I'm coming in late, but I see a lot of small things that could be improved:

- I totally agree with the majority here on the laundry location. Laundry is a never-ending, thankless chore, and the topic is not over-blown. Why build, if you aren't maximizing function and making your life easier?

- I do like J&J baths, but I don't like this one. Three doors in a bathroom is this size is overkill, and the layout has two major issues: 1) Two doors conflict, meaning that the person in the back bedroom must enter the sink room and close the door before reaching the toilet-tub room. 2) Imagine you're in the toilet-tub room ... where do you stand to close the door? Your two options are in the tub or on the toilet, and neither is a good choice. Potty training in this maze of a bathroom would be awful. Simplify the bathroom into a simple three-piece bath, and it'll work better. I also agree with the posters who say that kids never use the sink at the same time; by cutting down to one sink, you allow them to have ample drawers on both sides of the sink ... and storage trumps an unnecessary second sink every time.

- Since you say that you don't currently have children /may only have one /rarely entertain ... I'd make the secondary bedroom's bath into a hall bath and skip the powder room altogether. In the same vein, you say you don't entertain much but are devoting a whole dining room to entertaining -- does that make sense?

- The breakfast room is nice and convenient from the kitchen ... but the
dining room is another story altogether. Threading your way across the
hall and through that angled butler's pantry is going to be so much
trouble that you won't use the dining room.

- The family room will be a lovely spot with all those windows ... but reaching it means threading your way through the kitchen or past the breakfast table. Not ideal.

- The great strength of a U-shaped kitchen is that a single cook can turn and reach everything in a small space ... but if you put an island INSIDE the U, you create a little rat's maze that'll always place you across the island from what you need. I see what you're trying to do: You're trying to maximize counterspace, but you shouldn't do that at the cost of walking space. This is a bad kitchen.

- I would look at flip-flopping the pantry and the back bedroom's closet. This would place the pantry near the garage entry, meaning you don't have to traipse the length of the kitchen carrying grocery bags.

- I'd also flip-flop the near-garage bedroom's closet and the garage closet. This would make no difference in the garage, but it would place the bedroom's closet directly ahead of the bedroom door and would make for better furniture placement.

- I'd go with pocket doors on the master bedroom closets. Otherwise, half your stuff'll be hidden away behind the door, meaning you'll have to enter the closet (with your hands full of clean clothes), shut the door and turn on the light to reach your stuff.

- I'd rather have a larger, nicer shower and lose some of that walkway to the bathroom /to the sinks.

- I also agree that while an up-front-snout garage is sometimes a necessary evil on a small city lot, you can have a more attractive house by spreading it out.

- I also agree about the oversized roof. They are "a thing" lately, and I just don't get it.

Buehl thanks for the suggestions!

1. Unfortunately the laundry room is staying put, but I do like the idea of separating the mudroom portion and actual laundry room. We could possibly add a wall separating the two. Originally the idea to avoid that would just have a hamper nearby that all the laundry would be in so by just walking by you wouldn't see anything. but we all know how that goes haha I'm sure clothes will find their way out into the open.

2. And I will be visiting the kitchen forum soon to discuss appliance layout, etc.

3. The interior angles are being worked on as we speak.

4. The second BR is 6' wide, do you still think that's too small for 2 sinks? I like the idea of rotating the shower/toilet though. I'll need to draw it out and see how everything fits.

5.

Other comments/questions:

• Do you need both a Breakfast Nook and a Dining Room? The dining room is mainly there for formal gatherings and resell. The breakfast room will be used 99% of the time.

• The Dining Room seems a bit far from the Kitchen: The bulter pantry provides a direct route right into the dining room, so I don't feel that's an issue.
  

• Pantry...I'm with you, I'd much rather have it open into the Kitchen where it's usable instead of into a room that has no need for it! You potentially have plenty of counterspace, so I don't see any need to sacrifice functionality. I'd also like it to be more accessible from the family entrance where most likely groceries will be brought in (which I assume is the garage). I would consider switching the Pantry & Bedroom 2's closet. That would allow you to have a door to the pantry from near the garage and still have a door in the Kitchen : That's an excellent suggestion, We'll probably end up swapping the two.

