girly girl. I like my bath with bubbles, bombs, and salts!

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?
Good quality fans...not the cheap contractor grade ones that 99% of America has. Storage.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?
For me, it was better to be near both so it is between the master and the kitchen.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)
Nothing that specialized. We do have a large "bonus" room over the garage that may become a theatre at some point, but for now will just be another room with a TV.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food
Definitely upstairs. Our downstairs (and really upstairs too) is pretty formal...a media/gameroom would not flow at all on our first floor.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?
Never had them...don't really like them.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.
Separate areas.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?
I'll only have 1. I'm the cook in the family. There will not be many times when someone is helping me with prep or clean-up. It bugs me beyond belief when someone tries to help but puts something away in the wrong spot or loads the dishwasher in a different way than I would. I'd actually rather prefer it if I could be the only person to ever use my appliances. Issues- I know!!! :)

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything?
I like to bake so I prefer a wide open island...more space to roll.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?
Would I? Yes Do I? No

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?
Storage, storage, storage. Good lighting. A hood with enough power to support whatever style of cooking you prefer.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?
Whenever you feel that your laundry is big enough...double it! Same with the garage. Plan in advance for mechanicals.

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas)
Central Virginia

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?
A: No. Too noisy, uses too much water, they rarely get used.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?
A: Toilet in separate room, large shower (most are too small).

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?
A: Ours is near the kitchen. It works for us because DH comes home grubby and strips in there before tracking it throughout the house. If you have the space I would do 2.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)
A: No. We might do an exercise room in the basement when we finish it.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food
A: Do you mean using space over the garage, etc., for a family room? I personally don't like it. My first floor is the public floor, the second floor is private.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?
A: They are a pet peeve of mine. I HATE them. There is no reason kids can't walk into the hallway to enter the bathroom. I can't stand using one and having to check all the locks and then remember to unlock both.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.
A: I don't think bedrooms for small children (let's say pre-teenage) should be on a separate floor. I think if all bedrooms are on the same floor they should be designed so there are buffer spaces between the master bedroom and other bedrooms. We have a LOT of closet space (and a bathroom) between the master bedroom suite and the two adjoining bedroom (another bedroom is down the hall).

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?
A: I don't have a prep sink and didn't need one based on my kitchen design. For me it would just be another thing to clean. It is useful in some kitchen designs.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything?
A: I prefer the island to not have the main sink or the range. Having the range creates ventilation issues.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?
A: I have them and wouldn't want a kitchen without them.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?

A: SPACE. I think many kitchens have aisles that are far too small. Consider walking patterns, where people will stand, will people sit at the island, etc. My aisles seem wide (48") until you plunk DH in front of the open fridge. If the aisle was smaller I wouldn't be able to get buy. Someone can be at the sink or range in my kitchen and someone else can get by. The seating area at the island is also the walking area (from mudroom to rest of kitchen), that aisle is more than 48".

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?
A: Plan on where all the crap will go (book bags, purse, coats, mail, cell phones and chargers) and make your laundy room HUGE. Mine is way too small, it is the biggest mistake we made with the house. A friend of mine has one that is about 15x9 and I'd say it's perfect (they also use it as a pantry and storage for things like lightbulbs, etc.).

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas)
A: We built in southern Maine.

we are also a family of four. two kids: 5 & 6 years old.

- i'm researching whirlpools/jet airs now so no suggestions...

- the most overlooked feature in a MB: TWO water closets.

- i prefer the main laundry upstairs, where the clothes live. but our home is on the large side so we will have a secondary laundry (stacks) in the mudroom.

- i'm taking attic space for my own private mommy room/office. i will have work space along with a living room type of set up. it is off limits to everyone else.

- kids playroom is a mid level above garage. great room for entertaining close to dining room and kitchen.

- i have never seen a jack and jill that actually WORKS for two people ...before mine. see attached floor plan.

- master bedroom is upstairs (i don't like downstairs AT ALL, but i'm in the minority. the other bedrooms are on the other side of the house; same floor.

- main sink is 36' single bowl. island sink 18-24'.

- depends on the size of your kitchen and your work space/ traffic flow. i am putting a single oven in the island along with trash pull outs. the rest is storage/drawers & doors.

- again, depends on the kitchen. we had a much smaller kitchen in our old house and i installed double ovens. this time i'm getting a 48' range, plus turbo chef oven.

- bookshelves and a very large mudroom nearby with plenty of storage.

- take time to consider flow. step away for a few days and come back to it. consider how you will use each space now and in the future. we're installing a homework station in the breakfast room (desk situation with outlets and drawers) BUT the desk will have a set of receding doors where the chair will be hidden. when the kids are bigger we can remove the doors and have the cabinet maker come back in to install drawers so it will be used as a hutch later. we're designing both alternatives at the same time, so we know it will work out.

- horse country, new jersey shore area.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1495623}}

- whirlpool or an air jet bath? Neither. Will have a clawfoot tub in the master and a deep soaking tub in a guest bath.

- most useful overlooked feature in a master bath? A mirror defogger!

- laundry room near the kitchen or near bedrooms? Near bedrooms b/c that is where 90% of laundry is generated and where clean laundry has to be carried back to. We'll also have our TV room near the laundry b/c, truth to tell, I usually deal with laundry while watching TV anyway. I find commercial breaks are just the right length for tossing in another load or hanging up a load of shirts. LOL.

- any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc) - Not sure it counts as a "specialized room" but we're putting in an elevator so our 2-story home will be fully wheel-chair accessible b/c we do want this to be our forever home and I don't like ground-floor bedrooms.

- location of media room? Upstairs. We don't watch TV when we're entertaining guests so wanted the TV out of the "public areas". Also, every now and then a guest will show up with their (uninvited) kids and this allows us to graciously pack the kids off to the upstairs area to watch TV. DH is hankering for a TV in the kitchen so he can watch while cleaning up. Will probably give in to him but the kitchen TV will be something pretty tiny that we can easily put away when we have company.

- jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Depends on a lot of factors including the personalities of the people who will be sharing the bath. I might do it if there was a half-bath or powder room fairly easily accessible to the second person if they got locked out of the bathroom. Seems to me that, in addition to kids deliberately locking their sibs out, it would be pretty easy for anyone to lock both doors and then accidentally forget to unlock the second door when they leave the bathroom. Or, guests who aren't up to speed on jack-and-jills might not lock the second door (especially if that door was closed when they entered the bathroom) and then be unpleasantly surprised by another guest barging in on them. In the long run, I guess I think they're probably more trouble than they're worth.

- kid's bedrooms close to the master bedroom or far away? Don't have children but taught high school for many years. Can't count the number of stories I heard about teenagers sneaking out and parents never knowing - till the kid got into major trouble - b/c the master bedroom was located on the far side of the house. If I had kids, I'd want their bedrooms close enough that they would at least be WORRIED that I would hear them sneaking out. Heck, I'd probably want to install microphones in their rooms so that any noise they made was fed directly to a receiver next to my bed. - maybe it's a good thing I never had any kids! LOL.

- 2 sinks in kitchen useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink? I don't know yet if it will be useful but I will have second sink in a "butler's pantry" or wet-bar area that is on the far side of my kitchen peninsula. I envision it being useful for getting drinks of water and maybe guests washing hands. Don't expect to use it for prep work since DH stopped helping with the cooking 25 years ago. (He does all the kitchen clean up tho!) Thus, second sink will be fairly small - maybe 16" x 12".

- are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? Personally, I don't much like islands b/c, to have one AND have room to walk around it takes up a tremendous amount of floor space. And then, most of the time the island seems to me to wind up sitting right between two corners of the work triangle which forces you to walk around and around them as you work.

- double ovens? No. Here in central Texas, I almost never cook anything in the oven preferring to rely on my microwave if at all possible so as to avoid heating up the kitchen. In my current home, I use the single oven only about a dozen times a year - usually for gatherings like Christmas or Thanksgiving and even then I prefer to get most of my baking done ahead of time. Having easily fixed Thanksgiving dinner for 25 people using a single oven, I can't imagine what I would ever use a second oven for.

- useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen? A place for trash/garbage/and recyclables and a floorplan that allows guests to visit with the cook while staying OUT of the cook's actual work space. I find it hard to finish getting a meal together while dodging around guests and am always afraid I'll wind up hitting one of them with a hot pot or something. I'm hoping my new kitchen (which has a peninsula separating the kitchen's main work area from a large eating nook that has a sink/butler's pantry) will subtly keep guests out of my work space. We'll see.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design? Insist that your architect work with an HVAC person to design where HVAC ducts will run and then insist that the HVAC is installed per the plan. My architect told me there was no point in planning the duct work b/c the HVAC people would make those decisions once the house was framed up. It came as a rude shock to discover that a large portions of closet space were "taken over" as air duct chases which turned out to be a lot bigger than I had imagined they would need to be. Ultimately I worked with the HVAC sub to re-design the duct work both to be more efficient (shorter runs) AND regain about 40% of my lost closet space. But, doing so cost me a bundle both in change orders and time. If my architect had planned it in the first place, I think it could have been even more efficient than they are now and would have cost me less. At the very least, I wouldn't have faced the shock of finding out that one of my guest room closets had been reduced to having barely 2 ft of usable hanging space!

- what state are you building in? Texas, but I'm not building a "typical" Texas style home.

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why? We have a whirlpool tub and like it and don't find the monthly bleach cleaning to be a chore, but I have heard that air jet baths don't require the monthly bleach cleaning so if cleaning were an issue then I would go with the air jet.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath? Medicine cabinets. I grew up with them and then lived without them for 20 years. We have big ones in our new house and love them.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms? I like it near the kitchen so that it (counters and the sink)can be used as an extra prep/staging area. Mine is between the kitchen and dining room and is a great parking place for trays of food, nesco roasters, dirty dishes, etc.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc) Just and office. We did include a loft specifically for the piano, but we probably would have included on anyway because we love 2 story great rooms and lofts.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food. I think game rooms are too noisy to have upstairs--if you have kids you will have lots of jumping/running around overhead. I like the basement for both types of rooms.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?
Our master bedroom is on the first floor and we have two bedrooms, and office (great view) and two bathrooms on the second floor. Both bathrooms on the second floor open into the hall, although one could be remodeled to be a private bathroom for one of the bedrooms. We had both bathrooms open into the hall because we knew from experience that some of our guests are bathroom hogs and that it would just work out better if both bathrooms were available to everyone. I have never seen another house like that, so I assume it might not be good for resale, which is why one bathroom is set up so that the door could be moved to make it open into the bedroom.
- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up. I like having the master and other bedrooms on different floors, but with the other bedrooms right above/below the master. We raised our kids in a house with the master on the second floor and the kids bedrooms right below it and it worked out just fine. With baby monitors you can hear everything going on in the kid's room and it really wasn't a big deal going up/down the stairs. for the first 6 months or so, the kids would sleep in our room but after that we moved them down stairs to their own rooms.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional? I would either have a double sink or two single sinks. We went the double sink.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? I think the best island is free of anything

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen? We didn't do double ovens and I don't regret that at all. We grill out a lot and also have a nesco roaster, so we do sort of have a back up for the very rare times when it would be nice to have two ovens. I think the answer to this depends upon whether you would use two ovens.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen? Putting vertical tray storage in lower cabinets. I have this in my new house and like it much better than the upper cabinet vertical tray storage that I had in my old house. Also, walk-in pantries are great.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience? If you like something, don't let other people convince you to not include it in your house. Just about everything in a house is a matter of personal preference so build the house for yourself, not someone else.

