My choice would be the loft. I love cozy reading nooks.

I was going to say loft / away space / nook until I saw the en suite for the other bedroom - what a great room with the window seat, etc. I'd make all 3 bedrooms en suite so you'd have a great guest room and your kid would have an amazing bedroom on the other end of this floor as s/he gets older

As an aside - your closets that show clothes occupying the same space in the corner are dorked up and not very functional .

I'd go for the loft. You really don't need three bathroom on the second floor. But I'd use it as a workspace instead of a lounge.

I like the light and airiness that the loft brings. If, on the other hand, you have frequent overnight guests and prefer that they not share a bathroom with your child, opt for the third bath. It’s a matter of how you plan to utilize the space.

I'd go for a loft/lounge or as someone suggested, a workspace. But if you don't need a workspace, the loft / lounge would be wonderful.

I like the openness of the loft as well, but, will you have any need for a guest suite? It’s always nice if guests don’t have to share the kids bath (especially when the kids are teens).

if you think you will have overnight guests often (one day when the pandemic is over), that 3rd bathroom will be very appreciated. even if it doesn't have a shower, it would still be a place where guests can primp w/o worrying about being in the way. in that case, maybe set it up so your kid can do homework in their bedroom?

Bathroom, but that may be just to screw with your head.

I would only do a bathroom if you have a lot of guests. sure the bathroom may be better for resale or nice for guests, but if you don't have many guests make the space useful to you, not to people who will occasionally use your space.

I would do the loft and make it into a workstation.

I would go for the reading nook, or loft, or small office, unless of course like others said, you have guests often, and have the need for a 3rd bathroom.

My sister has the loft setup, and when we visit I love being able to go to the loft to read when I either go to bed later than my husband, or get up earlier than he does.

Depending on the view and/or which direction the back window is facing, I'd make it wider if you do the loft.

Anne

The bathroom is a great idea, and very functional. The problem I see with it is that the space becomes very tight as you get to the top of the stairs, almost like you're hitting the wall. The loft provides a much more gracious approach to the second floor.

I think others have commented on why either is a good idea and I would decide based on those as they fit to how you live.

I do want to comment on the middle bedroom though and you can take it or leave it, but I would see what you can do to re-work it to function better and avoid having the bed head by the air handler and bathroom fixtures. I would also consider having the door closer to the bathroom due to the circuitous way one would have to take in the middle of the night to get there.

Thanks all for your comments and feedback.

Will go with the loft for now, and definitely not use it for a 3-seater couch but for a mixed use as workstation, lounge chair, etc.

Loft is the way to go! A third bathroom might add some resale value, but unless you're planning to ditch the house asap, chances are you're more than likely going to enjoy that loft more!

Loft.

I vote for loft as well!

Loft. Would you consider adding a pocket door between bathroom and bedroom one? Then it can be used ensuite if needed.

Loft , have space .Good Luck !

Loft

Loft. We only have one kid.., but we are looking forward to our new loft as a playroom for her so all her toys can vacate my family room.

One other idea. Why not add an extra door and make an 'ensuite bathroom'. Then this bedroom has a connecting bath. Also it is a hallway bath to be a family bath.

I would keep the loft and make the family bath a true jack and jill by having access from both secondary bedrooms. Make the window in the middle bedroom into two separate windows and move the bed to the outside wall away from plumbing in the shared bath, and to allow for door access to the bath. You will lose that little linen closet but experience has taught me that it is preferable to store bed linens in the bedroom closet and towels in the bathroom so you aren't running into the hall to get a towel when needed.

I'd go for 3 en-suite bedrooms. If there were two houses for sale in the same neighborhood, I would buy the 3 en suite house. The loft is too small for much of anything. We don't know what spaces are in the main living areas, that can be used for a work station or play room. I used to have an office upstairs and it was the main reason we moved. I would start to make lunch and get a phone call. Up and down the stairs over and over ruined my knees and my attitude. Having kids not share a bath with either guests or another family member was a great problem solver. I can't imagine letting a small child play alone just above the stairs, I would want them within eyesight of the kitchen. Also, if they were doing homework up there, alone, you don't know what they are searching for instead of actually doing homework and if they need help, you would be going up and down stairs constantly. I again would want them within eyesight of the kitchen. Isn't the kitchen the heart of the home and where you spend the majority of the early evening hours? The living and kitchen areas are a high priority. The bedrooms suites make the home welcoming to guests and make your child feel special to have their own bathroom.

