If I spend the funds to build a custom home, I would certainly make sure the back of the home faced south. That provides light all day on the deck or patio. When the back of the home faces north it will be in shadow, grow mold and snow will stay longer.

I also agree that the design of this home is something a spec builder puts up. There are lots of posters on Houzz looking to fix or upgrade home elevations exactly like your sketch. Lots of roof surface to cover on that plan. It's not the way I would go.

I would want a home that is classic in design and timeless in appearance. Here are modern farmhouse designs. You can save on exterior materials and maybe get a few more sq. ft.

http://houseplans.southernliving.com/collections/312-Modern%20Farmhouse%20Designs

Happy symmetry! The last picture has a balcony that's going to get hit by a car, though. :P

This plan can be modified to add a guest bedroom and bath, but you might like the kitchen, dinette area, family room and sunroom set up. A balcony can be added from any and all rooms facing the back.

Agree with the comments about getting 4 actual bedrooms on your second floor. Since you think you might have 3 children might as well put in 4 bedrooms (and you could make one or two of them have generous walk in closets to provide the storage that bonus room currently has). We moved to a different house (after concluding a renovation to add another bedroom would be expensive and not make sense layout wise) when I was 34 weeks pregnant with my third to get 4 bedrooms on one floor. On another note, we moved from one suburban home on a lake in a northern climate to another lake in the same town. In the first place the north facing side was the lake side and in our current home the south facing side is the lake side. If your view is out back and it is northern, I would put an abundance of windows on the front side to get southern light to flood in through common areas. This will make a big difference. Neighbors at my previous house had this and it made so much difference compared to ours which seemed to be in a cave because there was only one actual window capturing southern sunlight and it was partially blocked by trees.

You really need to read those books first.

You basically have two choices. Get a complete education on residential architecture and construction or go with a talented architect who has this background.

I buy custom houses that are weird at steep discounts for a reason.

Also, you hate yourself a lot if that's where the piano is going.

Because any time anyone is practicing, you can't escape it ANYWHERE In that great room. I have 4 people taking piano lessons in the house right now. That's 2-3 hours of piano practice a day.

What size is your lot? Do you have a plot plan you could post?

If I were working from home, I'd want an office where I would not be disturbed by normal household activity. I would also appreciate a view, and prefer northern light.

As to the house...

Nonfunctional glued-on looked big shutters.

Cheap looking extra gables.

You have a front porch but people entering still have to stand out in the rain

Poorly designed massive hip roof.

The house is too deep and is poorly lit, especially the second floor.

The downstairs bedroom has no closet.

Huge wasted space with hallways everywhere.

All this "storage"--yet still no coat closest, and one closet isn't even a usable walkin because it's so narrow

Crowded great room after at least that much space is wasted on the main floor.

Master bath tub is weirdly placed, and now you have dead space for no reason.

Only linen closet inside the master bathroom??????

Lots and lots of dead space.

What is with all the poorly lit "bonus" rooms?

Most stock plans are way, way better than this.

Our kitchen/DR/LR is almost identical to yours, although we have a peninsula (with seating) instead of an island. Be advised that this is a 'noisy' arrangement, with kitchen noise carrying into the LR.

We have something very similar, though ours is kitchen - breakfast room - family room, and I agree that it's noisy. It's also ideal with children ... provided you have an "away space" for the times you need to escape from this environment.

Your guests are going to use the full downstairs bath? The powder room is well positioned for the garage,

You have a full bath downstairs ... why spend more money on the powder room? If you're going to spend money on the powder room, at least make it useable. Imagine walking into this room ... where are you going to stand as you close the door? I'd lose the powder room altogether and open a window into the sunroom so that the laundry room will have some natural light.

especially poor BR #3 which looks like the size of the laundry room)

Yeah, I noticed that too. If you end up having three children, this bedroom arrangement will work fine -- the two same-sex children will share, and the other will get his or her own room. I'd prefer equal bedrooms for the children ... and all with ample storage.

