Why are you trying to do your architect's job or are you planning on just giving this to a draftsman?

Can't really read the notation. It all looks reversed or maybe in some eastern language or Hebrew. Consider reorganizing that guest wing behind the garage. I would locate the den/office/family room (I can't read the description) so that it had direct access to the back patio area through a wall of French or sliding doors. Move the bedroom to its location and change the entrance to be where the skinny closet is at the end of the kitchen counter run. The other closet can open to serve the bedroom.

No need for a coat closet in Florida.

Interesting insight about the bedroom being only accessible through the kitchen. I put it there so it gets a water view, but I will consider other options.

I have considered more windows in the master, too. As is, there won't be much natural light!

Unfortunately, the font is set by the online tool I used to create this. I know its sort of difficult to read...sorry about that! I will try to figure out a way to make it more legible and upload the photos again.

I'm not sure about the problem with having a clockwise slide? Sorry if I'm misunderstanding a joke! There is an actual slide that I have communicated to a manufacturer about that has an 11' deck and enters at 12, exits at 9 and runs clockwise. My drawing is not accurate as far as the slide goes... I'm certainly no artist, just wanted to give an idea of what it would look like.

I was originally working with an architect for 2 years up until a few months ago and still ended up with something I wasn't happy with. I think she was a good architect but the problem was that I kept changing my mind. I decided instead to step away and come up with my own thing and tweak it a million times first before taking it to someone. Maybe I just need a different architect and/or to let them take the wheel. I have not really found any others in my area that have designed houses that I really love. The semi-custom options in my area are not the style of home I want. I am open to any suggestions you have for me on this topic. I really don't want to spend all this time and money and end up with a house I hate.

I would prefer to have the den and office in the front of the house and the bedroom in the back so the bedroom gets the water view. That guest bath also serves as the pool bath.

OK...time for truth...don't take a home made floor plan to an architect who has been educated, trained, licensed and in practice long enough to survive as a architect. It's simply a waste of your time and of the architect's time.

It will cost you more time and money to work through your home made plan, abandon it and start fresh with something which truly responds in a creative way to your site, needs and budget.

So many consumers think they have to come up with something to show an architect "what they want"...because they don't understand what architects do and how architectural design takes place.

If you were sick, would you go online and create a pile of prints to take to your doctor? How about your attorney? How about your pharmacist? Etc.

Just stop what your are doing. Create a written list of needs. Another list of wants. Bring a site plan of your land. And create a written list of your budget and contingency sum. Bundle all of these us and visit your local architect.

Good luck!

Don’t take a sandwich to a banquet from a 5 Star chef. You end up missing out on to much that you had no idea was possible.

As you have decided to undertake the design side of things you might consider using a more suitable program. Worth checking out Chief Architects Home Designer Software, these are slimmer versions of their professional design software. The Home Designer Professional package is only $500 or you can rent to own for $50 per month.

The user base for Chief Architect is very significant, and when the time comes to take your concepts to the next level I'm certain you will find many professional CA users in your area that can take what you have, make the necessary adjustments and generate the necessary permit ready docs. They have a seeking services section in their Chief Talk forum for this purpose.

You've drawn the shower to be as big as the King size bed. Seriously? The toilet is at least 6 feet into its closet. And the other bedrooms exit right into the working parts of the kitchen.

Quick must do changes:

o= move the opening for the bonus room/bedrooms down to this location and close in the existing one so that your kitchen is more continuous.

L/c= the bedroom doesn't need two closets, change to one large closet an a small 2' linen accessed from the bathroom. remove the closet in the bonus room/hall as the bathroom now has a linen.

PWDR= you need a powder bath for guest to use where they don't have to walk through a maze. the space allocated to your master/closet/bath is massive. I would add in a powder bath, remove the hallway entrance to the closet and relocate toilet so it is closer to the entrance.

The rest of what I noted is just trying to make what you drew work the best. But I would gut and restart the design of the master area.

What Virgil said. Repeat ten times.

The H shape is nice, you can take that idea to your architect with your list of needs, which seem to include a private office, an in-law type suite on the main floor, good closet storage but not a lot of other storage, and so on.

I would prefer to have the den and office in the front of the house and the bedroom in the back so the bedroom gets the water view.