Thanks mrspete!

I'm coming in late, but I see a lot of small things that could be improved:

- I totally agree with the majority here on the laundry location. Laundry is a never-ending, thankless chore, and the topic is not over-blown. Why build, if you aren't maximizing function and making your life easier? We'll have to agree to disagree here, it's some distance away but it's also a huge laundry/mud room so I like the trade off. It's too late to make a change that big now nor do I want too.

- I do like J&J baths, but I don't like this one. Three doors in a bathroom is this size is overkill, and the layout has two major issues: 1) Two doors conflict, meaning that the person in the back bedroom must enter the sink room and close the door before reaching the toilet-tub room. 2) Imagine you're in the toilet-tub room ... where do you stand to close the door? Your two options are in the tub or on the toilet, and neither is a good choice. Potty training in this maze of a bathroom would be awful. Simplify the bathroom into a simple three-piece bath, and it'll work better. I also agree with the posters who say that kids never use the sink at the same time; by cutting down to one sink, you allow them to have ample drawers on both sides of the sink ... and storage trumps an unnecessary second sink every time. Excellent suggestions here

- Since you say that you don't currently have children /may only have one /rarely entertain ... I'd make the secondary bedroom's bath into a hall bath and skip the powder room altogether. In the same vein, you say you don't entertain much but are devoting a whole dining room to entertaining -- does that make sense? Well a second child is probably enevitable so I'd like to keep it planned for 2. I can see how entertaining and not entertaining can be contradictary but i guess the best way to explain it is "inconsistent"? Meaning we'll entertain a lot and then have a dry spell for months on end. We planned the home to be flexible in that regard.

- The breakfast room is nice and convenient from the kitchen ... but the dining room is another story altogether. Threading your way across the hall and through that angled butler's pantry is going to be so much trouble that you won't use the dining room. We've debated eliminating the butlers pantry for stairs that lead to a bonus room.

- The family room will be a lovely spot with all those windows ... but reaching it means threading your way through the kitchen or past the breakfast table. Not ideal. Can't have everything near the entrance so something has to give.

- The great strength of a U-shaped kitchen is that a single cook can turn and reach everything in a small space ... but if you put an island INSIDE the U, you create a little rat's maze that'll always place you across the island from what you need. I see what you're trying to do: You're trying to maximize counterspace, but you shouldn't do that at the cost of walking space. This is a bad kitchen. The island on the plan is just for potential reference, it'll most likely not make it to the final build.

- I would look at flip-flopping the pantry and the back bedroom's closet. This would place the pantry near the garage entry, meaning you don't have to traipse the length of the kitchen carrying grocery bags. I agree here.

- I'd also flip-flop the near-garage bedroom's closet and the garage closet. This would make no difference in the garage, but it would place the bedroom's closet directly ahead of the bedroom door and would make for better furniture placement. I agree here as well.

- I'd go with pocket doors on the master bedroom closets. Otherwise, half your stuff'll be hidden away behind the door, meaning you'll have to enter the closet (with your hands full of clean clothes), shut the door and turn on the light to reach your stuff. That's a good suggestion with good reason. I just dispise pocket doors, hence why there's not any on the plans.

- I'd rather have a larger, nicer shower and lose some of that walkway to the bathroom /to the sinks. That comes down to bigger closets or bigger shower.

- I also agree that while an up-front-snout garage is sometimes a necessary evil on a small city lot, you can have a more attractive house by spreading it out. That comes down to personal perfereance, around here a huge bulky garage is an plus.

- I also agree about the oversized roof. They are "a thing" lately, and I just don't get it. It looks like we'll end up with a bonus room so perhaps it'll be justified.

A comment about the 20x20 great room.

I drew it out so you understand what the poster before was talking about. Because of the necessary aisles, the room isn't 20x20. In fact, if you use 3' aisles, your really down to about 14x14... And I'd feel like you want bigger aisles really.

The Yellow box below is about the only place for furniture (or music stuff like piano, chairs, etc)

A solution to gain more space would be to dump the french doors and move to one or two single doors aligned with the vertical aisles that are essentially required for circulation. You could then have furniture all the way to the wall between the doors.

