Kids of all ages love comfortable beds.

You are literally just describing the IKEA effect

I never heard of that, but I looked it up. Interesting.

We are just really bad at determining what we want and we always have been. There is a mountain of research and evidence that proves people are actually less happy when they get what they want most. We all tend to overvalue the things we don't have and undervalue the things we have always had.

I know what you're getting at, but I personally am usually very pleased when I get something I've wanted badly. I do think I'm introspective and logical, so that could play into it.

Changing the subject slightly, anyone who says money doesn't buy happiness doesn't know what it's like to go get a bottle of Claritin D /get your breathing back!

The garage likely will be attached just because I don't want the extra paving.

Eh, don't attach /detach the garage because of that small cost. You'll live with this garage for years, and the bit of extra paving isn't a make-or-break. If you're trying to keep natural light in the house, you could consider attaching the garage with a breezeway (but not just a breezeway for the sake of a connection ... perhaps place the laundry or a small sitting area in the breezeway).

Not planning on a porch so as not to block light but thinking of a detached gazebo.

Walking straight out onto your porch is a great convenience. I love sitting out on my covered porch during storms.
While 2 bedrooms would probably be very functional, at the bottom of the hill are 8 or so houses in the community. I don't know their bedroom count but they are all quite large. Such few bedrooms seems like it would make this house too much of an outlier.

Sounds like you need more information. And maybe you need to aim for a mid-point: Don't feel bullied into building more house than you need because everyone else has more ... but you don't want to be out in left field with a house that won't re-sell because it doesn't fit the neighborhood.

Does the neighborhood have any building regulations? Minimum square footage? Type of materials? Etc.?

Realistically, every person we know is not likely to be staying overnight at the same time

You need a Goldilocks house ... not too big, not too little, but just right.

There was a bay window in here at one point

Bay windows are great!

but the grownups who have to change sheets despise them.

Look into the bunk bed sheets that "zip up" ... expensive but nice looking.

What is the effect called when you want to beat the crap out of something because the assembly is not going well??

"OK...forget the plan posted above. Really. I know it was fun. But it's not good.

Now...first step, determine your budget, including site purchase, site improvements, house, any interior furnishings and equipment, landscaping, professional fees, city/county submittals and approvals, taxes and miscellaneous fees. Include a contingency amount.

(SHOULD BE BOLD BELOW)

"Second, make a critical list of needs followed by another critical list of wants. Spend a lot of time thinking about and separating the two categories. This is very important."

Third step, make some bubble diagrams of how your needs flow and relate to one another...or not. Google "bubble diagram" if it's a new term to you. Or look it up on this site. Closely link all the needs which are closely related to one another. Keep separate the needs which have few or no relationships to other needs.

Fourth, get an accurate site plan with dimensions, key features (if any) and contours.

You have now completed what needs to be taken to your edit..... ( talented, residential ) architect when you are ready. Nothing further is required. Enjoy your time off. Good work!"

AMEN TO THAT, Virgil.

When preparing your budget don’t forget things like window coverings (consider motorized if you will have large expanses of glass).

"Nothing further is required."

Except to bring chocolate chip cookies, with walnuts, to the meetings with the architect.

"Not planning on a porch so as not to block light but thinking of a detached gazebo."

A skylight on the porch would be nice where it rains a lot.

A choc chip with no walnuts is a day without sunshine.......maybe worse : )

Nothing further to add other than a bit crispy is better than soft and mushy, unless we are talking about hot and melted from oven ....instantly

As I currently sit on my covered porch, with heaters, in rainy Vancouver, I’m so happy it exists. One of the best things we did was have a covered porch. House is very light and bright.

@WestCoast Hopeful your porch looks wonderful and inviting.

What direction does it face?

My main rooms will be North facing so I worry about that.

South east. We have a covered front porch/entry area too which faces north/west and it’s also quite lovely. I think done well a covered porch does wonders here on the west coast

My main rooms will be North facing so I worry about that.

If you work with a person of design talent, you might be surprised in that they can get the rooms to be both north and south facing. Mine are.

If you don't, your house will be very dark.

