Please help!! ideas needed to improve these rough draft plans

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

lmackles's Ideas · More Info

My husband and I are building our first custom home and are in the beginning stages of The house plans. Our builder also designs house plans and is designing ours. This is the first rough draft we recieved.

lmackles's Ideas · More Info

The house will be 4 bedroom/ 3 bath and we do not want to exceed 3000 sq ft under beam/ 2400 sq ft living. Two bedrooms and a bathroom will be upstairs. I do want an open concept.

A few changes my husband and I are discussing is flipping the location of the kitchen and living room so the kitchen will be parallel with the dining room and doing away with the breakfast area.

The master bedroom is on the small side for a master but that was my choice.

I would love feedback on the plans as well as any advice and ideas. We are currently under our max sq footage before getting rid of the breakfast area so have a little room to play.

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Comments (7)

bpath
8 years ago
A few questions: do you have children? Ages? Pets? What is the climate where you are? Just checking because that will drive some of my thoughts.

In the meantime, there seems to be a lot of wasted space in the angled master bath, yet the closet seems small for two people, and I'd worry about the shower door bumping things when you reach for your towel, which is...where?

Bedroom two is kind of a convoluted walk from its bathroom, and that bathroom's tub will be kind of expensive, with it's own jog and all. If you are in a cold climate (though it doesn't look like you are), that tub will be icy!

My laundry room is a little longer than yours because it also has a sink, same width, and it's too narrow. I wish for another foot in width.

If the upstairs bath will be shared, can you make it a little bigger for a little bigger vanity?
lisa
Original Author
8 years ago
I do have children. Ages 5, 8, 13 and we will not be having more. We are in Louisiana so, very warm muggy climate. I have also thought about the master closet being too small.
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lisa
Original Author
8 years ago
We do not currently have pets but do plan to have a dog once we have moved in.
bpath
8 years ago
Just curious...is the house in a geometric warp, or did the draftsman flip the upstairs?
chisue
8 years ago
Too Many Hallways!

Do you plan to use the secondary BR on the first floor as a study/office? Is that why you have a tub in the bathroom on this floor? (Quite a hike.) If this is the family powder room, sink and toilet will do.

Where will your children play or have friends visit?

I'd skip the formal DR and enlarge the "Breakfast Room" -- which is the "All Meals Room" in my house. You are right that this open plan does not need *both*, but I'd prefer an enlarged family eating space.

One you subtract the 'walk through' space from it, the LR is very small.

Back Hall is too much 'hall' and too little "Family Entrance" and "Laundry". Where's the laundry/slop tub? (My house rules permit no dog that will not fit into this tub.) Where's the laundry chute? No door to the back/side yard here?

Don't waste outside walls on closets. Do put windows in at least two walls of every room that can have them.

Yes to larger bathroom on second floor. Does one house need three tubs?

SMALL, strung-out Kitchen; might be enough upper cabinets IF there were a pantry. (I'd rather have the cabinets.) Wasted space between end of kitchen and front BR.

Rotate the MBR 90 degrees. Put closet(s) between it and bathroom. MBR to Closet to Bathroom in one rectangle.
bpath
8 years ago
Warm and humid, so where will your guests drop their umbrellas and hats? No closet for rain jackets and caps?

It might be nice to have a door by the laundry room for Fido, and a sink for those muddy days. In fact, maybe a slightly roomier side entry altogether? For coming in with backpacks, etc?

You don't have basements in LA, do you? Do you have room to store seasonal decor, school supplies, bulk shopping (like TP!)? With 2 or 3 kids using the upstairs bathroom, you will definitely want more counterspace (but not two sinks) and storage. When they start with makeup, deo, orthodontia, hair, shaving, etc, they need MORE space for all those devices.

What if,you move Bedroom 3 upstairs and put the kitchen in its place?
Architectrunnerguy
8 years ago
Double post. Some of what's been said above has already been said here:

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/please-helpadvise-ideas-about-the-plans-dsvw-vd~3266406[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/please-helpadvise-ideas-about-the-plans-dsvw-vd~3266406)

Please help!! ideas needed to improve these rough draft plans

Comments (7)

bpath

lisa
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Please help!! ideas needed to improve these rough draft plans

Comments (7)

bpath

lisaOriginal Author

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lisaOriginal Author

bpath

chisue

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Architectrunnerguy

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lisa
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lisa
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