Also, I know the ensuite/closet/laundry/mudroom is a mess, I would have a professional flush out those details. I may switch the ensuite/closet and/or add a door to connect the laundry.

The kitchen is a bit of a mess with the floating wall (openness is scary!), lack of pantry...

Fireplace may get moved to long wall with built-ins...

Sunroom depends on budget. Maybe later...

Closet in the office/den is a possibility, too. But may do built-ins instead.

This post was edited by Rainbrella14 on Wed, Nov 13, 13 at 15:01

rainbrella-I think the whole thing will depend on lot and which way it faces. So are you open to having the master NOT aligned with the garage so flopped with the kitchen/dining if need be? Did I explain that okay?

Or rather - what is important in room placement...master/mud/laundry on garage side? Or this general flow between the main rooms of living/dining/kitchen/master but not necessarily the auxiliary rooms of the mud/entry/laundry/den?

I like it. Might help get hubby on board if you can make the entrance to the master with a door right on living room wall and an art alcove as you go into master "retreat area.". Basic kitchen layout looks nice with adequate aisles except I'd be tempted to put range on fridge wall to center sink on window wall and maximize counter space between range and sink. May also be able to donate 2 feet to dining room, which looks like it may need it. Powder room door should likely be pocket or barn. Dining room french doors may have to slide because clearances in dr look tight.

I wouldn't like someone on the front porch to be able to look right into the half-bath -- especially if I were using the facilities at the time!

I agree that the mudroom /laundry could use work, but my only concrete suggestion is that I don't like it having a front-porch door. I think it'd be confusing to guests as they arrive: Which door should I choose? And would one be fancy while the other is plain?

I'd cut the master closet down a bit. It's not quite 11' wide. Think that through: 24" on each side to hang clothes . . . that leaves you not quite 7' of walking space in the middle. You probably do want 3', 4' if you're planning this house to accommodate walkers or wheelchairs . . . but 7' is wastefully wide, yet not wide enough to include an island.

What I would want in the master closet is a door (or pass-through) connecting to the laundry. This will save lots of steps over the years. As it's drawn, you'll be walking all the way through the living room, through the bedroom, through the bathroom (hope it's empty) with baskets of clothes . . . knowing that the machines are just through the wall.

I hate toilets in closets, and this one is under-sized. Once you're sitting on the toilet, your knees will not fit.

Winder stairs are pretty much universally hated. Instead, consider 2-3 steps, then a square landing, then a second straight stair. Safer.

I think I would enjoy a staircase visible from the living room. I'd love to decorate it with greenery and lights for Christmas. Be sure to include an electrical outlet at the appropriate spot.

No pantry? No way! How about turning the stairs so that they "start" on the other end . . . and using the coat closet + the space under the stairs as a pantry? It'd be irregularly shaped, but moderate in size. If you reduce the unneeded space in the middle of the master closet, you'd have ample space to scoot the coat closet over into the mudroom/laundry area

I like the open floorplan for the main living spaces . . .except that I think the table is too close to the kitchen. It looks fine as drawn, but once people are inserted into the picture and the chairs are drawn back, you'll lose walking space.

I think I'm starting to like corner fireplaces more and more. I'd like to hear what other people have to say.

I'm assuming your TV will go on the wall shared between the living room and the bedroom. If so, be sure to insulate that wall well. Otherwise, someone may be kept awake at night.

So many people "over-door" their great room back wall . . . but I think you've done the opposite. Whether you build the sunroom or not, I think I'd want to be able to exit from the main living space into the back yard. I'm imagining the sunroom as a small retreat, and I wouldn't want it to be the only "public" back yard door.

I think I'd consider "less wall" between the dining room and the sunroom. Why? Because if these two rooms are more open to one another, it'd be easier to set up a second table in the sunroom for holidays when you need to feed a crowd. I'm iffy on that.

I agree that I'd like to know the directions everything'll face. That makes a big difference.

Entrance to master idea with nook:

Robo- That's a good idea!