@cpartist hiring talent is certainly the plan. The best way I know to do that is to educate myself.

Much like when hiring tradesmen, I know what to look for and expect for many scopes. But I was definitely not born knowing it. 

I started Not So Big House and listening to an audio from it, when she talks about having light to walk towards as you enter the house and move through spaces, I love that and really helps in reframing how I view a layout.

North facing rooms, with a porch? Dark as a TOMB.

If you want a larger house and it is in the budget, then don't let others push you (or worse, shame you) into a smaller house.

We built a large house for 2 retired people, but we like large open spaces and had the budget for it. We actually did downsized from our previous house, both in size and price! Our new area has many retired families, but also has a lot of young families with 3-5 kids, so the larger houses sell well in the neighborhood.

Many in my area also have a second home up north and I'm sure their house sizes/maintenance/utilities/etc. combined, are bigger than our one house! Always step back and look at the whole picture!

Lucky you have 2 acres. We only had a 1/2 acre irregular shaped lot to work with, so had to make some compromises to fit what we wanted in a one story house.

If you want a larger house and it is in the budget, then don't let others push you (or worse, shame you) into a smaller house.

The reason to read The Not So Big House is not because you should build a smaller house. It's so you should build a right sized house for your needs.

Don’t be deterred by a north-side porch, either. There are ways to raise the height of the roof, peak it, etc, and yes, skylights or open areas, to let light in. And if you can make the house one room deep, with windows on the south, you have good light.

Sarah Susanka makes a lot of sense, I'm enjoying her book and the videos I've found of her - that was a great recommendation.

The future neighbors are building a house just over 4,000sf, if I remember their plans correctly. I think coming in at 3,000sf or slightly less should fit in fine, and still have excess room for what we need.

When our (blended) families vacation together, everyone mostly congregates in the same spaces. Unless there is a game room then the younger kids might head off there. This house just keeps getting smaller and smaller in my head.

I prefer less is more. Growing up with a hoarder, excess of anything gives me anxiety. Open spaces in a room and between rooms are still a must.

As I reevaluate, I'd like to combine the laundry and mud room. Endless loads of laundry will be a thing of the past when the kids are grown, and the laundry room isn't a space I spend much time in. On the chopping block is also 3 bathrooms on the main floor. I just don't see the need, and combining the half bath and guest bathroom makes more sense.

I wouldn't even mind sharing the master bath with the guest bedroom, honestly do I need my very own private bathroom? But I know that's a bit extreme to put into a build.

(Soon I may just be left with a bedroom, garage, and a few closets. )

I'd still like to minimize the driveway and maximize green space, and keep most of the middle lot and all its trees untouched.

Key rooms with N-S exposure is a goal now, I'll have to look up pictures of how that works. I'm skeptical of the covered rear porch but the neighbor's plan includes a living room, dining room, and kitchen on the second level, with a large deck. I should be able to see how the lighting on the main level is affected.

Your buggy is in front of the horse. Get the architect.

Why ? Folks never find out what they didn't know that they didn't know until far too late.

Make a wish list : go to the site.

I'll add. Go look in your area at a ton OF NEW BUILD. Jot down what you love......how they Feel.

MATTERS NOT IT WILL NOT BE YOUR HOUSE, NOR ON YOUR SITE

@Jan Moyer I will do that

As I reevaluate, I'd like to combine the laundry and mud room.

As you age, it's better to have the laundry where most of it is generated; by your bedroom. Much easier than shlepping baskets of laundry across the house.

My great room faces north, with huge windows to take in a mountain view. To solve the issues, we have a row of high clerestory windows on the southern wall. It was fabulous last winter.

I wouldn’t combine the laundry and mudroom. First of all, doing laundry has little to do with what goes on in a mudroom. Second, as the design evolves, the mudroom may be nowhere near where the laundry is most convenient.

You may be thinking, but where will I keep my cleaning supplies? That is something to consider. And, what about household tools, glue, tape, batteries, light bulbs, stepstool? Where do you keep them now? Where would you use them best? My parents had a kitchen drawer where they kept batteries. and the binoculars. All very convenient.

