Suggestions for rural one-story layout?
Stacy R
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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everdebz
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoeverdebz
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Feedback on 1.5-Story Cape Layout
Comments (52)palimpsest, thank you so much for reminding me that big is not necessarily better. I moved the fridge to the other side of the kitchen post, and the layout suddenly seems more flexible (please see below). However, husband thinks having a bulky fridge standing right next to the hallway may not be a good idea... zone4newby, the powder room does look awkward. The one in the original plan looks better, so I changed back to it. In fact, the whole left side of the front entry is now the same as the original plan. :) lavender_lass, I really appreciate your thoughts and the inspiration photos. I am going to check out the photos carefully and see what I can incorporate into our plan. I too love having a farm table in the middle of an L-shaped kitchen. I had a similar setup in my last rental, although that table was mainly used for spice plants, flower pots and things like that. I moved the washer/dryer back upstairs. :) Husband voiced his opinion last night...he prefers to have the laundry closer to the bedrooms than the kitchen. We will just put in a second set of washer/dryer later in the master suite, like what you suggested earlier. I also reconfigured the closet upstairs, so the master bedroom (upstairs) is a bit more spacious now (please see below). Renovator, thank you for warning us about the exposed timbers. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. Husband had the same concern, so we took a trip to the builder's state to have a tour of 3 full timber-frame houses, and 1 hybrid house (pre-fab panels with some timber elements). One of the full timber-frame houses was indeed quite dark inside, but I think it was done that way on purpose as the owner wanted it to feel like a barn. The other houses all looked great. We especially liked the hybrid one, which is a 2400 sqft American Bungalow (including the walkout basement). During that trip, we also found out that a custom full timber-frame house is not financially feasible for us. So a hybrid house kind of hits our sweet spot. The cape we are considering is a hybrid. Here is what we have so far. The office stays large due to the location of the timber post in the kitchen. The door for the walk-in closet upstairs should be okay, in terms of the ceiling height clearance, as the original plan has it configured that way too. This post was edited by ILoveCookie on Sun, Jul 28, 13 at 0:02...See MorePossible one-story layout?
Comments (26)We're planning a kitchen island that'll face the great room, but I'm not really concerned about the "people's butts" argument. We're planning a house for our retirement years. My husband and I will sit at the bar when it's "just us" eating breakfast, perhaps. But when we have guests, I'm imagining the bar as a place to set out munchies and drinks -- not as a place to sit and dine. I agree that low bookcases can be a lovely idea, but it also requires more space and creates an obstacle around which we must walk. BethOhio3, I made the comment about the guest bedrooms being "overkill". I don't think two bedrooms are too much -- three bedrooms is a pretty standard requirement for resale, even if you don't need them yourself. What I think is overkill is two full baths and two walk-in closets for occasional guests. Are they nice items? Oh, yes! But when you're talking about rooms that're just for guests -- unless your budget is unlimited -- it's an expensive luxury. 4Runner, I see the pantry: It's a small one and opens into the mudroom. This isn't ideal. Since the kitchen has miles of counterspace, I'd be willing to lose a little of that (especially since it's way over on the side anyway) to make the pantry open directly into the kitchen....See MoreHelp! One story ranch exterior design dilemma.
Comments (21)rustic relating to the countryside; rural. made in a plain and simple fashion. If you don't like cedar shingles that turn gray with age then you shouldn't list "rustic" a goal. Painted clapboards and thin stone skirts aren't rustic. Nothing could look more rustic than cedar shakes that are hand split and have a very thick bottom edge and a stone foundation should stop at the bottom of the floor framing like a foundation normally does. What you have drawn looks decidedly suburban and developer-ish. The best finish for shakes is to have them factory dipped in a stain of any color you like but I wouldn't choose one as dark as the windows nor mix them with other claddings....See MoreFLOORPLAN HELP?!?! one story, narrow lot, center hall style home
Comments (9)You need to talk to a structural engineer before you get your heart set on any layout. With enough time and money, you could do almost anything, but the structural engineer would be able to give you some parameters for what is more likely. Then you can do floor plans. You should probably also plan this in phases. Even if you are very handy, you will need to have a plumber and electrician and structural engineer and architect to draw up plans for permits. Plus most people removing structural walls hire professionals for that part as they should. It's not really a YouTube friendly DIY, even if there are videos of how to do it. Those professionals (adding on/moving plumbing and plumbing fixtures, updating electrical, nee beam, possibly new supports for that beam in thr basement, etc) and some of the materials will probably cost you close to 50K unless you are in a very LCOL area. Doing this in phases might be frustrating, but would make it more doable. It may also be worth doing some asbestos testing before tearing into walls and ceilings in a house from that era. You don't want to unleash that! (For what its worth, I have wanted to take out a wall between my kitchen and dining room for years but my husband, who does have the technical experience to do it, says it will be too much of a pain to be worth it.) Good luck and keep updating!...See Moreeverdebz
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5 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoVirgil Carter Fine Art
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5 years agoLaura Grosmaire
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoVirgil Carter Fine Art
5 years agoVirgil Carter Fine Art
5 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
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