Random farm pictures just to give a sense of place.

And finally, a view down our street (we are the driveway in the valley on the left).

Cannot read anything on the floor plan as it does not blow up large enough.

Hmmm...I don't actually know how to fix that. I got it as a pdf and copied as a JPG. There isn't a way to paste a PDF is there?

I'm going to try to do it in two halves.

NOPE - that doesn't seem to work any better. Tips from anyone?

Well, the thing that really gets me is the access to the master bedroom. The only nice way to get to your bedroom is through the exterior door...otherwise you have to walk through the laundry room and pantry? Or through the closet and bathroom? Maybe you can explain a bit more about that placement because it seems just awful to me.

Not a fan of the corner sink at all. Are you opposed to an island sink? That is where it should go IMO. Or create a cleanup zone in the cabinets on the pantry wall and a prep sink on the island. I'd also scoot the fridge a bit in so it's closer to the cooking zone. Suggest a 5' aisle in front of the fridge unless you are going with built in (my aisle is 4'-3" and ended up at slightly less than 4' due to the fridge dims (and ours is actually inset into the wall). Feels too tight.

ETA: no dining room?

I’m lookkng at it on a tablet, so I can expand it.

First things are notice are circulation. There is only one way to get anywhere. And the secondary bedroom people have to walk through two living spaces and the dining area, to get to the laundry room?

The only way to get to the master bedroom is through the laundry or pantry? or from the carport? and everyone else who comes in through the carport traipses right past the bedroom door.

Do you need a closet by the front door?

I love an L shaped house. And your idea of a library hall. And it looks wide enough to step back to see the books. How high will the bookcases be?

How does it sit on the site? A site plan would be helpful.

Which way is north?

Agree about the MBR access.

Is this the front door?

If so, I'd get some kind of entry transition. Doesn't have to be big. 12SF (3'x4') would be fine.

Any 3D image of what the "library hall" looks like?

A few random answers for now.

Since this is truly a working farm, we will almost always be accessing the master bedroom through the mud room/laundry room (first thing we do each morning and last thing we do each night is go out to feed animals). But excellent point about the other access being through the kitchen so I have to think about that.

I was trying to avoid the sink on the island as I do a lot of cookie decorating and wanted that big uninterrupted cabinet space. I can be flexible on that point though if it really works better.

We did not want a separate dining room. We have an L-shaped banquet now from Ballard Designs that we've had for 10+ years and it works great for us. We are planning to have a table for eating on the screened porch as well (winds permitting).

This is a google maps shot of the front third or so of our property. The top is north where the road is. We would build just to the east of the existing house and maybe a bit forward. We've also thought about turning the house to face directly west...house direction is really one of the things we have wavered on most.

A couple of other points:

-We debated about separate entry way or not. We have had houses with both and ultimately decided we didn't care that much. The coat closet is under the stairs across from the front door but ultimately our most used coats will be on hooks in the mud room.

-Yes, I have seen 3d view of the hallway and bookshelves (36" shelves under windows) but I don't know if I have the most up to date version on my computer. Let me check.

-I do want to nail the kitchen aisle widths so that is another area I am really unsure about.

Oops one more thing...I just noticed the "wall" between the kitchen and bedroom entrance at the front of the house. That is a mistake. There is a cased opening by the ovens in the kitchen leading to the master bedroom.

I think the sense of entry is lost. Have you really thought through the entry points for you and your family on a daily basis, and for visitors? The house seems to consist of two very separate parts--the MBR suite and the rest of the house. Do you want the MBR to be so isolated from the rest of the house?

Is a storm shelter important to you? The rendering shows a car port, but the plan does not. Do you have a place to store important vehicles from hail and snow? Is that important?

Who needs to access the laundry room/mud room space? If its just the two of you, I would create a separate laundry closet in the guest wing for normal laundry, and use the mudroom area as a working mudroom & laundry room only attached to the master br (obviously this is a pretty specific need for you given your working farm situation). Flip that entire wing around. At least then you can access the pool from your bedroom, and have a slightly better access from the kitchen.