Moving the washer and dryer to the outside wall and changing the door to a slider would make access to the laundry easier. Do you usually have a laundry basket there? I have that configuration and the laundry basket is always in an awkward place to step around.

As someone who built their home 17 years ago with one toddler, then now has another child, now college-aged and teenager, with infrequent but long-staying visitors that I never would have anticipated (parents stay for a week at a time, nephew lived with us for 6 weeks doing an internship, potential of an exchange student, daughter’s college roommate visiting for a week, etc), my strong recommendation is to do the third bath, but make them full ensuites. If you are not ready to commit to that right now, my recommendation is to rough in the plumbing, lighting, etc for the future bath, and even set up to future doorway, then Sheetrock over it, so it is either a selling point when you do go to sell, or a very easy finish later, as it’s not easy to get plumbing, etc there later, and can be very expensive.
I would also agree with the laundry room recommendation from DM. Maybe consider a full-sized stacking washer and dryer, with space to the side for baskets and a hanging rod. I am always looking for more air-dry space and room for baskets, preferably built in ones. I like your floor plan. You could always make part of the window seat in the back bedroom a built in desk, or just leave out the built in and have it flexible for desk and comfy chair furniture as your needs change. Flexibility is very nice as your family and needs change.

Loft!!! I don't see any added value to warrant the added cost of another bathroom when there is a full bath right between the 2nd and 3rd bedroom, especially if you see your family using the loft. Love the layout, would love to see the first floor layout as well. Good luck with your project!

Do you really want to clean an extra bathroom?

Additionally plenty of us grew up sharing a bathroom and we survived

It depends on the size and ages of your family members and frequent guests. The hall bath is certainly adequate for two bedrooms to share, especially if your potential guests don't tend to be "high maintenance", stay for extended periods or have mobility issues.

I like the idea "loonbaby" suggested of roughing in the main lines of plumbing while the house is under construction and having them available if you change your minds later. This leaves you free to ask what is more important to you, both now and in the future. If a finished bath is more important to the future owner let them finish it according to their own tastes.

I love a space where a person or small group can have a cozy area to chat, work or just be alone. When your children are grown the hall bathroom will become more of a guest bath anyway.

One suggestion if you opt for the bathroom: I would install a shower rather than a tub. You already have two tubs in the other baths but if you have older or mobility impaired guests in the future a step-in shower will be safer and more useful.

Good luck with your build!

Thanks all for your comments and inputs, really appreciate this. Posting our complete floorplan as some have requested.

We have leaned to have a loft for now, specially coz we do have a guest bed-bath ensuite on first floor; and want to try and make the small loft into a cool-eccentric-fun reading and family board game area. let's see how it all pans out!

I don't find the extra bath necessary. Princess suites are commonly found in 4 bedrooms homes (from my experience). But I am biased. I LOVE books and reading nooks (pardon the rhyme); extra space for get togethers, etc. I would suggest the nook. Another bath is just something else you have to clean...

At the very least have the bath rough plumbing done while building - then you have the option later without ripping open the walls.

I think the attached bathroom would be better use of space. A great selling point in the future. A loft/reading/office space at the top of the stairs isn't private enough for any of those uses and most likely would end up being a catch-all space.

Loft = junk collection area. How useful will the loft truly be to your family and do you really think you will use it? Will it just be an area to throw the laundry to be folded? (saying that because my DD had an area like that and that is where the clean laundry was thrown.😣) Are other houses in your area having a bath for each bedroom? While it is an extravagance, I think that is becoming a norm in many areas.

When I was building many folks told me I should make my powder room into a full bath in case I sold in the future. I didn’t and 2 years later I don’t regret it. I also didn’t listen when “experts” told me not to paint my ceilings a darker color or to keep my kitchen bland by keeping it all white.

Unless you plan on selling in the next 5 years I beleieve that is the wrong way to think about it. You build the house that works for your needs. And even if you have some future kid, as I said before they can share the bath. After all you and your spouse manage to share a bath so why do we think our kids are so special that they can’t share?

