house PLANT forum. not house plans.. lol ..

i wish you luck otherwise ...

ken

I’m not an expert but here’s my observations:

- the master toilet is not private at all. I would enclose in a w.c. unless I’m reading the plan wrong and it is.

- the jack and jill bathroom is really not private. If you are using one bedroom, then you will have to lock the door of the other room to use the bathroom. I used one of those once when visiting a friend. I didnt even want to use the bathroom. I had to go make sure his door was locked, and then I was afraid I would wake him up. I’d make the bathroom separate.

- Do you really think you will use the balcony at the master bedroom?

- the mud room is small. Does it really get muddy where you are located?

-I like the location of the powder room. It’s nice and private.

-Will you ever have a full house where someone has to sleep in the library? Moving the upstairs bathroom over will be helpful so that there is a community shower not attached to a bedroom, if so.

- the master toilet is not private at all. I would enclose in a w.c. unless I’m reading the plan wrong and it is. We will put a glass door for privacy.

- Do you really think you will use the balcony at the master bedroom? Good point. We wonted just to put some flowers and overall the size for a balcony is too big

- the mud room is small. Does it really get muddy where you are located? I beilve it will be the main entrance to the house. And with kids its get really messy. We would like to use it as a storage for hokey sticks, area to wash a dog ect.

-Will you ever have a full house where someone has to sleep in the library? Moving the upstairs bathroom over will be helpful so that there is a community shower not attached to a bedroom, if so. Make sence. I'm not a big fun of a washroom with two doors. I prefer to make an access from the hallway.

Thank you for your comments :)

Is it a narrow lot? Asking because of the way the garage is designed. Observations from someone who is not an architect:

• Mudroom access goes through what could be a busy kitchen path (between ref and stove)
• Breakfast area looks very small. Is that supposed to be for a table? Layout your table and chairs to scale with room to walk behind chairs and I think you'll see what I mean
• Layout all your furniture to scale. What will go between the kitchen island and family room?
• You have opportunities to add windows along both the right and left sides, on both the first and second floors.
• Does this relate to your lot? Take advantage of views? etc.
• What are the elevations?

How does the house relate to the site?

What are your goals for your house? Who all will be living there? What is your climate like or where are you building? Do you entertain often, and have sit-down dinners?

You mention a concern that Bedroom 4 has no tv area. Is this a child’s bedroom, guest room, or will you use it as an office?

Just want to say, I like the word ”servery”, for a space we often see labeled ”butler’s pantry”.

Here is the site plan

It looks like the foot print of the house encroaches on the setbacks, if I am reading it right. The garage looks tight. You should lay out furniture to scale in every room, they look inefficient, but laying out the furniture in each room will indicate which spaces can be reduced in size and made more efficient. Do not make your dream last only a short time, plan your home to work for next year, in five years, in ten years, in twenty years, and more.

Can you put the clean-up sink in the 'breakfast' bay, and have the table between the kitchen and family room? You could add a prep sink to the smaller island, for separation of prep/cooking and clean-up zones. I can't read the dimensions, but if you have space to move the kitchen wall up, and the entry from the garage could be moved, you could use the hall as a mudroom, with a shallow shelf above coat hooks. The dog shower could go where the deeper closet is drawn.

Moving the butler pantry in line with that wall also gives you more space in the formal DR. The LR looks scaled more for a sitting room, and I imagine most of the family activity taking place in the FR.

I moved the front entry closet to the PR area but didn't elaborate on the wine bar/rack. The counter with the sink and the pantry area could be flipped if that would be more convenient to the kitchen.

Dining & Living Area combined together

The problem isn't that they're combined ... the problem is that the dining room has no natural light /will not be a pleasant spot.

Servery is not next to the kitchen

What is a servery? Looks like a wet bar.

The pantry in the same area is much too far from the garage entrance and too far from the kitchen.

Mud room is too small

Very true.

Shared washroom for bedroom #2 & #3

The problem isn't that the bathroom is shared ... the problems are that the shared bathroom is much too small for comfort, has no storage, and lack real doors.

I like the location of the powder room. It’s nice and private.

The powder room that's just across from the dining room? No point in dividing the toilet and the vanity ... this just prevents natural light from reaching the vanity area and makes the room more difficult to keep clean.

Breakfast area looks very small. Is that supposed to be for a table?

Agree. As it's presented, it could support a very small table for 2-3 chairs. You could add a banquette to save space.

Related question: Do you really need a breakfast table AND island seating AND a dining room ... and probably an outdoor table as well?

What will go between the kitchen island and family room?

Yes, this is a lot of space ... I was thinking you were planning a spot for a spot for the dining table between the family room and the kitchen. You seem to have enough space.

Other thoughts:

- The overall layout /shape is simple and practical, though the square shape will push the roofline upward.

- As presented, the library has no visual or acoustical privacy. A set of French doors would be a great addition. Also, the library could benefit from windows on the side wall.

- The front door would be better if it hinged the other direction ... this would mean you'd enter towards the living room /dining room.