If other people need to access that space as well, it would be a bit more challenging, but still. I would rework that area. I imagine at some point...AFTER work is done...you go to the living room and relax for a bit. Having to snake through the kitchen to get to your bedroom wouldn't be pleasant.

The sink in the pantry - what are you planning on using that for?

How often are you decorating cookies vs. how often do you put dishes in the dishwasher? Because that is the question you should be asking yourself about your kitchen layout. If you are decorating cookies every day, and you wash everything by hand, then maybe your corner sink would be ok. But if not, then the sink & DW deserve more consideration. You can get a cutting board to cover the sink up when you are cookie decorating if you need the extra space.

Honestly, the banquette actually takes most of the prime real estate for that on your island...if you move the banquette you could use the entire back half of the island for whatever you need it for, including additional storage. As it is now, it's a waste of counter. Put the banquette in the corner instead (rework the master wing) and you might get a better kitchen layout in the process.

A storm shelter is very important. The sewing room closet is a safe room.

The original plan had a recessed front door to create more of a sense of entry. We moved that out flush to maximize light into the house. That's a great question about entry points on a daily basis. I'm thinking about it now. Most of our visitors come to see the donkeys first, and then come into the house so will be entering through the back. My husband and I will need to give that some thought. Ideally we will circle the drive in front of the house so there is an automatic stopping point by the front door but even then, people typical walk over to see the animals first instead of just coming to the front door.

These are great questions!

Here is the carport rendering with a ramp up to the front porch.

Please consider adding a more direct route to the master bedroom.

No matter how I rotate the plan, it does not seem to work.

Facing the public rooms south would be a start. Move the carport and rethink the rest of the house.

I'd change the kitchen so the eating area is by a south facing window, and add east facing windows.

Lots of work needed but this shows the general idea. Carport goes on the north side. Front door faces north.

If you’ll look through other plans posted on here, you’ll see some people always have the same advice. Not saying it isn’t good advice worthy of consideration. I would just make sure you consider how you live.

Someone recommended to me to put my washer and dryer on an outside wall, and you might consider that for venting purposes.

Check out the building thread on here. There’s a new one every month. Can give you others to share your wins and woes and be treated with kindness.

@PPF. Thank you for taking time to do that. I see what you are doing conceptionally. I'm really drawn to the L-concept so that house doesn't look as large from the road. Plus while we have a large property compared to most (though relatively small for our area), I'd rather go deeper than wider from a site planning perspective. But I also really like how you've opened up more of the rooms to the south.

The mud room location is one of the key components (more important to us then say, the master bedroom location).

@anj_p The pantry is meant to be a sort of combo pantry/work room with the ice machine and coffee pot in there, plus the dog bowls nearby. Hence the sink. But it is not critical.

Much to contemplate.

First, I have seen you comment in other threads and I assumed you tended sheep in Louisiana, not donkeys in Oklahoma!

If I am understanding correctly, the front of the house presents the gabled attic and carport, and that is situated facing the street on the North side?

There are so many things, I don’t quite get here—

1. the safe room is sooooooo far from the master. If you need to get there in a hurry in the middle of the night when you’re groggy—we’ll, you won’t. Seems like master should be closer to the sage room than a guest bedroom that may or may not be used. Same for gym and sewing rooms. Consider having guest wing and a master wing that includes the rooms you will often use such as the sewing room, gym, and office.

2. Kitchen is far from den, game room, areas where one may have guests.

3. Why two full baths in addition to master but only one guest bedroom?

4. If views of the donkey pastures are important, why is the master on the north side of the house? The closet has the better view. Consider having the guest area on the north side of the home.

We are NOT going for a modern farmhouse look.

No one really knows what a modern farmhouse is anyway. The pictures you've posted is nice. I grew up in a farmhouse with a green roof. Consider going with a metal roof; you'll pay for it now, but you probably won't live long enough to need to replace it.

Porches and views. We are a satellite location for a large national donkey rescue and we love to sit both inside or on porches and watch the donkeys, plus we have visitors/adopters often on our farm. We have donkey fields to the east, west and south.

