I absolutely love this plan! I can't see one thing that I'd change, honestly. I think it may be the first time I've ever felt that way about a plan on here.

I think ARG is a really talented architect and I often feel I have little to say on his designs. However this one hits many of the things that would bother me. Now remember these are personal preferences as always when people comment and not an all is all and these are not detrimental if you are ok with them, but they wouldn't be ok with me.

1. I don't want my bed to share a wall with the bathroom. Too much noise and we get ready at different times.

2. I want all bedrooms to be separated by a closets or something so there is less of chance the person in the room next door can hear all that is going on. This is for many reasons - reduces tattling among siblings (although that can be good too), allows one kid to play while the other naps, during sick times or nightmares less chance of waking the other kid up.

3. I don't like walking past the laundry or see the laundry through my mudroom access. I do want easy access to it, but want it to be not visible. Most of our friends and family end up coming through our mudroom and I also don't like mixing the dirt of the mudroom with clean laundry hanging to dry, or waiting to be folded. Unfortunately I have a shared one now. Yours is better in that at least you don't have to walk through the entry area to get to the laundry.

4. I really dislike when the toilet is right by the shower or tub where you'll end up coming out from being clean and then you need to be careful your towel etc. doesn't touch the toilet - I'd prefer some separation there. I don't need a toilet room, but separation is needed from clean areas to less clean in my mind. Especially important during times of stomach bugs. Also not caring for the privacy neither has when one is in the shower and the other using the toilet.

5. The powder room location right off the entry - although this is convenient for those coming in from outside I really dislike people having to walk from clean interior space to space by the entry or a mudroom to access the powder room. This just means tracking the dirt that always in my house seems to be by the entry and especially

6. The kitchen has a very long counter that seems like a lot of money and space that won't really be used much. Cabinets and counter top. I think I'd rather make that the main sink area with dishwasher to have a clean-up area and then in the island have a prep-sink for prep purposes. This also makes it more convenient to put dishes etc. out of the work zone and would also create a secondary prep space for when the kids are older and want to help.

7. The size of the kitchen in comparison to the living room. On the drawing this looks very disproportionate, but the actual dimensions written in appears better, but it looks to me like I can fit the living room into the kitchen area almost twice. With a single living room - my expectation is that to be the largest room in the house. Especially since most of the kitchen is currently setup so only half of it will actually be used. (I do realize there is a hallway as part of that space too, but you still need walking space in the living room too.

Here's some suggestions you might want to consider in general, which I don't have a strong preference about one way or another, but might be useful.

1. Add a door to the bonus space so if you do have guests they will have more of a feeling of privacy.

2. Have a homework/computer space downstairs where you can monitor computer use for both kids. The upstairs desks will be great for general play too and sitting and building things such as Lego's, but I would want my kid when using a computer in view of me. Doesn't have to be a built-in or anything, just a spot where this could be done. Looks like you have one spot. Since most is portable now this may not be a big deal.

BTW I love the elevations!

Great design. I like it a lot.

The master Bedroom is the only thing that needs work in my opinion, specially the toilet and shower area.

LOVE IT!!!

Really, the only thing I'd change would be to expand the rear porch *if* you intend to put a dining table out there, as depicted. :-) Eight feet of space is a bit on the thin side (even if all of you are, too, lol).

I love it. The kitchen window is luscious. The exterior elevations are beautiful. Of course if it was for me there would be a few things I would have done differently. But I'm sure Doug did exactly what you wanted and it is customized for your wants and needs.

Please stick around and let us follow your build. So exciting!

This is a fantastic design. Lots of thoughtful storage/closets throughout. Great circulation/walkways. The only thing I'd study further is the master bathroom layout. Toilet/shower area looks tight. Really pretty house!

I love a good fenestration design. This house is as attractive from the back as it is from the front - and that's obviously intentional. It's mostly one room deep - you'll be able to take advantage of every single view, and multiple vistas from every downstairs room.

It's a bit of a hike to get to the kitchen from the garage, and a little maze like, and I agree with the comments on the master toilet / shower. It's awkward.

With that island, will you really use the dining room? will that end up being more of a hall with a table (to get to the family room?) or will you use it? I a not sure that would be my preferred layout - but you were specific about it so there must be a reason. (I do like the "enclosed" feel of the family room and you'll use all of it without losing space to traffic patterns.

this isn't a huge house at 2543, but it will feel VERY custom and open and will live a lot larger than it appears. This design shows that an open floor plan can be done well without requiring a lot of steel for open expanses.