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas)

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?
Nope. I don't like jets, I would rather have a soaking tub
- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?
For me it is that you spend so little time in it so why waste so much space on it? Or am I the only one who doesn't hang out in their bathroom?
- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?
I just like to see plumbing clustered together. It is nice to have it somewhere where you don't have to listen to it but on the other hand it is nice to have it somewhere you can hear it so you can keep on top of it. Depends on what your priorities are. If it is next to the bedroom you can't put a load in the washer and go to bed if the noise will bother you.
- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)
An extra bedroom will be a hobby room but it won't be terribly specialized.
- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food
makes sense to locate them away from bedrooms
- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?
I don't know, I have never had one.
- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.
close but maybe with closets on any walls they share to cut down on noise transmission
- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?
I have never had two sinks, probably a personal thing. But I would think the second would need to be decent sized to be at all useful.
- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything?
I think it is best to have a nice big chunk of counter (at least 3.5 ft wide) dedicated as a prep area so you have room to spread out all in one spot.
- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?
My dad as an appliance repairman does not recommend them. They difficult to repair, the parts are more expensive and can be a royal pain to replace. I do a good bit of baking and it has never bothered me to just have a range.
- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?
Keeping it small enough so that you don't have to do a lot of walking. 12x14 is the biggest I would want mine. It also keeps you from buying a lot of junk you don't need and rarely use.
- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?
I like a simple floor plan, the fewer lines I see the better I like it. Make sure you have very good storage included in your design. I would chose good storage over larger rooms every day.
- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas)
Washington.

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?

No opinion.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?

Storage (we have two big pantry-type cabs with pullouts on the bottom - one for laundry, one for dry-cleaning), good fan with appropriate volume, place to sit to shave legs.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?

Near the bedrooms because that is the source of the laundry. If it can't be near all the bedrooms I might not care.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)

We built a small vacation place, but if I were building a new primary residence I would like an exercise room (probably in the basement), a large-ish laundry room, a big pantry, and a convenient but out-of-sight office. With young kids it's nice to hava an office with phone reception in a spot where you can monitor them outside.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food

I am pretty strict about TV time. Any home I built would reflect the lifestyle I want to encourage in my children. This would probably not include an upstairs media room (but I'd have to think it through). I also like to discourage "passive eating." SO plenty of comfy seating in the kitchen/dining areas, but probably no kitchen open to a TV area. I might have the kitchen open to a great room, but I probably wouldn't have a TV in there. Although I would like TV I could use to watch new while working in the kitchen.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?

Really depends in the whole layout. I agree about cleaning one bath vs. two. That ot SO VAILID! If you only have two small kids, how about one hall bath and then one bedroom with and en-suite for guests that one of the kids could use as a teen when bathroom figths start? Is four bedrooms too big? Are your children same-sex? My boys often take a shower together in my large shower and it saves time in the evening. I think they will do this until age nine or ten. it's very convenient to have a big shower if the kids are the same sex.

would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.

Removed enough for privacy, but need to know what they are up to as teens. In my area masters on the first floor are popular.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?

wish I had an extra sink my kids could pull a chair up to. I'd want it to be almost as big as the primary sink, but single bowl.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything?

Hoods can be aesthetically problematic over islands and there is a safety issue if young children eat at the island.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?

eh. I'd rather have one really nice one. It would be a budgetary thing for me. I have a second d/w and i love, love love that. I am not great about cleaning up and it keeps the kitchen presentable.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?

Second d/w. I see so much equipement that only gets used a few times a year, but you would use the second d/w every day (if not to run it, to temporarily store clean or dirty dishes).

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?

Young children go through stages quickly. Consider how their storage, work/play, and supervision needs will change over the next few years. View homes of your friends with older children, but also consider *your* lifestyle and parenting philosphy. For instance, some people plan for teens playing loud music. I don't think this is a need that I am obligated to accomodate, and i don't want ot encourage a teen to lock themselves away in their room for entire days. It's nice to have closets where kids can easily see their things and reach things. Childrens things should be stored where they can see them when practical.

what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?

A nice, big pantry WITH an electrical outlet inside.

I recently bought the swiffer rechargeable vac. OMG I LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT. Did I mention I love it. I use it every single day.

Anyway, I store it in the pantry so we ran electric in there (after we moved in) so I could keep it charged. We were lucky that we had a place above the cabinets that butted up against the pantry so we could run the wires without them being seen.

:D

I forgot to answer that I am in Wisconsin.

airjet or whirlpool tub ~ Neither, although if someone *gave* me one along with a place to put it, I'd prefer an airjet.

most overlooked master bath features ~ Storage for towels, soap, TP. Convenient placement of towel bars and TP holder. § Fan-vent over the toilet/s. § Placing the faucet units far enough from backdrop to make cleaning easy. § Thermostatic valves for temp control of water. § Real-life easy-to-use location for toothbrush, hairdryer, shaver. § Hands-free tap control.

laundry room ~ I figured it once: at 5 minutes carrying time per load, I spend 60 hours a year hefting laundry to/from the BRs. New house will have washer/dryer between the BRs, with a special light in the kitchen to advise status of load.

specialized rooms ~ None because a) I'm deliberately downsizing and making rooms multi-use; and b) who wants to do more cleaning?

entertainment areas ~ see 'a' above. However, practically everyone eats in those areas so think about where the crumbs (and occasional soda) will be falling.

J&J ~ I'm very much in favor of them. To me, each bedroom does not need it's own complete bathroom -- unless it's a boarding house, or you have a bathroom-cleaning maid. Personally, I have better things to do than clean 4½ baths every day.

MB/bedrooms ~ I'm against parents being more than 10 seconds away from the baby; against parents being more than 20 seconds away from older kids; and in favor of the MB being well-insulated and equipped with one-way baby monitors. Parents deserve privacy, kids don't until they grow up and provide for themselves.

