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cherades

Could use some help! Feedback on 4 floorplans I'm choosing from please

cherades
5 years ago

I'm a little stuck at this point, I will think I have made a decision and then start second guessing myself. The first plan is my updated original floor plan that I had to have shrunk down some, and made roof less complicated (I posted original version on here for advice some of you may have seen that). The second one is another version of that. It's a plan that I love, and have had a hard time giving up on it. I know many on here don't agree with Master bedroom being in front of house, etc. but that's just how I want it. :) The second two are versions that were drawn up for me based on what my wants/needs are (but by a pro from this forum). I'm trying to be open but not gonna lie it's hard to give up on what my vision had been! Each plan is Building in Southern Illinois on farm ground, and if we can 2575 sq. ft. and hopefully if we get the land we want, house will be facing west/southwest. Planning on having a circle drive of some sort to assure guests can park, and come in front door without having to walk a long way. I have 3 kids, ages 12, 10, 6. The two girls will share a room. We do plan on finishing a hangout space for them in basement. Would APPRECIATE any advice/feedback on anything on these please! Especially those that may have a similar plan. Hoping these pics are big enough and you can see them.


#1 - shrunk down original (this one may be a little fuzzy, you can see numbers on next one better)

#2 shrunk down original plan with stairs moved to right to balance it more (so that changed mudroom area and office some as well)



#3 Pro's version of what I want


#4 (a split bedroom version of #3, and fireplace moved





Comments (57)

  • Lori Wagerman_Walker
    5 years ago

    It's a plan that I love, and have had a hard time giving up on it.

    Why do you have to give up on it?


    I know many on here don't agree with Master bedroom being in front of house, etc. but that's just how I want it. :)

    Always remember this is YOUR HOME. There's a lot of knowledge here, but in the end it's yours to live in & pay for!


    Rework the layout of the corridors from the garage to the kitchen so that it doesn't directly pass by the Master Bedroom suite. I don't like the traffic flow. Everyone is going past your bedroom door.

    "Everyone" being mostly the people that live in your house, so probably not that big of a deal. I realize your half bath is down that hall also, but your other full bath is close enough to the public areas, it will probably get used by guests too.
    Our master door is in our garage hall, half bath is directly across from it. Doesn't bother me a lick.

    I think they all have good things, and maybe not so good. I'm leaning towards number 2 also. I'm trying to figure out exactly why everyone is so against them all.

    Do you really need a pocket office on the main floor? I might try to get your 1/2 bath in the area of that, and plop your office in the basement :) or in the laundry/mudroom/drop zone area. Which I also know is a "no-no" around here. But hey, if it would work for you, do it. :) Personally, I wouldn't hate it.

    Good luck!! Keep us posted on your land purchase!!


  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    5 years ago

    Build all four, live in each one for a year, then you decide.

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  • Lori Wagerman_Walker
    5 years ago

    Mark you're cracking me up!


  • houses14
    5 years ago

    I like #3

  • Molly
    5 years ago

    I like option #2 the best. The only thing I might change would be a pocket door on the half bath in the mudroom.

  • mulder2001
    5 years ago
    definitely not the one where the toilet is next to the front porch.
  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    5 years ago

    The first one you should build is the one where the clothes closet rods do not turn a corner.

  • PRO
    Virgil Carter Fine Art
    5 years ago

    Well...you've spent a lot of time looking at floor plans...probably too much time, like so many other consumers...when will you start looking at exteriors and what is possible to do with each of the plans...?

    A house is the sum of it's parts: site planning and improvements; interiors and spatial planning; and exteriors and massing, scale, proportion.

    I'll wager that not all of these plans lead to a pleasing exterior...

  • Mrs Pete
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    First house:

    - I don't love the two twin gables on the exterior ... they seem to compete for attention. I'd lose one /let the other clearly mark the front door.

    - With this plan, I personally would want to flip the master to the back of the house. Benefits: I don't see how being at the front /back means you'd hear anything more /less ... you'd need a shorter driveway, and the driveway would be easier for guests to navigate their way to the front door (that can be difficult to do well with a side-entry garage) ... and you'd have access to the back yard. I'm not pro or against front-masters, but that's what I see in this layout.

    - With the main living rooms placed between two bedroom wings, they aren't getting as much natural light as you might like. I'd consider moving the fireplace to the interior wall to improve this somewhat.

    - Your dining area is adequate for your family ... but is it enough for a big family gathering?

    - If I'm reading correctly, your only back yard access is in the dining room, which requires squeezing by the table. I'd lose that door and put flanking doors next to the fireplace.

