It sounds like you've checked out the 'major' internet listings, so I think you need to ask yourself, and/or tell us, - what doesn't work for you in these plans? What are you hoping for when you say you want an 'open concept'?

I would suggest visuallizing your day-to-day lives in your dream home, and perhaps sketch how those rooms align in relation to each other. Then either review plans (again) to see which are close, or consider working with an architect/designer to come up with something custom?

I do know a few people on here are pretty good at digging up plans - but for that it'll definitely help to understand your needs and wants for a future home a bit better.

Most of the house plans have the secondary bedrooms about the same size. Why would you want one really small. Regardless if you use it as a guest bed or an office/den area, you want the room large enough to be useful. So I wouldn't make that a make/break on a house plan.

Can the bonus space be downstairs in a finished basement?

Your list is pretty generic (everyone wants curb appeal) and it seems to me there ought to be plenty of plans out there that would meet those criteria. So I think you need to be more specific about your needs/wants...is there a particular exterior style? The exterior styling can often be changed simply by trim, roof pitch, column shape, etc. So don't let that be a stumbling block for your house plan.

You also might want to go see model homes or condos. They often have floor plans of their models and by being in and seeing the space, it may help you nail down what it is you want. It may be there's a disconnect between what you're seeing in a floor plan sketch and what the space would actually look like in 3d.

There is only one architect in my county. I live in a very rural/poor county, so open houses and current builds are over an hour away. All the homes here look virtually the same. I want a foyer. I have not found a plan yet that has a foyer. They either open to a dining room, which I do not want or they have you entering directly into the great room. I want the layout to be rectangular like the picture I posted so that I can look directly from the kitchen into the dining area and living room. I want the living room to have built ins and a fireplace on one wall. The recommendation to have two normal size bedrooms makes sense. I just don't need a third bedroom other than for resale. I do need his and hers walk in closets in the master and I would like at least one of the guest bedrooms to have walk ins as well. I would never want an office, so I could convert it to a music room. I would prefer that my bonus area be above a garage due to cost, but I am not ruling out a basement at all. I live in the south, so I want a southern style house plan with lots of character. I've attached an exterior photo of a home near my work that I am in love with for your reference. Thanks for your help. At this point, I've looked at thousands of plans. HELP! HELP! HELP! Please help before I go insane.

This post was edited by jennifer704 on Sun, Dec 21, 14 at 11:07

Have you tried Garrell Associates? Their plans can be found online. One of the plans that is offered is the Nantahala, it is sold under various names depending on options. The variations include different square footage, optional finished basements, different number of bedrooms on the main floor, a flexible second floor, etc.

We found these plans to be very open and they offered many of the options we were looking for, such as extra bedrooms in a finished basement. We are building a variation of the Acosta Cottage. We had it modified to make it even more open by removing the refrigerator wall between the kitchen and the lodge room. We also removed the tub from the middle of the master bathroom, etc. You can even find several blogs dedicated to these plans so you can see how people have had them modified including on Gardenweb. Good Luck!

:-( I just looked in my square footage range (1800-2100) and I did not see anything that would remotely fit my desires, but they do have nice plans. This is the type of great room I desire. It is rectangular in shape and you can see directly from the kitchen to the living area. You can also tell that this design has some type of foyer. I want my living areas to be directly in front of each other. I do not want to look at house plans that have a dining room on the side when you walk in. I want all of those spaces to be together. Thanks for all your help guys.

This post was edited by jennifer704 on Sun, Dec 21, 14 at 11:35

That's a very pretty room. Very similar to my house. Your expectations and square footage requirements are not completely compatible. That great room you've pictured is 900 square foot minimum and I bet the house 3000+ square feet. My first floor could meet your requirements with a little modification but it's 3000 square feet.

Most 1950's ranches around here are 2000 square feet 3 bedroom 2 baths. However the secondary bedroom are pretty small 11x 11 and 12 x 12 and none of the closets are walk in. They are all reach in. Plus the master bath is tiny 5x8. It's very functional- I lived in such a house for 7 years. So I think you will need to reduce your wish list, increase square footage or engage an architect.

This one ticks most of the boxes and if you don't need an office/den you could convert it to a bedroom and re-configure the entry? The living area is smaller though. With the sq footage constraints I think it will be tough to find a stock plan that is good to go without modifications.

Visbeen Amherst

edit: I think this one would work better for you:
Visbeen Cambria

You could use the basement for extra space and daylight or walkout depending on your lot.

This post was edited by Autumn.4 on Sun, Dec 21, 14 at 14:00

I would just warn you about two elements in your plan. Having the sink in the island facing the living area exposes all of the mess. It may look fine in pictures like those above, but add the sponge and detergent, not to mention the pots and dishes, and you have a different scene. I would also think through how you will have privacy with large windows facing the curb. What kind of view do you want to have from inside looking out? Will you need to insulate the windows?

