Nice! Will you have a place to put coats in the mudroom?

Overall I like the interior layout, except I'm wondering what you will have in the part of the kitchen that's opposite the foyer. It seems like it's too small to put a table in, but too big to leave empty. You've got a lot wasted space between the island and the dining room, IMO.

All the bumpouts make me think the house will have too many gables for my taste. If it were my house, I would rather have the study open to the foyer than the kitchen, but I guess it depends on how you plan to use it-- is it more of a home office, or an away space?

I wouldn't put a shower in the powder room, mostly because I think the powder room will be prettier without it. I could see axing the window in the kids' bath so you can turn the tub so it's against the wall and move the toilet down, then you could put a door there, so someone can be using the sink while someone else is showering or using the toilet.

I would angle the kids' tub against the wall so they could have a decent-sized vanity with some storage drawers. With no linen closet in the bath, this will be important.

I don't think the TV is conveniently located to the great room. I think you were trying to have it visible to the kitchen, but it seems too far for the main viewing area.

When people walk into the house, their view will be straight into the breakfast room, which isn't always the neatest part of the house, and the kitchen. If you switch the stairs to the other side of the foyer, the view would be into the great room and dining room - much nicer.

I hate walking past the breakfast table to reach the dining room table. Just seems weird to me, though I know this is a personal thing that everyone doesn't share.

Your breakfast room is very small. I'd consider building in a banquette booth. That would likely mean you'd lose the door . . . But I think it'd be better placed around the corner in the dining room anyway.

Would the study door be better placed in the foyer? I'm not sure. For a study, I'd like it pointing towards the rarely used, quiet foyer. But as it is, if you ever needed it to be a bedroom, it's closer to the half bath.

I'd move the washer/dryer to the exterior wall so the dryer could vent directly outside.

You could almost double the size of the mudroom by moving the master bedroom door closer to the kitchen . . . And taking the hallway into the mudroom. This'd mean you'd enter the house through the mudroom, which I think is superior to having a hallway with the mudroom to the side.

I'd consider flipping the master bedroom and the bathroom. Moving the bathroom to the interior of the house would keep your plumbing consolidated, which is a money saver . . . And it would allow you greater privacy as well as windows on two walls.

Yes, your powder room is overiszed, but I don't see any way to make it smaller . . . Unless you're willing to give up the window. I wouldn't. You've alleviated the problem by popping in that closet, which I would use for cleaning items. I'd chalk this one up to, No house can ever be ideal in every sense,

Lots of wasted space in the master bath. I'd go with a larger shower across one end wall. I like the private spot for the toilet without it being in a closet.

Looks like a great layout for entertaining.

Have you tried sketching furniture into the floor plan? At this stage, you might think about doing that, it could help you make some tweaks. I don't care for the way the closets are laid out unless you already have planned for built-ins next to them.

How do you plan to use the study?

I like the style (French country) and the way you plan to use the spaces...I'm just not sure about the plan. It seems a bit, well...no offense, amateurish. Is this an architect's plan you're modifying? If this is your plan, then good job, but I think there are some awkward spaces.

The bathrooms all need a little work, the back bedroom closet sticks out into the living room...and then there's the kitchen and front door view.

Would you consider a similar plan? I saw this on eplans and it may or may not work. Just an idea :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to eplans home

Thank you everyone!

Zone4- the kids will never spend time together in the bathroom- I have a boy and girl and they lock the door on each other all the time, so it will be a 'single person at a time' bathroom :)

Mrs. Pete, There will be no breakfast area- we will eat at the island, and use the dining room for larger groups. That's the same setup we have now, and we like it. I really like the idea of moving the stairs over... If I do that and move the foyer over closer to the great room, I could even shave 2 feet off the width of the kitchen (front to back), so that area in in front of the sliders is not so wide (I didn't want to do that before because it would shrink the foyer).

The area labeled Mud Room, is really the Laundry Room/Coat Room for the family. I was thinking of putting a large wardrobe (ikea-type) to organize the coats and shoes on that angled wall.

The hallway in front of the laundry will be a small mud room- planning on having a bench in the corner. That said, I'm not crazy about the layout right there- the architect notched into the laundry room so the area would not have such a tunnel look, but its still a longer hallway than I'd like. Also, if I flipped the master with the bath, the hallway would even have to be longer in order to access the bedroom door.