    - I wish you didn't have to traverse the length of the kitchen to reach the pantry. It adds effort to bringing in the groceries.

    - The master bath looks cramped, and I'd like to have a larger closet.

    - I'd flip the master bed and move the door to this room further down the hallway. This'll greatly shorten the to-the-toilet walk of the spouse who sleeps nearest the window.

    - As to sharing rooms, I don't feel strongly about it ... but with three kids still at home, I'd probably go with three bedrooms and one bath for the three kids to share.

    - I don't like the kids' bathroom at all. Two sinks to share between three kids? How do you think that's going to work? Too many doors, and you don't want a pocket door in a bathroom ... much less a kids' bathroom. Just go with a simple three-piece bathroom, and it'll be better. Three can share one simple bath.

    Second house:

    - Much of the above applies to this plan too, and I suspect you know which parts.

    - I like the garage entryway better ... it isn't so cramped.

    - The master bath is better, but still cramped ... the vanity, for example, has no chance of supporting two sinks. Remember that you want drawers for storage at the sink too. The problem with this bathroom is that you have that corner by the tub that's useless.

    - I can't read the numbers, but the office is so small.

    - I like the pantry better.

    - Since the kids are likely to use the basement more than you will, I like that the stair is on "their end of the house".

    - If the two girls are going to share, I like that they have a larger closet ... but I'm not sure you'll get hanging clothes on three sides.

    Third house -- Your pro has nice-ened it up.

    - The living space seems less narrow ... nice. And the lighting seems improved. Very nice.

    - I like the office's new location ... it should have a pocket door.

    - If the dining room is no bigger, it's also no smaller. I'd maybe lose that closet to give the dining room a little more space.

    - I like that the kitchen has more light, but I don't like the sink -- the single most used item in your whole kitchen -- being so far on one end. That curved island's counter top'll be expensive.

    - You seem to have wasted space by the front door.

    - The bedrooms work well as shown in the third plan, and I like that the laundry is housed among them. I don't like that you seem to have so very many doors crammed into the small hallway.

    - The kids' bathroom still stinks.

    - The girls sharing a room seem to have lost space.

    - The whole master suite seems better: the master bath isn't spacious, but it works. You have more closet space. And no one has to walk around the bed to reach anything.

    Fourth house -- not so much to say -- much of the same:

    - Larger closets for the kids. Good, especially for the two who are sharing.

    - Is that the office next to the kids' room? Are they the primary users of the office? If so, this matters. Regardless, I'd want a door on this space so it would be an "away space" /would have quiet from the noisy main room /TV /kitchen.

    - I like this layout for the kitchen and dining area ... but, like all the plans, the dining room seems small. I think you'd like the dining room against the master bedroom ... it's a quiet room at nighttime.

    MY VOTE: The third house,but I don't 'specially love it ... my main thought being that I can't work up any love for the main living room and the kitchen, and that's where so much of your time will be spent.

    Resale value not an issue, as this house will never be sold.

    Famous last words.

    Simplicity is the goal.

    Almost always, yes. And nothing in this plan makes me think anything else.

    Will there be a bedroom in the basement for that extra child when then reach adolescence?

    This is a good possibility ... even if that child has to walk up the stairs to use the bathroom.

    Rework the layout of the corridors from the garage to the kitchen so that it doesn't directly pass by the Master Bedroom suite.

    On the other hand, parents of teens might consider this a feature. It means that if the kids come in late, you know.

    I realize your half bath is down that hall also, but your other full bath is close enough to the public areas, it will probably get used by guests too.

    This is a good point.

    plop your office in the basement :) or in the laundry/mudroom/drop zone area. Which I also know is a "no-no" around here.

    I wouldn't like my office in the basement -- too far from the main living area, but I'd be fine with a nice built-in desk in the laundry area. In fact, that's what I'm going to have; I'm calling it the "Back Hall".

  • cherades
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Thanks Mrs Pete

  • sierra90
    5 years ago
    Thanks for the fun of looking at these plans, lots of good suggestions. You will figure out what’s right for you and your family. Good luck!!
  • sierra90
    5 years ago
    My unprofessional opinion- 3 or 4 depending on your wish for split bedrooms or not. I like # 4- thanks for sharing, I love looking at floor plans.
  • imstillchloecat
    5 years ago

    I'd really rather see you reduce some of the public areas to get three bedrooms for the three kids. Even if they're "smaller than typical" it would be beneficial. Making the girls share just seems... mean.

