That's pretty much the response I expected. I even considered adding "actual licensed architect, not draftsman" to my OP. I've lurked enough for that. ;) We haven't hired him yet, I need to decide if we're going to.

I don't want to wait to see what he comes up with because this is what he's starting with (yes, it is what he sketched) and if there are elements that have to go I want to know that now, not after he puts more time into it. He works with the builder and in this neighborhood regularly and knows the lot. His layout takes the topography & views into account.

Your feedback is just what I was hoping for, thank you! Please read all my questions in the least confrontational tone possible: I'm asking in order to learn. I'm a computer geek, not an architect.

Assuming the area is large enough that you're not literally detouring around the table, what is the problem with walking through the dining area to get to the bedrooms?

We talked about a foyer and/or coat closet but I'm not convinced we need one and that they would get used. My guess is the closet would end up full of our stuff and guest coats would still end up tossed on a couch. I figure a coat rack would make more sense.

I see what you mean about the laundry. I'm cool with moving that because it gives me more mudroom space and we have SO MANY coats/snow pants/boots/rain boots/hats/gloves/etc. I can use all the space I can get!

I agree with you about the garage being the first thing you see, but considering the size of the lot I'm not sure we can avoid it. It's a corner lot on a cul-de-sac and you approach the house from the other side of the garage, if that makes a difference.

No problem. Not taking your questions confrontationally. We all learn here from one another. Trust me, I've learned a ton!

Assuming the area is large enough that you're not literally detouring around the table, what is the problem with walking through the dining area to get to the bedrooms?

If there is enough room to maneuver around, then really there isn't a problem but from the rough drawing, it looks like you don't have room. In fact if you saw my layout, we have a friends entry along with our powder room and DH's office off of the kitchen/dining area and one has to walk between the kitchen/dining area to get to the rest of the house.

We talked about a foyer and/or coat closet but I'm not convinced we need one and that they would get used. My guess is the closet would end up full of our stuff and guest coats would still end up tossed on a couch. I figure a coat rack would make more sense.

The thing is you don't want to just walk into your living room. It's nice to have some sort of entry before you're in the public room. This also helps so if the mailman, or a delivery person comes to the door, they're not immediately looking into the family room.

As for a "coat" closet, I have one in my foyer. More likely it will hold more stuff. My feeling is you can never have too many closets.

I see what you mean about the laundry. I'm cool with moving that because it gives me more mudroom space and we have SO MANY coats/snow pants/boots/rain boots/hats/gloves/etc. I can use all the space I can get!

Ideally, put it where most laundry is generated if you can. Or put it closest to where you'll be spending the most time during the time you'll be doing laundry.

I agree with you about the garage being the first thing you see, but considering the size of the lot I'm not sure we can avoid it. It's a corner lot on a cul-de-sac and you approach the house from the other side of the garage, if that makes a difference.

My house is on a corner. I moved the garage to the other street so when facing the front of the house, you don't see the garage.

Don't know the size of your lot, but mine is 9100 square feet.

As for the architect, have you seen his/her other work? What did you feel about his work when you walked through the houses? Did they feel like they worked well? As if you could easily live in them?

Even if you are not dodging the dining table, do you really want to possibly see your bedroom from the table? Or the not-completely-cleaned kitchen from your bedroom doorway in the morning?

An entryway, especially in temperate zones, helps keep drafts from the open door, and drips from umbrellas and grit from boots, out of the rest of the house. And gives a sense of arrival for your visitors, but doesn't reveal too much to strangers.

Ideally, one should never have to walk through one room to get to another. It's one thing I don't like about my own house - the DR is off the LR and the only access is from the LR or the kitchen. That's one of the beauties of a center hall floor plan - one gets to all the first floor rooms from the entrance hall (not the mud room or laundry room, but they don't matter).

The size of a house is not as important as the separation of space. We rented a tiny house in Edgartown for several summers - truly tiny - but it had great separation of space and that is how the 4 of us survived for 3 months in it. All the rooms were quite small, but there were halls separating the various rooms - house was L-shaped. I loved that little rose-covered cottage with a picket fence!

Thank you to everyone who's weighed in! We've made some requests based on the excellent feedback here.

I know it can be hard to read tone so I'm very grateful y'all are reading me as I intend! I've spent entirely too much time embroiled in online discussions and it's so easy for things to go off the rails.

You've sold me on a foyer & coat closet. Anyone have suggestions for making a guest coat closet actually function as one? Maybe hooks instead (or in addition to) hangers?

The architect is suggesting a second laundry closet upstairs for the kids' stuff. I'm fine with the closet (because: CLOSET!) but I don't see us actually putting a second set up there. The big kids already do their own laundry, Thing 3 probably will be by the time we move in, and Thing 4 within the next couple of years. They can carry laundry up and down the stairs. Builds character. ;) That's the reason I vetoed a laundry chute: that mixes everything together which is incompatible with them doing their own.

That said, I have plenty of character already so I absolutely want main-floor laundry.

Part of our goal is accessibility: all our parents are local and 3/4 of them have knee problems. We want to keep our options open so if one were widowed and needed/wanted to they could move in with us. Plus we don't plan on going anywhere so hopefully we'll be here long enough for accessibility to be a benefit for us, too!