I am eager to see this one come together and get built.

Jannicone, we use our dining table daily now, but also have a large island. I like looking across the table at my beloved family. I envision the island being a spot for kids to sit up and color while I'm cooking, or do homework, and it also serves as additional seating when we entertain a few times a year (large groups). It probably won't be as big as it's drawn currently, but will definitely be able to seat an additional 4 or 5 people.

Wonderful plan and wonderful elevations. Exactly what I think of when I think farmhouse. It's wonderful that Doug was able to give you everything you wanted.

As for the kitchen being larger, I'm assuming that in your family the kitchen is the hub of the house and where the majority of time is/will be spent? For a family, I can see the kitchen being a large inviting space like you have it set up.

I also love that you'll walk into the foyer and see to the outdoors and the beautiful views. Well done!

I also like how the living room is on the end. I could even see glass pocket doors closing off the space if others were making noise in the living room and you wanted quiet in the rest of the house.

I do agree that the kitchen could be better laid out. I would move the clean up sink to the front windows and put a prep sink on the island.

I agree there might be a better layout for the master bath.

I would consider having some sort of door or pass through from your master closet into the mudroom/laundry area. Save yourself some steps, especially if you intend in the future to age in this house.

Also maybe put the washer/dryer/sink behind closed doors for those times you're not using the laundry area.

Love the idea of the window seat upstairs. I know that as a kid I would have loved sitting there and looking out dreaming or reading. And I'm guessing it will be the dog's favorite hangout too.

In the upstairs bath, I'd stick with a single sink and instead go for extra storage.

Sorry, what is the orientation? N is the direction of the garage?

This is all personal preference:

Are you going to have an outdoor wash-up area? If not, think about how folks will enter the house after working with the animals. Is the mudroom located where you would want it and will it function the way you want?

I would want the hunting/fishing gear storage have a greater sense of separation from the kitchen and bedroom. Does this gear storage really need to be in the house proper?

I think the MBR/MBA could use some reworking.

I really want to stick a pocket door between the mud/laundry and the lower left corner of the kitchen. I realize there is an alternate route on the front porch but, again, personal preference.

Hope you are enjoying your planning and building adventure! You certainly are in good hands with ARG.

I'll have to look at a larger screen than my phone to see the plans but I love the elevations.
The shrubs and the clouds are on the money, though.

Wow! Perfect. don't change a thing.

Wow! Those clouds. I like how the vertical lines evoke the vastness of the high plains. Yet, there are clouds in the distance foretelling future rain.

Seriously, I've got a huge island in an open expanse and sitting in a linear fashion is not comfortable or friendly. Humans like to face each other when they eat. While the cook may be facing the diner, the diners aren't facing the other diners. Too many chairs on the island. Be sure to run the kitchen plans past the kitchen forum. They will have some good suggestions.

Second observation, is the living room square footage sufficient for your family? Children grow into teenagers who take up lots of space. It seems as if it will be crowded once it's furnished. An extra 200 square feet would go a long way to make this more spacious and livable.

As pointed out, the master bathroom is tight and I don't like toilets next to sinks. Are there better options. Maybe the bathroom planners have some suggestions to consider.

The exterior looks great. You are going to love the outdoor spaces. Be sure to share the finished pictures. I know you must be excited.

The elevations are really nice and it sounds like you will have lovely views. My one concern would be that a 15x13 living is too small (for me, anyway). I would have a hard time placing my furniture in a room that size, especially with windows on both sides of the room and the width between them 13'.

My only comment has to do with orientation. There doesn't seem to be any reason to line the house up exactly N-S; could the views be even better if the house was rotated a bit? I don't know what your winter weather is like (perhaps close enough to the coast to be moderate?), but when dealing with snow and wind, I hate a north-facing garage. You would also limit direct western sun.

The master bath layout is very similar to ours, and I like it a lot. Can you provide dimensions?

For the kids bath, one sink = more storage and counterspace. Do that.

Love the view from the front door, it beckons guests in. And the "virtual hallway" along the back.

Not so sure about the serpentine passage from garage to stairs and the rest of the house. Do you think you'd like a service door at the laundry room or the mudroom hall? I'd certainly include a walkway from garage driveway along the front to the front porch.

Larger screen, comments.

Overall, I really like this house.

The thing I like the absolute least is that continent masquerading as an island in the kitchen. ALL THE SEATING is in a line on one side of the continent, looking like the orchestra pit readying for a conductor at the sink. It is difficult for conversations to be meaningful in such a line up.

