Hi!

We're a homeschooling family of 5. I like the general layout of your plan, but I have few thoughts.

First, I would want a way for the kids to come and go from the outdoors directly through the mudroom without having to open the garage door. So I would either add a man door to the garage, or rework the mudroom so there can be a door out directly from there.

Second, I think you should take your kitchen design over to the kitchen forum. It's big, but I'm not sure the long angled counter will get much use, and you might be better off spending your money another way. Also, keep in mind that most time spent in the kitchen is prep and clean-up, not actual cooking, so if you've put the stove in the island so you can face the action while you're preparing a meal you might be better off with the stove against a wall, and leaving the island open as prep space.

Where do you plan to have these groups of 15-20 for homeschooling? Is it 15-20 kids in a class together? or a bunch of families socializing? If it's a class of 15-20 in the school room, I might rethink the built-ins around the whole space to maximize flexibility.

Thanks for the feedback! The groups will be homeschool co-ops so 4-7 moms and their kids but probably just downstairs and outside. (cooking, crafting, and playing)

We think most outside activity will be off the terrace and veranda, so kids will be coming through the scullery and great room. But you're right a back door to the garage might be a good idea.

I think you're right on the kitchen too. For some reason it doesn't quite flow to me.

Thanks again!

The stair layout is typical of commercial fire stair designs. There are more appropriate, attractive, efficient and safer ways to design a stair for a home.

Too many opportunities to give the major spaces more character have been ignored. Major spaces appear to morph or erode into others.

Why would there be a range in the island with so many opportunities for it that don't require an independent overhead hood?

Hmm, okay I'll look at different stair configurations. We prefer the island range, we currently have it and spend a lot of time at it while talking to people in our great room.

I've gotta say, I'm not a big fan. If your budget is unlimited, great; however, if you're like the majority of us and you need to watch pennies, you have a number of things here that're just impractical:

- Consider the dining room's odd shape. You can't place any furniture in that angle, yet you're going to have to build it /heat and cool it /insure it /clean it.
- Ditto for the great room. What's the point of that odd angle area?
- A huge amount of square footage is allotted to staircases. These turning staircases are expensive, and you have not one but two. I can see making the entryway staircase a splurge -- but why spend this money on a back staircase?
- You can have too much kitchen counterspace; I do right now, and you have even more in this kitchen. The 2/3 of the kitchen towards the great room seems functional -- the rest is just extra space. You're not going to want to work in that long area facing the wall, and likely it'll just be a place for clutter. Bigger is not better.
- You've allotted a great deal of space (and money) to a space for washing clothes. At 10x13, this room is big enough to be a bedroom. It could easily be cut in half, and you'd still have a generous space.
- Do you need a study AND a homeschooling room?