  • cherades
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    I definitely don’t feel like the public areas could get any smaller...we love to entertain and rarely do now because things are tight. All 3 of my kids share a room now (our 6 year old sleeps with us but has a bed and dresser in their room. They occasionally hangout in their room when a friend is over, but otherwise they are always in living room. I’m still torn on the bedrooms...in the long run I think of three *tiny* bedrooms sitting empty...and they would def be small...we don’t wanna go over 2600 square feet.

  • miss lindsey (She/Her)
    5 years ago

    I like plan 4 for the proximity of the master bedroom to mudroom. Really convenient when someone comes in dirty from work and wants to hop in the shower before dinner. There's no need to pass by the main living areas and any potential company on the way to cleanliness. I know my Husband and I would really appreciate that at times.

    I also like it for the separation of kids and parents. Every parent is different of course; I like being a bit removed from the kiddos at night. It helps me shut off the mom-ness for awhile.

    One thing I would change, is to give the girls separate closets. Someone above mentioned reach-in and I think that's wise. None of my girls share a fashion sense with the one who is closest in age/size. It is easier to keep stuff separate (read: not have to look through Sister A's things to find Sister B's favourite shirt) and promote sisterly harmony if each girl can manage her things as she sees fit.

  • imstillchloecat
    5 years ago

    we don’t wanna go over 2600 square feet.


    You're way too fixated on area. You need to be fixated on room sizes and relationships. There's a lot of wasted space in all of the designs you posted. And having a girls' room large enough for a queen and a twin is ridiculous when you could provide them each a room that has enough space for a twin. 10x10 is perfectly adequate for a bedroom. That's what I grew up with, and I turned out just fine. If they don't spend much time in their rooms, then why worry about the size? They're only sleeping in their rooms, after all, and 10x10 is more than enough space to sleep - plus, they all get their OWN space.


    Get an architect and let them program your space to fit within your "desired" (why??? budgetary reasons?) 2,600sf. You could easily do a four-bed home in less than 2,000sf, if you're willing to work with someone who knows what they're doing.

  • miss lindsey (She/Her)
    5 years ago

    " I'd be fine with a nice built-in desk in the laundry area. In fact, that's what I'm going to have; I'm calling it the "Back Hall". "

    Mrs Pete that's really funny, I just yesterday took my little desk out of the kitchen and plopped it down in my Back Hall (you know, the one with my broom closet??) I absolutely love it. Sat there to have some relative quiet to read and return emails and smiled the whole time. Hung up a little corner shelf inherited from my grandparents and now I smile every time I glance that way on my way to the powder room. It's the little hidden nooks that are the real cozy treasures in a home to my mind!

  • miss lindsey (She/Her)
    5 years ago

    Cherades I like my kids to share a room too. It really gives them such a good chance to spend time together without adult intervention!

    And I think planning the larger girls' room means that you can have a nice guest room Someday, or if one of your kids farms with you and needs to live with you to do it they can have a bigger, more adult space with sitting room to escape.

  • Kristin S
    5 years ago

    I agree with others that #3 and #4 are both better than #1 and #2, and that #5, a truly custom home, designed from scratch for you, will be better than all the others. If your plan is for a home that will never be sold, why not put in the extra effort to make it just right from the beginning.

    I think kids sharing rooms can be fine; my nieces happily share a bedroom. That said, you can likely fit three smaller rooms with reach-in closets into the space in which you currently have two rooms with walk-in closets. In the long run I think you'd be happier with the three-room plan. If you start from scratch, perhaps there's even an option where the girls' share a single room now, but one of a size and shape that it can later be divided the the addition of a wall if needed/wanted.

  • imstillchloecat
    5 years ago

    Here's an amateur photoshop job, splitting the girls' room into two. It can easily be done within your desired square footage constraints. You just need someone who understands what you need. If all they'll do is sleep there, the small rooms are fine. You also might want to reduce your son's room size to gain more public space (maybe a study room or play room?).

  • miss lindsey (She/Her)
    5 years ago

    As the first born in my family I would just like to declare that if you do split the rooms, Sister #1 gets the larger "boy" room!! ;-D

  • imstillchloecat
    5 years ago

    Yeah, that whole kids' wing could be easily divided so that each child's room is exactly the same size.

  • Jillius
    5 years ago

    The trouble with doing this before you have land is you don't know if you could spread the house out a bit more. In all these plans, you have landlocked bathrooms and both the kitchen and living room have light coming in on the short side only. These are compromises you have to make if your lot is narrow, but you may be able to have a house that has light on two sides of the living/kitchen, no landlocked rooms, and generally better light penetration overall.

