The easiest thing to change would be to eliminate that side patio. Move your closet and powder room to that side of the hall.

You can rework the laundry area to include a bench and a small pantry. And make the garage just a little longer (deeper). I also pulled the dining and living areas back just a bit.

Bumping out the sink/tub wall will give you room for more master closet space and a door to the hall from the master bath...and a basement door. The shower is still a bit small, but that seems to be okay for your plan.

Oh, and if you're going to park in the driveway, you might want to rethink that side window in the den. Maybe a higher window/Craftsman style? Just a few ideas :)

Maybe something like this for the window overlooking the driveway, in the den?

I agree with Lav. That side patio is useless. Biggest thing however is I'd try to get the master oriented to the rear. First floor masters oriented to the front tend to feel a little more closed in than those oriented to the back. You can put a private patio back there if you wish.

In part of the space where the master was can go another bedroom. If two more are upstairs that would fit well with a 1.5 story bungalow craftsman house. The concept sketch has the master behind the garage and the "drop off" room where that useless patio was.

Forget the two story spaces. Ok to have a ceiling break to define space but an 18' ceiling certainly isn't craftsman or bungalow or 1.5 story.

I'd suggest getting a creative person to look at it. Not only will you get closer to what you want, there's considerable "fat" in the plan that can result in significant cost savings if gone.

Good luck. Exciting times!!

ARG makes some excellent points!

I would make a change to the kitchen. Move the sink and dishwasher to the perimeter and add a larger window. Then keep the prep sink on the island. Much more functional!

And the garage/porte cochere....I would widen both of these. If you have a few extra feet, it would make a big difference. Cars today are big and under 20' in width is probably going to be very tight.

Have fun with the planning :)

Kirk - We have a 1.5 yr old, and hope to have more. But she took 10 years, so it may take another miracle.

Lifestyle - I work PT, but will go back FT. I can work at home a day or two a week, chained to a computer, both when FT and PT. (eww). DH works out of the home. Open floor plan is great, b/c I don't enjoy cooking, but try to eat healthy, and DH is partially deaf. OK, maybe not deaf (big maybe depending on the situation), but he DOES have hearing loss. Again, as children grow up, I want to be able to hear/maybe see what it is they are up to.

Lav - that's a great adjustments, that are simple and workable. Thanks!

Architectrunner guy - I hadn't even thought about moving the master. I def toyed with how to get a patio off the master. Well, that just solves everything. Let me work with that and see what I can do. I like the idea, just don't want the garage to be too far forward, or add sqft. Hmmm, you definitely gave me something to think about.

Thank you folks! This is exactly the thought process I needed to go through. Thanks for bouncing the ideas back!

If you want to move the master to the back....do you want to move the kids' bedroom(s) downstairs? If so, you can make the master a bedroom and bath and eliminate the powder room. Then move master suite behind the garage.

If you're not going to make the master another bedroom....and just want to move it behind the garage....you might need a different plan. What would you want to put in the hole that was the master suite? If you move the den and bath over....how do you access them with the stairs? More changes would have to be made...a little trickier :)

Desiree I think as long as the garage is set back somewhat from the front of the house, it will look fine.

Yeah, as I play with it, I find putting the master in back adds a whole new can of worms. I looked at lots of plans like that, and they're all the same result. The result would require a lot of extra sqft, acreage, and money we just don't have. That's what caught my eye about this plan. Its so different. I'm working with Lav's idea and bumping out the bath wall, just a bit. This will help maneuver some things.

I'm toying with the idea of adding 40" depth and putting a staircase between the utility room and the Great room, across from the kitchen. This depth would also add space in the bathroom/closet and I can rearrange there. I think it may also be best aesthetically.

I draw everything on paper, b/c I haven't found a good website. Not sure what everyone here uses. I have an appt next week with the builder and would like to show him something great to start with. Not something ho hum, and end up changing my mind. OK, but don't be mistaken, there WILL be changes!

" I find putting the master in back adds a whole new can of worms.The result would require a lot of extra sqft, acreage, and money we just don't have."

It won't do any of those things. I already said the house could lose a lot of fat....trust me here. But if a front master is a personal design preference that's perfectly ok, just call it that.

I call it ordering priorities. I deal with that all the time. Two story spaces are expensive, not only with initial construction, but environmental control over the years but if you want that, then "money we just don't have" will be available for that because you want two story spaces...perfectly ok too....but at the expense of something else.

Desiree- One thing I like about your plan is the den across from the master. This could be a nursery, especially with separate access from master bath. Then kids can go upstairs, when they're older....if you have more than one.

I know forum members are always saying it's better to have small children sleeping near the master bedroom. Nice to be close at that age :)

Could you just flip the whole plan? Guests enter into the great room (maybe add a transition space there) rather than next to the bedrooms. Absorb the patio into the other rooms

Variations of this plan are being built all around my neighborhood... http://www.architectsnw.com/plans/detailedPlanInfo.cfm?PlanId=1000

Officially, the master is upstairs (along with children's bedrooms). But, there is the bedroom, well equipped, downstairs should you need to have one floor living. Or, since you have the space, you can build the lower floor bedroom out a bit to make it a true (2nd) master.

Or, you could modify. As I mentioned, this plan is being built (in spades) in all kinds of variations in my area. (Here is a variation, smaller/narrower: http://www.thehousedesigners.com/plan/aries-5537/ From that link, you can choose other designs by that designer and get more variations (here is one that is 8' wider: http://www.thehousedesigners.com/plan/castella-5539/ ). I've been in many of these variations as they built a neighborhood of 18 of them immediately behind me. They live well for families. And will live well into retirement and beyond (if not be too large) too.

Edited to add... you can (and should) change the roofline on these to have craftsman characteristics. I've seen those here too.