Why do you want to put the room you mostly are in at night and when sleeping at the back of the house versus the den and office which could be enjoyed while awake?

No need for a coat closet in Florida.

I live in Fl too and there are days you do need a jacket.

Why is the toilet in the clothes closet?

You wrote: The semi-custom options in my area are not the style of home I want. I am open to any suggestions you have for me on this topic.

i'm not understanding. Did you work with a licensed architect to design a fully custom home or did you work with a draftsman or ???

So to get to your guest bedroom you walk through the work zone of your kitchen? I wouldn't want to be a guest in your house.

You asked for suggestions. Find a qualified licensed architect who specializes in residential architecture and bring a list of your wants, wishes and needs.

You're doing a good job at this beginning stage. Ignore suggestions to give up. Continue refining. You'll need electrical, plumbing/waste and lighting layouts also. You'll learn much as you continue. If you can do a separate layout in a bigger scale with measurements written in for the kitchen I'd suggest a post there for more ideas. Again just keep going.

Is June your live-in housekeeper? Nanny?

You show 3 dormers on your elevation but nowhere in your plans are they shown. ln fact the front upstairs plan shows no windows.

"What changes do you suggest?"

I suggest you change your strategy and do what Jan said.

Ok, I get it... I will make my list and try a new architect instead of going this route. This is why I came here first. I do want to redeem myself a tiny bit and at least answer a few questions first.

Umbrellas, jackets, boots, etc would be kept in the big mudroom near the garage. That would be our primary entrance. I've lived in Florida for 13 years without a coat closet and it has never been a problem. I understand that a coat closet could be helpful at times but most homes I've seen here do not have one. I did not say no need for coats. Just no need for a coat closet.

The toilet accidentally got moved to the center of the room in some shifting I was doing. Of course I do not plan to leave it there. It's not in a clothes closet, either. It is normal to put a toilet in it's own space.

I didn't realize how big the master shower had gotten. Thanks.

Cpartist, I met with an actual architect multiple times over a period of two years. We paid her a lot of money unfortunately and still ended up with something we were not quite satisfied with. I have looked at model homes and many many floor plans both online and in person over the last two years and met with multiple builders and architects. I decided instead of spending more money unnecessarily, I would try to take what insight I collected from them and put together all the things I liked from various homes and plans I've seen to make my own version. I do enjoy making floor plans so I thought it made sense to at least try. Apparently, this was the wrong move.

I was thinking the dormers could be fake windows. I've seen that a lot, but what would you say are the downsides to this?

I cleaned up the plan a bit and posted below just for fun if anyone wants to try to read it now. I am fully aware that it's far from perfect.

Not bad--congratulations!

Now...find that architect and be willing to start over...! :-)

I was thinking the dormers could be fake windows. I've seen that a lot, but what would you say are the downsides to this?

Well - paying for windows that don't actually let light or air into the house...

What are you going to see behind those "fake dormers"? Will you have to put some sort of film in the windows to avoid passers-by staring in at trusses? At which point those windows will look like black holes in the facade, rather than windows.

The elevations of the house and its floor plan should make sense - and fake windows do not. The relationship between interior and exterior is one of the many reasons you need a person of design talent, rather than playing "room tetris."

I actually took the fake dormer and second floor situation from a semi-custom home plan in my area. The elevation of that home is very similar to this one. I didn't just make that part up on my own. You can't see it on this image, but the upstairs rooms are toward the back of the house so the dormers would only be in the attic. They would be blacked out and yes I agree that is not a great aesthetic. But you're right, they don't make sense.

In architecture, fakery is a sign of design failure--it's a big no-no! Well designed architecture doesn't need fakery...just a thought or two! :-)

I actually took the fake dormer and second floor situation from a semi-custom home plan in my area.

There are lots of poorly designed houses, especially here in FL. Doesn't mean you have to copy them.

Did you walk through the house doing daily tasks? For example, here are 3 different paths for daily living.

The red is bringing laundry from your bedroom to the laundry room.

The blue is a guest using the guest bathroom and the green with a guest having to go through the working part of the kitchen to get to the living room.

dannirose, it's not a powder room but a full bathroom next to the bedroom to the left

You want to "maximize the views out the back", yet you have stuck rooms projecting out from the house that narrow the views drastically. You can see straight out, but not to either side.

