Can you repost, smudging out the name and address and kids' names?

The bedrooms seem plenty big, but do you have additional guest bedrooms on the lower level?

What is the space under the deck that is off the 4-season room? The drawing shows plantings, but of course nothing will grow there. Is it storage for patio furniture, water gear, rafts, boats, etc?

And the 4-season room, how do you plan to use that? Around here (Great Lakes), a 4-season room is a further conversion of a porch-enclosed porch-3season room. I don't think I've seen one named as such from the outset.

Define "forever".

and yes, why two sets of stairs, but only one to the basement?

In the kids' bath, do they need two sinks? Our boys were never, ever, in the bathroom at the same time, and the second sink just got dusty. They could have used the extra counter and drawer space, even though there was a linen closet in their bathroom. For the compartment, it probably makes more sense to have the toilet out with the sinks, and the tub/shower alone. Or, like my old college roommate's family home, two half baths with the tub between.

In the master bath, I think you might prefer the door at the other end, nearer the closet. And is the tub freestanding? How will you clean around it?

Looking at the top floor plan, but not the main floor or roof, I'd love windows along the wall facing the water. Otherwise, it's just a long dark hallway.

If this 'really' is your 'forever' home......why do you want 'all' those stairs between 3 floors? IMO.....that makes no sense. When you're in your 60-70's or more, you really want a ranch. You're obviously young now with those young kids.

I agree with questioning two sets of stairs and two WIC's (plus a pantry) on the first floor. That's a lot of storage space.

It looks like you're planning on using the Mud Room as a drop zone, but it's essentially a 7'x25' wide hallway. If you're looking to reduce the square footage (or even if you're not!), you might want to take a second look at that area. I'd rather have that sf used in other places.

Bedroom #2 has a pretty long trek to the bathroom, plus it's past the open stairway and the front windows which could feel like a very public place. As your kids get older, Bedroom #3 is going to be the "coveted" room - it's bigger, has windows on two walls, is closer to the bathroom, and more remote from the parents room. Could be a sore spot between siblings.

Lots of good comments above. The first floor, in particular, is very "sprawly" (it's an architectural term), with lots of circulation and questionable use of space, if space efficiency is important.

If you want tor reduce the floor area by 400 SF, as your post implies, then one of the first places to start is the first floor area between the kitchen and the garage. Get rid of the stairs there and reconfigure everything for greater efficiency in the area between the kitchen and garage.

The renderings suggest that your lowest level has the same floor area as your first level. Is the lower level counted in your overall SF area? If so, is all of that area really needed?

The "Covered Porch" and the "4 Seasons Room" seem redundant, and one or the other could be eliminated. Do you realize that the Covered Porch will reduce natural light in your kitchen and dining areas--is that important to you?

Finally, if this is truly your "forever" home, keep in mind that there will come a time when one or both spouses will no longer be able to negotiate stairs, much less three levels of living space. You are probably very young, fit and may not be able to conceive that that time will come for you. But it will. At that point you will sell the house and move to a one-level home, with space designed for accessibility.

Good luck with your project.

I think it is a charming plan. I won’t repeat any of the above suggestions, but I don’t think you can have too much storage.

However, I’d make the walk in by the front door a standard closet and make the powder room a full bath. Then the office could be a main floor guest room if you ever need it. My husband’s father was in great health when we were first married. Only 5 years later he could no longer do steps. We were lucky to have a main floor space that had a full bath. Split the 2 windows on the right side wall so you would have space for a bed between if it ever comes to it.

Move the entry into bed 3 out a bit to make more of a separation to the hall(like the entry in the office below). Maybe line up the doorway wall with the wall that the sinks are on. Also as stated just do one sink in there. In 20+ years not one time has both sinks been used in my kids bath. You’d be better off with a center sink flanked by 2 storage towers. When the kids get bigger you (and they) will be glad they can keep their stuff separate.

