This house is one reason why I wrote out these ideas:

The best houses orient the public rooms towards the south for the best passive solar heating and cooling

The best houses are L, U, T, H, or I shaped.

The best houses are only one to two rooms deep. And covered lanai, porches, garages, etc count as rooms in this case.

The best houses make sure kitchens have natural light, meaning windows so one doesn't have to have lighting 24/7 to use the kitchen. (And no, dining areas with windows 10' or more from the kitchen will not allow for natural light.)

The best houses make sure all public rooms and bedrooms have windows on at least two walls.

The best houses do not if possible put mechanical rooms, pantries or closets on outside walls

The best houses keep public and private spaces separate.

The best houses do not have you walk through the work zone of the kitchen to bring laundry to the laundry room.

The best houses do not have the mudroom go through any of the work zones of the kitchen.

The best houses do not use the kitchen as a hallway to any other rooms.

The best houses do not put toilets or toilet rooms up against bedroom walls or dining areas.

The best houses do not have walk in closets too small to stand inside.

The best houses have an organizing “spine” so it’s easy to determine how to get from room to room in the house and what makes sense.

So how many of these best practices does this house have?

So that’s a “no” on having built this plan then?

It’s a good list you provided. Thanks for that. At the very least it’s good food for thought, and guidance on possible tweaks to the plans.

I’m trying to visualize what a plan might look like that fits all of these criteria, and what is forming in my head is kind of boring. Can you point me to any plans that fit this list?

I’m not looking for ‘the best house”. Just one that will fill my family’s needs, so I’m ok if it’s not perfect.

Have you considered contacting a local architect and talking to them about designing a home with you that meets your needs and fits your site?

I am just getting started, so I’m open to anything, but right now I’m looking for people that have built this particular plan. I assume you’re not one of them?

I have not built this home. I design homes to meet my client's needs and fit their site. I do not design a house in hopes it fits someone's needs and meets their site.

Thanks @Mark Bischak, Architect. I viewed your portfolio. You do good work. Your approach is definitely the right way, and the way I could go if my budget wasn't so tight already (thanks COVID!). As I said, I am still open to anything, so I haven't ruled out talking to a real live architect. But I'm pretty sure one of the first things they will ask is what I like...and I'm much better at doing that with pictures than with words. At this point, I'm largely just trying to figure out what I like.

Talk to several local architect to see what services they offer, styles they work in, fee structure, and how you think it would be to work with them. A sole practitioner may work out best.

Pictures speak 1,000 words; just make sure you communicate what it is in the picture you want. You want to feed the architect the essence of what you want/like without hindering their creativity.

First I just wrote a long reply that didn't send. Last try.

So that’s a “no” on having built this plan then?

No I built a house that fit both my DH and my needs as retired folks who live in SW Fl and normally like to entertain informally. I also built a house where every room does double duty and the only thing on my list from above that I didn't follow was putting DH's master closet on the west wall between our bathroom and bedroom. However since we live in SW FL, putting the closet on the west wall wasn't a big deal as I wanted to minimize windows on the west side because of heat.

It’s a good list you provided. Thanks for that. At the very least it’s good food for thought, and guidance on possible tweaks to the plans.

Why would you want to tweak a poor plan when you could have something designed for you and your family that would instead work well for your lifestyle and your lot? Wouldn't that be much better?

I’m trying to visualize what a plan might look like that fits all of these criteria, and what is forming in my head is kind of boring.

What is your definition of boring? Here is a LINK to my house as showcased in Old House Journal. I don't consider my house to be boring. Maybe you do and if so, that's ok as everyone has a different idea of what works for them. So what do you consider boring?

Can you point me to any plans that fit this list?

If you insist on going with a premade plan look at plans from Allison Ramsey or The Bungalow Company. Both tend to be better than the generic plans you're looking at right now in that they tend to have better flow and a central organizing "spine". Mostly. However do not negate the idea of working with an architect as in the long run, a good one can actually save you money by saving you from yourself.

I’m not looking for ‘the best house”. Just one that will fill my family’s needs, so I’m ok if it’s not perfect.

You're spending 6 figures of your hard earned money. Shouldn't you get a house that works for you and your family versus one where you'll constantly need to adapt yourself to the house?

Note that my "best house" is not what your "best house" is. My needs are entirely different than your needs and you should start with that.

@cpartist In my area (upper midwest) the OP's house plan would be into 7 figures to build, without the lot. For a house at that price point, I would absolutely agree that an architect - or at least a designer - would be worthwhile.

@Joe Kueser You may find that a design professional will save you more than s/he will cost you in the end.

@cpartist In my area (upper midwest) the OP's house plan would be into 7 figures to build, without the lot. For a house at that price point, I would absolutely agree that an architect - or at least a designer - would be worthwhile.

Here too it would most likely be 7 figures unless they wanted builder grade finishes.

Additionally the house has a lot of what appears to be redundancy in terms of spaces. There's a morning room, a studio, a library, and a great room.

Rooms can do double duty. Bigger isn't always better. Well designed and well planned is better. For example, our guest bedroom also doubles as our exercise room. We keep the floor space clear by having a Murphy bed in the room instead of a bed sticking out.

My studio can double as another bedroom for the very few times we need two guest rooms. I have a pull out sofa bed in my studio.

If the OP hasn't yet read the book, The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka, I highly recommend they do so. While my house is not small by anyone's standards (considering we are only 2 people with 2 dogs), our house is right sized for the way we live.

Thanks for the book recommendation @cpartist. I'll definitely check it out. And speaking to an architect is definitely not out of the realm of possibility. I'm guessing most will at least give you a consultation somewhere between free and cheap.

Best of luck. I'd suggest looking for a single practicioner who doesn't have a large overhead.

As for the book, I found it and her other books to be so helpful when I was planning my house.

i missed your lenthy post where you shared the article about your house. It is stunnung, and shares a lor of the design astetics I enjoy.

Thank you.

Not boring at all. the version in my head is what was boring, as my creativity does not lie in home design.

Best to stick to what you do well.