I used to work as a realtor back in the day when realtors toured the homes as they were put on the market, so I literally have toured thousands of homes. I still love to go to open houses and visit new builds. It is the best way I know to gather ideas.

I have always thought it was the dumbest thing ever to have a washer dryer in the mudroom. Who ever comes into the house so very dirty that they have to immediately strip and put their clothes in the washer? (And then what? Streak through the house?)

We are in our 60s. Our current home has a very large master bath with a stacked washer dryer off to its side. The best thing about this house.

Location of a laundry depends more on laundry DISCIPLINES than any other factor.

Want a laugh? My favorite spot and why? The basement, Yup.... as I grew up with that scenario. No need to gaze at a mess, a simple laundry chute. My mom washed clothes daily - her favorite task. Wet parkas need a dry out? No problem. Something soaking in a big laundry tub? Same thing.

But we've moved on.....: )

The mud /off the kitchen locale. ......and what I all too often see: Great care given style and finishes. Just one problem: Someone must still DO the task. How hard is it? It isn't. But I can tell you that what I see in this often placed locale, would make you believe it had to be carted a mile up a dirt road to a stream!!! Then a washboard and a bucket with a scrub brush!

Near the bedrooms: VERY logical, but if those are second floor? It's still a task DISCIPLINE. Read prior paragraph , lol

Answer? Put it where you will most like doing and f.i.n.i.s.h.i.n.g the task. Finish means clean and dried, and stowed where it belongs. For whatever reason, this has morphed to some herculean effort.

I love my washer dryer in my mudroom. I am very happy with tue combined space. It’s all about how you live. My family always folds laundry on the dining table so laundry on main floor makes sense. Having in mudroom works well for us as kids come in peel off dirty or wet stuff and it actually does go straight into washed. I would say this happens several nights a week due to competitive sports and is very handy. I also fully see the appeal for laundry near bedrooms.

I agree with the mudroom/ laundry separation.

So the only other thing I’d ever remotely need to put directly in washer might be my gardening jeans, and that’s seldom so bad I couldn’t walk through house, and like above comment, I’d want a bathrobe handy to make that trek!

When we had teenagers and a 2 -story house we had an upstairs laundry room and that was fabulous. Now have downsized and very small laundry “ room”, more of a closet but with an actual door, side by side appliances, cabinets above, enough space for hanging Swiffers / mops, but not the vacuum. In the hallway but just steps away from bedrooms and baths.

At first I was depressed I no longer had my “ bigger” laundry room, but you know, it works just fine.

I see your points about having laundry room near the bedroom. Though I imagine no one is stripping at laundry time no matter where it's located. 

I searched on here and it's been discussed a bit, and the consensus is most prefer the separate rooms. 

Mine is currently in the finished basement and it's the worst.  So inconvenient that just having it on the main level seems satisfactory.  I'll make note of it as I start to tour new homes. Not many in my area but I can seek them out.

The mudroom is for cleaning supplies, a dog wash station, dog kennel, utility sink, mail collection, shoe rack, boot dryer, umbrella holder, wrapping paper; and ideally have access to the coat closet, and a floor drain.

Tools in the garage; hoping we stick to two vehicles and the third bay is for a mower, power washer, snow blower, kayaks, bikes, camping equipment, misc sporting equipment.

Sharing this site I found for seeing the shadow lines at a given location based on time of day & year

https://www.findmyshadow.com/

I see your points about having laundry room near the bedroom. Though I imagine no one is stripping at laundry time no matter where it's located.
When I was younger, I had no issues with the laundry being across the house as Jan speaks of. However I then watched my Mom who had Parkinson's try to carry laundry across her house as she had it convienent to her office where she wrote. However once the Parkinson's got worse, it became much more difficult for her to maneuver carrying laundry and would have been better closer to her bedroom.
I searched on here and it's been discussed a bit, and the consensus is most prefer the separate rooms.