Think, too, about the day when you have adult children -- I know, it seems impossible right now, but the day will arrive. You're going to want rooms that will hold at least a queen-sized bed when the children come home with spouses in tow.

Overall I think all three of your key desires can be improved - for example simplifying the roof will reduce cost and increase functionality!

Yes, roofs are very expensive, and this one's kind of typical-trendy for today. I'd prefer a more simple, functional roofline.

In that case: one attached garage for day-to-day vehicles, a second detached working garage so there are no problems with air transfer, let alone potential fire.

This is sensible for several reasons: 1) It'll mean you can build the working garage later, which means not rolling it into your mortgage -- huge money saver. 2) With small children, he probably isn't going to spend too much time on this hobby right away anyway.

The kitchen layout is inefficient with your cleanup sink on the island and your prep sink facing the backyard. Why? Because when we cook, we take food out of the fridge/pantry, bring it to our prep sink, clean it, prep it between sink and stove and then cook it. Ideally you don't want to be crossing zones which is what you have with your fridge clear across the room from your prep sink.

Agreed ... also, a U-shaped kitchen's great strength is that it's ideal for a single cook ... when you plop an island in the middle of it, you remove that strength. I know this layout is common, but it is not functional.

Consider, too, the space between the table and the island seating ... if a single chair on either side is pulled out, your circulation is blocked.

Do you realize your master suite which mostly will be used to sleep, is larger than your living room/dining room/kitchen combined? Do you really need to devote that much space to someplace where you'll mostly be sleeping at night?

I agree. I don't see bedrooms as a place to splurge on space. With young children and a busy family -- and both an office and a sitting room downstairs -- this bedroom retreat area will become dusty from lack of use.

There's no circulation, only one way to get anywhere. It feels like you will be on top of each other all the time.

Good point. Good circulation is critical.

Growing up as kids we’d always end up on our parents beds

I think you've answered your own question ... you ended up in your parents' beds. Not somewhere in their room, but in their beds. You need a room with space for a king-sized bed, not seating in the bedroom.

I have some things to consider here too. I do live in a cold area, but I think that a simple coat rack for guests would be more efficient than an actual coat closet.

I live in a moderate climate, but I still want a small coat closet ... no, guests never use it ... but I want that space for family coat storage. Otherwise, where are coats going to go out-of-season?

I do not find this house appealing at all. Icky roof, too-tall garage, too much too much.

Yes, bedrooms should take priority. Also have you considered creating a smaller "away" room where you could all gather instead? A room that could over time develop into many different uses as needed?

A well-designed space will be able to evolve over time ... a sitting room inside your master bedroom can only ever be one thing.

Years ago -- right after I finished my first degree -- I lived in a big rented house with a bunch of girlfriends. Our upstairs looked something like this:

You'll notice in worthy's second picture, the roof is 30 % of the entire height, not 50%.

Very good point. I hate-hate-hate those humpback roofs that overpower the rest of the house.

It’s nice to dream about your young family gathering in your sitting room/bed for family time, but how many years do you think the kids will participate in that? Once they reach 10-13 years old, they probably won’t be interested in that much closeness with mom and dad and siblings.

Depends upon how you raise them. My 20-year old still sleeps with me whenever her Dad's out of town on business ... and, just for the record, I was over at my newly married daughter's house not long ago -- helping her paint -- and we two piled into her bed for a rest and a talk.

We've never had a time when our kids weren't interested in being close to us.

A luxury bathroom doesn't have to be gigantic.

I'll take that thought one step further: A luxury house doesn't have to be gigantic ... but, yes, the idea is probably most easily expressed in bathrooms.

And lastly, lay out your porches by drawing in the furniture you want to have. I built mine at 9' deep and really wanted 12'

My porch is 12' deep, and it is the perfect depth. Plenty of space for a table ... yet also a walking path. If you're talking about a front porch that's just for show, I'd be fine with 6' ... but a porch you're actually going to use ... go 12'.

The forum hated on my early kitchen plans.

They were right. Meanies.

Changes on paper are cheap.

Lots and lots of dead space.

Agree.

