Help with Custom Build Floorplan - Advice Needed
Frank the Tank
3 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (27)
cpartist
3 years agocpartist
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Custom Build Floorplan - would love to hear your thoughts
Comments (27)bpathome - i totally know what you mean, why put the 1/2 bath in the garage if they can just use the great outdoors...although neither of them really do that unless if they're desperate and a bathroom isn't around. considering how many times they pee on the toilet, i might rather them pee outside anyhow ;) j/k yes, the hanging space in the laundry room is for clean clothes, but one of the most things we hang up is our jeans. i just can't see that fitting above a counter unless if we folded them or if we have the rod super close to the ceiling; in which case i would need a step stool to access it. so i felt like having full drip dry hanging was important to have in the laundry. the desk in the mudroom is really a 'drop zone' and place to sort through mail - not really working from home in there or anything. it might end up being just a counter top and no space to sit. yes, the vacuum could definitely go in the laundry room too - I wasn't sure if I'd like it in the laundry room or in the mudroom more. girlguineapig - do you have the linen closet dividing the two sinks in your bathroom at home too? do you think that'll feel too separated? mommytoc - i prefer the laundry off of the mudroom too! glad you do too. with the boys' sports, i think taking really dirty clothes off in the mudroom and straight to the w/d will be a good idea. I was opting for us to have a closet instead of lockers. the main reason being because we have so many coats. in the pacific northwest you end up having a TON of coats - and they typically clog up the hall closet by the front door. With this layout we can keep those just for guests and put all of ours (plus our shoes down below) in the mudroom. for the downstairs bath - a hutch style is a great idea. i thought of that but also wondered if we'd end up spending more on countertops since it would have to be a pretty big slab to run that entire length. maybe it's less expensive to divide them with a closet. Know what I mean? Thank you so much for all of your input - it's really making me rethink our layout!!...See MoreNeed Your Opinions & Advice on Custom Home Floor Plan, Please!
Comments (47)I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read through these posts and to post advice and suggestions and constructive criticism. I am taking all of it into consideration and some of it was not what i wanted nor expected to hear, but what I needed to hear. I feel as if a little more explanation is needed. We found a builder that we really like and everyone that he has built for has been really happy. He had several plans that we could look at or if we had any plans he could build whatever we liked. He has a gentleman that could draw and customize a home for us. We thought it was architect at first and the price was so good because we were going through him and he would then be able to have our house plan to use in the future. Upon our first meeting with the gentleman that was going to draw up of dream home so we could make it a reality, we learned that he was not an architect, or designer. He's retired now from 40 years of experience woking on/building homes and is good with the software. He is very kind and has been very patient with the many changes we have made along the way. However, we soon discovered that he really has no design ideas or suggestions. He just draws whatever we ask him to or whatever I draw to send to him. If we wanted something a changed, the standard procedure was to just make part of the house bigger, we had gotten up to almost 4400 square feet! If we didn't like the way something worked and asked for a change, he would fix that issue and cause 2 more. I got so frustrated that we are trying to build our dream home and pretty much the only person I had for design help was myself. Uhm, I really want someone with much more skill and talented and better taste to design my home. I know what I want, I just do't know how to get there. We have been working on this for 8 months. I got so frustrated that I gave up for 3 months. Our neighbors are using the same builder and they had difficulties getting their design as well. However they had found a floor plan that they liked and just had him make changes to it and add a mother in law plan. I firmly believe that we are his first truly start from scratch home. Again, this is the guy the builder sent us to to have plans drawn, not our builder. Giving him credit he has taking my very very basic sketches and turned them into something the builder can build from, but pretty much the design is about 99% me, not that I wanted it that way. Here is where I'm at, so you can see that he is doing all the builder type stuff. We don't want to be difficult, but we want a good design. We don't want the builder to think that we are difficult or indecisive because we just can't get there with his guy. I'm at a loss! Several people wanted to know the lot dimensions. So here they are: It is at the top of a ridge, has some slope to it and has a nice open are in the middle. Of course we want the house to sit about at the arrows part of the lot. There is an utility easement of 20 feet on the right side of the lot, but the utility poles are more like 30 feet inside the property. I really do appreciate all of your insight. It has been eye opening. I'll make another post addressing questions and comments. Sorry to be so long winded....See MoreNeed Design Help With New Build Floorplan!