The 2 sets of stairs seems redundant, or at least a waste of space. I have 2 sets of stairs in my house, but that’s because DH lived through a house fire as a kid and wanted to make sure there were multiple ways out of the upstairs where kids bedrooms are. But my main set in the center near the front door have to stairs to basement stacked below.

For a home this big, I would expect the bedrooms to be bigger.

I think the bedrooms are big enough, but square footage in the bedroom isn't my priority. With lots of windows, the bedrooms will be quite pleasant.

The first floor seems to have wasted space. Do you need two walk-in closets & two sets of steps?

Yes, the steps are almost within reach of one another ... what's the point?

And three fireplaces. Those are quite expensive (probably 5-8K each, if they're mid-range masonry -- invest the cost of one fireplace today, and it'd grow into a year of college for the 1-year old), and how often will they really be used?

Yes, I think the first floor could lose some space and still be generous in size; remember, the average American home is 2400 sf ... so you're looking at a very large house. Given that you have the covered porch, I'd lose the four-seasons room ... I don't see that both are needed. I'd put in Phantom screens on the covered porch.

In the kids' bath, do they need two sinks? Our boys were never, ever, in the bathroom at the same time, and the second sink just got dusty.

My girls have repetitive sinks in their bathroom, and they never used them at the same time -- and my girls have been best friends since they moment they saw one another -- I hate those duplicate sinks: more to clean, and when one faucet started leaking, I had to pay to replace both ... even though one was perfectly good. In your layout, two sinks means no storage at the vanity, which the kids will hate.

I'd also do away with the divided kids' bath ... it's not a concept that works: if one is in the bathroom portion, the other can't reach the tub/toilet area, and it creates two small, choppy areas instead of one nice, comfortable space.

I'd go with a simplified layout:

One more thought on bathrooms: Pocket doors and bathrooms aren't friends. Pocket doors are more difficult to open, and they are easily broken, and then you need a professional to fix the parts, which are hidden inside the wall. These things are all made worse in a damp location ... like a bathroom.

On the other hand, pocket doors are perfect for doors that stay open most of the time ... like a pantry door or a laundry room door. In those spots, they don't become worn out.

Looking at the master bath -- overall, you just have too much squished into this space; technically it fits, but it's all too tight for comfort:

- You have a pinch point between the tub and the right-hand vanity. I predict you're going to have a constant bruise on your right hip from knocking into the vanity as you enter.

- A person standing at the sink will prevent the other spouse from using the doors into the toilet-closet or the shower. Three doors in a modest-sized bathroom just doesn't work.

- No linen closet? Not even a linen tower?

Again, I say go SIMPLE ... consider a simple two-sided bath with a single walking aisle:

Bedroom #2 has a pretty long trek to the bathroom, plus it's past the open stairway and the front windows which could feel like a very public place. As your kids get older, Bedroom #3 is going to be the "coveted" room - it's bigger, has windows on two walls, is closer to the bathroom, and more remote from the parents room. Could be a sore spot between siblings.

Agree.

I think it is a charming plan. I won’t repeat any of the above suggestions, but I don’t think you can have too much storage.

Everyone wants more storage, but the storage in this house seems to be in the wrong places. Loads and loads of storage by the kitchen, not enough on the second floor.

However, I’d make the walk in by the front door a standard closet and make the powder room a full bath. Then the office could be a main floor guest room if you ever need it.

This is a good idea.

I have 2 sets of stairs in my house, but that’s because DH lived through
a house fire as a kid and wanted to make sure there were multiple ways
out of the upstairs where kids bedrooms are.

I get that -- I definitely considered fire safety in my plans, but these two staircases are almost side-by-side -- I don't think fire safety was the motivation.

Another thought on fire-safety, given that the OP says this is a "forever home": My now-RN daughter worked as a home health worker in college, and she says that when the company comes out to the potential client's house for an initial visit, fire safety is one of the things they consider. Ideally the client has an exterior door in the master bedroom or just outside the master bedroom .... and the company can deny a client if they don't think the elderly or injured person could reasonably reach an exit in case of fire.