Being a donkey rescue is super cool!

Don't underestimate the cost of all these porches.

corner kitchen sink (I'm ambivalent on this so open to suggestions)

Like so many things, corner sinks aren't bad -- they're just usually not well executed. I see three issues with this particular corner sink:

- Here's the big secret: To make a corner sink work, you've gotta have a 12" cabinet (no more than 18") between the sink and the dishwasher. Why? Because without that bit of space, the dishwasher opens into the space where you need to stand ... add it, and the sink works. Makes all the difference in the world.

- In this layout, your main work space seems to be the aisle with the sink and the range ... but the sink, which is the most-used item in any kitchen, is on the far end. This creates extra steps. You could add a prep sink in the island, but that's just a bandaid ... better to keep poking around until you have a layout that works (and moving the sink alone isn't the answer).

- The other negative about any corner sink is that you have a world of space under that sink, but it's going to be deep and dark. You can work with this by placing a large lazy susan in the back-back corner. An automatic light under this cabinet would also be a big plus. Look at some pictures of under-corner-sinks online before you commit.

master closet access through master bathroom (this is an absolute requirement for us in home design)

I am ambivalent about closet-bathroom arrangements -- but I like that the closet is connected to the laundry. However, dryers are best when they're on an exterior wall; this allows the dryer to vent directly to the outside -- this is cheaper and more fire-safe.

hallway - We have a lot of books and I asked for a feature hallway with shelves/windows along one side. I think of it as a library hall.

That's an excellent use of a hallway. I'd like to see the bookcases go 3/4 of the way up the wall ... and have short/wide windows above them.

stairs to nowhere. It is unfinished attic space upstairs but there are some design reasons why the stairs aren't closed off at the bottom (reading nook beside stairs, landing requirements).

Are you borrowing for this house? If so, be sure your lender knows you're leaving a portion of the house unfinished -- this might make a difference to them.

Well, the thing that really gets me is the access to the master bedroom.

I agree this isn't great.

First things are notice are circulation.

I agree this isn't great.

The house seems to consist of two very separate parts--the MBR suite and the rest of the house.

It looks like a house that's been added onto over the years.

Oh and put a foot wash station outside the mud room.

A footwashing station is a great idea. It should partner with shoe storage in the mud room.

the safe room is sooooooo far from the master. If you need to get there in a hurry in the middle of the night when you’re groggy—we’ll, you won’t.

I don't live in the land of safe rooms, but this seems like a reasonable comment.

Seems like master should be closer to the sage room than a guest bedroom that may or may not be used. Same for gym and sewing rooms. Consider having guest wing and a master wing that includes the rooms you will often use such as the sewing room, gym, and office.

This sounds like good advice.

Other thoughts:

- The house is large and rambling with a complicated footprint -- if you even out the bumps /just go for an L-shaped house, you'll save money. Also, if you were to use some of that "future upstairs" now, you'd save money.

- So no kids' bedrooms, but a living room + den + game room + sewing room + exercise room. Five living spaces for two people? Remember you're not just building these spaces; you're going to have to clean, heat/cool, maintain and pay taxes for all these spaces. Couldn't some of these rooms' activities be combined?

- Similarly, three full bathrooms for two people?

- You're looking at four (four?) large porches. Why so many? Do you have specific ideas on how these will be used?

- How do you see furniture being laid out in the living room? If you plan to have a TV, where will it be placed?

- The double-sided fireplace is a very expensive choice -- are you sure you'll use it? You're planning a pool on the other side of the house; I'd think you'd want all the "best" outdoor stuff near the pool.

- When I was a kid, my grandparents had a fireplace flanked by single French doors (led to a sunroom). It was a lovely spot.

- You have a lot of doors in the complicated pantry-mudroom-laundry portion of the house. Since these would be left open most of the time, consider pocket doors. Or no doors.

- While we're talking about the pantry, motion-sensored lights are an absolute must. You'll appreciate them when you walk into the room with your hands full.

- Master bath: I always hate a toilet-in-a-closet, but this one looks smaller than most, and the door opens inward -- this means you won't have a place to stand once you're in the closet, and you won't be able to close the door.