Oh, and any kid that has a stereo or TV loud enough to be heard outside of his room, should have frequent visits to an audiologist ~~ who will tell parents that they have a responsibility for preventing deafness. My kid bro lost 80% of his hearing by the time he was twenty... solely due to overloud entertainment.

2 kitchen sinks ~ only if there were more than 3 people cooking every single day. However, I do want a sink outside for rinsing off the vegetables from the garden.

islands ~ I detest them. They almost always are found in a poorly planned kitchen and make it worse. If there are frequent multiple cooks, then give each their own prep/cooking area, but don't waste space and add corners with an island.

double ovens ~ I presently have one range oven big enough to roast a 30-lb turkey and bake 4 pies at the same time. Not needed. Never was needed in spite of frequent meals for twenty. Even with two cooks, the odds of them both needing an oven at the same time is unlikely, and more rare that the required temps will be greatly different. New house may have one small standard wall oven, and will definitely have one very small wall oven just big enough for one casserole or one pan of biscuits or one small pizza (see the size needed?)

overlooked kitchen elements ~ good use of, and sufficient storage space. Drawers and undercounter carts are vastly more usable than cabinets. Too many kitchens don't follow the use-rule: the more often something is used, the more it should be located between hip- and eye-height; the less often it is used, the farther away it can be stored. § a range top 5 inches lower than counter top -- why do we constantly risk burns stirring hot pots on a too-high burner? § the minimal distance between stove, refrig, sink -- some kitchens apparently think it's okay to take 15 steps between each; and that's needlessly tiring. § A section of countertop low enough for comfortable kneading/crust making/similar tasks. § About 40" inches of workspace between the sink and the stovetop -- which is where most home cooks do 90% of the prep for every meal. § a sink deep and wide enough to comfortably wash your largest pot. Personal preference is for a double sink with each side having a sprayer. § a place for the microwave which allows for the fact that sizes change. Also, it should be low enough to comfortably remove hot dishes without risk of tipping them. § I want a garage section: outlets,and tiled walls, and a door to conceal for the coffeemaker, toaster, crockpot. § Not mine yet, but a wonderful idea: a pass-through for groceries from car to kitchen!

plan changes due to experience ~ Pretty much covered above. It can't be stated strongly enough that the house needed for a young family is very different from the house needed for empty-nesters. Actually, the house for toddlers is worlds different from the house for older kids, but that's easy enough to adapt. The only other areas which experience would affect the new house: even my area needs a closed foyer, with closet space for coats; and the more insulation used, the lower the energy bills.

Fun one! We aren't building yet, but I can still answer some of these.

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why? Air jet.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms? Near the bedrooms. I HATE having my laundry room near the kitchen and plan on having the laundry room near bedrooms when we build.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc) We are planning on having a library so that I have a dedicated room for my very large book collection.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food To answer this question we plan on having a small bar area in our basement (which is where we plan on having the media/game area). It will have a small dishwasher, a sink, a mini-fridge and a microwave.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom? I don't like the idea of jack/jill bathrooms, and plan on having a hall bathroom for our kids and a private bathroom for our guest room.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up. All our bedrooms are near each other, but we ARE putting in a large guest room on the first floor for my parents, who are older. It's possible that at some point that will become the master, so we are building it as though it is a master.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional? We'll have two sinks as in the kitchen sink has two BOWLS. But no, we won't have a second sink in the kitchen.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? Our current island has nothing on it and it gets overtaken with clutter. Our plan when we build is to have the stovetop be on the island so as to remove the temptation to leave papers and mail on the counter.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen? Absolutely. We throw enough parties that we NEED the double ovens!

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas) We'll be building in South Carolina, just outside Charlotte, NC.

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?

We have a soaker tub but if $ were not an issue, we would have done and air bath.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?

not sure what is the most useful feature, but i am really looking forward to is my steam shower.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?

Bedrooms, but anywhere centrally located would work.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)

Bar/party/poker/football watching room will be in the walk-out basement.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food

The basement will be a gameroom area. It will only have a small tv for sunday & monday football. Other than that, we are a one tv family.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?

We went with just a hallway bath for kids and guests.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.

We have our master on the second floor and the kids are on the first. We see no need for the kids to be with-in 10 seconds young or old.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?

We went with one sink as we have no need for 2. I pre-wash all my food before i start. Even with 2 cooks we have not found a need for two. I cooked professionally for around 10 years.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything?

We went with a medium peninsula. It will be free of stuff for prep, eating, and homework.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?

A good sized range is all we need, but we do not bake much.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?

tall cathedral ceilings cost more in time and money to build.

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas)

We are in rural mountains of northern califonia

Very good questions and a great way to post... knock them out in one long post...

We are a family of four... two children, 10 & 12. We have been in our new house 7 months...

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why? We got a soaking tub strictly for ease of cleaning... I don't like having extra spaces for crud to build-up.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath? We love having our toilet in an enclosed toilet closet... and my husband requested an a/c vent in there... sometimes they fail to put one.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms? I LOVE having my laundry room near our master bedroom. It is so convenient for me.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc) We have a gameroom upstairs for our children.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food Our gameroom is upstairs so when the kids have friends over, they are our to the way.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom? I chose not to have a jack and jill bathroom because I didn't want easy access from my son's room into my daughter's room. I know that's strange to think about, but I don't want 15 year old boys one day being able to sneak into her room...

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.
We love having our children's bedrooms upstairs and ours downstairs...especially with friends visiting.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional? I only need one.. two is just an extra expense IMO.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? I have my sink on my island. I love it. I would not want a range there... just for safety of children.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen? Nope, barely need the ONE i have LOL.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen? Love my pull out trashcan cabinet...

