Hi, just to add, we have also asked our architect to keep all drawings rudimentary right now so that money is not being spent on overly detailed drawings. Really hope my wife and I get a lot of response through this forum. Thanks :)

My first thoughts are: there is mudroom or anywhere for storage at the garage entry and that is one expensive plan to build! But, if money is no object, I like how the master wing is separate...there will be lots of light in that area. But that hallway to get there is super long....that's gotta be like 100 sq foot at least right there.

You have two mirror-image living rooms. Are both of them necessary?

Thank you for the comments, we are overwhelmed by the helpfulness of your responses.

@bpathome

Our twin daughters as well as my husband and I will be living in the house.

We plan on having a place for both his parents and my parents in the basement underneath the kids rooms. Which largely contributed to the Elevator being placed near the entrance way, just under the right side of the kitchen and beside the bathroom (marked with a red X)

We plan on entertaining as well, which is why we have focused on the great views that this property has to offer illustrated by the photo uploaded which also pictures our mighty Canadian winters (just 1 hour north of Toronto). The photo is looking Northwest, but more West than North

The two rooms the flank the entry are: Laundry room (on the left hand side) and a mud room (on the right hand side - separating the front hallway from the garage).

There is no formally designate dining room, as we don't really use the room too much in our current house and feel that the bowed room would serve as both our regular kitchen eatery and dining area.

[https://www.houzz.com/photos/comfortable-luxury-eclectic-dining-room-charleston-phvw-vp~819528[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/comfortable-luxury-eclectic-dining-room-charleston-phvw-vp~819528)

Your help through comments, suggestions, and opinions are greatly appreciated so please keep them coming :)

@Michelle

As mentioned in the reply to @bpathome, the mud room (on the right hand side - separating the front hallway from the garage) flanks the right side of the hallway while the Laundry room (on the left hand side) flanks the left hand side.

Thank you for the comments on the master wing, we enjoyed that as well since it will also provide for a courtyard to be setup

[https://www.houzz.com/photos/arbor-oaks-concord-nc-traditional-pool-charlotte-phvw-vp~241236[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/arbor-oaks-concord-nc-traditional-pool-charlotte-phvw-vp~241236)

And yes there will definitely be lots of light as the sun hits the back of the house at the optimum time.

Just opened the drawing, to calculate the square footage in the hallway and you are right there is approximately 300 square feet in the hallway but we hope that it turns out to look similar to a combination of two other hallways on Houzz we've stumbled across (minus the barrelled ceiling):

[https://www.houzz.com/photos/hallway-phvw-vp~25792910[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/hallway-phvw-vp~25792910)

[https://www.houzz.com/photos/hallway-phvw-vp~25792920[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/hallway-phvw-vp~25792920)

Please continue to provide comments as they are greatly appreciated so please keep them coming :)

@jn3344

The two rooms, I assume you are referring to, are those which flank the entry area being the Laundry room (on the left hand side) and a mud room (on the right hand side - separating the front hallway from the garage). So both are required.

Thanks for the questions, please keep them coming :)

Just a couple of things.

First, I am a big fan of hallways so I love the idea of an architectually significant hallway. But then I hate the idea of tucking it away so that it is not a feature of the house. It will never be visible from the common areas, because you have to open a door and turn a corner to see it. I would personally move it back to the hallway beside your kitchen, open it up so that it can be seen as people travel from the entrance to the living room areas.

Next, I don't like the mirror image living rooms. It will be fabulous when you are entertaining and you open up those doors and the conversation just flows from one to the other. But on the other hand it will be a giant problem if one room is watching anything with explosions while the other room watches a romantic comedy. That sound that flows so smoothly from one room to the other when you are entertaining will also be flowing from one room to the other when you are not. Also remember, all great parties end up in the kitchen anyway...

I really like the suggestion about the hallway @bry911 and will definitely bring it up in the next meeting with the architect :)

I now understand what everyone is referring to by mirrored living rooms and can understand the confusion that the two rooms create. The living room on the left (inside the house), will function as a traditional living room, while the living room on the right (covered patio / muskoka room) will function as an exterior room where you can simply curl up with a nice book and read in the comfort of a picturesque setting in the country. These two rooms will not share a fireplace but rather have two separate fireplaces back-to-back as the living room on the right will not have HVAC (Heating will come from the fireplace in the winter, and in the summer months the windows (magic wall) will open up to allow for cross ventilation.
Magic Wall: http://www.magicwindow.ca/the-revolutionary-window-wall/

Once again, thanks for the suggestion @bry911. I hope it's the first of many :)

Love your plan.....think it will be awesome! The only thing I would want to ensure is that the front entry doesn't look cavernous. There are two long walls on both sides that have no entries or light. Hopefully you can make that area nice & bright. Also, I'm trying to understand the garage configurations, but perhaps I can't really tell by the picture.

Thank you @Stephanie Sims_Arnold I was thinking the same thing and will definitely have to discuss with the architect a means of brighten up the entrance as you elegantly mention.

Their is actually two garages:

1. Attached to the house - 2 car

2. Separated from the house - 4 cars (which we'll also keep our lawn tractor in).

Each of these garage is accessed through a porte-cochere and we hope that it will provide us with a similar look to: https://www.houzz.com/photos/private-residences-country-french-traditional-exterior-dallas-phvw-vp~1426560

Please keep the comments coming :)

I would eliminate the bump-out on the 4 car garage. If you need the extra space make the entire thing bigger and do a uniform front. No matter what you do parking is going to be a pain. I am sure you will be able to park but it will take a significant amount of maneuvering to hit that first garage spot, since you are going to have to pull past the garage, reverse to line up and then enter the garage. You don't want to make it any worse by having a bump out that interferes with that effort to line up.

Another great point @bry911 the separated garage would be better off without the bump out.

Regarding maneuvering into the separated garage, I feel that (although admittedly hard to tell on the drawing uploaded) with 25ft to maneuver and with our vehicles both possessing a tighter turning circle than a Hummer H1 which is one of the largest vehicles at 50ft we should be okay.

That's providing I understand the terminology correctly, do you happen to have any knowledge on turning circles / turning radius's because mine is very basic? Otherwise, we are in the predicament that you describe in your most recent post which is not one we favour.

I'd just like to thank you for returning to this conversation and reviewing things again. Every comment makes a difference and provides us with something else to look at and review.

Once again, thank you.

We went through so many house designs, that I can't even begin to count them. But one thing I did learn is, there's no way to cut sq footage without cutting the sq footage....so either you give up extra space and functionality, or you don't and live with the extra size and expense.

BTW, gorgeous view!