- In the master shower, you should place the shower controls on the left side -- otherwise you'll have to step into the shower /place yourself in the water spray to turn on the water.

- Looking at the kitchen, I think you're falling for a common thought: I like to cook, so I want a big kitchen! No -- efficient is better than big. I fear you've created a layout that will require lots of extra steps. The kitchen space could be so much better. For example: cleaning the middle of that wide /deep island will be difficult. Also, a pass-through between the pantry and the kitchen would be good -- would allow you to go into the pantry and "set things through" rather than carrying them.

- You have lots of windows in the kitchen, but they're all under porches, so you won't get all that much light into this very important space.

- That large switchback staircase is going to be lovely and very expensive -- so why is it stuck back in the back? If you're going to spend the money and the space, it should be front and center, where it can be appreciated.

- You have a lot of space under that L-shaped staircase -- I'd want to use it. You could have a half-height door opening from that walk-in closet. It would be useful for seasonal storage -- or a kids' playroom. Or will the coat closet go waaaay deep? Either way, don't let your builder board up good storage space.

- Looking at the secondary wing, I'd move the porch door just a little to the left. 1) This will shorten the pool-to-bathroom pathway. 2) Placing the door in the corner makes porch furniture placement easier.

- Two rooms flanking the hall bathroom: I'd double their windows.

- Game room: I'd scoot the bedroom door to the right /right against the bathroom. This places the door closer to the bathroom AND gives you a larger wall upon which to place furniture.

- Guest room: I'd flip-flop the closet and the door. This places the bedroom door closer to the bathroom. Also widen that bathroom door (or go with bi-folds) so the user can reach things in the far corners of the closet.

- Still thinking of that bathroom: I'd add a short /wide /non-opening window over that shower. A bit of natural light is much better than no natural light.

- Consider that this sewing room might one day be used as a bedroom, and it has a window opening onto the pool-porch. So at parties, this room would be "on display". Maybe go with plantation shutters in this room. It's good that your sewing room will have so much natural light.

- Exercise room: The hallway entry door needs to be flipped so you'll open the door and enter towards the room /not the exterior door.

- Why does your office open into the exercise room?

- Do you work full time? If so, why are you allotting so little space to your office, while so much to other public spaces?

- Do the donkey-viewers come into your house to use your bathrooms? If so, I'd want a bathroom immediately by a door for their use.

@Mrs Pete Thank you so much for taking the time to write this There is so much good stuff here to think about.

Just so everyone knows, when tornado sirens go off in Oklahoma, we all go outside to look if we can see it coming. We would likely be standing right near the safe room, looking to the southwest to spot a funnel cloud! Totally not kidding

Sheepla, would you be doing that at 2 AM?

When I lived in Stillwater I designed a concrete storm closet a few steps from the master bedroom. It was large enough for folding cots to be set up as beds. We slept more than one night there.

@Mrs Pete Thank you so much for taking the time to write this There is so much good stuff here to think about.

Glad to be helpful. Don't be in a hurry to break ground -- thinking all these things (and more) through are a whole lot cheaper on paper.

Just so everyone knows, when tornado sirens go off in Oklahoma, we all go outside to look if we can see it coming. We would likely be standing right near the safe room, looking to the southwest to spot a funnel cloud! Totally not kidding

That's an experience I've never had, but I was thinking the same thing as Virgil -- what if it's dark? Once you see it, isn't it kinda late? I vote for a basement safe room and a fireman's pole to get you there FAST!

Is your pocket office your main works space for every day?

I work from home and I found that having a light open space is SO IMPORTANT. As is having it decently connected to the kitchen, or luandry or something that will force you to take a break, move around - do something other than work, etc. The circuitous route to leave the office and get anywhere would get old for me and I think I'd find myself working somewhere else in order to get anything done during the day / between meetings, etc.

More later.

Continuing to sporadically respond to some of the comments as I think them through (not ignoring anyone!).

Oh and put a foot wash station outside the mud room. Ours is connected to our sprinkler system. Another thing I'd do again in a heartbeat.

