home office feedback
Ellie
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decoenthusiaste
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MS Office 2007 for Home Office/Student
Comments (4)It includes Word, Powerpoint, Excel and something else I have never used, and forget what its call, it does not include Outlook. I just ordered MS Office Home Student for $124.99 free shipping form Amazon.com. Heck, and I just, with the help of friends on the web forums, managed to set Open Office as the default application for doc. ppt. and xls. I know my wife will be happy to have MS Office back on her machine, MS has really outdone itself (money mongers that they are) in making Office available for home use at a reasonable price, keeping in mind I can install it on both my and my wife's machine, plus another home machine, for the $125 price tag....See MoreNeed feedback on home remodel plans and kitchen layout
Comments (8)I know what you mean by "feature wall"....our home had 3 landings, being a split level,and it does make it nicer to stylize some of those pause and turn spots. However, a feature wall shouldn't command your planning. Gaining the enlarged space at family room area would be wise. You won't believe how much you will love that end of the home if you are going to do this. [ours was a great room built into the split level design in 1960-ahead of it's time and it still is current..it wasn't a mcmansion by any means-just really liveable].a few options: on "featurewall"-is a return down at the right by the UP staircase...perhaps use the right half of the wall therefore for building the closet ....keep the left half for the "feature"....then,the entrance to study [justone] could be moved to hallway area. If the depth of the return on the right can't work then perhaps cripple the studs and build closet going deeper back into sq footage of study....that gives you interesting options-like 2 hinged closets with solid wood carved doors vs bifold door for one closet. Doors can be quite the feature these days.for the size of study..allow for basics and not much extra.. can really be a counter these days....some storage....room for a 2nd chair and ESPECIALLY, an in/out that does not mix in much with the living part of home. If someone wants to tutor/home school/have a sewing business/see any type of customer, the NON mxing of the entry with main areas of home will be valuable. back to the closet thing: at the other entry points of home are there drop zones/closets? this is why waiting on the project really benefits because the finer points/needs emerge after you live there. I'd try shaving 3 feet off the 13 foot length of study for starters.tinker some with this part of the plan-you'll get the kitchen you want so work on the hall/study for a bit....you have wasted space currently....See MoreWould love feedback on our kitchen/office/pantry
Comments (8)Quick review.... Refrigerator & Sink... If you put a prep sink in the island facing either the range or the refrigerator you will have solved the problem of the ref being too far from the sink. It's actually pretty close to the range. Right now, your island is pretty much a "barrier island" b/w your sink and refrigerator...the prep sink also solves this problem. Wait...is that square in the island w/a dot in the middle a prep sink? If so, you've already solved your problem! But, I would move the prep sink to the range end of the island so it's accessible from both the range & refrigerator/prep zone. It also frees up the rest of your island for those big projects like baking, crafts, homework, gift wrapping, etc. That's a great size for an island, btw. BTW...a prep sink helps to separate the prep zone from the cleanup zone...always a plus, especially for multi-worker kitchens. Pantry... The pantry is too far away from the kitchen...plus I would not want to have to go through the office every time I needed to get something from the pantry. The pantry should either be in the kitchen (preferred) or just off it. In this case, the current office location would be a better location for the pantry. I recommend one of two things: (1) Switch the office & pantry and then open up the office from the room that's south of the current pantry. I don't know what that room is as the print on the second plan is illegible (at least to my older eyes!) (2) As you suggested, move the range up (I think that's what you meant) to make room for a door into the pantry. But first, let's crunch some #s: I think your kitchen is approx 18' wide. If so... 25.5" for sink cabinets + counters 38" for office doorway (30" door + 3.5" on each side of the door for trim + slight space b/w counter & trim) 36" for range 38" for pantry doorway 25.5" for refrigerator cabinets + counters ---------- 163" If the kitchen is 18' then...216" - 163" = 53" left for counter around the range. Leaving you 26.5" on each side...so 24" cabinet + 1.5" counter overhang + 1" b/w door trim & counters. That actually isn't a bad idea...24" is the minimum I recommend on each side of a range or cooktop for working room, emergency landing space, and safety margin b/w the doorways and the range. Yes, you lose some counter space, but not that much plus you have a large island that is much more useful anyway. It also eliminates the corner & gives you a straight run of cabinets...preferable in many people's eyes (I like both; I don't really have a preference...at least not in a kitchen with so much room already.) [Note: If your kitchen is less than 18' or maybe 17'8", then you might want to rethink either the second door idea or the size of the doorways...you could use 24" doors, but I prefer 30" doors whenever possible, especially for the office. You could put in a 24" door for the pantry & 30" for the office, but since symmetry is important to your DH you probably won't want to do that. Whatever you do, try to keep at least 24" b/w each doorway & the range.] Island... Do you plan for any seating at the island? I wouldn't advise it on the sink side...seaters would definitely be in the way! You could proabably have seating on the refrigerator side, but I would move the island north (toward the sink) at least 7" so the sink side aisle is 4'0" and the seat/refrigerator side aisle is 4'7". Seats on that side would also give your visitors a view out of what looks to be 8' of windows. If you do put seating on the refrigerator side, moving the prep sink to the end is even more important to maximize your seating capacity. You could also put a couple of seats on the DR end. Just remember these guidelines: 24" of space per person (so a 6' long island would accommodate 3 seats....2'/seat.) 15" of overhang/leg room for counter height seating. Microwave... Where do you plan to have the MW? I recommend on the refrigerator wall, especially as you don't want the pass/view through. Dishwasher... Think about moving the DW to the other side of the sink . When open, it could block the office doorway. I think I'd rather have the DW on the DR side. Pass/View Through... If you do keep the pass/view through, would you have seating on the non-kitchen side? Where is the extra light coming from there anyway? It actually doesn't look like it's a room...what I can see in the 1st pic says "Mech Rm" which, to me, means Mechanical Room...and I wouldn't want to look into that room! In the 2nd pic it looks like it looks out onto the stairs...??? Sorry, but that second pic is way too busy and pretty much impossible for me to read. HTH!...See MoreHouse Plan Review - constructive feedback welcome!
Comments (43)@David Cary, the kitchen layout you describe is what I designed for our new home and we couldn't be happier with it. The 36" Bosch induction cooktop allows for three drawers underneath and sufficient landing space on either side. I was also able to lower the counter height on that wall, which has been helpful for my reduced reach and height. For over a decade I was unable to use the rear burners on those ranges. The side opening Bosch double ovens are a boon to our backs which have been injured several times. After having a 48 inch Wolf dual fuel range in two previous houses, this arrangement has also been so much better for two cooks in the kitchen, one short and one tall. Should I require a wheelchair again, I'll still be able to bake. If that need becomes permanent, we could easily retrofit the lower drawers and create space for me to pull up to the cooktop. The only upper cabinets in our new kitchen are part of the double oven stack, above the built-in SubZero and at the end of a peninsular. They go to the 10 ft. ceiling and the highest ones have glass doors for displaying a few sentimental items that we didn't want to jettison when we downsized. @Chandllerin, I wish you all the best for your new home. You're brave to post plans here. Much of the advice you'll get is excellent, some not so much, but just thinking through why you do or don't care for these suggestions will certainly improve your plan....See Moreeverdebz
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