I'm thinking of enclosing the laundry area and heating and cooling it... as I will the downstairs bathroom.

I'm not thrilled with the layout of the upstairs bathroom or the layout of the kitchen. But not sure how to improve.

The French door off the kitchen will open onto a second floor deck. I will do most of my limited entertaining there.

I don't like it when the first thing seen in a room is the back of a couch and the TV beyond.

I'm single, no kids, and will be living there for several years before building the actual home. The building will be sited so that the garage doors DON'T face the street. It will sit on 32 acres.

Thanks for looking.

You better check your local building codes. It is absolutely forbidden to have a sleeping area open into a garage here. Of course you can relabel that room as "workshop" or "storage" and avoid a lot of hassles.

In every jurisdiction I have practiced (and I would assume most of the US) the building code forbids a path of egress to pass through a garage space or location of a door to a sleeping space off of the garage space.

Even if you are not subject to a building code you might want to seriously consider why these design conditions are not allowed elsewhere.

ronnatalie beat me to it. I should also point out that there will need to be fire protection of the shared walls and ceilings between the garage space and any living space and at any structure that supports that fire protection.

This is all easily achieved by restricting the access and exit doors to the exterior wall and using Type X or C wall board pretty much everywhere.

Thank you Mighty and Ronnatalie

I appreciate your in-put.

What are the differences between Type X or C wall board? Which would be better?

What insulation system would be best for my roof (in the deep south) given that my living space is pretty much the attic?

I hear of energy rafters with an extra heel for extra insulation... Is that what I want?

I'm not sure what a "heel" is, but if it's just wood added to the rafter, would it be better to just start with larger and therefore stronger rafters? This is hurricane country.

Ventilation ideas?

Thanks for the posts.

Check out Joe Lstiburek's Top 10 Dumb Things to do in the South and related documents.

Here is a link that might be useful: Best Practices Hot-Humid Conditions

Thank you Worthy, Mighty, and Ronnatalie

Can anyone help with the counter space to the left of the refrigerator...could I move the refrigerator closer to the French door? Is there a technical reason the fridge needs to be away from the French Door? The planner laid out the kitchen and I'm not sure why he broke up the counter space like that by inserting the fridge where he did. I'd prefer the fridge to be in the corner and the counter space to be continuous.

On the other wall, perhaps I could enlarge the pantry to a two door version and get rid of that counter top altogether?

I suppose I could give up the "library and desk" area of the living room and have a powder room there, but then I give up the light and views coming into the living room from that side.

I played around for two years trying to plan something like this except placing the living room off the deck, (where the kitchen is now).

BUT with sloping walls, it seems you really need more space. The two small gables that cross the structure, provide the room needed for the big living room I want and provide dramatic windows to each side of the living room.

Should be nice during lightning storms.

Ideas welcome.

Terry

You might want to post the kitchen plans over on the kitchen board....they are very helpful and can offer some great ideas.

Two things I see with the kitchen right off the top of my head. First, I'd do an angled pantry. that way there would be no conflict from the pantry door with the french doors.

Also I'd move that refrig down closer to the french doors. You don't have much landing space next to the range with the refrig that close and the space on the opposite side of the fridge is sort of wasted. You will need a little space to the left of the fridge for the door swing, but not much. Dont bother with a french door refrig....get one that hinges on the left and opens towards the rest of the kitchen.