Shorten the island, leave just a few chairs (maybe including one at each end instead of in that line), and plan to dine most of the time just a few steps away in the dining room.

Master bath - consider having that upper wall line up with the garage and bedroom. Saves on roof.

Upstairs bath for kids... one sink should be fine.

PS, I'm fine with toilets next to sinks. In homes without grab bars, I have to grab onto something to get up. I'd rather it not be the toilet itself.

I see a chimney above the living room on the elevation, but not a fireplace. But, it looks like the furnace is by the laundry room? Does it need a chimney? Or am I reading that mechanicals closet wrong?

This is an absolutely wonderful site plan, floor plan and exterior design--everyone of the essential ingredients of a strong architectural design have been checked off! Congratulations!

Everyone may have a nit here or there--move this or add that...which is fine. Personal preferences and ideas are always good to hear.

But the overall organizing concept here is very strong and should not be diminished. Preserve the concept. Too few custom homes have any organizing concept at all--they simply bump rooms together and throw roof trusses over to keep the rain out.

ARG has slam dunked...even the clouds are good! Congratulations! :-)

Bpathome, we will have a wood stove. It’s on the other side of the powder room. We have one in our current home and love it; however, it’s difficult to control the heat output so I insisted that Doug design a place for it that’s not right in the middle of the living room.

And convenient for keeping platters warm when you're at the dining room table :)

Are you planning to grow your family? #adoptme

Check that chimney location(s).

So the flue for the woodstove goes between the kid bath, closet, and bedroom?

It will be awesome to see this built.

Love this! Thanks for sharing and hope that you share pics of the build, too.

Nicely done! This home is exactly why I'm excited to be working with Doug.

There is a difference between a suggestion due to personal preference and a comment that will either improve the design or fix an issue.

Dough is a skilled designer and this preliminary plans shows it.

I dissected this :) lol

... and the only thing I found is the issue in the master bathroom. Is not about personal preference. I might be wrong but the space between the two walls where the toilet is hardly 4'. This is fixable and in the great scale of things, a very minor thing.

Much of the criticism for this plan and even for not such nice plans on this forum is the imposition of the critic's "program" on the owner's plan. I don't think the massive kitchen island just happened by accident. I'm sure that reflects the needs of this particular owner.

Virgil, I'm always interested in learning more. You have mentioned organizing concepts in the past and I never quite understood its meaning. With this plan as an example, what is the organizing concept?

Virgil, thanks for that explanation. So, the organizing concept can require a paragraph to describe and isn't just a one liner. When it was brought up in past threads I had it in my mind that the organizing concept needed to be simple, which confused me.

I really like the master bathroom layout.

Did the fire in the chimney go out before the rear elevation was drawn? Or was the rear elevation drawn first, fire was then lit, then the front elevation was drawn?

Nirvanaav, an organizing concept can be a one-liner or described in a paragraph. It depends. But yes, simple is always better. I tend to get wordy in an effort for clarity. Less is always more...!

Not only did the fire burn out/get started between elevation drawings, but I think the chimney walked across to the other side of the roof... :)

Fireplaces and chimmneys are known to be very tricky and ornery...they love to walk around...never take you eyes off them!

"but I think the chimney walked across to the other side of the roof... :)"

Huhhh??? Oh geez!

Well, just so everyone knows, in a 42 year career I've never had a mistake on a drawing, only discrepancies....."Hey ARG, we're out at the site and framing up the walls now and there appears to be a discrepancy in your window dimensions. Could you please turn to sheet A-3?......?" It sounds so much better that way.

So we have a discrepancy in the rear elevation as it relates to the flue location.....again, just so everyone knows.

ARG - If I promise to call it a discrepancy, do you promise not to retire from doing remote design charrettes in the next 2-7 years when I'm hopefully ready to start the design/build process? I always love the concepts you come up with that get revealed here. I don't know if it's the designs themselves, or the presentation format, or....the clouds, but they all speak to me!

The clouds...it's definitely the clouds!

Who doesn't appreciate a well designed "modern farmhouse" ;-)

I'm just glad the chimney thing was caught now, instead of later. I couldn't see past the smoke to see the bigger issue! Just another reason to post your elevations and floor plans on here.

"ARG - If I promise to call it a discrepancy, do you promise not to retire from doing remote design charrettes in the next 2-7 years when I'm hopefully ready to start"

I'll be here. Love what I'm doing. Maybe, I'll cut back (I'll be 66 next month) but I'll never retire. And thanks for the kudos, especially about the clouds!