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Building a Home Design Dilemma entry

Help with new build layout

Ashley Schipper

25 days ago

last modified: 25 days ago

Edited to add that we will be taking these plans to an architect
We are building a house on the same foundation as our current very old home. Dimensions are 17x21 on the east side and 16x29 on the west side. There is a jut out on the front of 8ft. It faces south with lots of light and not trees blocking the windows. It's a 3 bedroom. We want our own bath, the kids bath and a powder downstairs. We have 4 kids. 2 girls, 2 boys that will be sharing rooms.We want our bedroom on the south jut out on the front. Our home overlooks a river on that side. And my husband does not want a side door. Just the front door and a sliding back door. We are very very casual people. So we have no need for a foyer that doesn't get used. So the front entry will serve as the main place for bags, coats and shoes.I love the look of 4 square homes and colonial homes with rooms with walls and French pocket doors separating the rooms. I don't want an open concept home. I want to be able to sit in the kitchen and not see or hear what all of my kids are doing in the living room. I love most of the floor plan but I'm having trouble with the front entry.

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Comments (11)

Ashley Schipper
Original Author
25 days ago
k8cd
25 days ago
No garage? You park in the front of the house and come in that way?

How old are your children?

Is this a forever home?

My nephews share a room. They recently remodeled and made a small walk-in closet for each. They are pretty much bare minimum for walk-ins but it provides each child their own space. That has been really nice for them (and funny to see their personalities - one is very tidy and the other is not.)

In the kids bathroom, I would also recommend putting the toilet and shower in a separate room from the sink so one child can be in there and the others can be brushing teeth, etc. And try to find room for at least a little counterspace in the kids bathroom. At least enough space so they can each have a drawer.

Master bathroom - put the vanity across from the door. Shower where the toilet is, flipped the other way. And toilet at the end of the shower.

Add measurements to the upstairs floorplan and hope a pro will weight in and help with the layout.
Ashley Schipper thanked k8cd
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Help with New Build Kitchen Layout
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Welcome, Michelle1973! Please see the following Kitchens FAQ as it is the most helpful when asking for layout help: FAQ: How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include? Other helpful FAQs: FAQ: Kitchen work zones, what are they? FAQ: Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and others FAQ: How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where? You mention that looks are more important to you than function - OK - so is function important at all? Note that most of us here are function first/form second. Why? For two reasons, (1) A nice looking but dysfunctional kitchen can become a nightmare to deal with over time - assuming you cook, that is. [No, not everyone actually cooks. For some people, a kitchen is solely for "show" and will rarely, if ever, be used for more than heating up take-out or similar. That's OK - in that case it probably doesn't matter (until resale...)] (2) It is relatively easy to make a functional kitchen look nice - but it's almost impossible to make nice-looking but dysfunctional kitchen function well (short of doing another remodel). Do you have a layout of the entire first floor? A comment on your current design - it's actually not too bad, functionally! Dish storage may be an issue, but if you're OK with dishes in drawers, then I think you will probably be OK. A few other items: Be aware that a "full size refrigerator" will take up more room in the aisle than you show, even if you recess it into the wall behind it. If you can recess the refrigerator into the wall and room behind it, then figure a depth in the kitchen about 5" to 6" deeper than the deepest item next to the refrigerator....if the deepest item is the counter - then another 5 to 6 inches beyond the counter - so: 25.5" + 5.5" = 31" deep. Doors & handles of non-true built-in refrigerators must extend past surrounding items - walls, counters, cabinets, other appliances, etc. If the refrigerator (or freezer) is next to a wall that's deeper than the carcass/body of the refrigerator, then you will need a 9" to 12" cabinet or filler b/w the wall and the refrigerator or freezer to be able to fully open the refrigerator/freezer doors. If they are next to walls that can be changed, then try to make the walls no deeper than the carcass/body of the refrigerator & freezer. For the island, be sure there is sufficient space b/w the edge of the island and the table on the left - at least 60" - more if there will be a lot of traffic passing b/w them. In the "Dining" room, also be sure you have at least 44" b/w the table and what appears to be counters to the left of the table - more if you intend those counters to be work space or a place for staging food while someone is sitting at the table. If so, then plan for 51 to 54" so there's room for someone to be at the counter while someone is sitting at the table. 44" is needed for...
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If it's not too late, I'd omit the dividing wall, and use an island with a prep sink. The clean-up zone will be hidden from anyone entering the front door. NKBA guidelines New to Kitchens? Read me first.
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This is me, speaking gently... It's perfectly fine, of course, that you want your new kitchen to be anyway you want it. I'm just going to mention stuff in the next paragraph that is more fact and less feel. I am happy for people to have what they want for whatever reason, but this is what I think you should know. The light from the kitchen windows is never going to reach the family room through an opening that is 90 degree angle. There is somewhat of a view of the kitchen windows (probably) but it's kinda far and pretty much angled away. The opening over the sink area should preserve some connection. The family room seems to have a triple slider facing in exactly the same direction as the kitchen windows - but it's bigger and closer, not turned at an odd angle with much smaller glass area and people standing in front of them using the sink, etc. Maybe think about where furniture and stuff will be placed in the family room - like sofa(s)/TV/AV/Game consoles, recliners, game tables and how those interactions will change as people grow and change. I like to think of the traffic to/from the family room as being "channeled" so people aren't wandering everywhere but you sound like you like that. The Last Thing I Ever Want is to be able to hear a TV while cooking, but you're probably different. I'm still recovering from 7 sibs growing up together in small homes. Everyone proposes stuff based on what they like or dislike or have found to work or not work.
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It is very difficult to compartmentalize design for a new-from-scratch floor plan limited to just the Master + Ensuite. As proof, compared to the 1st layout, the 2nd and 3rd layouts have manipulated walls by moving a closet wall out, extending a longer window wall at the entry, and adjusting room sizes. If there is opportunity to push/pull things, then that should be a priority to fix the IMO not optimal layout of this design. The "reading nook" is more of a window seat size with a leftover space feel, there are too many doors, the view into the room from the house is into the nightstand, the closets are separated too far, and one closet would appear to block a typically back yard view. To make pertinent suggestions, the view, sun trajectory, and spaces around the Master should be known, just for starters. Edit: FWIW apparently when you change your username from the initial one that you created an account with, the original one still shows in some places. So on mobile, the thread list for this one showed "homeowner 2023" but "Home Owner" once you enter the thread. Whenever I get emailed notifications from a comment by @PPF or @Charles Ross Homes, their original names show (like "Tim" etc).
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PRO
PPF.
25 days ago
Edited to add that we will be taking these plans to an architect