Oaktown,

Which Closets? The Master? What is it about them you think doesn't work? A friend of mine has this exact layout and I love it. From the bed, you see straight out to the tub and the space is split out into his (left side) and hers (right side).

The study will be MY "away room" with the computer, a place to pay bills, books, and comfy chair for reading. I think I prefer the privacy of having it open to the kitchen (and convenience) vs. the foyer.

This post was edited by nepool on Sun, Dec 22, 13 at 19:02

nepool,

I don't particularly care for the closets in the kids' bedrooms or the foyer -- I thought those could be more integrated. Think your master closet setup is great.

Between the great room and dining room, I really encourage you to think about your furniture placement and traffic patterns. Perhaps a 42" high room divider, it would still feel open but you could do cabinets/buffet on the dining side and bookshelves flanking the TV on the greatroom side?

I took a stab at some tweaks to the kids' wing. Tried to work in a small linen closet. Sorry it's so crude (those are supposed to be desks and a dresser). Take whatever might be useful or just ignore.

{{gwi:1516574}}

I know it is very hard to find just the right angled garage plan. I am guessing that this is your first drawing from an architect as you posted last week that you were having a hard time finding a plan with the master wing by the garage like me. I would recommend to not let an architect make you feel rushed to agree quickly to a plan. Take your time with it, it is the foundation for the whole house. Your post makes me believe that you are assuming that the footprint is already set? Are you trying to hard to achieve an exterior look? While you do need bumpouts and such to achieve certain looks, you should still be at a flexible stage that the exterior lines are not already set. .
That being said, here are the things I think about when I visualize myself walking through your house:
First-the garage entry to the mudroom bothers me. Extend the garage/house line (that is the current mudroom line). It seems to me that you could make a much more efficient mudroom and still have some leftover space to put back in the garage if you look at all the space you "can" work with. I think in terms of $100 per square foot. So for $10,000 are so getting the most out of your mudroom that you can? Do you like the garage door Not entering the mudroom? I know some people like that, but I would never get my kids to open that second door to drop their stuff!
Master Bedroom-The walk-in closet closest to the left could be bumped into the garage/hallway area if you didn't have a 4 foot hallway just to not walk in from the garage :) Have you had a chance to draw out how you would arrange your bedroom furniture? I'm not sure the door coming in at the middle of the room would be my preference. You are only leaving one wall or the window wall to place a bed. You are also not able to put a dresser across the room from the bed.
The powder room seems very long and narrow to me. 11 feet seems like a long way to walk once a guest gets into the bathroom to get to the toilet. Again, it seems like your architect has already locked in your one or two possible room sizes? I would personally nix the window so the powder room wasnt so deep, use space from an adjoining room to make it wider and use the back part for a closet for the other room.
I'm with others that the extra unusable space in the kitchen is a real waste. Again at $100 sq ft, is that space worth $6500? If you want to keep the space, I would personally do a larger 4 foot deep island :)
The TV and fireplace are both in a poor spot to do either the dining or the great room much good. And you will be way to far away in the kitchen to see what is on the TV anyway :) I would plan to put a 26 or 32 inch TV in a cabinet in the kitchen, and move the TV and fireplace somewhere that makes more sense for the great room. And force the kids bedroom hallway door to move as a result.
The kids wing needs some work, but shy of stealing too much space from the great room or dining room, I am not seeing a great solution. Are you for not having a bathroom door from each of their rooms? I know a lot of people are. I had a jack and jill bathroom with my brother, and couldn't imagine if I had to walk out of my room to get to it :) I know that not everyone shares this view though...It seems that you you should be able to make the bathroom more square, still keep a window, have a door from each of their rooms to it, and place their closets between the bathroom and hallway. Then, by moving their hallway door to where the TV is currently placed, you would shorten the hallway and gain some extra sq ft.

There are a lot of nice things about your plan, so please take my list for what it is...things that I would change to work for my family. Every family is different, and everyone has different things on their want list. This is just a list to give you some thought on things that somebody else would do to make the house theirs :)

Thanks!

Oaktown,
My kids both have larger beds (Full for my daughter, and queen for my son) and its a "must have" for my daughter's room (the one in the back) to have a walk in closet. That's why we stole a bit of space from the dining room. Its funny, a lot of the comments are coming from changes I requested to the architect! Stealing the space for the walk-in, and moving the kids bath from the back wall to the side so that we could have a window in there. My wish for windows in every room is causing the baths to be bigger, and less efficiently laid out than they could be. I may give in on the kids bath window, but I really do want a window in the powder room.