Keep working on that roof. Yikes.

And the other thing I thought of right away was pocket doors on the master closets. And I'd get rid of the toilet compartment door, but that's entirely because I dislike them.

Agree with everyone on the J/J bath.

The Breakfast nook is functionally small with that aisle going through it to the family room. But for two people I think it will work out fine.

Good luck

That's a good suggestion with good reason. I just dispise pocket doors, hence why there's not any on the plans.

How about no doors? I'd rather have that than standard hinge doors, which will be a constant headache in this location.

hat comes down to bigger closets or bigger shower.

Well, no. Any number of possibilities are possible within this square footage. Instead of losing closet space, you could lose the half bath ... or the excess space required for splitting the two sinks ... or the second sink. You're not forced to choose between bigger closets or bigger shower at all.

That comes down to personal perfereance, around here a huge bulky garage is an plus.

Respectfully, no. A big, bulky garage may be commonplace in your neighborhood, but it is not a positive for the overall look of the house.Goes back to the old thing your mom used to say: "If everyone jumped off a cliff ..."

It looks like we'll end up with a bonus room so perhaps it'll be justified.

Serious question: You're building a house with a great room, a family room, and an office -- in addition to generous bedrooms. Do you really need a bonus room, or is it simply a justification for the roof?

4. The second BR is 6' wide, do you still think that's too small for 2
sinks? I like the idea of rotating the shower/toilet though. I'll need
to draw it out and see how everything fits.

The question isn't, "Can I cram it in?" The question is, "Is this the best option for my home and my family?" And the answer is no. Kids' bathrooms /kids' lives are not enhanced by duplicate sinks -- even if they do fit.

Initially you, the parents, will benefit from a single sink placed to one side or the other (not centered) because this layout will allow you to set up a diaper changing station in the bathroom. You'll love having drawer space for diaper storage, and you'll definitely love having a sink "right there" for immediate hand washing. If you have a large mirror above the sink area, the baby will be entertained by babbling to /reaching for the baby in the mirror. But this so-ideal diaper station is only possible if you go with one off-set sink.

When diapers are a thing of the past, the kids' bathrooms /kids' lives will be enhanced by functional spaces that're easy for them to use. So give them drawer storage and a built-in /pull-out step so they can reach the sink while they're still small. Consider a layout that'll allow you to sit comfortably on the edge of the tub (for hours on end -- no, not really, it'll just seem like it) while your toddler sits on the toilet waiting "to go". I think I would've gone insane during potty training if our bathroom hadn't had space for a TV tray over the toilet; we had a few special toys (Viewmaster Viewer was the best) that we allowed ONLY while sitting on the potty. And you need a spot where you can sit comfortably (again, it'll seem like hours on end) while the child plays in the bathtub.

The Dining Room seems a bit far from the Kitchen: The bulter pantry provides a direct route right into the dining room, so I don't feel that's an issue.

How many steps would you estimate? I'd say 10-11 steps. That'd be the middle of the kitchen to the middle of the dining room. 10-12 steps to bring in the plates. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the glasses. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the silverware. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the napkins. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the meat. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the salad. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the bread. Back to the kitchen. During the meal, someone wants a drink refill. Someone wants BBQ sauce. Someone drops a fork. And afterward, you have to repeat it all during clean-up.

No thanks. I don't want that kitchen-dining set up.

And I'd get rid of the toilet compartment door, but
that's entirely because I dislike them.

Me too. Sometimes I think about it when I'm in a cramped public toilet: People choose to squeeze themselves into these little spaces at home, separating themselves from the sink, creating a room that's difficult to clean ON PURPOSE!

Doc5md, Thanks for drawing it out. that's a great idea with the doors, but a downside is we couldn't have windows in the center because it would now be a wall reserved for furniture? The door in the center and all of the windows worked for us because pretty much the only big piece of furniture in the room will be a 9ft piano smack dab right in the center of it. But if there was a way to make furniture easier to place for the next owners but at the same time retaining the views that worked well for our intended purpose would be great!

