Greetings! For those of you that were interested in the Healthy Homes Plan's "Field of Dreams" Farmhouse pictured back on Tue, Feb 12, we're in the process of building this home :o) Well, actually it's a blended version of the original Field of Dreams plan and the Field of Dreams 2 plan... in addition to our own individual tweaking and modifications due to our sloping lot, LOL! In addition to several floor plan layout changes, we also added a walkout basement and a detached 2 car garage with and apartment above which will eventually be attached to the house by a breezeway. Above grade we're approximately 2500 sq. ft. and the basement is about 1300. We've created a blog for our farm adventures, including our home's construction which has been a roller coaster ride with it's ups and downs! Our blog can be found at www.blueharvestfarm.net where we're tracking the progress if anyone is interested. We're currently wrapping up the garage apartment so we can move in while the house is being finished and we should have lots of updated pictures of the house (which is now framed, woo hoo!) this weekend. Enjoy and best of luck to everyone building their own "dream" farmhouse! Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Harvest Farm

There's also Russell Versaci...although you probably have the same problem with the master bedroom location. Of course, maybe have the builder change one of the living rooms to a MBR? We are attempting the old farmhouse look...still in process, but here is the current version of our floor plan. It is larger than 3K...take out the hallways and knock off the office over the garage and you'll probably get it down to the 3K :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/59860329@N05/ Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Russell Versaci

My older sister lives in an 1850s farmhouse which has a bath off the large kitchen. The door faces the basement entrance in a very small hallway which leads to a bedroom. It is full sized, but only about 8x10. Spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with them, and it really wasn't a problem. The other half of the kitchen serves as a dining room. If you want weird--my own house was built in 1907, with a pantry and small back porch--neither of which was converted to a bathroom. However, there is a full bath upstairs with original fixtures, and a half bath (well, a sink with a wooden counter, and a toilet enclosed with beadboard planks under the stairs), but the strangest of all--the only closet on the first floor--an alcove in the hall next to the kitchen, and facing the basement stairs and side door--had a toilet installed for the convenience of a previous elderly owner! No door either, just a curtain rod which had a shower curtain on it when I bought the place. My very first task: to remove the carpet from the hall floor, then remove that toilet and make it a closet again! Despite this being done 21 years ago, I still have the 6" drain hole in the floor, because my cats love to stick their heads through it to watch me do laundry in the basement! :)

vault living room ceiling or no? In this layout, I think no. You called this a farmhouse, and farmhouses don't have vaulted ceilings. I wouldn't vault the bedroom either. only 1 bathroom upstairs (long term functionality) One bathroom to be shared by two children is plenty. You have three full bathrooms in this house, and they're spread out -- you're already committing an hour a week to cleaning those bathrooms; I wouldn't sign on for even more. I'd lose one sink in the upstairs bathroom. Kids never use the bathroom at the same time, and the drawer storage that could go into that space would be move valuable than a duplicate sink. I don't like that the plumbing is so spread out. Expensive to install, lots of water running through lots of walls (more opportunity for leaks), and a long way for the hot water to run. We'd love to hear any suggestions you might have! It's very nicely designed ... good sight lines, good flow ... much to like. This is a small point, but I'd flip-flop the washer/dryer and the folding cabinet. In our first house, the washer/dryer "backed up to" the living room, and I hated hearing thump-thump-thump of the dryer. I don't love the location of the laundry; it's not convenient to any of your three bedroom locations; this'll mean many steps back and forth. Four separate porches ... lovely, but do you have specific plans on how they'll be used? This is a very expensive feature. Where will your kids' swing set and sand box be placed? You want your outdoor area on that side of the house ... you're not likely to use the porch on the other side of the house. I'd do away with the small porch /door into the mudroom. I wouldn't want to funnel guests in through the laundry ... I'd want them to come to the front door, which would be visible from the parking area ... the front porch will be inviting, and with some nice flowers and landscaping, this could be a very nice welcoming spot for guests -- don't divide it with a second door. I like the look /concept of the scullery area in the kitchen, but I wonder how functional it'll be from a work standpoint -- just to say one thing, the sink is not convenient to the island at all, yet you're probably going to want to do your prep work on the island so you can watch the kids in the living room. Take it to the kitchen boards and see what they say. One thing I'd definitely do: You have a ton of cabinets /counter tops, but pantries are better storage -- cheaper too. I'd make the back side of the scullery -- the spot where the refrigerator is now -- into a large pantry. I don't care for the dining area. A table squished up against the island isn't appealing to me. The upstairs hallway is wide -- I know, it's the curved roof line that's making it so -- I'd do built-in storage of some sort. Shelves, cabinets, whatever. You're paying for this area -- make it work for you! Finally, this is a large house, and you'll soon have two babies. Are you sure you're ready for this much house at this point in your life? This much money, this much maintenance, this much time? Are you ok with a house where your living room and your kitchen and dining room will get absolutely no natural light because of the layout and porches? "Absolutely no natural light" is strongly worded. The rooms won't have beams of light pouring in, but neither will the rooms be dark caves. My great room is similar to this set-up, and it's not unpleasant in terms of light; incidentally, my windows face east. I'd add a window between the living room and the back porch to bring in light from two sides.