Wow, it's coming along fast. Did you get a local draughtsperson to do your drawings? Do I remember you saying that you lowered the roof a bit? I am based in Keswick Ridge just outside Fredericton and currently have a house looking out over the Mactaquac headpond. I bought the acre next door as I fancy getting my own built and have been looking for more than a year to find the perfect design with a walkout and this is the closest I have come to being perfect. Frederika :-)

GP, We redesigned the upstairs removing the bonus room over the garage. We raised the vault in the great room as high as we could go (21.5ft) to take advantage of the view we have of the front range. I redesigned the garage to a 3 car 28.5 feet and 11 foot ceiling. There was a wall in the kitchen that was meant as a load bearing wall. We removed that in lieu of open view into the kitchen. We put in a garden level with 10ft ceiling in the basement. I also moved the wall between the dining and kitchen back 24 inches so the kitchen is larger and the dining smaller. That didn't bother us at all as the dining was large enough anyway. I took out that silly coat closet on the foyer. Square foot comes in at 2460 with 1750 being the main level. As soon as the kids are gone, the upstairs will be empty. I figure finishing the basement will add another 1750 which is quite a bit in my book. A larger mudroom would be nice but I would worry about heating it in my neck of the woods. Plus you would lose a garage stall. It would be nice if you could get everyone to dump in one place but more often than not it is a matter of discipline. Good luck with your rebuild. Feel free to ask. Peace

You can find many homeowner submitted photos of Don Gardner homes on Flickr. Here is a link that might be useful: Don Gardner on Flickr

Wow! I agree that is one gorgeous home if you have the hill-side to put it on and it sounds like you do. I certainly don't see any issues with the way the rooms flow though I'd probably choose to do something a bit different for the texture on the interior wall of the staircase going down to the lower level. The brick they show in the picture gives it a sort "going down into the dungeon" feeling that your DD might find a bit off-putting even if it doesn't bother you. I don't think I agree with the suggestion to angle the garage because that would throw the front perspective of house out of balance. I'm curious tho that the plans don't show a staircase to reach the bonus room over the garage which clearly exists given the garage's high ceiling and that window. I can't say I'm a fan of garages sticking way out in front of a house but given the configuration of the house, there really isn't any other option. I suppose if you don't really need three parking bays for automobiles, you could shrink it down to just two bays. Certainly there is plenty of other storage space for lawn and garden equipment or a work-shop... which is what many people wind up using the third garage bay for. Other than that, its a really gorgeous house. Oh, one other comment: If amyks question about having your fourteen year-old daughter's room on the lower level raises concerns for you (or for your daughter), one solution might be to turn the study into a bedroom for her by closing off the opening to the foyer and putting in a door across from the door to the master bedroom. I can't imagine that a single Dad could possibly need two big closets and the master bedroom already has a sitting area. It looks to me like that second long closet could easily be made into a small bathroom plus a closet for her -- especially if you gave up the little linen closet and a few inches of the double-sink vanity in the master bathroom so as to allow a little extra room for the WC in her bathroom. Of course, if you turn the study into a bedroom for DD, it'll be smaller than the room downstairs and won't have the same great view so even if DD prefers being upstairs with you now, she might decide when she gets a bit older that she would rather move downstairs. In that case tho, it shouldn't be too difficult to turn the upper room back into a study. Of course, if you should ever remarry, new wife will no doubt want and need a closet so that could create a bit of a problem if DD doesn't want to give up the study and move downstairs.