Not including the aisle the B.nook is 7ft wide, is that still too small for a 4 place table?

Mrspete, thanks again!

4. The second BR is 6' wide, do you still think that's too small for 2 sinks? I like the idea of rotating the shower/toilet though. I'll need to draw it out and see how everything fits.

The question isn't, "Can I cram it in?" The question is, "Is this the best option for my home and my family?" And the answer is no. Kids' bathrooms /kids' lives are not enhanced by duplicate sinks -- even if they do fit.

Initially you, the parents, will benefit from a single sink placed to one side or the other (not centered) because this layout will allow you to set up a diaper changing station in the bathroom. You'll love having drawer space for diaper storage, and you'll definitely love having a sink "right there" for immediate hand washing. If you have a large mirror above the sink area, the baby will be entertained by babbling to /reaching for the baby in the mirror. But this so-ideal diaper station is only possible if you go with one off-set sink.

When diapers are a thing of the past, the kids' bathrooms /kids' lives will be enhanced by functional spaces that're easy for them to use. So give them drawer storage and a built-in /pull-out step so they can reach the sink while they're still small. Consider a layout that'll allow you to sit comfortably on the edge of the tub (for hours on end -- no, not really, it'll just seem like it) while your toddler sits on the toilet waiting "to go". I think I would've gone insane during potty training if our bathroom hadn't had space for a TV tray over the toilet; we had a few special toys (Viewmaster Viewer was the best) that we allowed ONLY while sitting on the potty. And you need a spot where you can sit comfortably (again, it'll seem like hours on end) while the child plays in the bathtub.I see where you are coming from now, exellent suggestions. I'm gonna go back to the drawing board on the BR layout.

The Dining Room seems a bit far from the Kitchen: The bulter pantry provides a direct route right into the dining room, so I don't feel that's an issue.

How many steps would you estimate? I'd say 10-11 steps. That'd be the middle of the kitchen to the middle of the dining room. 10-12 steps to bring in the plates. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the glasses. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the silverware. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the napkins. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the meat. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the salad. Back to the kitchen. 10-12 steps to get the bread. Back to the kitchen. During the meal, someone wants a drink refill. Someone wants BBQ sauce. Someone drops a fork. And afterward, you have to repeat it all during clean-up.

No thanks. I don't want that kitchen-dining set up.

It looks like the butlers pantry is about to be cut for the addition of stairs leading to a bonus room. Fortunately the dining room won't be used very often.

I would put Windows there. You can have low furniture in front of them :)

We're at a later stage of the design process and are interested in making small adjustments rather than redesigning the whole plan. We're happy with the jigs and jogs, the garage on the front, and the laundry room across the house.

Well that may be but until that first hole is dug, changes can and should be made IF it will significantly improve your floorplan, elevation (especially the roof) and flow.

I say that from experience. In fact we had started permitting when we looked at one another and realized we still weren't happy with our plan. We didn't like having one garage bay, we didn't like that DH's study was smaller than he wanted, we didn't like how our master bath and entry laid out and significantly, we didn't like the fact our backyard faced west. So yes, we held up the permits, bought a bit more land so we could make the changes needed (we're on a small city lot), including turning the house so the backyard faced south, and refiled the permits. And I for one am extremely happy that I listened to the folks here, plus made the changes needed to make our plans flow much better and look much better. Plans on paper are a heck of a lot cheaper than making a mistake on a house that is 6 figures.

BTW: Adding a bonus room just for the sake of adding a room is not wise use of space. You put rooms in you will actually use.

But as I said earlier, you've already shut the door on making any but insignificant changes so best of luck.

Check with the FAA to see if red lights will be required at the highest points of your house. Accurately layout furniture in all your spaces before you sign off on the plans. It has the looks of a subdivision MacMansion.

Perhaps many of us missed the clue given in this thread's title: Plans Finished.

Yes, "plans finished" is clear enough. But one wonders why the "feedback welcome"?

My apologies, I did miss where it said Plans Finished.

J&J bathrooms--I hate them because I don't like having two doors into a small private space. I have too many memories of walking in on someone or being walked in on in bathrooms that have 2 doors. It also makes it hard for someone to use that bath when the powder room is in use. We entertain a lot, so that's where my perspective comes from.

