It's a long walk to a lot of the house, we realize. Heck, we both have 10 pounds to lose. :) The secondary stairs by the kids' bedrooms upstairs leads right to the kitchen so I have a feeling that's where we will go down. Which means walking through the mezzanine more. Still undecided about the roof. We went to look at some models today that had similar great room concepts. They had flat ceilings with some nice coffered details instead of the gable roof line we plan on doing in that room. So now we are thinking that may be a another option.

Here are my thoughts at first glance. I'm not an expert, I just enjoy thinking about processes/flow. :) 1. The family entrance through the garage is through a tight laundry room. There is no where for you to put your coats/shoes/purse/etc, and nowhere for you to sit down while putting on or taking off shoes. The only place I can imagine this working is Phoenix in a home with all ceramic floors where you wear shoes inside the house. 2. When you enter your sanctuary, the first thing you'll see is dirty laundry. You deserve something a little more special. :) 3. Your guest entrance has a closet and no where for guests to sit while putting on/taking off shoes. It's actually a LOT like my current house's entry, which we HATE. I do not like guest coat closets--I think a bench with a wall of hooks are more guest-friendly. 4. I would pick ONE entrance onto the deck (probably the dining room one). Every entry point will be an entry for dirt/debris. 5. I'm not sure I would spend the money having windows on the side of the garage. It depends on where you live, but I have noticed that in my parents garage with windows, flies get in, then bang their heads endlessly on the windows trying to get out. My garage has no windows (not even on the doors) so the flies are able to escape through the same spots of light through which they entered. Kind of a random observation, but it is SO nice to never have flies in the garage (which means we have a lot fewer in the house as well). 6. Is that a fireplace or a TV in the great room? If it's a fireplace, think about where you will put a TV. I don't know anyone who enjoys watching a TV mounted over a fireplace because the angle is so awkward. I do know some people who simply don't watch TV, so they have the furniture arranged to stare at the fireplace. That's charming, but just not realistic for us because we are movie fans. :) 7. I like your kitchen work triangle (prep area, sink, stove). That's how I cook, with just one trip to the fridge/pantry at the beginning of the recipe. I see that you do NOT have a pantry. Will you do a cabinet-focused pantry? I love the look and functionality of those, but they are either inefficient OR you spend a lot of money designing them to use the space efficiently.

What I would do if it were my kitchen: 1. move the DOvens to the R of cooktop 2. make that sink area to the L of fridge = clean up zone: - make sink bigger, and - put the DW to the L of the sink 3. Move island sink toward the R (closer to patio): I like to come in from patio to wash my hands after being in the garden, etc. - So now island/cooktop = prep/cook area, clear path to fridge, w/out the rare use of Oven in the way 4. Clean up/putting away clean dishes has its own zone So much potential; great space. Make it awesome! Amanda

Curiously, and I've said this before on this forum, I don't mind folks bringing me floor plans. Likely I'll be looking at them differently than the owner anyway, more of a relationship diagram than as a floor plan. The difference in what the floor plan means and if it can be used as a tool toward further improvement however, lies with the owner, not the architect. I've written this here before and I'll write it again not only for you but the lurkers out there... A good architect, when given the chance, will provide a design that can give a client everything they want, but often in ways completely unexpected. But for that to happen it takes a critical element necessary on the part of the client in every successful project and that element is trust. Often during our initial meeting, the client will reveal their ability or inability to trust others. If I feel the element of trust is not there they will likely be referred to a permit drafter. A creative person should explore other approaches with you in the spirit of "That's great but have you thought of this.......". But for that to be carried forward successfully it takes a trusting client to not only allow the architect to expand on alternative ideas but to objectively look at other approaches in a collaborative effort with the architect. And that's an intangible that all successful projects are born out of. I can't tell you how many times a client sitting across the table from me has said "Wow! We never thought of that. We like your kitchen idea but how 'bout if we move the entry here and the...." As I hand them the pen. In some of those design sessions the client commands the pen almost as much as I do! A floor plan you bring to the architect is all well and good but just be ready to expect any preconceived ideas to be questioned. They may in fact turn out to be perfectly valid but at least they've been evaluated against alternates as any good architect should do. So, as the client and the author of your plan, it's ok to bring it to a creative person but be prepared to adopt a trusting posture in listening positively to what that creative person is saying. If you can't do that, then save yourself a lot of frustration and just go to a permit drafter with "Here, draw this up!" Finally, regarding preconceived ideas, I've quoted on this board before these two quotes by two creative people..... Henry Ford observed "If I had asked people what they wanted they would have told me "A faster horse". And Steve Jobs mused “A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them. Everyone wanted an iPhone when they first appeared, but no one could have described what they wanted before seeing one". So put trust in your architect to carry you through the process in the spirit of Mr. Ford and Mr. Jobs and you'll have a home that is the very best. And speaking of the best, here's wishing you the best of luck with your project. Exciting times!