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience? outdoor spaces are great... we have a screened-in porch and we love it

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas) Louisiana

would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why? We went with an old fashioned claw foot also. It is perfect for me. The advantage to the cast iron is that it holds the heat from the water, so you can "hang out" in the tub with getting chilled.

what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath? As mentioned, storage is very important. We put in two pedestal sinks, so it was very important that we did another wall with lots of storage for make up, linens, tolietries, medicine, etc. The other thing that we did that I LOVE is a large walk in shower with out a door. No glass to clean, no splashing. It works perfect for us.

in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms? We have a first floor master with the kids upstairs and our laundry is near our kitchen. I love it there because I'm always near enough to it to throw in a couple loads during the day (and finish them). We have a pass through between our master closet and the laundry which is a wonderful.

would you/are you building any specialized rooms (exercise/hobby/music/etc) Not really. I work from home, so I have a dedicated home office which I adore. It has a "telephone closet" which centralizes all the audio, network, telephone, cable, etc wiring in the house. I love it!

are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food Our TV room is upstairs. We are a "one tv" household, and I like it there. That way, when we are cooking together or having dinner, there is no temptation to leave the TV on.

are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom? no opinion on this one.

would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up. Our kids are still fairly young (5 and 3) but their bedrooms are upstairs and the master on the first. This works really well for us.

would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional? Only had room for one, so no opinion.

in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? Ours has the sink in it, but is still fairly large (9.5x5). It has lots of utility with the sink in it.

would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen? We went with a range and then added the Advantium micro/convection combo on the wall for those occasions when we need a second oven. It is also nice because it can be used as a warming drawer.

what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen? I think the most important thing is to just really plan your space. Spend lots of time on the kitchens forum. Plan what will go in each drawer. "walk" around your future kitchen and decide how things should be configured, considering how you use your current space.

any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience? Like I said, some of the best things we did were the telephone closet in my office, whole house audio, the pass through from the master closet to the laundry room, recessing our fridge into the wall so it looks "built in", building our W/D on pedestals, an outdoor shower (we are on the water) and adding LOTS of built in storage. We took advantage of every nook and cranny and I think the house is cozy because of it.

what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas) Nebraska

Wow, there have been ideas/insight given here that I wouldn't have thought on in millions of years. Thank you so very much!
Its incredible everything that needs thinking on. Its true that everyone might want something different and have a different lifestyle, but sometimes you don't even know what you should be considering for the lifestyle you are planning. This helps so much!

Whirlpool vs jet
I use my whirlpool constantly, with oils, salts, bubbles, everything they say you shouldn't do. I run bleach through once a month, and have never had a mold problem. That said, if cost is not an issue I do prefer jets. Less noise, and the water level can be lower.

Overlooked mstbath features:
Fans. One over the shower, definitely the toilet in a separate closet with a fan. Love having my own sink w/o shaving whiskers.
Laundry:
Have had both, and for me the one that works is upstairs, with enough room to fold and hang.
Specialized rooms:
Yes, we put lofts in at one end above each of the cathedral ceiling
bedrooms and media room on the second floor. The lofts are "away" space, room to tuck a visitor, a library. They are very inexpensive space to build. The mstr bedroom has a very small sitting room with french doors which is a noise buffer to teenage son's room. His closet also backs that wall as additional noise insulation. The media room has a closet-like (doors fold back the length of the wall) craft area, again as a noise buffer.
Upstairs media/ent. if you have children above 10, the gang hangs out there and the moms have coffee below. A baby monitor turned low keeps everyone nice, you hear the shrieks without eavesdropping.
Having had J&J, the issue of who cleaned them was always on the table (floor, shower, LOL). We plan in the new house to
have a J&J which only shares a walk-in shower. Back to back toilets save plumbing costs, each side has own sink and storage. One door leads to a bedroom (boy) the other leads to the hall, the shower has two doors, one for each side.

It's important to keep the kids close to you, young or teens. Where would you want to be in a fire? Loud noises in the night? (For us, a bear break-in) Close enough to grab the kids.

I LOVE having 2 sinks in the kitchen, one on an island on the side away from the main sink. The prep sink has to be at least 18" wide. This allows for a prep site and a cleanup zone, the kitchen functions much better. Dishwasher drawers have come down in price and up in reliability, the convenience is better than a single d/w. I'm short, so my main sink has to be a farm sink. That way I can have my 9" depth without standing on tiptoe. Saves my back, too.

Double ovens- honestly, no, never. I need a wide convection oven/range that will hold professional cookie sheets and large 26" casseroles. After that, a convection/bake microwave is the most-used in our house.

Consider a trash compactor- the downside is that the trash is so heavy that only DH can take it out. Did I call that a downside? The upside is that you save money on trash collection every month. Pantry space depends upon how far you live from the supermarket and how many people you're feeding, and if you get snowed in during winter. A recycle center in the lazy susan corner is a favorite of mine, also a larger floor plan so that my huge hubby can fan himself (I laughed at the post that mentioned this) at the fridge door, a french door style fridge so I can get by while the above event is happening. A larger floor plan so that short people don't have to reach for things in upper cabinets because there is enough base cabinet storage. Pop-ups for the bread machine and the kitchenaid mixer because they are large and heavy. Lower than 36" bases because that's chest high for me. A second, higher tier for DH to make sandwiches on. And a large appliance cupboard with outlets inside so that toasters, mixers, juicers, blenders, and cuisinart have a permanent home. A home for coffee/tea prep which is away from my main cooking area. Separate zones for breakfast cereal/milk so that I have a clear path to my coffee in the morning. As you can tell, I'm particular about my kitchen...and every kitchen is personal. We're renting a recently built custom home while we build. They're tall people, and the island hits my arm pits. Lots of HIIIGH cabinets (sigh).
We've lived in a lot of houses in our marriage. Anyway, what I learned is that every house needs to be personalized.
New or used, make it work for you. Every kitchen is a tear-out unless it work for you...never, ever build for "the next people", make it custom for your lifestyle. And, I also learned that 12' ceilings are too tall, 10" is just right.
We're in Northern CA (turn right at San Francisco and keep driving until you hit a deer. You're there.)
One last note: The house we're renting is 3400sf plus 3-car garage, cherry floors and cabinets, stone and granite tile, all amenities. The husband built it himself (no prior experience) with one helper over a two-year period, finished in 2006. For $400K. Then they went off to run a B&B, needed a new challenge. I have rarely seen a nicer house. A friend of ours built a 2000sf house himself over a 5 year period for $60 a square foot. So, be brave, it can be done.