Comments (22)You’re letting the gag rage define the House. Everything in the house is about that odd angled connection. And the bulk and domineering visage of it is what will define your house. Do you want a GARAGEhouse? Why are the cars more important than the people and the house’s relationship to the surroundings. Angled garage plans are a plan of last resort. They are usually a cliche done by the inept in order to “add interest”. The architectural features of the house are what should be interesting. Not your Hulk of a garage....See MoreReview Floorplan for a Custom Build
Comments (78)He would never ever use a banquette. The banquette in the latest rendition is kind of a "half booth" in that it has a space-saving bench on one side /chairs on the other side. It's the best of both worlds, and I'd leave it "as is". Where is your dryer venting? If it is to the outside wall ... I'd place the machines against the exterior wall (as shown). This allows the shortest possible dryer vent. It's cheaper and more fire safe, and if you want to hear the story of the chipmunk who climbed up the ivy /died in my dryer vent, I'll be glad to share ... but here's the moral: we just about died of the smell and were very happy that we have the shortest possible dryer vent! Are those stairs going up to an attic or down to a basement? If they're going up, be sure to harness the space underneath for storage ... could be interior shelves for the laundry OR in-garage shelves, but you're paying for that space, so be sure it's The hallways are still long The moms' hallway looks better because you've opened a spot on both sides of the fireplace. Yes, it's still long, but having two entrances is an improvement. but now have some natural lighting. Eh, still not great. I do think this is a very big deal. The dining room is closer to the kitchen. Big improvement. Powder room moved to have a balance of toilets on both sides of the house. This is a good idea, and I like that you "tucked the half bath into" the office. I didn't like the half bath as a sight line upon entering the library. However, I'd flip-flop it and that small closet. Why? Moving the closet in the office won't matter, but placing the half bath on the exterior wall means you can have a small window over the toilet. These nose-to-toes narrow half baths aren't the best in terms of function, especially for elderly people. Could you afford 2' more from the office to have a more comfortable half bath? The last thought I have is on the closet in the office being split into two to make another linen closet accessible from the hallway A shallow linen closet isn't a bad idea -- my father-in-law has one, and it's plenty functional. Another idea: Put a door on BOTH sides of the closet so it's accessible from the hallway OR the office. As your storage needs change over the years, your closet will always be "at the ready". @Mrs Pete especially :) Thanks, I try! Some really like closet through bath and others find it very inconvenient. I am pretty ambivalent about closets-in-bathrooms, but I think they work best when the door to the closet is near the bedroom door /doesn't require traversing the length of the bathroom. Consider bringing the closet closer to the bedroom door as shown below. (This closet is identical in size to the one you had drawn. This means the bathroom can potentially have natural light from three sides -- how luxurious! I'd downsize to one sink; the vanity you had drawn has space to support two sinks ... but not enough to support two sinks AND any drawer storage. Drawer storage trumps repetitive sinks every time. I also added a narrow shelf at the end of the bathroom hallway to serve as a focal point in this hallway. This whole bedroom area could be reduced in size without losing any function at all. Here's a condensed bathroom. The closet is changed in dimension but is still about the same size. I prefer this moderate-sized, more usable bathroom. One more small thing: Look at the master bedroom door in the above-abaove pix. If you "back it up" into the hallway, you get a little entrance way to the master suite, and you don't have the door swing in the bedroom. Of course, it moves the linen closet into the master suite. I know I was a huge proponent of letting the J&J bath be but now there is so much space dedicated to it and so many sinks it easily could just be two quite nice sized individual bathrooms. In general, I'm the one saying, "Too many sinks!" Three sinks for two people? AND a half bath is steps away from their J&J? As it's drawn, each sink is needed, but I think you can do better. Considering your specific needs, try this on for size: each mom gets a good-sized vanity /plenty of storage by the sink and toilet ... and they share a large shower. Showers are only used minutes a day, so this is a good cost-and-space saver. Both moms' bathrooms are on the exterior of the house /can have good windows. i was thinking of a standing coat hanger thing in the foyer in lieu of a closet We have a coat rack by our main entry door, and it's okay. When