skip to main content

Home Decorating

Looking for input on my floor plan

9 years ago

My husband and I are building a new home and we are looking for input on the design. I would really be interested in feedback.

I have attached the first floor layout here (fuzzy and hard to read), but you can download the detailed .JPG files through these links on my Amazon cloud storage:

First Floor
Second Floor

Likes? Dislikes? Concerns? Ideas? What do you think?

Thanks

Bea

This post was edited by bkamen on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 20:57

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

finallyhome
9 years ago
2 bathrooms on the 1st floor. Are you going to have a backyard with a pool that would need that second bath with outside access?
Pet peeve of mine: I would not want to take my dirty clothes anywhere near my food (i.e. through the pantry.)

Will you need to go around the dining room table to get to the family room?

Where will you be putting the TV?

Where Is the kitchen sink?

I would like a window over the sink in the kitchen.

Upstairs:

I would like an openable window where my toilet is in both the master and the 1 secondary bathrooms.

Is that a stackable laundry upstairs? I would want the larger laundry room upstairs near the bedrooms.

Closets might be on the small size in the secondary bedrooms.
bkamen
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi finallyhome -

Thanks for the feedback. Here are my answers to your questions (and keep them coming)...

Downstairs:

1. The house is situated on a lake (at the rear of the house). So, yes, the bathroom on the side is for folks who will be using the amenities from the outside.

2. That's an interesting point about the laundry. Didn't think about that *laugh*.

3. Yes, it will be necessary to walk around the dining area to get to the family room. What are your thoughts on that?

4. The TV in the family room will go above a low fireplace on the right hand wall at the box out. The fireplace is quite low so we don't strain our necks.

5. The kitchen sink will be in the island. I see what you mean about the window. Hmmm...

Upstairs:

1. Having openable windows in the bathrooms is something we like as well. The plan is to make the one over the master bathroom tub a casement window, but we would need to think about the smaller bathroom which isn't near an external wall.

2. Yes, that is a stackable laundry. I was thinking this one would be most useful to our house guests. Your thoughts?

3. Good point about the bedroom closets. We are just the two of us so we were thinking these would mostly be used for guests, but you raise a valid concern.

Anything else? Keep those ideas coming :)