All new build, no matter your resources or location will involve a compromise or many. It could be set back requirements, lot lines, anything. It will afford some rooms a lovely view, others not so much. Atop that, the choices within the compromises are personal.

Post one of the plans you discarded, one from the two year effort, before this attempt to design your own.

cpartist I agree that there are a LOT of poorly designed houses in Florida. This is part of the problem. Just because someone is an architect, it doesn't mean they will make a good design. Just like there are doctors who misdiagnose or dentists who give you a horrible crown. What Florida plans/architects have you seen that are good? Or what aspects make a good design? Let's set this plan aside for now. It's not happening! I would love to know what tips you have on finding a good architect in Florida.

You said............ " I kept changing my mind" Maybe you HAD a good one. Maybe your communication was lacking. Maybe you were not clear on the things most important to you. A certain elevation will demand a certain inside. To any arch, you may set off the warning bells, unless willing to present a clear wish list, and be willing to listen to what is possible on your site, and within the budget and square feet. It's a two way street.....no matter who you find. Most pro's are as good as you let them be, to at least SOME degree.

Search Houzz in your locale, and look at the residential headings under their portfolios.

Yes, Jan, I agree that I was a huge part of the problem with my architect. Like I said, I think she was actually really good. I think I hired her too prematurely because I didn't know exactly what components mattered most to me in a house (whether I wanted certain rooms upstairs or downstairs, etc.) at that time. With all my changing, I could tell I was wearing her out. Having never done this before, I didn't realize the amount of thought that needed to be done before hiring an architect. I was just anxious to get a house started so we could move in. I'm really glad now, though, that I didn't just build the first house we came up with.

My thinking in all of this was to try and come up with what I actually wanted before going to the architect so I wouldn't flip flop so much. But what I need to do is make a list of those components...not a design. I understand that now!

There are lots of discussion threads here about what's needed and how to plan and design a custom home. Do some searches and see if you can find some helpful threads. Some of the essential homework includes: 1) A written list of needs--must haves; 2) Another written list of "wants"; 3) A site plan with boundaries, set backs and contours; 4) A budget. Good luck!

You live somewhere now.... Yes? You 've things you love and hate? This is no different. A giraffe does not become an elephant with a change of locale or climate

Call the first arch and beg some mercy.

After three decades in this business I can tell you that I would never attempt to do the job of the Arch. Collaborate? Yes! Help my client interpret his interpretation ? Yes?

It's a dialogue .... A dance. It really is. Start the music

cpartist I agree that there are a LOT of poorly designed houses in Florida. This is part of the problem. Just because someone is an architect, it doesn't mean they will make a good design.

Actually the majority of the poorly designed houses I've seen were designed by builders or draftsman and in one case a combo of a draftsman and homeowner. Yes of course I've seen a few bloated houses built by architects too, but that seems to be the exception.

Or what aspects make a good design?

Just my thoughts.

A well designed house in FL will have windows on at least two walls in all the major rooms. The exception would be a west facing wall in FL. In FL, you really want to minimize as much as possible windows facing directly west. The best direction to orient a house is with the major axis of the house facing north/south with the main rooms facing south with wide exterior overhangs throughout. Additionally a house that is only 1-2 rooms deep is best especially for during the less humid days when it's wonderful to throw open the windows and catch cooling cross breezes.

A great example of my last comment is my living room. The front of my house faces due north and the rear faces due south. My eaves throughout my house are 32" wide and I have a 9' deep lanai on the rear.

Last summer before my AC was installed we were in the living room, with the doors and windows open and despite the heat and humidity, the house was actually bearable because of the cross breezes. It felt sort of like being under a huge canopy of trees.

What Florida plans/architects have you seen that are good?

Where are you located?

And, of course, if it were as easy as following a "good design" recipe, there wouldn't be a need for architects. Anybody could just work their way down the list, check off the boxes and "ta-da"!

I think you can find a number of other threads here that discuss what makes good design and provide links, book suggestions, etc.

Try to spend some time organizing your thoughts. Search the forum for "bubble diagram" and do that. It's a good exercise. Make up some Pinterest boards. Go on some local open house/Parade of Home events. Maybe even approach some local architects regarding ARG's "charette" approach.