Rainbrella- Here are a few small changes...just to give you some more ideas. Best of luck with your plan :) {{gwi:1512788}}From Kitchen plans

When you replan that laundry room area, think of where the dryer will vent. My current house has the laundry in the middle of the house, similar to that plan. The dryer vent goes 8 ft straight up into the attic and then about 15 ft to an outside wall. A fire hazard in my attic waiting to happen. I have to be religious about keeping it cleaned out, and it's a PAIN.

I will never buy, and would definitely never build, a house with a laundry room that's not on an outside wall again.

In the laundry room, if you flip the closet to the left side and slide the laundry sink and machines down, you could have a doorway going under the stairs for easy access to the master retreat. Could be handy! I always like a "loop" in a house.

If you put in an arch or otherwise frame out the entry to the master retreat, where the is in your plan, and put Robo's niche on the back wall, you'd have an elegant separation, yet convenient flow.

LL, You rock. You always make such nice alterations, even when they're small things.

I definitely like the island turned the way you did, and I love the window seat instead of the sunroom -- same type of "spot", but less expensive.

Mudroom /laundry shows improvement, though I'm not sure it couldn't be better still. I think I'd bump that little laundry closet from the half-bath over to the mudroom -- how much storage is needed in a half bath?

I'd still want to see a connection between the master closet and the laundry. I agree with Chadoe that a dryer is best on an exterior wall. Can a dryer be vented into the garage?

I do miss the L-shaped stair though. Since it's going to be highly visible (IN the living room), I'd want it to be as pretty as possible, and I'm quite stuck on the idea of greenery and white lights on the railings for Christmas.

I think this plan has great potential and could still be tweaked to be better still. I think it could go from "like" to "love".

Mrs. Pete- Thanks. I didn't change too much in the laundry room...there is definitely more that could be done. It's a nice space! And couldn't the dryer vent under the master closet? My mom has her laundry in the middle of her small home and it vents just fine.

Rainbrella- This was just a quick 'cut and paste' to give you some more possibilities. I love the sunroom...and I think off to the side of the dining room will let you keep your view out the kitchen and dining room, and enjoy it from the sunroom, too!

Just keep changing small things, until you get all the storage and details that you like...and will fit into your budget. It's those small things (bench with hooks across from mudroom closet, bookcases/window seat, corner fireplace) that really make the home special.

As for the stairs, even if they aren't L-shaped, you can still decorate the railing with greenery and lights for Christmas and make it a real feature of the main living area. My mom always wanted a sunroom, so she could put the Christmas tree in there....and not have the kitties climbing it at night! LOL

As MrsPete noted, maintenance is easier (therefor safer) when the dryer vents directly through an outside wall. Wish mine did. It goes into the garage, up to the ceiling, and alllllll the way across to the outside, a pain to clean. In your plan, Rainbrella, it only has to go 10' or so across the closet. We briefly had ours vent directly into the garage, even got one of those little "lint cages", but the cars were covered in humidity+dust=sludge!

I miss the mudroom door; we have such a "service entrance". People don't get confused even though it's closer to the driveway, because it's smaller, just not as "front door-ish" in style. And Rainbrella, in your house it's the front door that faces front; the service door is sideways. You know, if the garage were pulled forward 4' or so, there would be room for a service door with Lavender Lass' plan. And if the garage doors are on the left (you said it was "lot-dependent"), there'd still be room for that inviting porch. I'm just going to settle in on one of those comfy chairs LL so kindly drew in for a spell.

You all are amazing. I wish I had the time right now to go through all your suggestions and update my plan. I love all of the suggestions!

Some really quick comments:

- Art nook to master = yes!

-Lot placement. Yes this is paramount. However, ideally we will only choose a south facing lot with a view/waterfront (haha $$), and mirror the plan depending on East/Wet location. Regardless, I prefer common areas and MBR in the back.

-Ensuite/Closet. I would rather not walk through the bath to get to the closet, which is why I'm considering reversing that. However, if there was a door to the laundry it may be OK. Need to think some more...