Most stock plans are way, way better than this.

Disagree. I think most stock plans are exactly as good as this ... but they can be built more economically.

My other thoughts:

- I'd put a pocket door on the first floor sitting room so it can function as an "away space". Will you ever actually build a fire in there?

- Do you really need a first floor sitting room AND a bedroom AND an office? I get that your husband works from home -- the office probably shouldn't be touched. Could you combine the sitting room and guest room, putting in a sleeper sofa or murphy bed? Big chunk of space saved.

- Pay attention to your jigs and jogs around the perimeter. Those cost money.

Lol. Okay, point taken, but I was also considering economics!

Milly, we would totally hire a local architect if we could. unfortunately the highest rated one in the area doesn’t seem to design homes that we like and there aren’t a lot of options where I live.

You need an architect whether local or not. You've been at this for at least 10 days now. Seems to me you're not making any progress. If you want to have your draftsperson do the plans you need to at least bring them a strong concept. This isn't it.

Emily please message me.

I'm sorry Emily but this second version isn't any better. If you continue with this version, I hope you have a lot of money to burn because it will be a very expensive house to build with that huge roof and all those jigs and jogs.

Our priorities in order of importance are 1) Functionality 2) Cost
effectiveness 3) Aesthetics. We want a home that checks all three of
these points.

Emily L, you seem to be forgoing any of your stated priorities. Maybe you could find some areas to eliminate so you can hire an architect. Could you consider eliminating the room with the endless pool and fireplace? I would think the cost savings would more than make up for a trained professional architect to design a home to meet your priorities.

So many consumers try to minimize the design and construction documents for their residences in the name of saving money. Then the "barely enough" documents result in unrealistic allowances (because the items were not detailed and specified) resulting in substantial extra costs to get what the consumer wants; in undesirable work (because the work was not detailed, so the contractor did it "the way he always does) resulting in change orders and extra costs to remove and repair the work; and in construction contracts which favor the builder under all situations (because no other options were discussed with the consumer).

The result, over and over again, may be additional costs far above what it would have cost to have an architect do it right the first time.

We see this here in this thread, and repeated over and over again on this forum. No one ever reads the archives it seems...

Whatever way you go and once the house is drawn and if your architect uses Chief Architect, get the digital files. You cap literally go through the house room by room in 3D CAD. Very easy way to make sure you end up with what you want and also catch errors. Invaluable tool. We got the digital files and did just that and caught a couple of issues before they became problems. Highly recommend this.

I've read it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. It took me at least that long to become a good designer. What makes people think they can design like someone with that kind of time spent designing? I wouldn't want to get in a sword fight with someone who spent 10,000 hours fencing. Or pilot an aircraft, audit a bank or perform surgery.

Emily, I'm a landscape architect - and I wouldn't try to design my own *house* from scratch, even though I have a design background and have owned and renovated 5 houses over the course of the last 30 years. (landscape, of course - but not the house) For our house build (completed last year) we hired a local designer - he's not a full-fledged architect, but he has years of experience - first as a building inspector, and for the last 15 years or so, as a designer/draftsman. We also had a fabulous contractor who I've known and worked with for the past 10 years, who has great ideas and made the whole process so much easier. We were starting from an existing footprint - at first thinking we'd just add a second floor, but eventually coming to the conclusion that our best option was tearing down the entire first floor. We created a list of wants (you've done that, more or less) including big and little things, style preferences etc. Then we turned our designer loose. The first design was a bit of a miss (and that's also when we realized that we wanted to both enlarge the footprint a bit, and give up on the idea of saving the existing first floor). But after that, things got waaay closer to the final product very quickly.

You're designing new problems into the house as fast as you design the existing issues out - you're spending a lot of time on this, but I fear that you'll create more problems than you end up solving. There HAS to be a competent designer somewhere in your vicinity - even if you have to go a couple of hours away, it is SO worth it. Building code issues alone should be enough to convince you to get a professional involved.

Most of the comments that have been made are spot on - I won't repeat them. But one that hasn't - a covered porch on the north side of the house is going to badly impact the amount of light getting into those principal rooms.