Note: I have attached the layout for the second floor here as well for anyone who cannot access the links.
Related Discussions
Looking for some input on plan
Q
Comments (34)
oh cool THANKS !!!!! i can read the new one... very top ... is that 3 P. p. hoopsi??? dont see a scale.. but take a gander at the 3 pics below ... that was a one gal.. one foot hoopsi in 2003 .... the first pic is 2005 .... the second 2007 .. and the last is 2008 .... the darn things are weeds .... the trick is to go the the ACS site.. and find annual growth rates ... which on hoopsi should be about 18 inches.. and then base your spacing on such .... i just dont see how 3 hoopsi .... on your map ... wait.. i just looked again .. under 57' is one giant hoopsi .. and 3 waterfalls or something???? if so ... ignore the above... lol the point.. if i have one.. is to overspace your plants.. rather than jamming them in for immediate gratification.. especially in regard to conifers and trees ... and avoid powerlines with things with big potential ... over on the left.. you seem to have a rather small space for a sweetgum... is there a dwarf cultivar .. if not... it will be rather aggressive .... regardless.. again its all about annual growth rates .. i also see a french drain on the right .... are those plants chosen for water acceptability???? you also have a P strobus pendula... right next to the patio .... google the latin.. you might find some 50 footers .... you might want to look into a smaller weeper like mugo uncle fogey its all about growth rates.. instant gratification.. and the willingness to admit mistakes 5 or 10 years down the line.. when you have no other option than to remove something you paid a lot of money for.. because it is swallowing up a path.. a patio ... or green grass ... while at the ASC site ... look for the tutorial about the classifications of mini, dwarf intermediate and large plants .... I WISH YOU ALL THE LUCK IN THE WORLD .... failure is not an option.. but be fearless .... the worse thing that can happen.. is you succeed beyond your wildest dreams.. and the things grow like the weeds they are .... good luck ken ps: on way to delay the inevitable is to start with second year grafts.. in other words.. very small .. to eek out a few extra years of fun.. before you have to teach it a lesson .... perhaps invest in a few larger.. but blend in some smalls ... Here is a link that might be useful: link
...See More
Input on my floor plan
Q
Comments (12)
What you don't mention is the makeup of your family and where you're building. A few things. Starting upstairs. I agree with Mrspete that unless you're major socialites who change outfits 3x a day and own more than 300 pair of shoes, you don't need a 20' long closet. Your usable closet space is even more than 40' when you start using organizers. I would put windows on both outside walls in the two bedrooms upstairs. Always better for cross breezes if possible. Do you really need two sinks in the shared bath? More storage would probably be better than the two sinks. Here's my thoughts regarding large sitting areas in bedrooms. Most people never use them. They look nice but are not used much. And if you do use it, how often? I'm a firm believer in building for how one actually lives and not how one thinks they might live if they had the time, etc. Personally if it was me, I'd eliminate the exercise room and move the exercise room to the sitting area and close it off with some nice doors. However if you are one of the people who would use it, then definitely keep it. If not, would the space be better allocated elsewhere, or even better eliminated completely? Downstairs: I strongly agree with mrspete regarding Grandma and the laundry. Even if she's capable now, it may not always be so as she ages. Make it as easy as possible for her. Additionally I agree about the tub. She needs a curbless shower. I'm not thrilled about the layout of the bath/dressing area either. I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to have closets on either side of a hallway leading to the bathroom for grandma. Additionally I'd move the entry to grandma's suite up towards the great room. I also agree with mrspete that grandma needs a door to the outside for safety reasons. You have a large house, but you have an office that is barely big enough to turn around in? Are you in the south? If not, that's a small coat closet in the front hall. Based on the size of your great room and keeping room, I'm guessing you do a lot of entertaining. Wouldn't you want a larger coat closet for your guests? Normally I'm not a fan of two islands but in this case I think it works fine. What is the room below Grandma's bathroom? Lastly a plan doesn't work in a vacuum. Do you have elevations?
...See More
Floor Plan Input
Q
Comments (17)
For resale, I'd rather have that third bathroom in place of a closet sized Project Room. Otherwise, I think the plan is overall OK. - swap the linen and toilet in master bath. - as previously mentioned, change the project room into a bathroom. And keep the bathroom opening into the bedroom, not opposite your master bedroom door. - I would not want my only backyard door to be sliders in the nook. Once you put a table in there, it will be tight. - Kitchen layout could use some tweaking. Post it on the Kitchen forum for ideas. - Definitely orient the house so the great room faces south. A north facing room with a covered porch outside will be very dark. Our house has our office on the north side with a covered porch and it's dark. We don't mind since it's an office and my DH wanted a view to the street while he's working. Our great room faces south with big windows and it's bright most of the day.
...See More
Floor plan input for Reno
Q
Comments (8)
$300K sounds like a lot of money, but an addition and a kitchen remodel (is a bathroom remodel part of the upstairs addition?) will eat that up and more. You need to engage an architect to get a workable plan. If it were me, I would start using the dining room for an office and hope interest rates head down in a couple years so you can move. Unless the neighborhood has particular appeal for you, moving might be the best solution. Be careful not to overimprove or overspend on remodeling such that you end up with a house that is worth less than what you have put into it. We went down this path with our first house and ended up moving instead, and I loved that neighborhood. What we wanted could not be achieved in a way that made sense financially.
...See More
dilly_ny
9 years ago
What an amazing dining room and family room. I can see that's been your focus.

There's a few things that glare at me. The powder room opens directly into your beautiful dining room. Laundry gets carried thru the pantry.

The L shaped island seems awkward. Where do you plan to put stools?I don't think the sink in the island is ideal for your space. If you place the dishwasher on the island next to the sink, facing the pantry, you will have major traffic problems when the dishwasher is open.

I can't tell where your fridge is- what is to the right of the pantry door?

I suggest you post your layout in the kitchen forum and I'm sure you'll get some wonderful suggestions.
bkamen
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi dilly_ny -

Thanks for the feedback. You're right! The dining and family rooms are something we wanted to keep open, but we're also open to suggestion :) Let me see if I can answer your questions...