    Like everyone else, I'm confused why you have a harder time hearing what's happening in the rest of of the house from a bedroom facing the backyard rather than a bedroom facing the front yard. It's a bit like saying you hear more when standing on the right foot rather than the left. That's just not what determines whether or not sound carries.

  • cherades
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    My desire for the Master if that it is seperated from kids rooms that it isn’t on the complete opposite end and corner of the house....”some” seperation is ok (but not NECESSARY). I’ve wondered about light from two sides instead of one as well...the lot won’t be too narrow.

  • Denita
    5 years ago

    Have you selected a lot?

  • millworkman
    5 years ago

    "and hopefully if we get the land we want, house will be facing west/southwest."


    My guess would be not..........

  • Denita
    5 years ago

    ^Millworkman, that was what I had surmised until she posted the statement: "the lot won't be too narrow."

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    5 years ago

    Obtain the site THEN design the house.

    Or in your case, obtain the four sites then build the four houses.

  • AnnKH
    5 years ago

    My sons are identical twins, and very best friends. They shared a room until they were about 6 - then they each wanted their own space.

    They typically would hang out in one room or the other - they still had plenty of time to be together - but had their own space when they wanted or needed it. As they got older and they were doing homework in their rooms instead of on the kitchen table, it was especially important to them to have a quiet space.

    They are 23 now, and still very best friends.

  • Jillius
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Cherades, take a look at this floor plan, which was designed by Studio Zerbey Architects (http://studiozerbey.com/work/beach-house):

    It's got all the same basic parts of your floor plans -- open living/dining/kitchen, all three bedrooms on that same floor with the master near the kids' bedrooms, and another floor that could be a second living space. It's also just under your desired 2600 square feet.

    The difference is that this home is going to be SO bright. Every room has a minimum of windows on two sides. The living room has it on three sides. This kind of thing is only possible when you spread the floor plan out more (and do something creative with the garage).

    I'm not saying this home makes sense for you or your future site, but hopefully it'll broaden your mind to other possibilities other than the same basic concept you've been kicking around.

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Refreshing, a custom home that fits the site.

  • Kathi Steele
    5 years ago

    Once you pick your site, remember every outside corner costs a lot of money.

    The more square or rectangular you make a house, the less it costs to build. So, do you want to spend money on corners or save yourself a bundle.

    Same with roof lines. Every change in roof lines cost a ton of money and makes the house ridiculously hard to build A single roof line, hip roof or something with out all the cut outs will save you a bundle.

    Pick your site first. Then let the site tell you the kind of house that can be built on it. Then choose an architect. Then approve a floor plan. Then find a builder. Then build a house.

  • Kathi Steele
    5 years ago

    You need to read these for the information they provide.....

    http://mcmansionhell.com/post/149284377161/mansionvsmcmansion

    http://mcmansionhell.com/post/149563260641/mcmansions-101-mansion-vs-mcmansion-part-2

    This will give you a better idea good floor plans that have withstood the test of time.

    BUT, you still need a lot first.

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    5 years ago

    Depending upon your perspective, the straight walls cost a lot too.

  • artemis_ma
    5 years ago

    For those who say that the kids bedrooms are just for sleeping in... as they get older, that's likely where they will be doing homework. So a desk and chair for each needs to fit.

    Kids don't need walk in closets... And as someone pointed out, letting the two who share a room -- assuming you keep to that plan -- have their own closets will be helpful.

    All three can certainly share the same bath.

  • bluesanne
    5 years ago

    At least this floorplan will ensure your kids never want to return to the nest.

  • grewa002
    5 years ago
    I would think that three kids ( especially two teenage girls) would need more than one bathroom.
  • Mrs Pete
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I definitely don’t feel like the public areas could get any smaller...we
    love to entertain and rarely do now because things are tight.

    I agree. The kitchen seems fine, but the living room and dining room are not particularly spacious. I would not reduce them.

    we don’t wanna go over 2600 square feet.

    2600 is not a small house; I don't see where the space is going in these plans. I currently live in a 2400 sf house with three bedrooms, two baths, three living spaces, a large kitchen and two eating areas. All of my rooms are big.

    How did you choose 2600? What's the reasoning?

    And having a girls' room large enough for a queen and a twin is ridiculous when you could provide them each a room that has enough space for a twin. 10x10 is perfectly adequate for a bedroom.

    My girls have 12x12 bedrooms, and I think they're "just right" for kids' rooms. It's plenty big enough for a kid's room ... plus it's big enough that when the kid is an adult with a spouse, you can fit a queen-sized bed into the room for when they come to visit.
    Mrs Pete that's really funny, I just yesterday took my little desk out of the kitchen and plopped it down in my Back Hall (you know, the one with my broom closet??) I absolutely love it.