--We got a 5'6" long tub deep enough to soak in. No motors/sounds cause I don't like noise, and DH has tinnitus so some noises bother him.

--Think about window size relative to your winter climate, privacy, views, and window shades. My sister put a very large beautiful window in her master bath, but has to keep the shade pulled most of the time, since several of the neighbors's windows face it. I love the view of the trees out our master bath window, so I made it wide with the bottom of it almost shoulder height so I don't ever have to pull the shade if I don't want to.
I agree about towel racks, hooks, & storage issues.
I didn't want undermounted sinks, and am very happy with the Kohler self-rimming Serif & Memoirs we chose. They are raised about 2" above the counter, look stylish, and most of the water goes back into the sink.
We have an HRV and were told we would not need a bathroom fan. Wish we had one to get the moisture out faster. Also wish we'd put in a heat lamp for when we hop out of bed and go into the bathroom on a cold morning.

--Laundry between the garage and kitchen (master bedroom is also down the hall) since that's where we are most of the time. When we come in from yard work or sweaty outdoor activities, the clothes can go right into the washing machine. I trained the kids at an early age to bring their dirty laundry to be washed and then to carry their clean clothes back to their rooms.

--Workshop, exercise/sewing, library/dining/music, office/guest room (for me), office/bedroom (for DH). His office is at one end of the 2nd floor; mine is at the opposite end of the lower level. He is on the phone or ranting at the computer a lot, or if I'm around talks to me about whatever he's doing, and has a VERY loud voice. I can't hear myself think when he's talking, can't concentrate with all of his interruptions, and also very much enjoy a peaceful setting. Yes, I love him, but this arrangement is one of the best things I designed into our plan!

--Even though the bonus room could be a great play area kids, I prefer keeping sleeping areas private from others if there's an alternative. In our case, the lower level has room for a TV area and game room, and there's a kitchen down there.

--Although we don't have a j&j setup, I haven't cared for it when I've stayed with someone with such an arrangement, even when it's well designed. The sound of someone else opening their door and the running water wake me up. Also, with kids, it seems to me like there would be more nocturnal visiting instead of going to sleep when they should. Our kids' bath opens to the hall, and has the vanity area 1st. Then you go through a door to the toilet/tub area so that 2 can be using it at once.

--When on the same floor, I had the bathrooms and closets between their room and mine, so the master door was down a long hall from the kids' door. Now we have the master near the bottom of the stairs, with the other bedrooms on the 2nd floor. I would always want to have the proximity of teenagers' rooms close enough so that I could hear when they came in at night. Squeaky stairs are not a bad thing!

--DH is in the kitchen a LOT. We have a 1-3/4 sink under the window between the microwave and the cooktop (DH uses the left side with the MW; I use the right side to prep). We have a 24" wide, 10" deep single sink on the peninsula for the cleanup area--it hides pans & dirty dishes from the the eating area. I love having 2 sinks!

--Our island is 42" x 48" free of anything, but we have a long L , a long peninsula, a small dish cabinet, a fridge alcove, a walk in pantry, and a desk in the eating area. So it depends on the size of your island and what the rest of the kitchen layout functions .

--I would not have gotten double ovens, since I do most of my cooking on the cooktop, but I did get a warming oven which works well with potlucks and family gatherings. However, we have a range in the lower level kitchen that I can use if I really need a 2nd oven.

--If I couldn't have a walk in pantry, I'd at least have a 12" deep full height cabinet or closet of some decent width for can and box storage. Wish I'd done this in my previous place.

I'll have to finish kitchens and "any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience" later.

Built in SE Michigan.

Anne

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why? Neither. I prefer a big soaking tub with a seperate shower.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath? More than one source of light e.g.: Mirror lights, sconces on other walls along with an overhead light. I'm also planning for reading lights over the tub. The one thing I want that I've never seen is a discreetly placed floor drain near the toilet. I learned the hard way how disgusting it is to have to mop up dirty toilet water.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms? To me the laundry room has nothing to do with the kitchen and everything to do with bedrooms. Plus our bedrooms are on the second floor. The laundry room will be on the same floor as the bedrooms, again with an overflow drain.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc) Kinda sorta. We'll have an office, a closet style wine cellar, a workshop area. Behind the wine cellar/ work shop is a small hidden room. We're thinking game/play room. Poker table, TV, game system, hotel fridge.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food? We don't have kids and I'm not a fan of houses that have multiple rooms that fulfill the same purpose: e.g.: family room, living room, play room. The only reason we're talking about the game room is that we have the space and we like having monthly poker games, but I don't like having a poker table as a piece of furniture.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom? I can't comment on the jack and jill thing because we don't have kids. But, my feeling is that it's good to have a bathroom accessible to "general public". Think about going to someone's house for dinner and having to walk through their bedroom to use the bathroom. It makes me a little uncomfortable.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up. I wanted our MB separated from the other bedroom(s). There are certain things that the people in the other bedroom(s) just don't need to hear.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional? I'm not interested in 2 sinks. I have a sink, I have a dishwasher. I'm at a loss for what reason I would need a second sink.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? I'm indifferent about islands. I prefer a C shaped kitchen with a breakfast bar on one side.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen? Having lived in a house with wall ovens and a cooktop, I wouldn't go that route again. The wall ovens were too small and when one failed, it was expensive to replace. That said, I'm looking at a range that has two asymmetrical ovens. One full sized and one smaller.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen? A small appliance drawer. I hate appliance garages (they waste counterspace)and other than my coffeemaker..there's no need to have the appliances out on the counter. And even though they're quite common, I think pantry cabinets are essential and I've seen so many houses without them.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience? More neccessarily isn't better. Before you load your house up with things, think about maintenance, cleaning and energy usage. I've also learned that incorporating "green" into your house is easier than most people think it is.