The point: Lack of access to an exterior door from the master bedroom could potentially mean going into a nursing home instead of staying in your own home.

I'm curious about the windows at the stairs, how that will work? It will look odd for the outside, and how will you clean them on the inside?

In looking at it further, are those false windows on the first floor? The reason I ask, is the 2nd floor bathroom shows one window on the plan, but the exterior shows 3, with the outer two dimmed. Are they false? Or is it an unresolved change, because it see siding lines, but also window framing?

The dryer will be venting right over the front entry. Might not look so great.

I'd move the exterior door from the 4-season room up to the top, so it is a straight line from the living room door to the deck stairs. It will make it easier to place furniture in the 4-season room and on the deck, as well as to move about.

There is no wall space at all in the main living areas, no art or pictures to hang?

You may want to do something about the covered deck, to get some southern sunlight into the kitchen in the winter.

With a home on the water (nice!) and one where you will likely do much of your entertaining and fun on the water, I'd want room to store all the water toys (floats, life jackets, kayaks, etc.) and it doesn't look like there's a great deal of extra room in the garage. (Maybe you have a storage shed somewhere?) Also, I'd want easy access from your outdoor entertainment areas (decks, yard, etc.) to a powder room, hopefully without walking over any carpeted areas.

I haven't read all the posts yet, so this might be redundant. If this is going to be a forever home, I would suggest turning the WIC by the entry into a reach in closet and turning the powder room into a full bath. That way the office could be used as a bedroom in the far off future and you wouldn't have to climb stairs.

Also, do you really need the stairs by the garage going to the basement? It seems like it wouldn't be that hard to walk around the corner to the main stairs. But, maybe you have a good reason. If you don't need them, you could lose some square footage there.

How nice it will be to live on the water!

This isn't a critique of the plans, but rather the elevations. When I look at your front and rear renderings, I feel like I am looking at two completely different houses. This is largely due to the very different treatments of massing and roof lines, and even different styles really. The rear has a complex, layered massing with all hip roofs, while the front is flatter and symmetrically arranged with gable and shed roofs.

Of these two, the rear is stronger and more unified right now, but ultimately you will need to decide what you want your house to be. If it is more like the front, than the shapes and features found there should be found on the rear, or vice versa. Also, if you decide to maintain the front, I would take another look at the four gables and how they are all related. Right now each of the gables have something completely different going on within them. Coming up with a unifying theme and elements will help your house retain a classic feel that will better weather the changes in trends.

Keen eye! The windows were my after thought. Not sure if it's going to work. was just trying to make that elevation more symmetrical

This has given me much to think about. I'll be posting more, with more questions. Thank you for all of your time and help.

Lots of really good thoughts above!

I would emphasize a workable bedroom and accessible bath on your first floor. Along with that, maybe a space for an elevator, there are a Lot of steps. Better to plan now.

Agree with Mrs. Pete on simple bath layouts. In the master, I would use Bpath's idea of switching the door down toward the closet for better traffic flow.

Agree with Fox on elevation look. I don't like the two gables on top of each other. The left tall gable bump out seems to compete with your front entrance to my eye. Maybe find a way to 'flatten' that out. Also the front garage bump out too. I'm a bit confused as to the cosmetic shed dormer over your garage? Do you have storage space above?

Plan a *family* home to enjoy for the next twenty years. You will want something different when you're old, or if you develop special needs.

All you need to think about if hoping this is truly a "forever house", is that there are closets on top of one another where an elevator could eventually be installed if needed. You don't need to do this now (unless you want to and can afford it), but having the floorpan make this possible will be invaluable in the future. Ask me how I know...

Plan a *family* home to enjoy for the next twenty years. You will want
something different when you're old, or if you develop special needs.

