Table for Two - Empty Nesters
ShadyWillowFarm
4 years ago
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jmm1837
4 years agoJudyG Designs
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
Please Critique This Empty Nester Floor Plan
Comments (21)You mentioned the laundry room being across the house from the bedroom. I realize this is not ideal but we honestly most likely won't stay here when we're super elderly. Personally, I could live with the laundry on the other side of the house ... but I could not live with it on the other side of the house AND a pathway that forced me to weave through the bathroom as well. MrsPete, that's interesting that you're also planning an empty nester house. We're actually empty nesters in transition because one child is a freshman in college and will be home on breaks and summers and our oldest will graduate from college this May and will be living at home for at least a year What a coincidence -- we're at exactly the same place in life. We too have a college freshman and a May graduate, and since our oldest is engaged to be married a year after graduation, she plans to come home for that year -- though she plans to start house hunting during that year. The morning room is the dining area. I think that the trend is away from formal dining areas. I can't think of the last time I went to someone's house and ate in their dining room:) I use my dining room now about 4 or 5 times a year. Now, we do want to incorporate a small sitting area into the morning room with two upholstered chairs at the back windows. Does it look like we have enough room to do this? I don't think your morning room is big enough to support an eating area AND two upholstered chairs AND the only door to the back yard. I agree that many people are ditching the dining room, but quite a few people do want their one dining area to be large -- and your morning room isn't large. That's why I think it might be wise to set up your den so that a future buyer could see it as a dining room -- if they wanted that. I can't find it now, but will try when I get back. One of the architects on this board explained how hiring an architect will actually save you money in the long run. I believe it was Virgil but can't quite remember how he explained it. I agree that it's worthwhile IF you end up with a house plan that you like and that you can afford to build. I really, really, really wouldn't want a northern exposure for the back of my house, particularity if you are doing a covered porch, particularly if your lot is wooded. I agree. Light is important. BaseballMom, I suggest you test this for yourself: Buy a cheap compass and start noting the light in homes and businesses you visit. Note the way the light looks, the warmth of the light, and envision how it'd translate to your own house....See MoreElevation and Revised Empty Nester Floor Plan Comments/Suggestions?
Comments (8)Forget the brick or you will destroy the simple timeless elegance you are looking for. The photo is much simpler and nicer than the elevation drawing. The buildings that inspired this design are even simpler (no front facing gables, that's an English tradition) and unit masonry would only be seen where the stucco surface coating had been damaged and not repaired. It would never be used as a feature. Stick with the French inspiration and don't mess it up with modern builder/developer accents. Alternatively, study English Cotswold cottages if you like front facing gables....See MoreEmpty Nester Floor Plan ~ Please Critique
Comments (16)My first impression involves light. I don't see any natural for the great room or kitchen. Agree. While we're looking at the kitchen, note that you have a "pinch point" at the entrance to the dining room; that is, all diners must enter through the small space between the island and the back wall. This means entering the dining area will be cumbersome, and the diners at the far end of the dining room will be "trapped". Note, too, that the only backyard access is through the dining room door ... but once you place furniture in this space, you'll not be able to reach this door. You need a backyard door in the great room. I agree about lack of natural light in some areas. If the bedrooms could have windows on two sides they would be much nicer. Windows on two sides of the bedroom are, indeed, very nice ... but I'd rather have those nicest windows in my living - kitchen - dining, the rooms where I'm awake. Do you need the half bath? I would have the guest suite bath re-worked so that it opens into the hall instead of the bedroom, and eliminate the half bath. Doing this would allow for all 'guests' to use it, saving on square footage/money. Being we're pretty much empty nesters too, I want the least amount of bathrooms to clean and maintain-lol! I totally agree. Between the cost of installation and the labor of cleaning every week, I'd rather have as few bathrooms as is reasonable. I'm not sure what your preference style is for doing laundry, it seems a bit far from your master? Instead of moving the laundry, I'd flip-flop the guest bedroom and the master