1. We've heard a number of folks mention the laundry/pantry being a concern for the same reasons so it sounds like that's going to need to change.

2. We designed the L-shaped island so that we would have a serving area (the small part of the 'L') face the rear door. We were thinking stools would go inside the 'L', but I can see it could be a bit cramp.

3. That's an interesting point about the dishwasher. We actually have the dishwasher in this location in our current house and we have noticed traffic issues when the dishwasher is open.

4. The fridge is currently to the right of the pantry door as you indicated. I don't think it is to scale at the moment.

That's an excellent idea about posting to the kitchen forum. Will definitely do that!

Bea
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
9 years ago
I would eliminate a portion of the island that appears a bit awkward.
Annie Deighnaugh
9 years ago
First comment is the balance of the house seems off to me...by that I mean, there is excess space devoted to storage and utility functions (large pantry, large laundry, extra laundry, extra baths, oversized garage, 2nd staircase) and a lot of "cubic footage" (lots of "open to below" which is cubic footage, not sq footage that all needs to be heated and cooled) relative to the size of the overall house.

I too question the kitchen layout and the sink location.

The dining room is not only in the middle of the traffic flow but will not feel very nice for dining as it's far from intimate or cozy...rather it's like eating in a foyer. I know you want wow factor, but think about wow when you see it, and then wow when you have to live with it...there are ways to be more subtle with your wow that you may find more livable, and I'm thinking you want to maximize the lake front view....

I see a deck off the back. Will there be a lower level? If so, the deck will make the lower level rooms much darker...

I wouldn't want to carry groceries that far from the garage to the kitchen. I'm also not a fan of sending guests to the garage to use a powder room...or through a store room to get to the other bathroom. I'm also not a fan of doors to the outside being part of a bathroom if it can be avoided.

Upstairs, for my DH, the pot is too far from the bed and who is going to get bumped in the butt when someone is at the sink while someone else is going into the pot.

Think too about noise transmission from below to above with all the open balcony space...

Related Stories

LIVING ROOMS Lay Out Your Living Room: Floor Plan Ideas for Rooms Small to Large

By Charmean Neithart Interiors

Take the guesswork — and backbreaking experimenting — out of furniture arranging with these living room layout concepts

DECORATING GUIDES 9 Ways to Define Spaces in an Open Floor Plan

By Toronto Interior Design Group

Look to groupings, color, angles and more to keep your open plan from feeling unstructured

KITCHEN OF THE WEEK Kitchen of the Week: Good Flow for a Well-Detailed Chicago Kitchen

By Jeannie Matteucci

A smart floor plan and a timeless look create an inviting kitchen in a narrow space for a newly married couple

REMODELING GUIDES Laminate Floors: Get the Look of Wood (and More) for Less

See what goes into laminate flooring and why you just might want to choose it

REMODELING GUIDES How to Read a Floor Plan

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

If a floor plan's myriad lines and arcs have you seeing spots, this easy-to-understand guide is right up your alley

DECORATING GUIDES Things Are Looking Up for Artistic Floors

Why should walls get all the glory? Pleasing rug patterns and dramatic inlay details make for eye-catching statements underfoot

BEDROOMS Styling Your Bedroom: The Corner Bed Floor Plan

By Shawn Gauthier

Put the bed in the corner for a whole new angle on your furniture arrangement

REMODELING GUIDES The Open Floor Plan: Creating a Cohesive Space

By Jason Ball Interior Design

Connect Your Spaces With a Play of Color, Materials and Subtle Accents

DECORATING GUIDES How to Combine Area Rugs in an Open Floor Plan

Carpets can artfully define spaces and distinguish functions in a wide-open room — if you know how to avoid the dreaded clash

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: 5 Ways to Make Your Open Floor Plan Cozier

Wood furniture, textural rugs, modern pendants and more to bring an intimate feel to your space

Sponsored

Shylee Grossman Interiors

Industry Leading Interior Designers & Decorators in Franklin County

More Discussions

Mantle Mirror Ideas

6

Living room decorating ideas

15

Looking to hear about experiences with Interior Define

1

turn big table into smaller

9

how to make this wall a focal point?

0