    I think we will too. We intend to have a "pocket office" in the Back Hall. We're close to retirement, so we don't need a full-fledged office ... but we definitely need a place to keep business items organized and keep laptops charging. And my husband loves to sit at his desk and listen to loud music or watch YouTube videos and crackle like a baboon (he thinks I mind) ... so we wanted this space to be placed on the edge of the house, not right in the middle.
    And I think planning the larger girls' room means that you can have a nice guest room Someday, or if one of your kids farms with you and needs to live with you to do it they can have a bigger, more adult space with sitting room to escape.

    Yes, a larger room is a good thing to have when you're elderly. When my grandmother was in need of help, it would've been nice if she'd had another "adult room" for someone to move into.

    I think you could have three small rooms for your kids now ... and still accomplish this in the future: Plan them so that you could remove a wall between two rooms /make them into one larger room later.
    For those who say that the kids bedrooms are just for sleeping in... as they get older, that's likely where they will be doing homework. So a desk and chair for each needs to fit.

    Maybe. As a child, I always had a desk, but I never sat at it. My own kids never had desks in their bedroom -- we had desks in other parts of the house, but they never wanted one moved into their own rooms.

    Kids don't need walk in closets.

    No one "needs" walk-in closets, but lots of people choose to have them. A walk-in closet is something of a space-hog in that it requires the actual storage space PLUS the walking aisle ... but, in contrast, the same amount of space in reach-ins requires a long expanse of wall, and that takes away the possibility of windows /doors on that wall .... whereas walk-ins can be pushed to the center of the house.

    I would think that three kids ( especially two teenage girls) would need more than one bathroom.

    I grew up as one of five kids, and we had a bathroom schedule ... but I don't remember a single fight over the bathroom. We did hair /make-up in our own rooms. My own two girls shared one bathroom, and they never fought over it even a single time.

  • AnnKH
    5 years ago

    A friend of mine with 3 daughters built a house with sinks in the girls' bedrooms. The 3 of them easily shared a bathroom, when it was used only for the toilet and shower.

  • miss lindsey (She/Her)
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I have five daughters. They will all be teenagers at the same time. They sure as heck will *not* each have their own bathroom. For goodness sake where does it end.

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    5 years ago

    My wife grew up with four sisters and one bathroom for the whole family. Only the strong survived.

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    5 years ago

    I grew up with three siblings and three bathrooms (if you count the two seater behind the barn).

  • miss lindsey (She/Her)
    5 years ago

    The two seater definitely counts! I'm not sure if you're kidding or not but we really did have one at our lake cabin. When I was about nine we downgraded to a one seater. And we had two and three seaters at summer camp. :-D

  • Kathi Steele
    5 years ago

    I grew up with 2 sisters. There was usually someone in the shower, someone at the sink and some one on the toilet. There was no such thing as a shut door in our house!! There was only about 1000sq feet. Living room, kitchen, bathroom, 3 bedrooms, back room/laundry room.

  • One Devoted Dame
    5 years ago

    I have 6 kiddos, 5 of whom are boys, so we actually don't need that many bathrooms (we have 2). It's much more fun for them to water the plants themselves and streak through the sprinklers.

  • grewa002
    5 years ago
    Don’t get me wrong- I have two boys, 14 and 9, who share a room and a bathroom. But I hear stories about teenage girls taking forever, so in a household with three kids of both genders, at least a separate room with a shower and toilet bowl may be helpful
  • Mrs Pete
    5 years ago

    This house just popped up on my Pinterest feed, and it made me think of this thread. It has the same spaces as the four houses in question ...and it's just under 2500 sf. It's a much better layout ... I like the connection between the laundry and the master suite ... the main living areas seem more proportional and comfortable ... it has a nice, big pantry convenient to the garage entrance ... and it'd be very possible to re-do the area near the garage entry so you could have a third similar-sized bedroom + one bath.

    https://www.architecturaldesigns.com/house-plans/handsome-craftsman-house-plan-69677am

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    5 years ago

    Did "Hire an architect to design a house with you to meet your needs and fit your site" or "Obtain the site THEN design the house" ever pop up on your pinterest feed? Those are better solutions than any preconceived floor plans.

  • Colette
    5 years ago
    I like the first one.
    I like how the master is separate from the other rooms. Our master is also in the front of the house for some of the same reasons you mentioned and it was a good choice for us.
    I also like how in the first the dining is by the patio and Makes for a good flow.
    I would go with the one you like best even if everyone doesn't agree. In the end you have to live there and be happy with it! Good luck!