Double sinks-- I had double sinks for a bath shared by 2 kids and it was great. They each had a sink and could keep their things together and be responsible for their own messes. If you asked them now they'd both agree. (21 and 24)

Powder room near the master bedroom. I think of powder rooms as a way to keep guests out of private parts of the house so just having them able to look in the room would bother me. That might just be a personal quirk.

laundry--I don't mind carrying laundry from the master through are great room to our laundry room by the garage.

utility tub--I think you should consider it. yes, we use it for laundry, but more importantly for such tasks as cleaning muddy boots, rinsing tie dye shirts, filling buckets, bleaching litter boxes, soaking car parts--and if we had a dog, we'd use it for washing the dog.

One more thought--

Toilet room door--I want privacy on the commode--and that includes from my spouse. I wouldn't build or remodel a master without a private water closet--and if we end up buying an existing house, that will be a consideration.

Betho, Thanks so much. What you're suggesting is exactly what I was looking for! Going back I would've named the thread "Putting on the finishing touches". Minor oversight on my part.

J&J bathrooms--I hate them because I don't like having two doors into a small private space. I have too many memories of walking in on someone or being walked in on in bathrooms that have 2 doors. It also makes it hard for someone to use that bath when the powder room is in use. We entertain a lot, so that's where my perspective comes from. Does that still apply when the commode/tub is separated from the sink area as ours is?

Double sinks-- I had double sinks for a bath shared by 2 kids and it was great. They each had a sink and could keep their things together and be responsible for their own messes. If you asked them now they'd both agree. (21 and 24) With 72" inches of counter space I thought that would leave enough room for items even with 2 sinks.

Powder room near the master bedroom. I think of powder rooms as a way to keep guests out of private parts of the house so just having them able to look in the room would bother me. That might just be a personal quirk. It probably is more of a personal quirk, the door would always be shut so they'd have to open it themselves to take a peak.

laundry--I don't mind carrying laundry from the master through are great room to our laundry room by the garage. That's great! We don't see the big deal either.

utility tub--I think you should consider it. yes, we use it for laundry, but more importantly for such tasks as cleaning muddy boots, rinsing tie dye shirts, filling buckets, bleaching litter boxes, soaking car parts--and if we had a dog, we'd use it for washing the dog. There will be a large utility tub! It's just not depicted on the plans.

Toilet room door--I want privacy on the commode--and that includes from my spouse. I wouldn't build or remodel a master without a private water closet--and if we end up buying an existing house, that will be a consideration. 100% Agree with you on that, but there's a door in the plans. Perhaps you overlooked it?

Bonus room JUST to utilize attic space? So you want to spend more money to justify that unused space? Do reconsider that, and consider doing something instead of that elephantine and expensive roof line. It's one of the key features that screams McMansion when I see it.

Personally, I'm fine with the laundry being away from bedrooms - with multiple people, sometimes one wants to nap while another is generating noise on the machines. And as the machines age, even the quietest ones start being noisy.

Re your convo with Beth on the j and j bath - yep, even with your layout, it still applies.

J-n-js, it's all personal preference. In your case, I think that if you plan one child, it's fine, he will end up with a suite :)

The double sinks, here's my take: I have two boys, and two sinks. They are/were never in e bathroom at the same time. Neither boy wanted to use the sink right next to the bathroom door, they both used the other sink, and the one just got dusty. The counterspace between was crowded with their paraphernalia, orthodontia gear, skin care, and hair styling when they got older. The bathroom had one bank of drawers between, and cabinets beneath each sink. Would have much preferred one sink, one cabinet, and two banks of drawers.

Now that one is out on his own and only one boy uses the bathroom, it's still all true.

So, you've heard both sides, and I know you want two sinks, and you will like whatever you decide on.

Tub room: use a pocket door. When they are babies and toddlers, you want to have room in the bathroom for both of you to maneuver for bath time and potty time. Trust me, a door opening into the room takes up valuable space. We remodeled a bathroom to include a pocket door and it was great.