Mine if you look at my layout is actually in the hallway. Below are pics of my setup. Since it's really just the 2 of us, I find this works great for us. I'm about 5-6 steps from our bedroom, so when done, the laundry gets sorted on the bed and put away.
Mine is currently in the finished basement and it's the worst. So inconvenient that just having it on the main level seems satisfactory. I'll make note of it as I start to tour new homes. Not many in my area but I can seek them out.
The mudroom is for cleaning supplies, a dog wash station, dog kennel, utility sink, mail collection, shoe rack, boot dryer, umbrella holder, wrapping paper; and ideally have access to the coat closet, and a floor drain.

Good thoughts and make sure your architect knows that.
Tools in the garage; hoping we stick to two vehicles and the third bay is for a mower, power washer, snow blower, kayaks, bikes, camping equipment, misc sporting equipment.

Or since you're on land, why not a separate small building with that equipment?

Laundry cabinets closed. Center top drawer is a pull out ironing board. I really need to take a new pic since I now have a cute needlepoint hanging up.

I used to work at a humane society and I had pets and fostered a lot of animals. I didn't want to bring diseases from the humane society into my home, so I entered my garage, stripped off my clothes, threw them in the washing machine, set my work shoes in a litter box that had small towel on the bottom that was soaked in disinfectant and put on my robe (stayed on a hook in the garage by the washer). I would start the washer, spray the floor with disinfectant and then go in the house where I headed straight for the shower.

What works for one person may be very different than what works for the next person. None of us live the same lives.

This is why I keep stressing that you have to understand your needs and how you live in your home. Having my washer and dryer in my garage was a perfect answer for my life. It would suck for my sister and brother in law who are both using walkers and would have difficulty schlepping the laundry though the house.

I currently have my washer and dryer in the same room as my pantry, right off the kitchen. I like it where it is. I tend to have a lot of cleaning rags and towels and use cloth napkins (trying not to use paper products). I boil any of the rags used in the kitchen before washing (kills bacteria) and can take my boiling pot right into the pantry and dump it in the washing machine. If the washer were off the bedroom I would be carrying a pot of boiling water through the whole house or have to dump it in the sink and carry soaking wet rags through the house.

This is why I keep stressing that you have to understand your needs and how you live in your home. Having my washer and dryer in my garage was a perfect answer for my life. It would suck for my sister and brother in law who are both using walkers and would have difficulty schlepping the laundry though the house.

Agree 1000% and that is why when we build a custom house, we should really figure out our actual needs. Not our fantasy need.

For example, my fantasy is I'm going to create sit down dinners with everyone having fabulous wine and dressing to the nines. Well first of all, my drinking is confined to tasting my DH's wine or drink (one or two sips), and I really don't like cooking all that much. My reality is we do entertain, but we order in from our favorite caterer and I do bake since I like that. Then we entertain very informally.

If the washer were off the bedroom I would be carrying a pot of boiling water through the whole house or have to dump it in the sink and carry soaking wet rags through the house.

Your washer doesn't have a sanitize feature? Thought they all did nowadays.

Heard of bleach? Who in heck carries boiling water for rags?!

Better yet? Get Norwex cloths. Anti Microbial with simple soap and water. Expensive, but last forever, clean anything you can get your hands on.

https://shopus.norwex.biz/en_US/customer/shop/product-detail/E31406?categoryName=Kitchen

Why do these posts always devolve and fall apart. We all do things differently. Are we really telling one another how to do laundry now?!

Looking at the responses I think I made my point. We all do things differently.

@cpartist - I have a commercial grade washer and dryer with all turn dial buttons that are 28 years old. They don't have any fancy features, they just keep running year in year out without fail.

There are some great homes designed by architects available through plan sites.

https://www.southernliving.com/2023-idea-house-announcement-7255141

It's good to hear everyone's perspectives for why something works for them, I find them helpful to uncover what functions I want to prioritize. 

Your comments about not designing the house so deep were spot on. I'm refining ideabooks and figuring out what makes the spaces I like feel right, and your earlier criticisms were just the thing. 

A shed for toys and tools still feels offputting. Like an eyesore no matter where it's placed. At the site, it feels like a place I'd want to pitch a tent more than I want to disturb it. The water view is nice, but the woods around it are something else. Maybe it's a cave house I'm after. 

