Congratulations! It looks amazing! Love your floor plan :)

Is it too late to have the stone go all the way around the house?

Not too late, just too costly. Going to staying the wood on the patio in the back and do stone at the base of the support columns. The long stretch of the house with no windows is the back of the garage and I plan to give that more interest with trees and landscaping.

Stain the wood. Geez I wish I could edit my comments!

There will also be a rock retaining wall in the back because we built a slab home on a garden level lot.

Wishing you all the best!! Hopefully we will be making the same decisions in a few years.

I‘m curious about the closet/safe room, but with a sliding/pocket door? Doesn’t it have to be a sturdier door?

The master closet just doubles as a storm shelter and has thick concrete walls. Just a place to go in the case of a tornado as there is no basement. We didn’t go full-on bunker though. Figured it was similar to what we would have had in the walkout basement of our last house.

Is there a question or concern?

Pick only 1 or 2 siding materials. You have 4 right now and it makes the house look chopped up with no cohesiveness. Do the stone only at the base if you want stone and do it all around the house. Then do lap siding for everything else.

Kit -- this forum is where someone comes to ask a question about building their new house. And even though you did not ask a question, people will still suggest fixes to what they perceive as a problem.

Those that do post about their complete or almost complete house are generally ones that have gotten feedback here throughout the build, and are sharing the results.

Obviously not designed by someone familiar with aging in place concerns. Which is odd and troubling, given the fact that this is a supposed retirement house.

Enjoy

Really I was bored at home last night and looking for a place to create a “project” on the app that would allow me to put my actual photos with some of the inspiration photos I saved in Ideabooks. Thank you for the well wishes and suggestions, but need to explore the app to find a more appropriate place for what I’m trying to do.

Kit not sure you are still on Houzz but in one thread you mentioned you were going with Rift Cut White Oak Kitchen cabinets. I was wondering if this is what you did and if you could post pictures.

We did.

This is inspired by (or copied from) a home I found on Houzz by Trickle Creek called Modern French Country in Altadore. That kitchen was the starting point for our house.

Love you kitchen!

What a fabulous kitchen, @Kit Gleason! Are you all moved in? Congratulations on the dream home, btw.

We’re here. Still have some things to move in yet and a few tiny details to take care of but we absolutely LOVE our new home!

Kit Gleason, Where did you purchase your kitchen cabinets? Love them.

Dakota Kitchen & Bath Sioux Falls, SD

Beautiful floor plan! The only thing I'd change if it were my house (I'm an empty nester too) would be to have the access the master closet from the bedroom rather than the bath. But I understand this is a matter of personal taste. Good luck!

The master closet just doubles as a storm shelter and has thick concrete walls. Just a place to go in the case of a tornado as there is no basement. We didn’t go full-on bunker though. Figured it was similar to
what we would have had in the walkout basement of our last house.

I don't live in the land of tornados, but this looks pretty safe to me -- it's buried so deeply in the middle of the house. And being connected to the laundry room is smart because -- if you were stuck in this room for a while -- you'd be connected to water and would have space to store snacks, flashlights, etc.

I like the circulation pattern between the laundry, closet and bathroom -- and you can close off the master suite with a pocket door. The one thing that concerns me is, How will you vent the dryer from such a center-house location?

Pick only 1 or 2 siding materials. You have 4 right now and it makes the house look chopped up with no cohesiveness.

Agree. Simplicity looks better and doesn't appear dated later. That's not the trend right now though: somehow we as a house-building society have developed a fear of our houses being "too plain". Don't forget how much landscaping will add. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

A couple small things I'd consider /last minute things that might be possible to consider:

- You have duplicate sinks in the guest bath -- this probably isn't something that's particularly useful, but it will add to the price.

- Similarly, guests won't need those deep closets. If it's not too late, I'd consider allotting that space into the bedroom /having reach-in closets.

- I'd like to see a pocket door added to the secondary bedroom wing. This would allow you to "close off" this whole area /not heat or cool it when it's not being used.

- Note that your only back yard access is through the dining room ... and once you place a table in that space, it'll be tough to use that door. Could those triple windows in the living room become doors?

- You say this is an empty-nester house -- we're the same! -- but you don't have an exterior door in the bedroom. When you're old and move more slowly, this'll be important for fire-safety. Could you add an exterior door that would open out by the dining room windows? It might add natural light from another side too.

