Overall I do like it, but would change a few things if it was for me. If the basement is just for mechanical and storage, why not just build a same floor mechanical room into the current gargage space, and adjust the garage over a bit. It avoids the "wasted" space and hazards of stairs, eliminates water /flood issues,and makes it easier to get things in/out of storage. Where the current stairs are could be a big walk in storage closet.(I grew up in one story homes, and have never gotten used to basements myself.) Is there a way to make a mudroom entrance from out back by scooting the den office over? Or would you always want to enter the garage then the mudroom, which could keep the biggest mess out of the house altogether. A bench in the garage could be great. I have never had a house with an actual mudroom, so I don't speak from experience. But I think I would like to be able to also enter a mudroom without going through the garage. And it could give a way out the back of the house which I would also want. On the other hand, it makes for a lot of doors in a small room............. Ultimately this house is for you and your husband to live in and enjoy, so it should be the way that makes the most sense for how you live. (I do agree that at least a half bath would add a lot to resale value, more than the initial cost, but the cost/benefit is for the 2 of you to decide) I do like that it is a practical design with added details that fit your needs and make it more interesting than a plain box shape. And if you build exactly as it it will be beautiful! I like the way everyone lives a little differently and comes up with such varied ideas for home design, and you get to pick what is best for you. Good luck! And post more pictures as you progress. I like watching folks progress from design to actual build, since it is so hard to really know what a plan actually is to live in. And maybe some day I will be able to go through the process myself.

A few other things: 1. On the second plan, I would plan on adding a study to the left of the foyer and then adding some square footage to reconfigure the master bath on the left side of the house. I would then probably make the room to the right of the foyer the dining room. The dining room shown on the floor plan would then be pretty much split into two rooms - one for a large walk in pantry and the other for a laundry room. I could then make a walk through from the kitchen to the dining room where the old laundry room was situated. Like this idea or see problems with it? 2. Do you like or dislike the vaulted kitchen in the second plan with the open railing above? 3. On both plans, I would remove the wet bar area between the kitchen and great room so it is completely open. 4. How do you feel about positioning the fireplace on either the interior wall opposite the kitchen or the back wall? I can't decide which I prefer. Part of me thinks the interior wall because I like the back wall having so many windows, and also because the interior wall might be a large blank canvas to cover without the fireplace as a focal point. But then I like the idea of having the fireplace on the back wall with French doors flanking it on both sides. This is just some of the stuff I've been tossing around inside my head...just looking for some feedback from others....thanks!

I don't like the exterior. It's overly busy, and the eye bounces from place to place. Rather than appearing soothing and welcoming, it's a jarring exterior. I particularly don't like the bay window area in the garage (expensive!) because it creates a large obstacle around which your guests must walk. I do like your garage entrance. Your door is well-placed: That is, you don't have to walk around cars to get to it, and your cubby space is "enough" without being overdone. The only negative is that you'll have to carry groceries a long way to the kitchen/pantry. Downstairs, I would square off all those "clipped corners". They add nothing to the plan, yet will be expensive to build. Do you really need a living room AND a den AND a family room AND a bonus room? None of your "must haves" make me think you need that many public areas. Likewise, do you really need a foyer that's as large as your family room? Straightening out the staircase would allow you to reduce the size of that expensive, yet rarely used room. I'd consider ditching the back staircase; it adds little to the functionality of the house. Your kitchen space is nice, but I'd do away with the "around the corner" cabinet -- and, instead, I'd make the pantry two feet longer. You can never have too much pantry, and it's so much cheaper to build than cabinetry. Also, being short, I could never reach across that island, and it'd always be dirty in the middle. Three fireplaces, which can easily cost 5K each. If you get rid of two of them, you could justify more square footage! You have TWO large eating areas. You could probably chop off the bay window area in the kitchen eating area and still have plenty of space. I like most of the upstairs -- it has the bedrooms you say you need, and the bonus room looks pleasant. I like the sight lines from the door to the large windows in the bonus room. You don't list "bathrooms" as a priority, yet you've alloted a great deal of space (and money) to bathrooms. You could easily reconfigure the upstairs bath to serve all three children's bedrooms -- just make it open from the hallway. That's probably 15K saved right there. Likewise, you could do away with the powder room and have the guest suite bath open into the hallway to serve all your downstairs bathroom needs. One note: When your parents come to stay, they don't have access to a washer/dryer downstairs. Is this a concern? What is now the powder room could house a small stack-up unit. Overall, I like but don't love this floorplan.

LL, I didn't see your question until now, sorry. I wasn't going to draw up a plan that recesses the fridge into the pantry closet because it sounds like that set-up limits the size of fridge Flying can get - 30" most likely, possibly 33" - unless she makes modifications to the bathroom, swapping out the tub for a shower as suggested by lascatx above. Personally, I'd be reluctant to limit fridge size. My SIL had a heckuva time finding a new fridge to fit their existing cabinet - height and width were what was common when they built, not what is common now. We had to modify our cabinet by jacking it up 2" with plywood inserts at the base - ugly but short-term - to fit our new, taller fridge. Thank goodness we weren't hindered by soffits like my SIL. That said, there does seem to be more choices for smaller fridges that there were even a couple years ago so perhaps this isn't a big deal after all. But it's still not the norm, which means fridges will often cost more. But if that's not a concern for Flying, then yes, changes can be made to the plan I posted Tue, Aug 23, 11 at 20:39 so that the sink can be placed on the entry wall. The door would need to stay put or shift over only 6" so that there's room to have the DW next to the sink. It would be 12" of wall, 40" door, DW, 33" or 36" sink cab (smaller sink cab leaves a few more inches between counter run and doorway), spacer cabinet, corner, then 38" to range. This would leave a long stretch of peninsula counter between DR and kitchen. The 2nd oven would need to go under the counter here. The bathroom wall set-up would need to change a bit, too. because the entry shifts over only 6", not 12". Staggering the cabinet depth would work: 12" deep cabs close to the doorway, 18" deep cabs next to the fridge. If Flying has the funds and the desire to do the extra remodeling required to recess a 36" fridge in the pantry closet, the above still works, too. But if the only reason for all this extra work is to get a view to the backyard, it might not be necessary. Flying's back door has a window in its top half. If that's not enough, she can add a window along that back wall ala the photo I posted Fri, Aug 12, 11 at 14:02. It would mean giving up a little bit of upper cabinet room (about 12" I think).