Not true with every home. If this is a place where you want to stay as long as possible (family land, special features, etc.) do not build strictly for the immediate future. Life can, of course, get in the way of the best laid plans, but when you've found that incredible piece of land, planned obsolescence is ridiculous.

This makes wise planning even more important. An elevator or closets that can be converted to house an elevator make great sense. You can also plan the second floor or basement so that they could be converted into an apartment for a caregiver at a later time.

Don't forget your home's exterior and yard: an entryway without steps or with a ramp welcomes all guests as well as your future self. Hardscaping (pathway, patios, etc.) appropriate for wheelchairs will allow you and your guests to enjoy the lawn, garden, and waterfront no matter what the circumstances.

Not everyone moves multiple times in their lifetime. Plan so that you can move because you want to, not because you have to.

" . . . building our forever home."

For me, "forever" has been eight years.

For me, "forever" has been almost too many times to count...

A beloved piece of land might be a curse as much as a treasure, since it would be difficult to leave behind. I just hate to see a house built that will obviously require moving in one's dotage.

Of course, in my family, DH and I were considered cold and uncaring for being willing to sell our first two houses. My childhood home is still in the family after 70 years.

Don't get me started on "forever" houses. My parents' house, at the end of a private lane on a quiet lake? The house they each left in ambulances this past year and have not been back? The boiler rusted out today. Fortunately while the repair guru was there helping me start it up for the winter. Our son happened to pop up for a visit, too; I promised him we'd move to a condo before we are 85.

"Forever" is tricky.

- If you're already in your 50s or older, your chances of actually staying in your house "forever" are better. If you're still young and are young in your career, so many things can prompt you to move: a better job, a certain school district, the need for more space as more children arrive.

- "Forever" is more less likely if you're in a neighborhood. Neighborhoods can change (for better or for worse). For example, I live in a neighborhood of big, all-brick ranches on large lots which were all built around 1970 -- lots of these houses are still occupied by the original owners. However, LOADS of new neighborhoods have popped up around us ... and those new houses are more stylish, have community pools, and their small lots appeal to people who don't want lots of yard work ... we are slowly becoming a rental community.

- Of course, "forever" is possible: My grandparents were married around 1930, and in their second year of marriage they built a farmhouse, where they raised their children ... and my mother raised us ... and my brother is now raising his children. The house has seen three additions and two kitchen remodels. My grandmother didn't live in it 'til the end of her life, but someone in the family has continued to live in it.

This makes wise planning even more important. An elevator or closets that can be converted to house an elevator make great sense. You can also plan the second floor or basement so that they could be converted into an apartment for a caregiver at a later time.

Similar options: Build a one-story ranch ... or a house with everything you'd need on the first floor /guest bedrooms upstairs. That makes more sense to me than an elevator.

Personally, we are going with a two-story house ... just as you suggest, with an upstairs that could be for an adult family member or a caregiver. The upstairs will allow for privacy, and those bedrooms will have closets and a bathroom appropriate for adults.

The boiler rusted out today. Fortunately while the repair guru was there helping me start it up for the winter. Our son happened to pop up for a visit, too; I promised him we'd move to a condo before we are 85.

Condos do have fewer maintenance issues, but things will still need maintenance and repair ... and condos come with their own set of aging-in-place issues:

- You're less likely to have a comfortable garage entry, and getting in/out of the house matters to elderly people.

- You're less likely to have an elder-friendly bathroom.

Instead of saying you'll limit yourself to condos, it might be better to say you'll set yourself up in a low-maintenance place ... condo or not.

IMO......think about an elevator in the future between 3 floors.

I like the angry owl on the front porch.

The owl is functional: woodpecker and chipmunk deterrent.

I was curious about a different roof, and how it might open up the front of bedroom 2 -- which I brought out to match bedroom 3.

Here I moved the office and bedroom right about 2', stair wall comes out a bit, closet is right of entry, bath to left expands into a full bath.