- I'm not a huge fan of a bathroom window on the porch either. But I prefer it to a bath without a window! I've discovered light-filtering, cordless pleated blinds perfect for this situation. I know someone who has a HUGE 4x6' window (for outside symmetry) in the same location and made it frosted. I definitely don't like that

-Sunroom (if we can swing it) to the side. Genius.

- Stairs: I think I definitely want some sort of split stair with a landing. Hopefully a draftsperson could make that happen. I do like the idea of a partially open staircase with a gorgeous rail.

- Interior dryer - my last 2 homes didn't have the dryer on an exterior wall. I was more concerned with plumbing placement. Something look into for sure.

- The openness of the kitchen is something I need to think about (down the line, in the kitchen forum!)... Both my past homes have been open concept. I will design the plan knowing I may add a pantry wall.

LL I agree it's all in the details. And you are making me excited for the holidays!

Thanks again.

A thought for the art niche entry to master, and I threw in a door to the laundry room, too (forgive the childish sunflower, my first "paint" foray, and I'm using the thumbpad ouch)

I wouldn't like someone on the front porch to be able to look right into the half-bath -- especially if I were using the facilities at the time!

It doesn't have to be a full size window, it can just be a high window. That would give light and still maintain privacy.

I'm a dissenter. This plan is NOT functional. You've got too much wasted space, and too much walking around. You can function better in a much smaller house if all the walkways are cut short.

If I were you, I would find another plan and adjust it.
-stairs going straight up are a pain for someone who doesn't like stairs. In your previous plans you had those nice split stairs with a landing in between( much better for going up).
-why don't you find a plan where the garage is closer to the kitchen? Perhaps, in front of the kitchen?You have quite a walk from the garage to the kitchen.
-The washer/dryer. Trust me, you don't want a long dryer vent.
-Although pretty, corner FP is a beotch to decorate with furniture; it limits your options if you get tired of the same furniture placement, or if you want a sectional couch etc....That's what I have now and I would NEVER dot it again.

-I would find a plan with a Great Room having some kind of a wall where the TV can be placed so that the people sitting in the GR are FACING the kitchen, too, so you can talk to your family while cooking. Plan with "options" to move your furniture around. Placing a TV on top of an FP is wonderful, but the warranty is null and void if it gets overheated from the FP. It may be too high if any of you ever have a neck injury.
-I would put a PANTRY in the corner of the kitchen and squeeze in a closet into the room in the front, and move the door closer to the entry (if you go with this plan). Typically corners in the kitchen are kind of a waste, and corner counters are pricey because they take up a lot of space, so if you can place a pantry in a corner with a pretty door, it enhances your kitchen.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but I find that many times people mean well and go along with you without pointing out the "obvious" problems. If you've read my previous posts, you know that I've had 5 homes built in my life...and found mistakes after the fact. The architects went along to get along ;)
Take your time finding a plan close to your needs.
Building a house depends your YOUR lifestyle and personality. I'm always in a hurry, I like things close at hand, and choose function over form.

If you find yourself tied to the bathroom-window-on-the-porch, you might consider a small stained glass window. You'd still get the light, but no one would be able to see in. It'd also mean you wouldn't need window treatments.

What's your purpose for the sunroom? Is it to be an away space, or do you just love the look of a sunroom? Here's what I'm getting at: You don't sound like you really need it as square footage . . . why not, then, move the sunroom to the front of the house (which can be very attractive), and have a sunroom-office?

Sure, you can have a laundry hook-up in the interior of the house -- I've had one myself, as have several other people here -- but it is easier, simpler to have a shorter vent straight to the outside. One more thing not to need cleaning, one less small expense while building. If it's possible, vent straight to the outside. If it's better for your overall plan, you absolutely can do it otherwise.

I agree that I'd want the pantry somewhere, but I don't think the kitchen is too far from the garage -- true, it's not adjacent, but it's just through the mudroom and the entryway.

I think I like the option of a corner fireplace. In this situation, it allows the TV to go on the adjacent wall, which will dictate the furniture placement . . . but I think I'd be okay with that.