Honestly? Stop crowdsourcing. There are a zillion ways to skin the design cat and you should work directly with your architect and builder. Be clear about what you want. If you keep changing your mind based on the latest input from this community, you're going to end up with an expensive mess. And I mean that in the gentlest way possible. As they say in the design trade, "pencils down." Time to stop tweaking and settle on a solution.

I understand wanting to keep the budget in check, but you really need to have the architect review this for structural and design integrity. When you say you "don't want to alienate the builder", I'm not sure what you mean. Is the new plan significantly different than the one he bid the job on? If so, he has a right to be concerned if he's going to be held to his budget. My advice? Have a sit-down with both of them in the same room to see where this stands and course correct as necessary. If that means you have to break ground a bit later, so be it.

Which of your two plans is current?

What will the outside look like?

That's the old design :), but the style is what I expected.

New Mexico -- Arizona ... ?

Good advice above for a meeting. The design potential is much greater and stronger for the revised plan, but it will be more expensive.

That is why I recommend architects with grey hair, they have gone down so many dead-end design paths in the past that they have developed way to avoid them.

This is a "penny wise and pound foolish" moment. There is a reason why architects and designers get paid what they do. It's totally worth it to get the design right BEFORE you start building. Bite the bullet, eat a little crow, and get this right. You're building what looks to be well over 4000 sf worth of house. It's going to be expensive to construct. Throw a bit more money into paying a real architect for real plans with real structural/mechanical drawings and elevations. Draftsmen are just that--they will do what you ask for, and they typically do not push back on design choices because they are neither architects nor contractors. Good luck.

I just want to add that the new plan is so much better. I really like it.

"We don’t have outside of the proposed, because we only asked him to come up with ideas for our interior symmetry issues."

Don't be surprised when you now have new symmetry issues on the exterior. You cannot design a house in a vacumn, and input from 3 parties (yourself, draftsman and an architect is a recipe for a hot mess).

I can appreciate the symmetry, and in general, like the plan, but it seems the focus on symmetry has forced the layout.

The kitchen seems huge, and the void between the kitchen and master closet might be used for a pantry or the master closet.

The laundry looks poorly planed too -- maybe it could go in the void?

When the house is sold, the office should be able to transition into a 3rd bedroom -- how will the small closets work when that time comes?

A house needs to be planned on both the inside and the outside and how they mesh Your builder will build what your architect designs but he needs to have a plan for both in and out and yes it will cost more money. You could have saved yourself money and headaches by having an architect formthe beginning.

Am I wrong or does the plan have the kitchen exhaust venting out the front of the house???

Pod thanks you too.

I know it's been a while and you've probably resolved the issue, but I wanted to tell you I really like your new plan. It has a wonderful clarity about it. It also isn't too symmetrical.

The central corridor is strong and I think walking through the house, from one end to the other, could be quite beautiful.

It would be nice if one end, or both ends, of that corridor was more of an "event". A dramatic window, or painting.... On the left side for example, with a little tweaking, if you swapped the dressing room with the bathroom, you could end the corridor with a floor to ceiling window, or glass block like you have in the front. This would make moving towards that end of the house inviting, and would bring light into the space.

I do agree the kitchen island may be too big, and may end up completely dominating the space. Less can be more, and empty space can be more valuable that one completely filled. And since you have so much counter space, I'm wondering why the sink is on the island? Why put a messy sink in such a central position in the house? I see a lot of people building sinks into islands, and I don't really understand the appeal. Why not have an island that's just about the luxury of the surface, the stone.

I think the elevation is also wonderful and I have no doubt you will enjoy this house. Just a few more tweaks here and there. Good luck to you!