Do you have an unlimited budget? Have you calculated the net to gross square footage on this plan? Do you like deep, dark interiors--the downstairs interiors are virtually square? Do you want to spend tens of thousands of dollars for the windows shown? Do you need a master suite that's half the size of the second floor?

"...better bones for my draftsman to work with?" You don't understand what draftsmen do. They copy. They do what you say. There is no design experience or architectural judgment. They will never question what you ask. They will simply do it.

I'm sorry, but it's time to say it: you don't know what you don't know. You need experienced professional help. You will not find it in an Internet plan factory or some builders Facebook page.

Good luck on your project.

Emily, I don't think it would necessarily suit your site - if you want your back to be oriented to the north (river view) then this plan doesn't orient the principal rooms in that direction. I also have issues with the design - it's a lot of kooky 45 degree angles in the name of...what? And who the heck wants to have to go through the bathroom to get to their closet?? And the route from kitchen to dining room? Really? And that's just on a first glance. You may find an off-the-shelf plan that could be modified, but I don't think this one is it. You really should look for a designer.

My question is why you think you need to bring a plan to the person of design talent. There is really no need to do that at all. Did they suggest you do that?

Really, a list of wants and a few pictures of styles you like and a bubble diagram are all you need. They will take that information and run. If they are good, they will sketch out a few different, really rough ideas for you to evaluate. They might all be very different approaches. You can narrow it down from there. For now, I think you are costing yourself time, and perhaps more importantly, energy. Energy which you will need as you progress through the process.

Good luck!

and PS: the most recent house plan is still not great to me.

The most recent house plan is better but not very good. There's a lot of weird angles and wasted space.

The link below is not perfect but it's better. You can style it like the one you just posted--MUCH better front!!!! I like that elevation so much more!

https://www.familyhomeplans.com/mobile/plan_details.cfm?PlanNumber=73205

Add entry closet to side of what's listed as the dining room, and close that with French doors to get your office, and you have room to make the powder a full bath and can add a small closet to the den.

The great room actually has rear views! So does the master bedroom.

The mudroom closet should take up the drop zone space because with no basement, the under stair space can be the drop zone

Bump IN the great room in the right. The chimney can run outside the house, and you don't need those built ins. They don't add the the house. One less foundation and roof jog.

Bring in the nook to the kitchen wall and bring out the great room to the same level on the back wall and make the whole length French doors with transoms above. Dining table will be parallel to the new windows.

Move the fridge to the interior wall with what should be acoffee bar. Center the sink on the back wall with a big window above.

Close up entryway on the second floor and make that a big hall bath. That should have the tub and #4 should have the shower. Then combine the laundry and the horrible jack and Jill into a big laundry room.

It has a corner master tub, but there's room for change, and the rest of the master suite is nice and even has your sitting room.

Move the garage so the back wall lines up with the kitchen wall. Bump out the left front to get rid of the goofy jog there. That makes the gables on the front make sense because the one on the left isn't just inches farther out than the garage. The laundry room now has a normal outer wall in front. It's not set back. And the wall where the closet for bedroom #2 is becomes flush all the way across, too. Move the closet to the interior wall to buffer the master suite instead. And put the window on the front of the house for that room.

Pull out the left wall to make everything line up with the left wall of bedroom #2.

This will let you do almost exactly the facade in your last inspiration picture--sooooo much better! And the master bathroom becomes big enough to pull the tub out of the corner.

The design should fit the site since you can't change the site (much). Start with the site.

Is your 'draftsman' just doing the drawings or are they an actual engineer? You'll need someone to size all of the structural members of the house, plus the electrical and plumbing. Also, in my area, any house over 1,500 requires an architect or engineer's stamp. A lot of websites that sell house plans will do customizations for small fees. Maybe finding a plan that's close to what you want then have some modifications done to it would be a better option, you would get a full set of plans from which to build.

Yep... structural engineering, soils report, well and septic (tricky when you're close to water). Home owners' association, architectural review board, building department, drainage, driveway access, easements etc. and that's the easy stuff.