You take ideas/wants/desires to your architect. It's their job to create the plan.
Ashley Schipper
Original Author
25 days ago
@K8cd

Yes we have a garage. It is beside the kitchen windows and the driveway runs down to the front. We will have a wrap around porch along the front, side and back. We don't park in the garage, we park in front of the garage beside where the front entrance is. Our children are 11, 10, 8 and 1. Yes it's our forever home hopefully. Yes the kids bathroom will have a small vanity with sink, I should have added that
k8cd
25 days ago
What was the layout before?
PRO
RappArchitecture
25 days ago
Agree with PPF. Where did these plans come from? Something you created on some digital platform? You would be far better off giving your wish list and parameters to a licensed local architect, let him/her walk the site and inspect the existing house, then let them create a design which meets your needs and your budget.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
25 days ago
last modified: 25 days ago
Assuming your 'very old home' has a very old foundation, have a builder and/or engineer inspect the foundation and talk about the ramifications of removing a very old home off of a very old foundation and building a new home on top of a very old foundation. There may be zoning issues, construction integrity issues, logistics issues, and maybe functional space issues.

PPF. and RappArchitecture are right.
dan1888
25 days ago
The age dif between the 1-year-old and sibling is not going to work. Because you're casual, a litchen table instead of an island can work for your family. The dining room is wasted space. Better to have a larger spacious kitchen with pretty of kitchen table and chairs space.
PRO
JAN MOYER
25 days ago
As a doctor posted this sign at office entry:

"If you have Googled your condition, and diagnosed yourself? Turn around now"

................

Take your dreams to the architect, please. Leave your plan on your computer, or better? Delete it.
Architectrunnerguy
25 days ago
last modified: 25 days ago
Any design starts with the site. Design does not stop at the exterior walls, it stops at the property lines but of course will be influenced by factors beyond the property lines. You need to show us the house as it sits on the site.

And any architecture is three dimensional. We need to see elevations and a 3D model.
Jenny
25 days ago
You mention having a lovely river view out the south side. You are taking advantage of it upstairs, but ignoring it downstairs. I think that is a missed opportunity.

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