Put your child in the bedroom whose door doesn't block the tub room doorway. When he needs the potty, he needs it NOW. Or, change the bathroom doors to pocket doors.

For a one story house there is a lot of roof and attic space that I assume will be filled with trusses. Why are the shutters wider than the window openings or perhaps I should ask why the shuttered windows are narrower than the shutters? The big center gable is the major feature of the house and should have a lager window perhaps a Palladian instead of an arch top. The gable vents should be omitted even if they are fake. I would avoid cornice returns on brick elements.

JDS the shutters,windows are just placeholders.

bpathome, we'll probably end up going with one sink.

I'm having the roof worked on right now to scale it back a bit. I do like the idea of a bonus room through, you can never have too much room.

The dining room is trying very hard, but as one of the cased openings has only the view of a corridor wall, it serves nothing for added elegance or aspect. In a larger house it could open on to an entire room, not a hallway, so it would make sense.

Make sure you have a big enough collector for rainwater at the valley intersection to the left of the front door, about 1/2 of the front roof drains to one point, and the vast roof is going to collect a lot of water in a downpour.

It's a shame the main gable is off-center to the front door after so much work and planning.

Casey

Sombre, what would you recommend for the dining room?

And the gable is centered but the window on it is not. It was a minor mistake that will be fixed.

What did you have planned for the openings? Do you have some folding screens or something that could close them off for a more intimate dining experience? I would probably look into a half-wall and operable plantation shutters on that side. It would have a very "gulf-coast" effect. I have affinity for gadgets and things that move. Maybe Bahama-style shutters that hinge from the top. Maybe shoji panels.

Maybe it is an effect of the elevation being a snapshot, but if I extend a plumb line down from the peak of the gable it comes down at the edge of the front door, not the center.

Somb, there wasn't anything planned for the openings.

Also I drew a line myself and you are correct, it is offset by a hair. I'm having that corrected now.

I also went down to a 10:12 pitch instead of 12:12

Now try an 8/12 pitch and eliminate either the stone or the brick.

Cpartist, I tried 8/12 but didn't like the "flat" look. I felt that it strayed too far away from the original idea. I am going to change the stone to brick though to see how it looks. I'm also going to remove the railing from the front porch.

Summary of changes thus far:

Roof Pitch changed to 10:12. 8:12 was tried and not liked and 12:12 was obviously too big, so 10:12 seems to be the sweet spot. We're happy with it!

BR2 Closet swapped with pantry with the pantry door being moved from the kitchen into the hall across from the laundry room entrance. This gives me back counter space as well as the convenience of coming directly from the garage to the pantry to replace items.

BR3 closet and garage storage swapped to allow better furniture placement. We changed the garage storage to double as a storm room as well because we have twisters here.

Removing butlers pantry to make way for stairs that lead to a bonus room

Undecided: Changing the stone exterior accents to brick. So we'll only have two materials; siding/hardy on the gables, brick everywhere else.

Have you considered trying the roof as a gable roof instead of a hipped roof? It would look like a more traditional southern roof then.

If the windows are just place holders why would you say the plans are finished? That's a rhetorical question; I'm dropping out too.

I was just poking around on Pinterest, and I saw this houseplan -- it reminded me of this plan, but it's a bit more ... put together? right sized? has better flow? It has the same rooms, but it "cleans up" a number of the problems with the floorplan we've been discussing -- of course,it brings in a few others; for example, long hallways -- and, of course, the exterior is totally different:

mrspete, First thing I noticed on that plan is the lack of a second living area. We require two as one will be a piano room. Some of the rooms are very small compared to ours as well, for example the laundry. I like the style the of the plan though, and I've probably come across it several times in my search.

It looks like the butlers pantry is about to be cut for the
addition of stairs leading to a bonus room. Fortunately the dining room
won't be used very often.

This brings the kitchen and the dining room closer together, how?

Does that still apply when the commode/tub is separated from the sink area as ours is?

I don't think doors and J&J bathrooms have to be a problem with any configuration (and J&J configurations abound). Work with the kid(s) on manners and sharing when they're small, and by the time they care about being "walked in on", you won't have a problem. However, as much as I like J&Js for teens, I think a hall bath is a better option for small children. Fewer doors for you to "monitor through".