Hi Milly “ we would totally hire a local architect if we could. unfortunately the highest rated one in the area doesn’t seem to design homes that we like and there aren’t a lot of options where I live. There are awesome architects on this forum, some might even be able to help you out remotely. This approach worked very well for us, and we don’t even live in the USA. (:

Who is rating the architects? Sometimes you meet one that has the time and interest in your job and that is affordable and BINGO! Maybe the high end architect in your area specializes in modern mansions. But he still could do other styles/price levels. I assure you there are professionals for you. I used a design person only because my builder was willing to help me more than ever. And he was very experienced in building exquisite homes. But his greatest asset besides great experience was integrity. I wanted that hand holding!

I would like to suggest you put aside any plans you are looking at and pick up a book by Christopher Alexander A Pattern Language. Study it in any random order, talk it over with your husband, then start looking at houses again. This book is very helpful understanding architecture from a functional and emotional perspective - what works and make you feel good because it is functional. Another good resource to study is McMansion Hell blog. It will help you understand the language of architecture, how it translates into aesthetics. Revisit your plan and exterior analysis after you perused the above mentioned resources. I am a huge proponent of self learning either for the reason of doing something yourself or becoming a discriminate buyer of professional services. Good luck in your home building endeavor!

Hopefully they will become "discriminating buyers of professional services". It would take an awful lot of self learning understand what a even a freshly minted architect has learned.

The problem with Prof. Alexander's books is that architectural design is not a cookbook recipe. And no two architectural design situations are exactly alike.

Yes, the book does list lots of criteria for planning the design of a custom home. One does not simply pick something from pg. 10 and pg. 28, however, and get a good design, or even a sensible design.

As I recall, Prof. Alexander had his graduate students working on the criteria for his book for 10 years or more. IMO, it reads like 10-years worth of graduate student contributions.

Architectural design takes extensive experience, insight and judgment. It can't be learned from a book. Even a good book.

The book does a fairly good job helping you evaluate existing plans

And existing plans are only as good as the site they are situated on.

Apparently, 98% of the US feels it is more important to go out in public with a professional haircut, than worry about what someone on a forum, or the neighbors, think of their home that does not boast architectural marvel.

http://commonedge.org/architects-design-just-2-of-all-houses-why/

Another great resource that reinforces the basic ideas in Alexander's book is The Great American House by Gil Schafer. While the book is very pretty, it contains quite substantial information of a general kind, the algorithm for thinking about houses and modifying houses that have worked before to the new ways of living.

Research is great - it makes you a more informed consumer. However, it WON'T make you a designer or architect; for that you need years of school and years of practical experience. Please do not think it will. You still need a designer - whether it's a licensed architect or a designer who has good design skills, knowledge of the building code and local requirements and the ability to produce a good set of working drawings. There are architectural diploma programs that don't give you a degree in architecture, but do give you a lot of the technical skills - the design part is something you'll have to research by checking out recommendations and reviews as well as as-built examples. We have two or three local architectural design offices. One of the offices does an excellent job at drafting and creating a good set of working drawings, but on the design end, they're very pedestrian. The other one I'm familiar with is the one we used - he's a much more talented designer. The other part of the equation - equally important, IMHO, is a general contractor who not only does quality work, but is capable of thinking outside the box when he runs into difficulties or challenges. We were very lucky in having ours; he made our house build a pleasure.

Meals in America have been outsourced to professional control in the early 1930's with disastrous results

I wonder where this statement came from? I would agree more if it said in the early 70's.

So glad I stopped by. Beginning to start drawing up designs and was ready to swipe yours because with an untrained eye it looked fine to me. You all have already created a mindset shift. Hope everything worked out. Please share what you came up with if you care to. Congrats on your new home!

Well...since this thread has come back to life...anyone still interested should go read the current "True Confessions--Garden Web No No List" thread...then don't do any of those things...

Or just listen to Bob and find someone who knows the right things to do and work with her/him! Be like Bob!