- You have a large switchback stair, which is a space hog ... are you harnessing the space under neath it for storage?

- The kitchen is large and spread-out, which will cost you many extra steps while cooking.

- The dining room is quite some distance from the kitchen, which will be inconvenient. Inconvenient dining rooms don't get used.

- Have you considered how the dryer will vent to the outside? This is important for fire safety. I'd like the laundry room better if the door opened on the wide side of the room ... you'd have better access to the machines without walking up to them from the side. Also, since the laundry room door will usually remain open, I'd consider a pocket door ... though for no particular reason, I drew it as a double door. I was thinking it'd allow more space to stand in front of the machines.

- The master bedroom and bedroom 4 share a wall, which means sound will travel through that wall.

- Is that a linen closet next to the stairs? It'd be more accessible if you hinge the door in the other direction. This isn't a very big linen closet to serve a large house.

- The master bath is oversized, yet looks uncomfortable ... you'd walk in and run into the side of the first vanity ... then you have so much cold, empty space in the middle of the room. While I'm never in favor of closing the toilet up in a closet, I also don't like positioning it in which a way that it's the first thing you see upon entering the room ... no, you can't put glass doors on this toilet /you wouldn't have room for your legs when you sit down. I get the idea of putting the tub aside in its own room, but -- in all this space -- you don't have a shower? Really, nothing to like about this bathroom.

- As presented, the master closet will be cramped. I'd consider a set of built-in drawers in the master suite hallway ... this would be a nice thing to see as you enter the area. Then go with one large, easily accessible closet area.

Before designing your dream home did you think about your current home, how you live, what spaces you need, what works well and what doesn't work and how things could work better?

Do you know how many kitchen cupboards you need to store your dishes and glassware, how and where you want to store pots and pans, how many small appliances you use and how you want to be able to access them. What kitchen tools you use daily, weekly, and what is used monthly or less. How much space do you need in your pantry?

Think through the use of the bedrooms and closets. Is there room for the appropriate sized bed and furniture. Do the kids need a desk?

Think through the use of the bathroom. Do you need the toilet in the master to be private or can it be more open (do you mind if one is using the toilet while the other is taking a bath?) Do you need separate vanities, one or two sinks, a shower and a tub or a combo. Do you need the vanity separate from the shower space one can be using the mirror to do hair and makeup while the other gets a steamy shower/

Did you think about how you live in the main area of the home. Does one or do both of you work from home? Do you need a home office? Does anyone play an instrument and need a space to practice that won't disturb the others? Think first about your regular routine. Do you watch TV while eating dinner? Do you need a quiet reading area for one person while someone else watches TV. Do you play board games as a family or love to bbq. What seating is best for you and your family? Do you want a large sectional sofa or a smaller sofa and more chairs? Do you need recliners or ottomans?

How often do you entertain? How many people come when you do entertain? Do you have large family gatherings or a few friends come over to play cards or watch a movie or do you have business dinners or wine and cheese/cocktail parties that require a more formal space? If you are only going to have large gatherings a couple of times a year how could you accommodate seating through use of table extenders or additional table seating that can be removed when not in use? Fewer and fewer people are building homes with both a formal dining and living area and a family dining and living areas because we simply don't entertain the way they did in the 1950s.

Where are you going to store cleaning supplies and how much space do you need for those supplies. How much room do you need for a workbench and tool storage? How much space do you need for gardening supplies, lawn mower and other outdoor tools?

Go through your daily routine from the moment you wake up in the morning until you go to bed at night and really think about every action and how it would optimally work.

Examining what you need will help you and your architect design a home that truly fits your needs and lifestyle.

I forgot to address the fireplace and tv placement. Do you really want a fireplace as the focal point and to have a TV over the fireplace. Years ago people sat around their fireplace and read aloud and conversed, but they didn't have TVs and homes were not nearly so well insulated, so it was warm and comfortable. How often do you use a fireplace? Do you sit and watch the fireplace or is it to add ambiance or create heat? How often do you watch TV. Should the TV be on the main wall where the fireplace is located and maybe not have a fireplace or have one in a corner.

Think about where you want to TV and about glare from the windows.

I really like what mamagoose did with the kitchen and mudroom. See how your access from the mudroom now doesn't go through the working part of the kitchen?

One issue I still have with the first floor is that's it's a long walk through the house to access to the powder room for kids or you coming in through the mudroom.

This plan looks designed for concrete flat plate construction as opposed to conventional wood framing. So at first I was thinking Miami. But you said "hockey," and from the walkout basement and tight side yard setbacks I'm going to guess Toronto. If a correct assumption, those are prominent points in reviewing a plan. Some comments, which duplicate some of what others said:

- Basement: Your furnace/mechanicals will be there, but there aren't many opportunities to bring forced air to the 2nd floor, or work in soffits for any ductwork that runs perpendicular to wood framing.

- Structure: The 2nd floor over the 1st floor Garage is creating an excessively unecessary and expensive framing for the payback it accomplishes. In RED in the 2nd floor overlayed; in LIME are huge beams, in GREEN are more reasonably sized beams. And how are these tub and toilet bumpouts are expressed on the elevations. In BLUE I am not sure if those are soffits or floor finishes.