Jan yes I am very aware of all the things I love and dislike about my current home. It is a basic Florida cookie cutter plan and my family of 5 has outgrown it. We really want another bedroom and a bonus room. I would like a walk-in pantry. Our current home is not set up for a water view. It's deep instead of wide. It's just a totally different home than what will work on our new lot.

Cpartist, I would love to do the North/south thing but it just doesn't work on this lot since the view is east and the privacy is west. On the north and south sides we have neighbors. I know the intense heat of the evening sun from the west, too. That was one issue with my other plan... in fact I think you may have brought that up when I posted it a while ago. My current home has hardly any west windows and it is so nice that way. We still get a decent cross breeze here from east to west and we're not even on the water like the new house will be. I'm hoping the trees on the west side of the new house will help break up some of the harsh evening sun, but it's still smart to plan around it.

Here is a tree survey that shows our lot and trees. There is a house to the west of us on the other side of the orchard, too. The outline shown is the existing tear down house. The lot is 140' wide where the house is.

All above is what you discuss in detail with the arch. All of it with the understanding that no matter the resources.... a sacrifice or two is always required. Hence? Prioritize

You take info to the architect and they come up with plans that is what you pay them for and make a list of all the things you want a budget and then be prepared to do a new list with what you absolutely need then deal with that plan.I would never make walkin closets where you walk through the bath or out in the hall. The slide to me is just a silly thing that no one else will ever appreciate if you have to sell not to mention your insurance costs for that .

Cpartist, I would love to do the North/south thing but it just doesn't work on this lot since the view is east and the privacy is west. On the north and south sides we have neighbors.

Then maybe what you need is more of an L shaped plan. Or maybe there's another way that you and I haven't thought of because we don't do this day after day. This is where working with a good architect will help.

There are many strategies possible for southern orientation for your house's major public spaces. This is why you will want to talk to an architect who understands this...

The slide to me is just a silly thing that no one else will ever appreciate if you have to sell not to mention your insurance costs for that .

I'd happily buy a house with a slide/laundry chute. :-D Or a house with a model train that ran just below the crown molding around the entire house. Or a house with a ball pit, er, I mean, "sunken living room." lol Or any number of things that would make the house kinda strange.

But as we all know, I'm odd. It's true that it may take the OP longer to sell the house, but I don't think that alone should necessarily dissuade her from putting in a fun little feature like a slide. It's not structural, so why not? (OP: Don't make the slide necessary to hold up your roof, lol.)

I'm unaware of insurance ramifications for a slide... I don't recall being asked if I had a slide on the premises (I do, it's just outside), but I *was* asked if I had a dog and what breed (and yet I wanted a German Shepherd anyway, so time for a different insurer!). Definitely something to investigate, though, just in case!!!

I totally get that an indoor slide isn't common, and it has real potential to repel future buyers. Maybe I'm delusional (it's happened before), but I don't think it's really that bad. :-)

The slide is fun. And cool. And... when the kids move out and you want to age in place, it could easily become and elevator shaft should you need or want one. :)

I have researched the slide issue quite thoroughly... that is one of the things we changed our minds about a lot. My insurance only cares about slides going into a pool. And one of the reasons I did it as shown above on this plan is so it could just be another closet or elevator shaft for the next owner - or for us later if necessary. But as far as priorities go, it is not as high up as some other things on my list. So, we'll see what the architect can do!

I think there is a lack of storage next to the front door - but I don't know how often you would use it, and being in Florida your guests are unlikely to have bulky coats.

I'm in the South and don't own big, bulky coats ... but I still want a small coat closet to store family coats. They have to go somewhere, and they're space-hogs, if they go into the bedroom clothes closet.

there is not a good bathroom location that's acceptable for guests

Good point.

the guest bedroom on the main floor accesses the main house through the kitchen.

Yes, often I'm not opposed to this set-up; for example, I think it's fine if the pathway to a bedroom lies between the kitchen and the breakfast table -- but in this case, the pathway cuts through the heart of the kitchen. It's a complete no-go.

I think there should be more windows on the sides of the master bedroom.

Yes, both downstairs bedrooms could have windows on three sides -- they could be wonderful.

It take longer to get down the slide than I would think.

Yes, the slide's going to be a cool thing -- and it'll be expensive and space-consuming. Don't hide it in a corner by the mudroom.

You've drawn the shower to be as big as the King size bed. Seriously? The
toilet is at least 6 feet into its closet.