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas) San Diego, CA

would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why: I have a whirlpool and they are a waste of water and energy; I miss my clawfoot tub

what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath:
a toilet in it's own "closet"; his and hers sinks/storage either on same wall or separately; windows; oversized shower;

in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms:
DEFINITELY near the bedrooms; that's where 99 percent of your laundry will originate from;I had our laundry upstairs adjacent to our 3 bedroom and never regretted it

would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc

would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc): build one room that can be as multifunctional as possible; your tastes and requirements will change so it must be able to easily modify

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food; we always end up in the kitchen so I would recommend that you build entertainment areas to incorporate the kitchen

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?
we designed our house with a jack and jill bath; I never regretted it; there were no fights or lockouts; they each had their own vanities adjacent to their bedroom and time spent in the wet area (toilet/shower) is usually a short time that the other one has no issues; it is not a very good plan if the toilet must be public accessible; ours was upstairs so it was not an issue

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.
WE'VE HAD OURS IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN OUR TWO PREVIOUS HOUSES; IF YOU COULD DESIGN A "BONUS" ROOM THAT SERVES AS A BEDROOM NEXT TO THEM WHILE THEY ARE SMALL, AND A BONUS ROOM AWAY FROM THEM THAT CAN BE TURNED INTO A MASTER LATER, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?
ONE DOUBLE SINK WORKS FOR ME; IT IS OVERSIZED ON ONE SIDE TO HOLD LARGE PANS TO SOAK, ETC., AND SMALLER ON THE OTHER FOR DUMPING WASTES INTO THE DISPOSAL WHICH I PREFER

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? I PREFER MY ISLAND TO NOT HAVE ANYTHING EXCEPT STORAGE UNDERNEATH, POSSIBLE BARSTOOL SEATING, AND ELECTRIC STRIPS SO I CAN USE MY GRIDDLE, ELECTRIC FRYPAN, HOTPLATES FOR ENTERTAINING, BLENDER, MIXER, ETC.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?
I HAVE DOUBLE OVENS IN MY NEW HOUSE AND WILL NEVER BE WITHOUT THEM AGAIN; THE COST FOR TWO IS NOT OUTRAGEOUS AND THE TIMESAVING AND CONVENIENCE IS IMMEASURABLE, ESPECIALLY AT HOLIDAYS AND ENTERTAINING

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?
MOST IMPORTANT IS THE LAYOUT TO REDUCE STEPS BUT BE COVENIENT TOO; ALSO STORAGE, MY CABINETS GO TO THE CEILING,PRICELESS; A DOUBLEDOOR 6' TALL CUSTOM PANTRY WITH THE SWINGOUT SHELVES I COULD NOT BE WITHOUT; I LOVE MY DEEP CABINET DRAWERS, MORE USEFUL THAN CABINETS WITH DOORS

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?
CONSIDER WORSE CASE SCENARIOS, LIKE IF SOMEONE HAS MUD ON THEIR SHOES WHAT WOULD BE DESTROYED IF THEY WALKED THROUGH THE HOUSE; USE TILE IN THOSE AREAS; CERAMIC TILE FLOORS ARE THE MOST INDESTRUCBILE AND WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT; HAVE YOUR LIVING AREAS OUT OF THE MAIN CIRCULATION SO YOU CAN USE CARPETING IF YOU WANT TO; MAKE AN EXTERIOR DOOR ACCESSIBLE TO A NEARBY BATHROOM (IF YOU ARE WORKING OUTSIDE AND ARE FILTHY CAN YOU GET TO ONE WITHOUT COMPLETELY CHANGING CLOTHES; AGAIN, TILE FLOORS); WHERE WILL THE CLUTTER BE CONTAINED (WINDOWSEATS ARE GREAT STORAGE); WHERE WILL ALL THE BOOKS YOU COLLECT GO (WE HAVE FLOOR TO CEILING BOOKSHELVES AND COVERED STORAGE ON ONE WALL OF OUR LIVING SPACE); AND MOST IMPORTANT, BUILD TO THE SUNS ORIENTATION (READ BOOKS ON TRACKING THE SUN IN ALL SEASONS) AND TO YOUR SITE VIEWS; USE MORE WINDOWS FOR NATURAL LIGHT AND EXTENDING YOUR LIVING SPACE; COVERED PORCHES ARE ADDITIONAL LIVING SPACES

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas)
WE ARE IN TEXAS

Only a few things are relevant to the two of us (almost done building our retirement home).

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?

Because of cleaning and germ issues, we decided on a soaking tub (and, much cheaper)

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?

I am going to have to use towel rings in the master bathroom 'cause I blew it on planning towel racks by the sinks (not enough room). Another issue with me was storage in the shower. Our tub deck extends into the shower to make a bench, and DH designed a nook under the bench to keep shampoo, etc. Since the shower is on the exterior wall, the only time you see the bottles is when you are in the shower.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?

We designed our master closet to have room for stackables, which we have now in the townhouse we are renting. I love it that way. Our new master is on the third floor. Since DH sleeps late I will be doing the laundry in the evening after
I "retire."

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)

Our ground floor is garages, storage, and shared workshop next to the garages. (Every male friend who has walked through the house is envious). The workshop has an adjacent "clean room" for finishing woodworking projects. We also each have a bedroom/hobby room on the main floor (we like to make lots of stuff). These rooms are outfitted for beds and have closets so can be pressed into service as guest rooms. We also decided to install an elevator.

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?

I have two peninsulas in the kitchen; one is three feet wide and used for baking, flower arranging, etc. There is a small auxiliary sink there for rinsing as I bake, filling vases, conditioning cut flowers, etc.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?