I'm
having the roof worked on right now to scale it back a bit. I do like
the idea of a bonus room through, you can never have too much room.

Yeah, you can have too much space. I can't remember when I last went in to my living /dining room, yet I'm paying to cool it at this very moment, and last month I paid taxes on it. I don't have a mortgage, but earlier I paid extra to own that space.

Yeah, you can definitely have too much space.

Have
you considered trying the roof as a gable roof instead of a hipped
roof? It would look like a more traditional southern roof then.

I just skimmed the thread, and I think I'm telling the truth here: 100% of the posters dislike the roofline. OP, I understand personal preference, but when 100% dislike something, it might be reason to reconsider.

It looks like the butlers pantry is about to be cut for the addition of stairs leading to a bonus room. Fortunately the dining room won't be used very often.

This brings the kitchen and the dining room closer together, how? It isn't supposed too. but instead of having a butlers pantry that is also seldom used we gain a bonus room.

Does that still apply when the commode/tub is separated from the sink area as ours is?

I don't think doors and J&J bathrooms have to be a problem with any configuration (and J&J configurations abound). Work with the kid(s) on manners and sharing when they're small, and by the time they care about being "walked in on", you won't have a problem. However, as much as I like J&Js for teens, I think a hall bath is a better option for small children. Fewer doors for you to "monitor through". Every single bathroom configuration is going to have some kind of downside. I think in the long run for us the J&J is the best option.

I'm having the roof worked on right now to scale it back a bit. I do like the idea of a bonus room through, you can never have too much room.

Yeah, you can have too much space. I can't remember when I last went in to my living /dining room, yet I'm paying to cool it at this very moment, and last month I paid taxes on it. I don't have a mortgage, but earlier I paid extra to own that space.

Yeah, you can definitely have too much space. if we could we'd have multiple rec rooms so we can definitely find uses for it. Game room/media/hobby/etc.

Have you considered trying the roof as a gable roof instead of a hipped roof? It would look like a more traditional southern roof then.

I just skimmed the thread, and I think I'm telling the truth here: 100% of the posters dislike the roofline. OP, I understand personal preference, but when 100% dislike something, it might be reason to reconsider. Did you take a look at the lowered pitch version I posted earlier?

First you can have too many spaces and they won't get used. What you're talking about is the McMansion envy. Thinking bigger is better. It's not. Smarter is better. Well designed smaller spaces will almost always work better than poorly designed large spaces.

My last house was 3600 square feet. I had a playroom for the kids, a small office for myself, a larger office for my ex, a den for the tv, a large living room, a large dining room, an eat in kitchen, a sun room, a finished basement which was my ex's woodworking space and 4 bedrooms.

We lived in the kitchen, the den, our bedrooms, the basement and when the kids were older, they used the sunroom with their friends. The other rooms were basically wasted space unless we had infrequent guests over. The rooms were beautiful and it was always nice walking through them, but they were expensive to heat and cool and were a waste.

I'm guessing you're young because I know when I was younger, bigger was better. I've since learned.

cpartist, I see where you're coming from. Personal taste and lifestyle plays a huge role though, some like modest and functional and others want the extravagant things. For example, why have a home theatre when you can simply watch movies in the living room? If they want a dedicated room for movies they can deck out with the latest and greatest and don't mind paying to heat&cool it then I say more power to them, I'd do it too! The list goes on and on. Different strokes for different folks.

First you can have too many spaces and they won't get used. What you're
talking about is the McMansion envy. Thinking bigger is better. It's
not. Smarter is better. Well designed smaller spaces will almost always
work better than poorly designed large spaces.

I would've said "right sized" instead of "smarter", but -- yeah. This.

For example, lots of people say they want "a big kitchen", but they really mean they want a well-designed space that will function well -- they really mean that the kitchen is a big priority. They want a kitchen where everything's laid out in a logical manner, a kitchen that's easy to clean because the sink is located in the right space, where there's a space to sit and plenty of storage for goods. Often people mean "light-filled" because a kitchen with big windows facing the right direction will feel more spacious ... but since most people don't think this through carefully, they try to sum up the idea by saying "I want a big kitchen".