Yes to problems with proportion. Start measuring things. Things in your house, things in friend's houses, even the half bath at the dentist's office. This'll help you develop your own idea of "right sized".

Just want to note, things we store in our front “coat closet”: coats, lots of shoes, umbrellas, dog leashes and poop bags, packable stroller, market cart, beach towels...not just for coats, people!

Good point. Right now my small coat closet houses coats and also the vacuum and many of the same things BB mentioned above. I am very much looking forward to a separate cleaning closet and a dedicated pet storage space in the mudroom.

For example, if you have an electrician in your house to fix something, what bathroom would he use, if needed?

I agree you need a spot for guests, but this particular question is so unlikely that I would not worry about it.

Other thoughts:

I'd flatten out some of the jigs and jogs around the edge of the house. They're more expensive to build and add nothing to the quality of the house.

Stairs can be such a lovely part of a house ... and you're building a large /expensive set of stairs ... yet they're going to be hidden behind a wall? No! Open them up!

How wide is the walking area in the pantry? It looks narrow.

Look at how many gathering spaces /public spaces you have. How do you plan to use each one? I ask because I suspect you're over-doing this portion of the house ... especially because every family member also has a personal bedroom.

I think I'd flip-flop the guest room and the guest room's sitting area. Why? Because you're awake when you're in the sitting room and can enjoy the view. Also, this would allow you to have the closet right next to the utility room /I'd open a door between this suite and the laundry.

Also, I'd consider making this the master. I'd rather be able to come home (thought the garage) and have my room /my bathroom /my closet RIGHT THERE for me.

You really need to pay attention to the windows; no other single thing in your house will add as much to the quality as natural light.

The hallway to the master bedroom is less than ideal. It's a long walk, and it's going to be dark. I do like that you put a closet /bathroom door halfway.

Actually, the whole master suite is bloated; you could have everything in this suite ... in a smaller, more efficient space.

Upstairs bath: I'd downsize to one sink, which would allow drawer storage for the boys. Kids never use sinks at the same time anyway. I'd add a shelf /ledge at the end of the tub /bump the tub itself to the right ... something like this, which would give the boys storage in the tub:

I think the slide is cool and you’ve clearly thought it out. The Wall Street journal did an article on slides in homes a couple years ago. I dont know if you need a subscription to see it though.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/squeezing-a-slide-into-the-house-1441289002

I’m sorry you are having a bad experience getting your home design finalized. I think it’s just a matter of finding the right architect. Have you searched houzz architects in your area? I’d look at the homes they have done to see if any really appeal to you and then interview the architect.

My house is on a pie-shaped lot, on a curve. The front of the house faces SW; we have LR and family room windows facing SW; a patio door facing SE, bedrooms and kitchen face NE. There are no windows on the NW side of the house - not only is there a close neighbor on that side, but here in ND, that's where the prevailing winter winds come from.

The orientation is wonderful: in the summer, when the sun sets in the NW, we do not get direct sunlight, but in the winter, when the sun sets in the SW, we get much-needed sunshine streaming in.

I highly recommend rotating a house 45°, if at all possible. This will also give you water views from two sides of the house, instead of one.

Great thread, tons of questions and great answers by everyone contributing. Learned something new this morning.

AnnKH, I love your insight on your home. Thank you for sharing. I think a similar orientation may be possible here. I'd just need some good privacy landscaping to block out the neighbors.

Karinesa, thank you for the suggestion to read that book. Too much house is something I've been trying to avoid. I have heard too many stories of people going through all of this and hating their custom home. That was one problem with my architect's plan. It was 4700sf and didn't even have all the spaces I wanted! This one I made is only 3300. Still big but not so painfully so. I would love to find ways to combine spaces and will think harder on that.

Torida, I'm sure you will succeed! Take a little more time - agonizing, I know, but it will be worth it.

Re AnnKH's suggestion, do work with someone who has experience with green building in Florida. What works in North Dakota will NOT work well with the Florida climate. In the south, you generally want short east- and west-facing walls (to minimize heat gain) and longer north-south walls so you can get the light without the hottest sun - you put a deep porch on the south-facing side. But I understand there are some site restrictions - hence hiring the professional. Clearly, maximizing views is one of the priorities you will share with him/her.