all the kids were still at home, the coat rack was always over-full. I think hooks on the wall, which could stretch out further, might be a better solution. Regardless, we also use our coat closet (located so wisely way down the hall by the bedrooms) for out-of-season coat storage. You could fit a coat closet into the laundry room. regarding the island - I don’t like the idea of eating in the middle of the kitchen. i really want a nook type area, just seems more cozy. our current breakfast table is smaller than the new design so I’m hoping it’s large enough. thank you for the feedback on that. I’ll keep it in mind. With three women in the household, I like the idea of the nook. A cozy space for 1-2 people to sit while someone else is cooking. Nearby but out of the way. Having said that, yeah, a little larger table would be nice. i'm considering making the island L shape unless someone tells me its a horrible idea! I'm iffy on the L-shape. It's okay. If you go this direction, I'd say no seating at the island. Do you really need work space here AND also inside the pantry? I agree that the large empty space in the kitchen "needs something". How about this -- it's a big switch-up: - Change the L-shaped kitchen into a long cabinet run + large island. This gives you a LARGE window over the sink. The island is the exact same size as your original one. - Move the banquette to the blue spot. This keeps it near the kitchen but divides the big space into two moderate-sized spaces, making the walking space large-but-not-overly-large. - This bumps the hallway, son's bathroom and son's bedroom to the right. One other thing you may want to consider putting the laundry between your bedroom & your son's, just for privacy between bedrooms ;) Disagree. You have a closet between the bedrooms, which provides a barrier. I like that the laundry room is a few steps closer to the main living area. On the other hand, it would mean fewer steps between your own closet and laundry On the subject of the son's bathroom, I'd adjust things so you can bump the door to the left. This makes several good things happen: - He can enter the bedroom and be in the bathroom in fewer steps. A big deal? Maybe not, but when you have the choice, why not make it as ideal as possible? - The bathroom door is no longer squished up by the head of the bed. This means he won't have to finagle by the nightstand to enter the bathroom door. - Fast-forward 20-some odd years into the future: he will be married and will come home with a wife. You'll replace his small childhood bed with a queen-sized bed ... and you'll need the space on that wall for the wider bed and two nightstands. Note, too, that with a larger bed, the person sleeping on the far wide will be closer to the bathroom door /won't have to walk close to the other sleeper's head to enter the bathroom....See MoreFrank the Tank
3 years agoanj_p
3 years agodan1888
3 years agojust_janni
3 years agoArchitectrunnerguy
3 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
3 years agobpath
3 years agoptreckel
3 years agoitsourcasa
3 years agoIsaac
3 years agoFrank the Tank
3 years agocpartist
3 years agoanj_p
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agochicagoans
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agohomechef59
3 years agokgeorge12
3 years agocpartist
3 years agoanj_p
3 years agoTom S
3 years agoIsaac
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agohomechef59
3 years ago3onthetree
3 years agoAsh M
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoFrank the Tank
3 years ago
Related Stories
LATEST NEWS FOR PROFESSIONALS‘Help Clients Narrow Down Choices’ and Other Advice From Pros
Home design and building professionals share tips they learned from recently completed projects
Full StoryHOUSEKEEPINGWhen You Need Real Housekeeping Help
Which is scarier, Lifetime's 'Devious Maids' show or that area behind the toilet? If the toilet wins, you'll need these tips
Full StoryORGANIZINGGet the Organizing Help You Need (Finally!)
Imagine having your closet whipped into shape by someone else. That’s the power of working with a pro
Full StoryLIFEDecluttering — How to Get the Help You Need
Don't worry if you can't shed stuff and organize alone; help is at your disposal
Full StoryORGANIZINGPro Tips to Help You Get the Storage You Need
Experts share their favorite guidelines and products for keeping homes organized
Full StoryCONTRACTOR TIPSBuilding Permits: What to Know About Green Building and Energy Codes
In Part 4 of our series examining the residential permit process, we review typical green building and energy code requirements
Full StoryWORKING WITH AN ARCHITECTWho Needs 3D Design? 5 Reasons You Do
Whether you're remodeling or building new, 3D renderings can help you save money and get exactly what you want on your home project
Full StoryWORKING WITH PROS5 Steps to Help You Hire the Right Contractor
Don't take chances on this all-important team member. Find the best general contractor for your remodel or new build by heeding this advice
Full Story
3onthetree