bedroom. Especially since you anticipate being elderly in this house, it just makes sense to place the master near the garage entrance, which is the most convenient place. Put the rarely-used guest room on the far side. Referencing the toilet closet, if the person inside has fallen against the door or is unconscious needing emergency services, how does one get to them? These things do happen. I don't think this particular thing happens all that often, but toilet closets in general are not an elderly-friendly choice. They're too narrow for comfort, especially if you need assistance with mobility, they create an obstacle in reaching grab bars, and they're more difficult to clean. Walking around the house might be fine for someone as they age, add carrying a weighted object and it might prove to be difficult. Had a parent with back/balance issues, lugging anything was no easy task. A wheeled cart could help. Yes, when my grandmother was 98-99 and still lived alone, she could do her own laundry ... but she used a walker, and she could not carry a laundry basket back/forth to the laundry area. A wheeled cart would've been a big help. When I took her out, she often sat in the car and asked me to bring her a shopping cart ... she felt quite confident about walking with a cart in front of her. Thing is, if you intend to use such a cart in your home, you should go ahead and buy the cart (they come in a variety of sizes on Amazon) and PLAN a counter top under which it can scoot. Don't figure that you'll just pick up a cart later and assume it'll fit. - Someone asked if having both the master suite and the second bedroom on the main level would hurt our resale value. Makes sense, though the guest room isn't really big enough for in-laws to live in all the time ... the tiny vanity and modest closet aren't really "enough". - Another suggestion was to eliminate the powder room and have the guest bedroom suite bathroom open to the hallway. I just think that guests would be uncomfortable with others using their bathroom and would prefer a more private space. Disagree on all points. Other thoughts: - Note that you'll have to carry groceries the length of the kitchen, then through that little vestibule room to reach the pantry. I'd lose the half bath and open the pantry from both sides ... that'll be quite convenient. - Lots of jigs-and-jogs to drive up the price ... without any real benefit to the function. - Is that an exterior door at the back of the master? Such a door would be wise: 1) fire safety ... this bedroom isn't near any other exterior door. 2) Bringing furniture in through the 90 degree turn may prove difficult. - I'd lose the bedroom's main door ... and place it in the little bedroom hallway....See MoreMinimum Sq. Footage for Empty Nester Retirees
Comments (161)It's so helpful to me to read about these experiences and learn more about these communities, so thank you for continuing to share. And for the HOA link, Maire Cate, because I have lived with HOA's, but they served more as insurance that a neighbor wouldn't paint their house neon pink or set up a trailer in their back yard. Kswl, I've watched parents and in-laws make living decisions later in life, and so far, I haven't seen examples I want to follow. My father was a hermit and insisted on living on his own, had a terrible fall, landed in the hospital, and essentially gave up and died in a skilled nursing facility when he realized he wasn't going to be able to live on his own again. It all happened within a span of a few months, and I can understand in his mind he was doing it on his own terms. But I wonder what his later years would have been like with more safety measures in his day-to-day living. Plenty were suggested, but he was stubborn and intensely paranoid. My in-laws have a large home on property which seems similar to what you left. A lot of land, a lot of house, and a lot to manage. The outside work kept my FIL active and busy in his early retirement, and he truly enjoyed it. Now, they're both around 80, and, after some terrible accidents that could have ended badly, he's finally realized he cannot much of it anymore. He hires out the work, and family helps when we can. But each time we visit, we notice more decline in the upkeep. Unfortunately, while their property is beautiful, they're a good 20 minutes from town. Most days, they spend sitting in recliners, watching TV and eating. Their health is suffering as a result of inactivity, poor eating habits, and low social engagement. I'd rather see them in a community like yours, which they could very well afford, but neither wants to leave. I remember "the call" about my dad's fall. I'm waiting for the call about my in-laws. All I can say to those of you considering your next step, as well as those of you have taken it--no matter what it is--is that you've given your adult children and/or loved ones a wonderful gift, and not just spare bedrooms. But reassurance that you're both in a positive, healthy and safe environment. Good lesson for me to remember, too....See MoreR.D. London Studios
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