I would go for the loft to have a quiet corner to retreat to. But you should turn the second bathroom around so that the toilet noise is buffered by the wardrobe and not bang against the headboard of the other bedroom.

I'd turn that into an ensuite bathroom, as well as rearrange the middle bedroom and bathroom so it is ensuite as well. Having 3 bedrooms, each with their ensuite bathrooms has always been a dream of mine. I saw this in many European homes and I found it extremely civilized.

That smaller, middle bedroom can easily be an office as well as guest bedroom when needed. Your child will appreciate having a bigger bedroom with its own bathroom further away from your bedroom anyway, as soon as that child becomes a teen. Time flies.

Also as you, the parents, become middle aged, you may end up needing or wanting to use separate bedrooms and not having to worry about bathrooms would be beneficial.

Another thing is not all the bathrooms need to have a bathtub, having a large walkin shower in the footprint of the tub would be more useful for everybody involved, IMO.

I don't think of it as having to clean another bathroom. You only need to clean bathrooms that are being used.

We have a 3 piece bathroom in the basement adjacent to a bed/sitting room, which is not getting used now since we have been empty nesters for some years. It's great to know we can have that as a guest bedroom with ensuite bathroom the odd time we have guests staying over. Our grown children came back home repeatedly between jobs or rentals and/or boyfriends/girlfriends until they each settled into their own homes. That basement suite has been very useful.

I would want to change the bathrooms, closet and laundry and Steal some of the space for them, I would want to go in the closet from the bathroom but that’s how I live. Like they. Said this is about your style.

Loft!

Well, I'm probably too late on this, but I have a totally different idea. I'd take out the wall closet in the end bedroom, put in a pocket door to the bathroom. I'd then take some of the loft space as a walk-in closet for the bedroom and the rest of the space as a little nook for work or reading.

I would choose the bathroom. When we remodeled we had the same choice. While we love the loft area, when we have family visit, the 2 bathroom situation becomes very difficult. We would absolutely change this decision, if possible.

We've been in our house for 20 years. We loved our loft as a second entertaining area for our kids and their friends, but MANY times, we wished we had a guest room for our family. They stayed in the loft with ZERO privacy. Now that we are empty nesters, we enclosed to loft and made it a nice large guest suite. Hopefully, for grandkids!

What if you built the bathroom with a door only to the hallway? That way you could use it as a bathroom or a loft with a built-in porcelain chair and couch.

(Saturday comment, not to be taken seriously)

@Mark Bischak, Architect, for whose benefit would that bathroom be? Better to have each of the three bedrooms on the top floor with an ensuite bathroom. I didn't take you seriously but had to reply anyway.

Given that you already have two other baths on the second floor, and a full and a half bath on the first, it doesn't seem like you really need to add a third bath up here. But the loft space also feels a little bit awkward to actually use as a loft, given that it's right at the top of the stairs and also in the middle of a traffic pattern to all the bedrooms. In addition, bedroom 1 and bedroom 2 are pretty tight in terms of space, so I wonder if there's a way to give a bit more space to the bedrooms.

So, here's two ideas:

Left: Take the loft space and make it a walk in closet for Bedroom 1, and then tuck the tub in the hall bath into the space formerly occupied by Bedroom 1's closet. In addition, this gives you the space to possibly tuck a narrow dresser into Bedroom 1, and also enables you to have a wider sink in the bathroom.

Right: Use the loft space as the shared bathroom for the second floor and get rid of the other bath. This lets you put a large walk-in closet in Bedroom 1 with space for both hanging clothes and a dresser. Plus, you can put a good sided linen closet next to the air handler that opens to the hallway.

In addition, I'd also consider getting rid of the second walk-in closet for the Master Bedroom and turn it into a reach in. This gives you a bit more space in Bedroom 2, and you should be able to tuck some kind of dresser in there. I don't think you'll lose much actually storage space in the master, since the 2nd walk-in closet was pretty tight, and besides, you wouldn't be able to get to clothes in the back corner of it anyway.

You know what no one ever thinks of? When you eat up every square inch of potential space into something defined and “useful,” you end up tightening up the upstairs footprint which makes simple things like moving furniture upstairs a nightmare. I agree with an earlier comment- set it up so it can be plumbed into another bath down the road if you ever need it- and keep it an open and airy loft space! Best of both worlds. Good luck!