And, obviously, the concept transfers to other rooms in the house as well. Watching movies in a comfortable living room, where the shades keep the glare off the TV and the DVDs are stored in a nice cabinet right next to the TV, and the speakers are built into the ceiling ... might well be superior to a dedicated home theater that's reachable only by a steep staircase, or a theater in which the electrical and lighting needs were poorly planned.

Never mistake large for nice.

I'm guessing you're young because I know when I was younger, bigger was better. I've since learned.

Yes, I now value function much more highly.

And to carry forward JDS's observations...a past thought by one of the "regulars" here...

"Houses today cost a lot of money, so it's tempting to make that money show up as much as possible. 12 gables, a gazillion angles, 9 bumpouts, and 3 different bricks with 2 stone choices and shakes with shiplap all thrown together. Resist the temptation." Live Wire Oak

I've been curious for a while, so I'll just ask--what's the purpose of the arched window with shutters in the large front gable. Isn't that roof truss/attic space behind?

Back in the days when I was an architectural student (during the days when one had grind their own charcoal to make India Ink (it's an inside joke only architects understand) ), a favorite crit technique by one of the architectural faculty members for a very poor, thoughtless design was to take the model, place it on the floor and jump on it! It was always a dramatic moment, and the action said more than words. No one wanted to be the one whose model was smashed, but we all waited with anticipation to see if it was going to happen at each crit session. It was a good incentive to pay attention and do your best work. Civilians won't understand and think it was cruel and unusual.

Virgil...we had something similar at Virginia Tech where the 1st year students were on the second floor of the old Blacksburg High School building. An elegant structure built in the early 20th century with these huge 4' wide by 8' tall double hung windows, I'm sure you can picture it.

Anyway, the worst thing that could happen there was to see one's model sailing out one of these windows and crash in the bushes 20' below.

To me, its beautiful. I see these styles throughout parts of the southeast and Texas. Very stately looking (could do a bonus room upstairs?). I love the varied rooflines, gables etc. Adds alot of depth and variety. To me, the lowered rooflines look "homey", cozy, which is fine if you like that while the steeper version looks very stately. All about what YOU like and what's in keeping with the neighborhood. My former home had 12' high flat ceilings everywhere. Very costly to decorate on scale and proportion.

It's always interesting to me to see a response that says "it's about what you like", when the posters come to a forum like this and ask for advice and opinions.

The arched window with shutters in the large front gable is for the squatters in the spacious attic to see the charcoal.

It's always interesting to me to see a response that says "it's about
what you like", when the posters come to a forum like this and ask for
advice and opinions.

Yeah, I hate that answer. If I ask a question, I'm asking for information, I'm asking how to blend things together, I'm asking what works. If I were just going to run with my gut feeling, I wouldn't have asked the question. Additionally, many questions do have actual, solid answers -- not just opinions.

I understand, Virgil. I've found these forums to be more of personal opinions rather than professional and unbiased expertise. I've found it more helpful to ask about very specific, targeted items rather than broad, open ended questions. For example "what do you think of my house" vs. "What do you think about my laundry room". Understandably, some folks come with little background and are seeking much guidance. People can become carried away and overwhelmed by input from so many others that its a nice reminder for one to always remember what *they* like and what speaks to them. To each their own: )

Design isn't opinion. Or subjective. It is a rigorous approach to pare down to the absolute basics before building it up with the decorative flourishes. Plan creation is not the same thing as home design

Too many modern dwellings are all about the decorative flourishes first. It's like a wedding cake built of icing. Decorative swirls and flowers piled on top of each other, but without any cake underneath.

Paper is SO much easier to change than concrete and studs. And cheaper. All kinds of cheaper. The best investment in any home is a good design. This isn't there. Or even close. A critique is not to be confused with a criticism.

Flattered to have been quoted by ARG. :-)

My laundry room is at the opposite end of my house from the master. It doesn't bother me.

I would suggest a "people" door in the garage. The only doors I see are for cars.