Our lot is bigger (1/3 acre) but we have the constraint of the topography and second garage which is coming in from the other street.

We've been in a couple of the homes in the neighborhood and are requesting to tour more (and see floorplans).

I don't know if I should be shocked & offended that you all think my kitchen and bedroom are not picture-perfect at all times, or if I should check for hidden cameras. :o Breaking the view between the two is now on the list.

This thread has given us great discussion points, thank you!

First off, to the OP, you have a great writing style - well done.

Second- there are tradeoffs here - like there is not a lot of wasted "hall" space like we see on so many other plans. The downside to that, is that you get rooms off other rooms. It's possible that the "dining" room is a hub of activity and less formal than in older homes. (Think Fixer Upper) So if that's the case - walking past a child doing homework to get to the bedroom isn't a bad thing, IMO. Not having the dimensions is a bit of a handicap here - but I can see how this can work. Granted, I am pretty informal, myself.

I'd like to see more of a "room" for laundry than a passthrough. Or at least something a bit larger in scale since it's pulling triple duty and you'll want some separation between muddy boots / clean clothes / extra food - especially with the size of your family. Getting that right, and not having it be a huge pinch point in a working area will be tricky, as will managing the traffic flow INTO the kitchen.

It will help to keep posting the other levels and perhaps a lot outline.

Congrats!

The footprint would be my first concern at this point - and how the elevation will look.

Do you like the other houses the builder and architect have done? To be honest I'm not sure its fair to evaluate something this rough. If you like the architects other houses I'd say let him or her run with this for a little using his the design process while focusing on what your needs are and the attributes of the lot. Yeah, I'm saying you might be posting too early. Also, since you are an IT person, maybe you are rushing to design before your requirements are mature enough. Since you mentioned the house is on a cul-de-sac now I clearly see the house widens towards the back. I can easily see how the combined living/entry comes about on a narrow lot if you also need side access to the lower garage.

jannicone, thank you so much!

We're very informal. We knocked the walls down in our current house to make the K/LR/DR all open, only the island kind of divides things (and it's counter height, not bar height). and we love it. We entertain regularly, but always casually. As I mentioned, our parents are local so we have ten for dinner at least once a month. We also have a regular "supper club" where we have three other couples over for a nice dinner but still, very casual. No desire at all for a formal dining space. Just enough space to seat everyone! And enough storage space for my obscene amount of kitchen equipment.

Talk to me about laundry rooms. The builder & architect were surprised we were fine with just a closet. We don't sort or fold laundry in there, nor need space to hang stuff. (Well, I have one of those Ikea octopuses for hanging bras & wool socks, but that works in just a closet.) I want a utility sink, but not for laundry use: just for washing paint brushes and car parts and stuff like that. That'll go in the downstairs garage. Am I missing something? Is there another reason for a full laundry room?

Naf_Naf, tell me more about what you mean.

Stan, I agree that it's not fair to evaluate something this rough. I'm just working on a chicken/egg scenario: I want to make sure we're guiding the architect in the right direction. Because what I saw so often in the kitchen forum was someone coming in with Plans, then getting them ripped to shreds, then being upset at being told to start over. That's what I'm trying to avoid. I don't want to pay for hundreds of dollars of design time, then share the working drawing here and learn that it's Wrong, All Wrong. I suppose I'm trying to do as much in parallel as I can.

As for whether I like their houses: yes. I like the exteriors throughout the neighborhood. I've been in two (and have requested to tour more) and one I quite like, the other isn't what I would have chosen, but I don't know if the elements I dislike are because of the homeowner or the builder & architect, if you see what I mean. I don't want to put too much weight on not loving that one floorplan.

If all you were doing was laundry in there - I would say it was fine. It will still be "busy" if someone comes bursting through the garage and into the kitchen or is running late out the door, etc.

But - if you want to have a pantry, AND an area to sit / take off shoes / hang bookbags or backpacks or coats (?) AND put a sink AND a W/D? And you have 2 doors and need a walkway through the middle of it. I would make sure that you scale everything off and be careful in the planning.

I would probably keep going with this if it works with the land and just be careful of the scale and the traffic patterns - ESPECIALLY with that door right into the kitchen (for example - don't have the oven to the left of the door as you come in because you could be passing to the right and get t-boned. Whatever is on that end of the kitchen should be something like storage for your Le Crust Tartan Covered Casserole (yes - it's in Williams Sonoma this year....) or a beverage station - not something that you need to get to in the normal course of cooking.

Oh no, I agree that the w/d need to move. Just that I'd be fine with them moving to a closet elsewhere, not needing a room elsewhere.

You're absolutely right that our pantry/mudroom needs are too great to shoehorn the w/d in, too.

(I wasn't clear about the sink, though: no sink near the laundry. There will be a utility sink in the downstairs garage.)

Will you have access to the outside somewhere else than the front door and the master? I know it is rough but you have a lot of doors in the master bedroom. Furniture placement might be an issue depending on your needs. I agree I would want a small entry and closet to make furniture placement easier in the living room.

The master bedroom will be just the bed & nightstands with all the clothes in the closet, no dressers.

There will be a door out of the kitchen/dining area to a deck.