I love this idea!

It looks like a house that's been added onto over the years.

We were actually going to for this look. The back elevation shows this a bit with the roof changes.

The double-sided fireplace is a very expensive choice -- are you sure you'll use it?

We have used our wood burning fireplaces constantly in the past. We aren’t tied to a double-sided fireplace; I thought that would be less expensive than two separate chimneys (living room and screened porch). If it is cheaper to separate them, the living room and kitchen could be flipped (conceptionally – not literally). We also thought about a fireplace in the living room and a wood burning stove in the screened porch, but again, that’s two chimneys, which I thought would be more expensive.

You have a lot of doors in the complicated pantry-mudroom-laundry portion of the house.

Yes, I agree this area needs to be simplified. The door from the mudroom into the kitchen is just a half gate (to keep our muddy German Shepherd in there until we rinse him off in the dog washing station and he dries). We also don’t want all the built ins in the mudroom as that restricts our flexibility.

Master bath: I always hate a toilet-in-a-closet, but this one looks smaller than most, and the door opens inward -- this means you won't have a place to stand once you're in the closet, and you won't be able to close the door

My husband insists on a toilet closet. I will look at this layout more closely. I was most focused on making sure there was a window in there.

The kitchen space could be so much better.

I agree! This is an area that needs a lot of work. We really weren’t going for a huge kitchen. We do love to cook.

I work from home and I found that having a light open space is SO IMPORTANT. As is having it decently connected to the kitchen, or laundry or something that will force you to take a break, move around - do something other than work, etc. The circuitous route to leave the office and get anywhere would get old for me and I think I'd find myself working somewhere else in order to get anything done during the day / between meetings, etc.

I tend to be a roamer working at home where I move from room to room every couple of hours. The office is important for video calls. Your point about the break is why it is attached to the exercise room – stop and do a brief yoga workout or something similar. Plus, since my husband is home during the day and sometimes adopters, visitors, volunteers drop by, I want the office to be way, way off the beaten path in the house. So I do think this one thing works well for how we live.

Thanks for the comments. This is why we have given ourselves a year for house planning!

I work from home and I found that having a light open space is SO IMPORTANT. As is having it decently connected to the kitchen, or luandry or something that will force you to take a break, move around - do something other than work, etc.

I agree that if you spend your whole work day in a space, it should be light and inviting -- but the OP's plan has only a small bit of exterior wall space.

I also agree that a home office near the kitchen and/or laundry is practical.
We aren’t tied to a double-sided fireplace; I thought that would be less expensive than two separate chimneys (living room and screened porch). If it is cheaper to separate them, the living room and kitchen could be flipped (conceptionally – not literally). We also thought about a fireplace in the living room and a wood burning stove in the screened porch, but again, that’s two chimneys, which I thought would be more expensive.

Thoughts on the cost of fireplaces:

- Wood stoves are cheaper than fireplaces, and they are more efficient in terms of producing warmth ... but they don't give you the same look, especially at Christmas with all the stockings.

- A masonry fireplace is much more expensive than a pre-fab chimney. You know how in subdivisions you see "bump outs" between two windows? Those are pre-fab chimneys.

- A masonry fireplace that goes to the ceiling is more expensive than a fireplace with drywall above it.

- A large masonry chimney can house two side-by-side chimney stacks; usually the fireplaces will be off-center.

- A back-to-back fireplace like you're showing is more expensive than any of the above.
Consider the nicey-nice details you want for your fireplace:

- A built-in wood box (make it open from the outside so you don't have to carry wood through the house.

- A little opening on the bottom of the fire box, into which you sweep the ashes, then go outside to clean them out.

- A hearth or no hearth.

- What type of mantle you want.
We really weren’t going for a huge kitchen.

But you have designed a huge kitchen.
Your point about the break is why it is attached to the exercise room – stop and do a brief yoga workout or something similar.
I understand the need for breaks, but you can get the same benefit by placing the rooms side-by-side.

Sheepla, I really can't see the measurements, etc of the house or what rooms are what. Can you somehow blow it up?