Among other issues, it would seem you're missing a front door. And a back door, for that matter. Who developed these plans?

Mark and Kristin - these are proposed and the current version does not include doors and windows yet - as that would be next step. Have edited the post above

Who proposed these plans? I've never heard of a talented professional (architect or other) producing plans without doors or windows on the idea they'll come later - they're pretty integral to the design.

Unless you own 2 smart cars, that is a one car garage and that one car better not be a long SUV or minivan.

Elevation plans are currently WIP, which is when doors and windows will be added. The above referenced plans are just for the purpose of getting the basic layout.

I don't think the furniture drawn in is to scale? You might want to double check, or you will be surprised when you have much less circulation space in real life.

it is drawn to scale. i did ask this question.

Invest in an architect.

Nice area to live in :-) I cannot read the dimensions on your first floor nor see the specifics in the kitchen or ADU - even when I try to enlarge. From ey'ing it so far: In Bed #1 maybe change location of bathroom and then move the closet to that bath wall so you have a place across from the bed for a dresser/tv. BUT I would be inclined to use that bath actually for the first floor guests too and move the entry door to that room up. The half bath then would be for a stackable. 2. The depth of that garage is too shallow with the added things in there. Will it pass inspection? 3. I am confused as to the washer/dryer on the second floor. It makes that space awkward. 4. I would eliminate one of the secondary baths upstairs so you can have larger rooms / closets. 5. Feels like the upstairs could be better. Can you build over the garage? 6. The first floor closet is too small...

I agree with others that it is very strange not to have windows or doors in a plan as they are integral to the design

For a house this size, I really think you do not have enough storage/laundry space. I have way more in my 2000 sq. ft. house. Where is your linen cabinet, pantry, or coat closet? Is there a foyer area to take off your sweaters & shoes?

Also, is the stove venting through the bedroom? You will definitely need a prep sink on that island.

It will probably cost you around $2 mil or more to build this, so definitely make sure you find a great architect as the more correct detailed planning you do in the beginning, the more you will save in the building IMO.

The plans say "option 13", what did the first 12 look like? How can you possibly stage it with furniture and guage the layout without windos and doors? Never, ever have I see or heard of windows and doors all added later.

" A five bedroom home in the SF Bay area with space for an au pair...................."

Which means since we are not clueless out here: Your design TEAM should include the real architect, not a draftsman if that is the case here, and it appears to be. I know not one architect who would draw a straight line minus entries and windows as they are as integral as the site itself. The team should include the Professional Kitchen and bath designer, and it should include the interior designer.

A home this size in that location, where a lowly shack or a decent garage can exceed a million dollars ? Get your TEAM in place now. The plan..... even if just for space allowance is fraught with issues. Over spaced areas, undersized areas......a stack washer and dryer next to a tentative sofa... ?

Option 14... find someone who knows what they're doing.

Looks great but for a home of this magnitude, I would have a dedicated laundry space with a top loading washing machine.

I can't read dimensions, so I'm somewhat flying blind here:

- Do the garage doors face the front of the house? I understand designing on a narrow lot is difficult, but you're going to see the garage first ... it's a GARAGE house. Couldn't the living room side be pulled "forward" and the garage side be pushed "back"?

- What does the exterior look like?

- You're building two bedrooms on the first floor for the AuP and the in-laws ... are both of these rooms needed now? Could you build one room now and dedicate it to the AuP ... and have the in-laws stay in the kids' rooms for the time ... then in a few short years when you no longer need the AuP, her room becomes the in-law's guest room?

- None of the secondary bedrooms have good-sized closets. I'd absolutely want more storage space.

- That's a big staircase. Are you harnessing the storage space underneath it?

- I don't think you've dedicated enough space to the family /garage entry.

- Do you have an entry for guests into the living room?

- You have so many bathrooms! It's going to cost a fortune, and then you'll have to clean them -- imagine each one requires 15 minutes (which is pretty skimpy) -- that's an hour and a half a week you'll dedicate to cleaning bathrooms. For starters, I'd go with one good-sized bathroom on the first floor to serve the two bedrooms (well, I already said I'd downsize to one bedroom) ... let it serve that bedroom AND guests. Upstairs I'd go with one nice bathroom between the two secondary bedrooms ... and use the space for good closets.

- Upstairs, what's the point of that large hallway? You already have two living spaces downstairs ... this square footage could be better utilized for closets.

- Definitely flip-flop the master bedroom and the closet ... put the master on the exterior wall so it can have the benefit of windows. This will also provide a sound barrier between the master and the adjacent bedroom.

- Consider the zig-zag maze required to enter the upstairs secondary bedrooms ... first, this is a problem because the doors in the left-side bedroom "open over one another" ... second, consider bringing large furniture in through those 90 degree turns. Imagine if you one day need to replace a tub ... no way a tub could "make the turn".

GET an architect NOW. I sure do not have any idea how anyone would draw this without showing entry and windows it make no sense .