- Room sizes (squinting to read the dimensions): A 20'x19.5' garage is for Mini Coopers only, and only ceiling-hung storage. A 11.3'x9' Living might hold a settee sofa and maybe 1 chair. A 11.3'x9' formal Dining might be tight with a 6 person table and buffet. A 7'x7' usable Breakfast footprint might be better for a nook table. A 13' deep Family Room (dictated visually by the 2nd floor overhang above) might be too shallow, where furniture could cross under the ceiling change from 2-story to 1-story. I estimate an empty 13'x15' unassigned space between the Family room furniture and Kitchen island. A 4'x6' Mudroom and 6.75'x5.5' Laundry are both too small when compared to all the wide open halls and wasted space elsewhere. Walk-in closets need to provide 24" of hanging space and still allow a minimum of 24" walkable area in front of rods.

- The idea to move the Entry closet to the Powder room is good, it will separate the Powder from direct access. There is no need for a separate makeup area for a Guest Powder, as only partners would want to use both at the same time.

- Shower heads: Master looks like a dual head wet shower. Bath#2 has a pocket door and glass wall. So in both situations that means plumbing on an exterior wall in Toronto.

- Jack-n-Jill: Agree it is not functionally successful here. Having 1 tub for toddlers other than a Master soaking tub is a discussion for ROI. If you are a real estate agent you should have non-scientific market data for your area (ok, just looked at your avatar signature so that confirms Canada).

@Mrs Pete is correct and i missed the powder room being close to the dining area. Definitely not private. Also, will the master bath toilet glass door be frosted? When you walk in the first thing you will see is the toilet.

After reading the dimensions posted above, the spaces are really small. Was the designer an architect?.

Before designing your dream home did you think about your current home, how you live, what spaces you need, what works well and what doesn't work and how things could work better?

These are good questions.

Your dream is bigger than the lot that you bought, and the budget that you have to build with, most likely.

I don't know about the budget, but -- after seeing the house placed on the lot -- I agree that the house is too big for the lot.

A 20'x19.5' garage is for Mini Coopers only, and only ceiling-hung storage.

Good point.

The idea to move the Entry closet to the Powder room is good, it will separate the Powder from direct access.

This is a big improvement.

I really like what mamagoose did with the kitchen and mudroom. See how your access from the mudroom now doesn't go through the working part of the kitchen?

Yes, this is a big improvement ... two suggestions:

- Flip-flop the butler's pantry and the pantry-pantry. This will bring the pantry closer to the kitchen and more convenient to the garage door. Open the pantry door in to the mudroom /not the small hallway.

- Move the garage entry door to the left /to the middle of the mudroom. This will remove the view of an exterior door from the kitchen, and it will make the entry more convenient for both cars.

Also, will the master bath toilet glass door be frosted?

A glass door on this space is impossible. Well, you could put in a door, but -- assuming you have legs -- closing that door will be impossible. An idea for this bathroom space:

- I assume you use your tub frequently /want it to be set aside as a luxurious bathing space that doesn't cut into the main bathroom's use ... this bath space would look great with at least one piece of furniture (an old china cabinet?) for storage.

- Move the toilet so it's easily accessible, yet not in plain view of the door.

- This gives you space for a large shower by the door.

- This gives you space for a huge vanity AND a linen closet at the far end ... a linen closet in this position gives you space for TP storage, etc. convenient to the toilet, yet no mirror directly across from the toilet.

- It's still quite a large bathroom.

- I don't know if windows in this space are possible, but a space this large won't be luxurious without some natural light.

Assuming you have the space, this design for the toilet lets you keep the two vanities. I would definitely add windows where you can in that bathroom.

Have you been shown the exterior appearance of your proposed home? The roof indicated on the site plan (although it does not match the floor plan) looks like a mansard roof with arched dormers which was popular in the 1970's (along with overly wide ties).

Not sure if anyone mentioned it, but on the 2nd floor, I would try to swap the "open to below" area and bedroom 4 so the primary is private. Also, if you put your dining room adjacent to the kitchen in the family room, you could swap the mudroom and pantry areas.

Thank you all for sharing your ideas and comments. After long discussion with the architect, he told as that he won't be able to make any changes to the design, because "it is time consuming" for him. That was our first experience when we couldn't get necessary results according to our requirements. Even though we tried to be good in communication and flexible as much as possible. Sadly, we lost our deposit and 3 months time. But on the bright side we avoided to be dragged into the layout we don't like. Thanks agian and all the best. Cheers

Not all architects are like that. Keep searching locally for a competent architect.

Did you happen to verify the architect's license with your state? If they are not licensed and they represent themselves as an 'architect', they could be breaking state law.

Hi. That master commode is like boom! right in your face as you enter the room. Not cool especially if it hasn't been cleaned :/

Don't give up on your dream.

Thank you @Mark Bischak, Architect.