Nostalgic, the archetict is not rushing me- I'm the one pushing to get this finalized. We can absolutely make lots of changes. We went out to the property today to tape off the areas we want trees cut down and do some measuring and we will probably make a couple changes just based on that. I think we are going to move the deck behind the kitchen, instead of the dining room. That will leave room for a pool (eventually) where the dining room looks out (walkout basement underneath). Because of that, we don't need that 8ft bump out in the kitchen (where the slider is on the design) so the slider/French door will need to move to the back wall of the kitchen (maybe).

My priorities when communicating this layout to the architect were: kids need their own wing, wanted large dining/living room combo, and only want partial 'open concept' from the dining area/den to the kitchen work space. I wanted a large laundry/mudroom/pantry combo so I wouldn't have to walk past all that 'stuff' when coming in from the garage.

Also, I really the master bedroom layout with the his and hers closets, and bath at the end. The bed would be centered on the kitchen wall, with a view to a clawfoot tub with a window over it.

I think I'm going to ask her what she thinks about shifting the kitchen/foyer/study and master wing forward a few feet so I don't have such a big bumpout on the back deck. I think the garage could maybe shrink a bit too. I also like the idea of moving the stairs over to the right of the foyer, making that entry more living/dining views.
Great idea on the island- I haven't put a ton of thought into that yet- but could widen it and change it. Again, this was set up to keep the guests away from my workspace when entertaining. My husband doesn't like the current setup since he'll be 'looking at the wall' while at the island, instead of out the window.

Okay, now I'm just playing. A large cased opening between dining and great room? Bookcases on great room side? Built-in buffet at end of dining room?

{{gwi:1516575}}

Thanks Oaktown! What you are showing is that I shift the "TV/Fireplace" living room area entirely to the front of the house, where I always imagined it in the center of that room. It puts the TV area further from the kitchen (which can be good and bad). I'm going to think about it. I'm not sure I like it when people drive by the street and see the flourcent lights from the TV in the front window. I was going to use that spot near the front window as a traffic area to the kids rooms and maybe have a chair and table there, like a reading nook. It would of course house the Christmas tree during the holidays.

I like your idea for a cozy space in the front of the living room...you need a great spot for the Christmas tree and a little reading nook would be very nice.

That being said, if you set up the main living area with furniture...how much space do you have left for the dining area? Do you plan to use a banquette (which would look very French Country) to save some space?

As others have recommended, I would try adding furniture to make sure everything you want will fit in the space. You have some wonderful ideas, but now is the time to make any adjustments :)

As far as the TV placement you have proposed - I know someone who has almost this exact layout with the same dimensions, etc...

It is a very pretty set-up - but you can't see the TV well at all from the living room, particularly if you have a flat-screen in a built-in cabinet. Like I said, it is pretty in theory, but awkward in practice - in my opinion anyway.

I'd suggest thinking about where you would place your seating in the living room, and then imagine how you'll have to bend your neck to see the picture... :)

While waiting for my architect, ive made some updates based on suggestions here. I think the entry to the kids room works better up near the dining area, giving me the flexibility to move the tv/fireplace further down to the front, if I choose to. I also moved the deck and slider to the back of the kitchen (works best with the lot). I deleted the window in the kids bath and added that foot to the back bedroom. I also improved the mudroom/laundry and added furniture.

Im still deciding if I should flip the stairs with the foyer.

Hi Patriceny,

I'd make the built in base deep, so the TV can pop out a bit. There are not many good options with TV/Fireplace setup. I don't care for (at all) the TV over the fireplace, so my only option is putting it next to the fireplace. I actually have that setup now, although not in a built in, but on a stand. I'm going to put the couch right in front of the tv, off center to the fireplace, so we can get a good view.

This post was edited by nepool on Mon, Dec 23, 13 at 16:21

I think this is an improvement! A few more things, just to consider...

Will you have enough room for chairs at the dining table and still have a path to the kids' bedrooms?

Would it work better if the fireplace was moved to the corner of the room? That would give you the TV in the middle (for easy viewing) and a cozy area for reading, etc. in the front and dining in the back.