Yeah....... follow to the woods....: ) The OP disappeared. Possibly forever. Seems to happen a lot when answers don't match expectations. Or she is on attempt number 14....

Hopefully it is Summit's Option 14 that is currently being pursued.

Hopefully this should address a lot of comments. Please keep in mind that a) we have the restriction of a narrow lot, and b) the plan has been tailor made to address a LOT of our unique considerations (renting potential, parents needs, kids needs, privacy concerns and some whims etc.)

Has anyone pointed out that the garage will only hold one mid-size vehicle? Or that one must go through the first floor bedroom to get to the toilet? Or that everone easts at the island? Or that you have a lot of wasted second floor space?

I think that the upstairs "open" space is wasted. You'd be better served with a dedicated laundry room. With the traffic patterns, this is more of a glorified hall than it is real useable space. Also - you would be better served again with the closet moved to be buffer between the master and bedroom #3. You could add a transom or higher window on the side of the house for a cross breeze / more light.

Many people suspend a tennis ball from the garage ceiling by a string to help gage where a car should come to rest. When the tennis ball touches the windshield the driver knows when to stop and park. You can do similar thing with the clothes washer and dryer at the end of the garage, but you will have to replace the washer and dryer more often than if you used the tennis ball method.

"Has
anyone pointed out that the garage will only hold one mid-size vehicle?
Or that one must go through the first floor bedroom to get to the
toilet? Or that everone easts at the island? Or that you have a lot of
wasted second floor space?"

Watch this movie tonight: You can Netflix

Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House........

After you have done that? Get your team together. The road to H E double matchsticks is paved with ideas considered.....and abandoned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_jjKs06-UY

How about cutting a bunch of tennis balls in half and gluing them to the washer/dryer?

HAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would suggest soccer balls..........

You “Pro”s are ruining this forum. Not a single thread about floor plans without condescending high school bully crap. I would never post a floor plan on here and I’d think others give it a second thought too. What a contrast to the Austrian home building forum (in German) that I also read. It’s not infested by arrogant people but full of people giving helpful tips instead.

Hi HS,

I'm guessing that you may have already left the Forum. But, if not, I hope that you come across my post. I'm not here to mock you or your efforts (unlike others), but to perhaps provide another perspective.

As you initially wrote, you are looking to build a custom "5 bd 5 1/2 bath 3200 sq ft 2 story home" with an au par suite in one of the most expensive cities in the United States. Maybe I'm mistaken, but it seems to me that you have the resources to build a truly stunning home for your family. You are fortunate.

So, let's step back from your designs, and look at the bigger picture. Let me employ an analogy. Imagine your child is ill and needs heart surgery. Would you spend your time, energy, and resources watching television medical dramas, researching surgical techniques on WebMD, and then hiring an intern to perform the transplant? Of course not! You would be researching the best surgeons and hospitals to entrust your child's life.

Your new home is a HUGE investment. It's one that you need to get right the first time. What are you doing trying to design your home yourself with perhaps the help of a draftsman? You wouldn't touch your child with a scalpel, would you?

The consistent response that you are getting is this: research and hire the best team of professionals that you can find. Invest in an architect, a kitchen and bath planner, and an interior designer. If you have the resources to build the house you have described, then you have the wherewithal to invest in a professional team to build an amazing home that you can be proud of.

HOUZZ is a great place to see lots of inspirational photos, pick up some tips from the pros, and read about the experiences of other homeowners, but it's not the place to "outsource" the design and building of your dream home.

Why do you need 5.5 baths?

Why is a bedroom sharing a wall with the master bedroom? Guess you want to scar your kids for life?

Why does the master closet get a corner where there could instead be windows on two walls? Shouldn't the master bedroom have the corner so it has windows on 2 walls?

Once you go into your toilet in the master bathroom, how will you actually close the door? I guess you'll have to stand on the toilet to close the door?

You have a stackable w/d upstairs. How do you intend to sort clothes and where will you keep laundry detergent etc?

How come there isn't a single linen closet upstairs?

As mentioned the garage is way too small for anything but a compact car.

Is there a reason you want the dining room so far from the kitchen?

If the bedroom inside the house is for your parents, what happens when they might need more assistance or a walker? That bathroom would be unusable.

Plus if they are guests and others are still awake, it would be quite difficult for them to go to sleep with the walls so close to public spaces. I know also if I were a guest I wouldn't want to be on such public view.

Why do you want to shlep your groceries through your living room, dining room, and great room to get to the kitchen?

Yes we understand you're on a narrow lot. But you can do a lot better. Have you considered working with an architect?

This is awful! Who puts 2 bedrooms wrapped by living spaces?

The garage is laid out without any care or knowledge of how big cars are.

I guess that since an au pair will be doing the laundry that there didn't need to be any thought put into the placement of those units.

And, yes, the above point about having to stand on the toilet to close that door tells all anyone needs to know about the skills of the person who designed this.