The great rooms/kitchens/eating spaces in your inspiration pics are already at the size limit that you are looking for. You need to rescale your wants or upscale the budget to build what you're showing.

Yes, I agree. The pictures you show aren't from 2,000 square foot homes. 2,000 square foot homes typically don't offer this feature. See if an architect can draw a custom plan for you.

If it were me, though, I'd NEVER want a three-room-open-space like that. Noisy, non-private, and messy. I have good friends who are just about to move into their newly-constructed home which has a space like that, and I hate it.

But if that's what you like, go for it.

I don't see much wrong with the plans suggested by Autumn.4. With an interior designer or a good bit a creativity, those spaces could be really nice even if they are not as large as those in the inspiration pics. The exteriors might need some tweaking to look more Southern but everything else on your wish list is there.

I would encourage you to look at the Cambria plan that Autumn posted above--it has many of the things you want and is within your space goal. You could leave the basement unfinished, or not have one at all. You could also look into the possibility of adding a bonus space over the garage. Then you should post the plan on the kitchen forum for help with that layout. There are ways to make the sink in the island work for you.
Good luck!

Here is another one to look at

Here is a link that might be useful: Don Garner

Thanks for all your help. All of you have offered good advice. I think I am back on the original plan I selected, which does have the dining room separate. Please tell me what you think.

Here is a link that might be useful: House Plan

Here is another plan I have saved, but I think I like the first one better.

Here is a link that might be useful: House Plan - 2nd Choice

Did you take a look at the Golding by Don Gardner that junco posted? That one really appears to meet your requirements.

Hey there! I just looked at your first choice... why not simply flip the kitchen and dining space and then you could have all the spaces in front of one another like you envision. Just a little tweaking and you could have what you want.
Just asking...... have you ever had this kind of set up? If someone is relaxing having coffee after dinner and then someone wants to watch the TV and then someone is clunking around the kitchen - just be ready for noise factor. Not trying to sway you but to actually have some real experience with the set up. My sister has it.... no doubt it looks amazing. But... the kids wanted to watch TV and I wanted to have coffee and some quiet and I thought I was going to lose my mind with all the busy-ness going on. I actually took my dessert and coffee out on the porch for some relaxation. The house was chaotic every minute as we were always all on top of one another. I am just giving you my opinion, I wish you the best of luck hon with your build.

Colieennc - I built an open plan where the living, breakfast room, and kitchen were all together. Our dining room was in another space by the entry. We loved that plan. Yes, it did get loud at times. We had to sale that home due to my husband getting another job. We decided to purchase a house that was more closed off. Well, that didn't work out too well. We would scream across the house to speak to each other, lol. After three years, we still hate having our kitchen separate. We just sold and are ready to find a more open plan. I think I will keep the dining room separate now, because I can picture my daughter leaving all her junk on the dining room table and things looking messy. Plus, I have a formal dining room set which includes a china cabinet and china that my grandmother left me and a very nice gold mirror my other grandmother left me that is worth several thousand dollars. I also have three formal sets of china that I would like to display between seasons. So, I think I will lose the formal factor if I put the dining space in the den. My husband and mother have been the ones that have pushed me to find a totally open plan that includes the dining room. I just really wanted the kitchen and den to be open. I do not want a breakfast room.

You might take a look at the Sarah Susanka Not So Big House books for ideas. She's big into open concept spaces that use architectural elements to make the space feel more separate. She's also big on an "away" space so people can go be quiet and get away from the busy space.

Here is a link that might be useful: Susanka home plans

If you built a plan before and loved it, why don't you just build it again? Save yourself the trouble of finding something new. Just take the plans and build it.

I know this sounds crazy, but I was very emotionally attached to the old house. I don't think I can build it again without going through lots of emotions.

You will be best served by engaging an architect to design a plan for your site and family's needs.

I am in the process of developing such a plan. I have attached what I have so far and have asked in another discussion for comments on it. You are free to use it! Unlike some, I prefer privacy in the bedrooms, not doorways leading to the main living space.

We have the great room concept you describe in our 2400 sq. foot home, but we do have smaller bedrooms than a lot of folks here would like.

FWIW, I suspect part of the reason you aren't finding the great room layout you're looking for is that it's not usually done in a one level home. One level homes are usually divided in thirds with the outside thirds devoted to bedrooms (master and garage on one side, secondary bedrooms on the other) and the center third is the living area. The kitchen tends to be put in the center, so living and dining areas can have windows.

It's not a one level home, but this seems like a pretty close fit to what you're looking for:

Here is a link that might be useful: Lake Cottage House plans

Also check out Moser Design Group. Many of their plans are of the type of great room you're looking for and have southern charm. They also have tons of options in the size you're seeking.

Here is a link that might be useful: Moser Design Group Plans

This post was edited by oakenacres on Sat, Dec 27, 14 at 9:40