My best advice… Is to work with an architect. I can’t even imagine trying to build a house with a toddler. There is a reason a lot of people get divorced during house builds. I would just start making a list of the things that are important to you in the house, and let the architect work on the details. The way to find a good architect in your area is to drive around and look at houses that you like, and then go knock on doors and ask who their architect is.

We plan to build in about five years, and we already know the architect we’re going to use, because his firm has done several of the homes that we have liked in town. They do a great job with their aesthetics on the façade, and they are very smart with how they design to the clients’ wishes.

I know, you may be thinking that you can’t afford an architect, but truly it’s the other way. YOU can’t NOT afford an architect.

Another alternative is to go with a design build firm. Again, I would interview, interview, interview before starting to work with anyone.

I just posted this on your other thread but definitely something you need to consider, even more so after this post:

" Have you though about hiring an architect to design a house specifically for your wants and needs that also take the property into account? Being this is family land and a potential 30 year home, well worth the proper investment in my mind. "

Well, my last floor plan got totally torn to shreds on here so I’m starting from scratch

Consider it a learning opportunity. Read and study what people said, then you'll be better able to choose something better. If you just hang around this board, you'll learn a lot about function.

Remember that mistakes on paper cost you zero.

Books I recommend: The Not So Big House Series (Susan S--- can't remember the rest) and Build It Right! (Ferguson). The second one is the more practical book.

My best advice… Is to work with an architect.

Eh, or don't ... just don't lie to yourself about your ability to choose /create a good plan. Honestly, I grew up in a farmhouse that my grandmother planned on graph paper. Aside from the small closets, which were considered average in the 30s, it's one of the most functional houses I've ever seen ... excellent flow, main living spaces facing the South and East and spaces that support multiple functions (like an extra-wide hallway with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that serves as a library). Thing about most houses today is that they're all about flash instead of function ... duplicate sinks and oversized appliances instead of appropriately placed windows and good sight lines.

We plan to build in about five years

OP, this poster's thoughts on building with a toddler (and without knowing your family's eventual make-up) are truthful. Do you NEED to build at this time?

In response to the suggestions for an architect, we already have a builder, who works with a draftsman. He requested we have a few plans in mind similar to what we want for ideas. Just looking for inspiration of what has worked well for other people. There is no reason to wait to build because we are having more children, trying for #2 now, and if we waited until we didn’t have a small child around, it may be awhile. We live in a duplex in a retirement community right now, so we would rather not wait.

Also, I believe this was on the last discussion, but this is definitely the area we will be in. My father in law owns a business that my husband is being trained to run, so we won’t be moving. We are not concerned about resale. This is on family property, and if we ever did decide to leave, my father in law would buy it back because he only wants family on this land. Schooling is not a concern, as if we decide not to homeschool, there are plenty of private options in the area. Just looking for IDEAS for houses that you feel flow well with young children.

A draftsman is a court reporter. They just take down what you draw out, and put it in software, warts and all. They aren't there to do better or be better. Your limitations are their limitations.

An architect is the ghost writer of a biography. They tell your story, better than you can, organize your stream of consciousness it so that it makes narrative sense, and in the end, it's like they were never there.

In 5 years, your builder may not even exist. This next economic downturn is going to take out a lot of the opportunists. But, if you own your land, and have plans that were designed for your land, and to be expandable, that will exist, and you will own it.

I know it may seem daunting to work with an architect—I’ve never done so myself. But I think you’ll be frustrated with the amount of help you can get from “ the crowd” ( even though there are so many people on HOUZZ with great ideas.

It’s partly because, “ family of 6”( not all in existence yet!) isn’t really that much to go on, plus there’s “ the land” which is not like being able to make a site assessment , where all the utilities are or will be, how much land, what orientation, budget. You could make a huge wishlist and still I know I’d not be able to toss a houseplant at you.

What you might be able to do is put more of you “must have” ( like # of BR’s , living spaces, how you want your family to dine, things about windows & views & such that are important to you— I know there’s a lot more—but that list is for the architect plus further interaction as he/ she elicits more and considers ways to achieve it.

Houseplan, not houseplant. I’m not violent!

Man plans, God laughs.

We were a family of six--seven when you added in a g.f. to our eldest. Through the various homes I built for them, living arrangements never worked out exactly as envisioned.

Hard to believe. But children are not pets that you can force into the boxes and lives you've so meticulously planned years in advance of their conception.

Beautiful lot!

You can work without an architect. It'll use more time and more of your personal effort. It's pretty much required to not use the architect's usually rudimentary kitchen design plan.

In response to the suggestions for an architect, we already have a builder, who works with a draftsman

A builder and draftsman are NOT designers. Ask me how I know.

The only reason I was able to create my house was because I have a design background and got excellent advice here on the forum especially from the architects, but if I had it to do over, I would have absolutely hired an architect!

In fact my draftsman knew less about good design than my spouse and trust me, he has no sense of design at all.

A draftsman starts with someone else's mistake and tries to fix it. An architect starts with your life's needs and tries to enhance it. Talk to several local architects that deign single family homes.

This 1000%

You can work without an architect. It'll use more time and more of your personal effort. It's pretty much required to not use the architect's usually rudimentary kitchen design plan.

I was redesigning the draftsman's plans on a daily basis for more than 6 months. I was able to take his CAD plans and bring them into Photoshop to adjust. I'd send it back to him with my changes in red and he still would ignore what I had specified. Then he'd make more mistakes.

The only reason I had the time to devote to this was because I'm a full time artist and was able to spend the 4-5 hours a day it took to go over every detail of the plans. If you don't have that kind of time, get an architect or a true person of design talent.

Some architects, present company included, have a lot of experience designing kitchens, both residential and commercial. They are able to collect the pertinent information needed to design kitchens and other spaces with multiple constraints and needs. Some architect have experience in designing other building types such as hospitals, restaurants, factories, multifamily residential, high rise office, recreation/resort, and can apply all that experience in designing one room called a kitchen.

With all that said, the key word is "some".

Not a specific house plan, but this thread is a fun read for larger-than-average families. :-)

Building With Large Families In Mind

"Your builder should be the one to help you with the building layout possibilities and the best use of space within your budget."

Check your builder's education, experience, ability, and license to design buildings. There are people that are educated, trained, experienced, and licensed to design buildings and they are called 'architects', builders are not. The architect designs the home, the builder builds it.

The architect should work directly with the home owner and be compensate by the home owner to assure the architect/owner relationship is not tarnished. When a designer is paid by a builder, that designer works for the builder, not the home owner.

Edit: A comment was deleted which my comment was in reference to.