And we never learned in any design class in architecture that we should ignore the doors and windows from the very start. That is completely bogus.

One more observation - I see that the au par's suite has an outside entrance, which is fine because she will be an employee. Which door do you expect her to use to access your home? The garage door? Will there be room for the door to swing into the garage if your car is parked inside? The devil really is in the details.

The person who did that “design” is committing criminal fraud. They have no real design skills. They are clueless about human dimensions, automobile dimensions, and a great deal of psychology and sociology. And traffic flow and proportion. Basically they lack all of the qualities required to actually design a well put together home.

Wad this up and throw it in the trash. Light it on fire. Then clear the stink of abject failure out of your nose and start over with someone actually qualified.

If you have steps going both up to bedrooms and down to basement, putting the basement stairs beneath the stairs going up is usually a more efficient use of space.

Bathrooms and powder rooms need windows -- at least small high ones.

A formal living room along with an "L" shaped great room and yet another sitting room upstairs will likely end up being a waste of space. You might consider including a room or rooms in a layout that could enable the rooms to be bonus room(s) -- room(s) that could be used for multiple purposes. such as used for either a formal dining room or a guest bedroom or a separate sitting room/game room.

Would prefer a laundry space in a mud room beside the garage and between the garage and the kitchen accessible from that.

How many people are going to be living in this home -- how many generations? How many vehicles do you plan to park in your garage? Bicycles? Mowers?

Do you mean you you're limited to a house 52' wide and/or your lot is 52' wide total? what are your set back rules? what will be your view -- will you be able to put windows on the sides of the home and will you really want to ... if you're going to be looking out your window into your neighbor's window or at the wall of your neighbor's house?

Yes,window indeed!

HS

What you have is a draftsman who is listening to you. What you NEED is an architect who will listen to you, tell you "NO, not a great idea, no not possible, will be very inconvenient, or will be hideous" . Then he will take the most important of your issues, consider all of them in conjunction with what is possible on the lot, with the set backs, the light exposures and ALL, including your lifestyle/family..... and hand you back a plan that actually works. Your job is to listen ........to the why's, the why not's, and make adjustments to your wish list as the lot demands. Or find a different lot.

So. While we have surely done some teasing and laughing here, it is not at you, It is at the plan that is none of the things it could or should be. Thus, and not laughing at all? I suggest you get that team together and working together with you and hubby. Six people: The Arch, the KD, the interior designer, the builder, you and your mate. There's the team. Or go right ahead to attempt number 15.

H S,

This thread is a good one for illustrating the difference between a homeowner trying to create a workable plan and an architect's approach. You'll see that the first plan and the second plan received the same kind of criticism you've gotten here. And, yes, this forum can seem rather merciless. But, in the end, the homeowner enlisted the services of an architect who created a much more pleasing and functional design.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5401415/stuck-with-floor-plan#23045929

You and your family deserve the same high-quality home design.

In addition to what has already been mentioned - I would want my master bedroom separated some from the other bedrooms and definitely not share a wall with another bedroom. You have lots of space for such a small lot and I think there are better ways to achieve what you'd like out of the space you do have. The upstairs really have an odd layout with the laundry stack where it is. It's like an after thought. I would consider putting a real laundry where your master bath currently is and then change to fit the master closet and bath to be between the master bedroom and the secondary bedrooms. Maybe make the master less deep and a bit longer so you have less wasted floor space. This way you can have a bed area and a sitting area, without all this open floor space that isn't really very usable. You also could then have the bay window be more in the center of the room instead of cut off on a corner like it is now.

5 bd 5 1/2 bath 3200 sq ft 2 story home in SF bay area. This includes an ADU that we are building for au pair/in-laws

A project of this scope in this particular market is not an inexpensive endeavor. You owe yourself and your family much better design talent and skill, who can handle the interior layout, the elevations, and the windows and doors all at the same time. Good luck.

When pros and amateurs alike in this forum see a plan that makes their spidey senses tingle -- errors and omissions that will translate into an expensive, mistake-laden, disappointing house -- they say something. That there has been a constant drumbeat in this thread is significant.

If I've learned one thing from this forum, it's that the more challenging the lot and the more specific the needs of the homeowner, the more important it is to engage and architect.

Any one of us could probably come up with a halfway decent plan for a one story house on a 2-acre level lot, for a family of four and a dog. The constraints the OP faces make this a challenging project, even for a professional.

Challenging, but not impossible. I would truly love to see how a talented architect would meet the needs of this family on this lot.

cpartist asked:
Why is a bedroom sharing a wall with the master bedroom? Guess you want to scar your kids for life?

.
Birth control by floorplan.

Put the poor au pair on the 3rd floor--by herself--so she can get away from the family on her time off.

Can you imagine being trapped in that room trying to relax while the kids are running around or the family is having a party? What would it be like having to be quiet all the time in there because you don't want to disturb them (or let them know that you're up). Trapped and claustrophobic.

Third floor, with a small balcony, so that she can have some kind of life.