- Is your bathroom already "put together"? If not, consider that you have a large bathroom space ... but the shower and toilet-closet are going to block off all the natural light. If it's not too late, I'd consider going with a pony wall (instead of a closet) for the toilet -- it'd allow light through and would be much more elder-friendly. As for the shower, how big is your entrance? It looks kinda crammed up in the corner.

- Carrying in groceries from the pantry means you have to walk through the kitchen -- that's a long walk, especially as you age. Could you add a pass-through /set-things-through door between the garage and the pantry?

Stone, stucco, horizontal and board and batten siding. Personally I think it works because there is not also a bunch of color changes. Just a little added texture. It is interesting to me, though, that the color of the stucco is supposed to be the same color as the paint on the siding but that never quite matches up. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love my home.

Agree completely on the comments regarding the natural light in the master bath, so this is what we did. Love how it turned out. Both windows offer light to the space.

The column has the medicine cabinet built into it accessed by pushing in on the panel. On the toilet side of the column the bottom section holds TP storage inside accessed the same way. Completely hidden away but functional. The door next to the colum on the vanity side lifts and opens to a cabinet with an outlet for the electric toothbrush and razor.

I hate to be negative but make sure you have means to remove the debris that may be blocking the exit from your storm shelter.

@Kit Gleason, Congratulations on your beautiful new home. Your kitchen is magnificent! Love your bath cabinets too. Wish I (or my KD) had thought to put a storage area facing the toilet. Great idea. We’re building our “aging in place” home too. Wish I had started this project a year earlier! The builder still is working, but some of the subcontractors and suppliers have been closed or semi-closed. I’m so glad you posted, even if you don’t have questions. I love seeing what others are doing and finding out what works well. It’s also helpful when people pass along lessons learned!

Thank you, mtpo. My biggest lesson learned is to go with what YOU love. There have been lots of things through the process that I was pushed to go an alternate direction and I found the times I gave in we’re the times I ended up less satisfied. And I also found that things I asked for that people looked at me cross-eyed about turned out not only to be my favorite things, but theirs too ultimately. And even if they didn’t love it, it doesn’t matter because it’s MY house and I’m the only one who needs to love it. Except maybe my husband. ;)

The column has the medicine cabinet built into it accessed by pushing in on the panel. On the toilet side of the column the bottom section holds TP storage inside accessed the same way. Completely hidden away but functional.

Nice!

Wish I (or my KD) had thought to put a storage area facing the toilet. Great idea. We’re building our “aging in place” home too.

Yes, I did a great deal of caretaking for both of my grandparents, and they both had "toilet needs" as they got older. Storage near the toilet is a great idea -- and since everyone needs toilet paper storage, you can't go wrong with it.

My biggest lesson learned is to go with what YOU love.

Eh, I don't know. Essentially you're saying 'Build your home with your heart'. Some of the things I really like aren't necessarily smart. I think this concept works for some things, but not others.

Accessories are our on approval. Yea or nay?

@Kit Gleason love love your house. Great job and enjoy!

As I write this I am sitting in an Eames Lounge Chair with a L & JG Stickley bookcase opposite me in my living room, next to the flat screen television (if it were up to me I would get rid of the TV) a Stickley Prairie Mantel Clock, and in front of the window is a Nelson Platform Bench. “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
― William Morris

Because there’s only one main sitting area we needed a TV but decided on the Samsung Frame so it could look (sort of) like art when not in use. I just struggled with how much white expanse surrounded the TV. Thought it needed a bit more punch, but don’t want it overdone.

@Kit Gleason, So glad to see your tv is at a level where you won’t get neck cramps looking up at it and won’t be ruined because it is mounted over a fireplace! However, I can see that sets up a decorating challenge. I can see why you want to put something on the media cabinet, but I’m not sure the tall vases are the right choice. What is your gut telling you, now that you’ve lived with them a few days?

I think we’re going to keep the wood pots, but ditch the vases. Just too busy. Still trying to decide left or right.

I would only do one side. I like the right side but would add a third item. Something the size of the shorter vase that you have on the left and tucked behind the 2 planters. I am not an expert but do work for a staging company.

edited because i meant shorter vase on left and wrote write...fixed.

I like the decorate in odd numbers rule of thumb - I always find I like the outcome. I’d keep the 2 short ones one the right, and replace the two taller vases with one that is similar in size (but not exactly the same height- could be a little bigger) on the left.