I'd love to hear more about why people chose or would choose the features/layouts they did for their designs.

When we built our home we wanted easy outdoor access and a large yard. So we have a big covered back patio, lower patio, access to yard from walk out basement and large grassy area. We wanted lots of windows and light. And we wanted a play space for the kids that was not on the main floor and a bedroom for each of them. Beyond that our designer had a lot of freedom but also many constraints as our lot had rules about how high the house could be and this impacted where it was placed on the lot.

My first house had been a craftsman bungalow and I wanted to emulate that style in our new house. I couldn't get that 100% because of the need for a hipped roof here in FL and the need for 2 full rooms upstairs.

I wanted a house that was mostly public spaces versus lots of excess rooms I knew we wouldn't use. And of course an office for DH and a studio for me.

I had lived in Mexico while in college and loved the haciendas where the house was built around an inner courtyard. That is why I chose to build a U shaped house. I chose for the pool to be raised so we didn't constantly need to walk down steps to access the pool. However we also wanted a small grass run area for our two small dogs.

As mentioned, I wanted sliders to open up the living room to the lanai area to make it feel more like one open space.

The other things that were important to me were the laundry near our bedroom, an open kitchen/living/dining area and lots and lots of natural light. As Sarah Susanka points mentions, in my house you are always walking towards light when moving from one space to another.

Also a house that made use of passive solar heating/cooling. Especially here in FL. Now that summer is here, we can sit comfortably on our lanai because this time of year, no sun penetrates the lanai so it's always shaded under there, yet the space and my living room is still quite bright.

What is the effect called when you want to beat the crap out of something because the assembly is not going well??

Life.
The reason to read The Not So Big House is not because you should build a smaller house. It's so you should build a right sized house for your needs.

Bingo. No one should set out to build a big house or a small house ... we should all aim for a right-sized house.

As you age, it's better to have the laundry where most of it is generated; by your bedroom.

Take away "as you age", making it an all-ages comment, and I'll agree.

You may be thinking, but where will I keep my cleaning supplies? That is something to consider. And, what about household tools, glue, tape, batteries, light bulbs, stepstool?

I'm all about a cleaning closet. You might even want a small one near the bedrooms and a second small area in the mudroom. You don't need a large space for these things, but you do need an assigned space.

Though I imagine no one is stripping at laundry time no matter where it's located.
Logical. I also think it's logical -- for the average person -- to keep the washer/dryer near the bedrooms, where you dress /store your clothes.

@cpartist your house sounds lovely, I love hacienda courtyards as well. There are some seriously beautiful courtyards in Syrian, Iranian, Muslim architecture too.

I've finished the Not So Big House book, my favorite takeaways were:
* Spaciousnes is not conducive to comfort, huge rooms only work well when they're filled with people.

* Dividing a room into smaller spaces makes it more functional - she says shelter around activity

* Designing a house as a series of places for various activities, rather than a string of separate rooms each for different functions helps eliminate unused spaces

* Have two different openings into the same foyer so you and visitors both can enter the house more ceremoniously.

* Cut back on the # of bathrooms (I agree!)

* Use alcoves within larger rooms to provide an alternate space within a large space

* Use diagonal views to visually enlarge a space

* Varied ceiling heights create shelter around specific activities and help activate the spaces

* Make places that feel good to be alone in

* Framing a view creates more intrigue than having a large, unbroken span of glass to the outside

I said I wouldn't do it, but I took another stab at my drawing and I think it's an improvement (obvs nothing is to scale). Sure it's flawed but what I like about it is:

- The entry gets more used with access to it from the mudroom (for me) as well as the front door (for guests)

-Cutting back to 1.5 baths on the main floor and sharing the master bath when there are guests, which I'm happy to do. When I'm long gone and someone decides that was a terrible idea, the gym (which will preemptively be roughed in) can be converted into the new master bath.

- Covered porch on the east side off the kitchen, avoiding any overhangs on the north wall

- Window views from almost everywhere, multiple exposure in most rooms, including N-S views for the living room

- Laundry near bedrooms, small closet vs the large room I thought I needed before (thank you @cpartist).