In the kitchen, the island is now a barrier between fridge and range. I think your original set up is better, but maybe add a prep sink to the lower end of the island? I like the slider move! :)

I saw this picture in Romantic Country magazine and I just love this cozy corner fireplace...if you move the fireplace by the eating area, this might be an idea. {{gwi:1516576}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Thanks Lavender! I really have my heart set on the Fireplace near the couch. These 2 show a similar setup (although not exactly the same) but I think it would work...although in both cases the sofa is centered on the fireplace, instead of the TV.

Re: fridge- it is a bit of a barrier to the sink now, but no longer a barrier to the deck nor the living room. I need to work on the island a bit.

[

[Mediterranean Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mediterranean-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2109) by Tampa General Contractors Devonshire Custom Homes

[

[Beach Style Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/beach-style-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2110) by Santa Ana Interior Designers & Decorators Darci Goodman Design

This post was edited by nepool on Mon, Dec 23, 13 at 17:46

My husband wants a shower in the powder room. Is there a way to fit it, AND a window in a 5ft x 12ft bathroom? I have to have the window, so if necessary, I'll steal space from the laundry room for the shower.

A pedestal sink is all I was planning in there.

Any ideas welcome!

Thanks

Oh, I think that is much better! Check the clearance around the dining room table -- you'd probably want at least 3 ft all around for chairs?

Your layout seems quite contemporary to me, I think of French Country as more traditional. What details are your planning? Perhaps use French casement windows? (We are using these and I love them.) I was playing with my new graph paper today, here are my doodles --

{{gwi:1516579}}

I read your other post re the 1 ft change but I'll post on this one to try to keep 1 going? We are building an angled plan also but a 1 1/2 story and we have 'stuff' in the angled part instead of the garage alone on an angle if that makes sense. :)

Hmmm. I think you can fit one maybe where you show the linen but then bump back and steal space from the laundry as you suggested you might.

What is the dimension of the laundry room? Are those folding counter that wrap around? If so that is a lot of space and that IS very nice but it also means you could afford to steel some then? It would just push your w/d/sink down or you could put the sink under the window so it is around the corner from the w/d?

Maybe something like this but it depends on your dimensions.

That spot works perfectly for the shower. I haven't put a lot of thought into the location of the washer/dryer in the laundry, but will need to move them to where it makes most sense for venting. Is it OK to vent into the garage or do I need to vent out the front?

There is a lot I want to store in that laundry room, so I'll have to spend some time laying out the space (I'll post in a new thread, later). I want a large coat closet (overflow from "lockers", shoe storage for the kids, Costco paper towels and other large pantry items, ironing board (always out), sink, and folding counter, sorting hampers, and clean laundry towel area (for that powder room).

If you need that much space in the laundry room, can you scoot your garage over a few feet?

Autumn- I like the shower location :)

Could something similar be done in the kids' bathroom, working with a closet, rather than the washer/dryer?

nepool-floor plans are like a large rubix cube... I understand your vision for the laundry room. We have a separate closet for those thing you mentioned and a pantry. Is there any way you could or would want to work in a separate pantry for food/bulk paper items?

I'm not sure the best way to achieve it, there are many way more talented people out here than I! I clicked your link and could see the rough dimensions for the laundry (7x9 + the angled part right?). It is a nice space and I *think* you can get all that you want. How large of a closet are you hoping for?

I am not sure of your master dimensions 16x?. Could you steal that back corner to make a reach in closet there? So when you walk in from the garage, lockers on the left, reach in closet on the right and then laundry room is just laundry?

Hello! I'm not sure about stealing from the master in that spot for pantry/closets. I don't think my dresser will fit in that spot now. We can blow a bit more into the garage- but I'm not sure how much. With shifting the entire right side of the house forward, that will affect the garage.

I honestly don't see the need for a big pantry- I'm going to have a small 'kitchette' area downstairs (setting up bedroom, bathroom, kitchen for possible future needs of my parents or kids), so will have storage for all the party trays, etc. I think the laundry room and all the kitchen cabinets will be enough for the day to day pantry items.

A Coat closet in the hall is a possibility, although I'd prefer the kids go into the laundry room so all their shoes get stored in there. Hubby and I will use the master closets for shoes.