I have only one wall oven. There is a counter in my pantry where I might use a portable electric oven.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?

Lighting and placement of outlets. I'm a little fanatic about the outlets so I had them placed in the bottoms of the wall cabinets. They don't show (although there is an electrical box in some cabinets)and I don't use many countertop appliances anyway.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?

Have your designer or architect show you INTERIORS not just floor plans. I couldn't really picture things on the flat floorplans. We made many changes based on only computer-generated pictures from DH's home-design software. The floorplans looked okay but the pictures showed problems.
Think about clearances, door swings, switch placement, etc.
And then don't worry! If you do your homework, you'll be just fine.

would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why? Soaking tub or airjet...don't want the added maintenance of the jets and like to use oils/etc.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath? seat in shower, place for medications and love heated towel racks.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms? I prefer near the area I spend time in. In a 2story home I'd have to run up and down the stairs moving laundry, etc. in lieu of family members carrying the laundry to the rooms one time.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc) Multipurpose room off kitchen/laundry. This room is used for pantry, utility sink, large work table, computer desk...outside access thru to kitchen so you don't have to carry everything directly into the kitchen counters.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food. Useful upstairs if you are really into entertainment...i.e. large parties where the guys are watching the football game you can be downstairs with the other group or for large company parties.
- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom? Jack and Jane's are a nice idea but you will have problems with people leaving doors locked. In our case we have a non traditional one for the guest area as we're empty nesters. One side has its own sink, while the other has the toilet, sink and shower. This way if we have a long-term guest they can have their own private sink area for keeping toiletries, dressing, and etc. It works great.
- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? I prefer them to be seperate and prefer the master on the 1st floor. Monitors work great.
- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional? As long as I have a large 2 bowl sink I don't feel I need the additional sink...but again if you have 2 cooks....

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything? Our island has a dropped below level sink with the dishwasher and microwave in it (dishwasher/microwave is at the higher bar level). It will depend on your kitchen design...either way works fine.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen? No we have one large range..dble ovens are an added expense and with microwaves, slow cookers and electric roasters I've only wished for one on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Again we're in Texas and I don't use the oven much (heats up the house) since our weather allows the use of grills almost thru the year. I think I'd prefer one oven and one warming drawer so guests could put their dishes in the drawer.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen? small desk area near by and some large drawers instead of cupboards (no digging on knees for pots, etc).
- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience? Think about the little things like outlets. We love awning windows (working transoms). I dislike the way mail, keys, etc. always end up in the kitchen..we now have a multipurpose room you walk thru on your way in the side door...love it (a small disk area would also work). Don't get over worried about resale and what the Jones have...and remember that this is a great site but the differences in building/area customs/norms, code requirements, etc. is huge. In Texas we don't normally have basements, most of the state requires aerobic septic in lieu of fields, a/c is our issue and drought, post tension and pier is the normal foundation, green tinted windows are a requirement, codes are less restrictive in the non Dallas type areas, etc.
- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas) East Texas

- would you get a whirlpool or an air jet bath if you have a preferrence and why?
i chose a whirlpool. air jets remind me of little farts.

- what in your opinion/experience are the most useful overlooked features in a master bath?
TWO water closets.

- in your opinion is it better to locate a laundry room near the kitchen, or near the bedrooms?
our main laundry will be upstairs, where the clothes live. i hate carrying laundry up and down stairs. i'm putting smaller, stackable units in the mudroom.

- would you/are you building any specialized rooms? (exercise/hobby/music/etc)
my office/private retreat will be in the attic. exercise room in the basement.

- are entertainment areas upstairs (media/gameroom) useful or is it a better idea to locate them downstairs closer to the kitchen/food
we'll have large flat screen in the kids playroom (above garage on a mid level) and also in the living room. stereo sound throughout the house.

- are jack and jill bathrooms a good idea? Or does it make for a clunky space of doorways and make it easy for kids to lock each other out? Is it better to have a bathroom that's accessible without having to go through a bedroom?
our jack & jill is unique in that my son and daughter each get their own vanity and toilet. there are pocket doors to enter the shared bathtub/shower. we have two powder rooms downstairs for guests (one is a full bath). we don't have any baths accessible from the hallway upstairs. each room has it's own bath. i suppose it depends on the size of your home.

- would your preference be to locate bedrooms close to the master bedroom (kind of have a bedroom wing where the family sleeps) or far away (or on 2nd floor)? Close is nice with small kids but they grow up.
our kids are 5 & 6. our master is upstairs on the opposite end of the house. yes, they grow up!

- would you have 2 sinks in your kitchen and is this truly useful? If so how big would you make the 2nd sink, to be functional?
depends completely on the size and design of the kitchen. not something you can determine without getting into the layout and deciding exactly how you will use the space. our kitchen will have three sinks. one 36" main, a 24" prep and another smaller (not sure on size) sink on the opposite end. our kitchen is on the large side, though.

- in your opinion, are islands in the kitchen more useful if they have built-in sink or range, or is the best island free of anything?
again, this is something to be determined as you design your kitchen. as a rule, i don't care for ranges in island unless you have a full overhead hood for ventilation ...not one of those very cool but very un-useful pop-up things.

- would you/do you have double ovens in your kitchen?
had doubles in the old house, just because we didn't have enough space for a nice range. that said, in addition to our 48" range i'm also putting an additional 30" turbo chef oven in the island. again, this is strictly personal preference.

- what do you think are the most useful overlooked design elements in a kitchen?
i'm getting tapmasters for all three sinks along with never MTs and if i could i'd get toe kicks for garbage. our cabinets will be inset so we can't get this option. a well functioning corner cabinet pull out. instant hots.

- any other thoughts on floorplan design that you have come to learn from experience?
decide how you work and how many utilize the space and go from there.

- what state are you building in? (homes tend to be very different in different geographical areas)
new jersey.

sorry for replying 2x. i didn't recognize this as an old thread.