- Roll-up doors in the dining room so it can double as an indoor-outdoor space, next to the patio. Eliminates the need for a separate gazebo and associated walkway anymore. Doors to close off the dining room so bugs don't get all over the house.

- No need for a separate office, just a little nook off the kitchen, with a window so it doesn't feel like you're in the time out corner. Office supplies in the storage space beneath the stairs

- Small bar area in lieu of 2nd living room space

I'll keep working through the book list, and no more drawings.

OMG - I have a book on one of my favorite architects (Gerard Colcord) and the plan you drew completely resembles one of his homes - the William Horton House in Stone Canyon/Bel Air (not to be confused with the Joseph Horton House in Bel Air, also designed by Colcord - Joseph was William's brother!). Some differences, but it's the first thing I thought of when I looked at your drawing! It was one of a few Spanish Revival homes that Colcord designed apparently - you should check out the floorplan (it looks like you can source it online). One improvement in that plan compared to yours (IMO) is the creation of maid's quarters between the garage and kitchen, which you could repurpose as your gym/guest space as needed. It also helps to avoid the odd angled wall in the kitchen. Again, it might be worth a look, as it's got a lot in common with your current layout. Colcord is known for creating warm spaces - he's one of my absolute favorite architects.

Word(s) of warning - Colcord designed that home in 1933, so the kitchen would be ripped apart on these boards for being way too small, and there's no separate mudroom or space for a dog washing station or other random things we've convinced ourselves we need in a home. But it does accomplish almost everything you stated originally in just 3,000 square feet. Even as a non-architect, I could see possibilities to expand the kitchen into the existing breakfast room, and to add a laundry in the giant walk-in linen closet between the primary and second bedroom. Anywho, worth checking out as you continue to iterate on this.

Infinitely better than your first iteration. There are still serious flaws, but you are headed in the right direction with lots of good takeaways from Sarah's book.

Agree with Rapp. It is better but let your architect figure out how to make it work. And what you're doing is a good learning trick.

@cpartist your house sounds lovely, I love hacienda courtyards as well. There are some seriously beautiful courtyards in Syrian, Iranian, Muslim architecture too.

You're singing my song. BTW if interested, here is my house in Old House Journal.

^^^SPAM!

6k sf for retirement sounds like wayy too much (upkeep, cleaning, maintenace, etc). 2k or less is my vote :)

We designed our house to take advantage of a view to the north. To combat that exposure, we have 8' window panels with 3' windows above, to fully get the view. Our kitchen sink also has that view. (And today, slackliners strung a line across the two mountain peaks so it was quite entertaining to watch, even while doing dishes!) We also have high clerestories on the southern wall. We also have a courtyard with glass windows/door on it on the hallway across from the office and on the way to the primary bedroom area. It's lovely to walk past. Design for things that will make you happy!

We are getting ready to break ground on our build. Like you, I spent many months drawing floor plans. It was good in the sense that I realized we couldn’t afford everything I wanted. Our plans are now right sized. I now realize I oversized many rooms and had too many corridors/dead space. I live in an area where a basement is mandatory, so first floor footage translates to basement footage. Then, the 2nd floor has to be figured in. I didn’t want a cookie cutter house.

For us, the uniquity comes from having a wide, light filled front hallway (off the main entry) that has doors to a cleaning closet and a half bath. It leads to my desk area, where a 90 degree turn takes you to the butler’s pantry and then the kitchen (which then loops in with the rest of the main floor), or going straight takes you into the mud room. We also chose to make our stairway more special by making it u-shaped with long windows on the landing. Our views are to the south, so our main rooms face that way. The extra bedroom is in our walkout basement (where we had space to fill) vs on the 2nd floor. We made the 2nd floor only above part of the first floor (2nd floor is less than 1/2 of the first floor). Our garage is attached because we live in a cold/snowy area (and as a bonus, it’s cheaper than finishing two additional walls and adding a breezeway).

Whatever you do, make sure you get the design you want. It took several changes until I was satisfied it was right for our family and our habits.