Yes, I think the laundry is about 7 x 9, or 7 x 11.5 including the angled part.

nepool, don't vent the dryer into the garage. It makes the garage humid and linty, which turns into mud on your cars and everything else out there. Personal experience.

"Future pool" throws a whole new monkey wrench into the plans. It is a long way from your pool area to any bathroom in the house. The powder room is the closest - but I would avoid wood floors if you are going to have troops of wet kids back and forth between the pool and bathroom (trust me, they won't dry off first).

I can't see a solution - I just want you to know what you're getting in to.

I agree on the pool thing. Even though it's in your future and not right now it would be good to have access to powder room. I grew up with a pool at my parents. We were only allowed to use the powder room while dripping wet. It was located just inside garage entry which was tile. It wasn't close to pool but it wasnt too far either. Just as long as you don't have to run through your house you'll be good :)

I agree on the pool bath.. Thats why we have one right near the dir downstairs. This is a walkout basement, so the pool is on the ground floor, the main house is upstairs.

Thanks!

Your layout is in many ways similar to our initial layout (and then we ended up flipping the master and the kids bedrooms)...... but the one thing that really stands out to me is where will you keep all of the kids linens and towels? There are not a lot of closets in this house (well, at least not nearly enough for our family!)

Hello everyone,

I've gotten my updates back and I think everything is much improved! Please note the Laundry/Mudroom which has some much more efficient space. Still thinking about what will be what in there (may stack washer/dryer, like I have now), need a shoe storage closet, etc..

Also, the kids bedrooms have been reconfigured so I now have a window in the kids bath (yeah!). My daughter gets her walkin closet and the kids furniture fits nicely in their rooms.

I just tweaked the kitchen island. Recommendations from the kitchen forum is for the fridge to go at the end of the long row of cabinets, but I really would prefer to have it closer to the deck/living/dining area, even though I have to 'minor-ly' cross through a walkway to get there.

I would really like the exterior to be all stone in the front- see 'inspiration' pics with the exterior shot. I think the exterior needs a bit of work too...

Thanks for your opinions! Walkout basement will be what I tackle next.

Your laundry/mudroom area looks so much better :).

Thanks nostalgicfarm! I think so too, it still seems small than what I wanted to do in there (ironing board always out, Coat storage, Shoe storage cabinet, laundry sorting baskets, Costco stuff storage, laundry items storage and small hanging area) but its pretty big. Have to figure out the best configuration for all that..but can do that later. Not sure if stacking is better than side by side under the long counter, or leave where they are and put a counter over that (may interfer with the window?).

I am 90% sure now that I'm going to add pocket doors to access the study from the foyer. I think the foyer is too closed in, and the study will be very pretty with a lot of built in bookshelves, that I'd like to be able to view from the foyer. The only thing that gives me pause is that I'll loose that 'foyer side' wall for a love seat placement.

Anyone have any comments/improvements on the exterior?

The inspiration pics you show have much more detailed and expensive finishes than your elevation. The single patch of stone/brick seems lonely. You may be better without it or adding more of it elsewhere. The windows looks squatty also.

Inside, that section from the front to back doors is a large space that doesn't appear to have any purpose. Could the kitchen be incorporated into that area and make for a better use of space?

Done again, thanks for the input.

Im absolutely going to stone more than just that one area. Just trying to figure out if we should do the entire front and front of garage, or do just the center of the house (not stoning the garage or kids wing?)

The entire house looks a little squatier than id like.. Thats why we added the dormer. One of the inspiration pictures shown had the dormer connected to the triple window. Do you think that would be better?

I think we need to choose taller windows.

Here is my angled garage one story house...we used stone just on the columns....
We have a detached garage on the left side with a breezeway that leads to a side entrance to the house. We used shed dormers on the garages...
Pam

I highly recommend finding a spot where you can play pretend kitchen and mock up what it would feel like working in the kitchen setup you have with the fridge over there and then pick a few of the meals you normally cook and start acting like you were fixing them. Also make sure to consider if you forgot something and then see how you like it before you make a final decision. Even pretend that somebody is loading/unloading the dishwasher as you need to get something from the fridge that you forgot on the first time. Then you'll know for sure that this choice will work for you before it is too late as I know that setup would drive me crazy and I'm good about getting everything out all at once.

Spotty, your home is beautiful, thanks!

Lyfia, yes, I will try that. Thank you