good luck with your project

This post was edited by Renovator8 on Sun, Mar 23, 14 at 11:47

Thanks for the quick response. We are at our maximum width on the lot, so we cannot move the garage. You mention in your post that the “large brick wall…deserves more than garage doors and a solitary window.” What do you suggest?

We would love an idea for the 3rd car garage that would turn the roof and create an additional gable look from the street. This house plan is a Southern Living plan originally drawn with side-facing garages. We did not like the look of the windows to nowhere in the garage and were looking for an alternative. The front-facing garage in the magazine provided a solution we liked.

We are building in the Oklahoma City metro. Thanks again for your response and for your help.

Just wondering … did I post too many questions? Or not follow GW protocol?

I really need your help. I drive home every day to a neighborhood that I hate. My daughter has been a constant target of neighborhood bullys both at home and at school (same kids) since last year. We need to move elsewhere and are desperately trying to resolve problems with our plan to do so. Please help.

Gerty- There's not much that I can comment on because I am not an expert. On the issues with the kitchen and Master Bathroom, you need to post them separately on the Kitchen forum and Bathrooms forum. That would be a much shorter post and would get a lot more responses.

Thanks JDez. I have already posted on the kitchen forum but will add a post in bathrooms.

gerty1231,

Sorry to hear about your dislike for your current neighborhood. Is there no suitable existing housing in the area where you'd like to live? Sounds like you're in a hurry to move, and building new can take quite a while. Just something to think about.

On your plan, a few thoughts/questions:

"MAJOR"

1) Why do you want a third garage space? Is it for a car or for storage/workshop? If the latter, could you put an outbuilding elsewhere on your lot?

2) I like the wall with the pass through, so can't help you there. I think it helps with furniture placement in the family room. Do you really need island seating since you have the adjacent breakfast area?

4) I think the upstairs layout is fine as you had proposed with the half-bath turning into the game closet. It is good that the kids can go back and forth to the bathroom without being "on view" from downstairs (a problem with some two-story family rooms).

"MINOR"

3) Do you really need a fireplace? Just throwing that out there.

5) What is the purpose of the little porch -- shade? If so, you could use a pergola instead.

Good luck.

You only have a mayor issue:
The garage roof / Elevation style.

The rest are minor, easy to fix issues.

I'd concentrate on the mayor issue and for that, you need to find someone with better designing skills than the ones your builder seems to have.

This post was edited by naf_naf on Tue, Mar 25, 14 at 21:05

Oaktown: In terms of “suitable existing housing”, we have been unable to find anything close to what we like. It is not necessarily because we are picky but because available housing is thin (and expensive) in our chosen school district. A new subdivision opening has presented us with an opportunity to build something we will enjoy.

I will try to answer your questions:

1) We have been living with a tight 2-car garage for the past 10 years. In the area we want to build, almost all garages are 3-car or 4-car. The few exceptions are deep 2-car garages. I could be okay with an extra deep 2-car garage, but hubby says that there is no room in the plan to extend the garage back, it would run into bedrooms.

2) I too like the pass through. I am afraid that it is too dated though, and I do not want to build any house with resell issues. In addition, we currently live in a completely open kitchen/family room layout and are very happy with it. I worry that I will feel trapped and isolated with a pass through design. In terms of island seating, I could give up seating for 4 but would at least like seating for 2 at the end (like in the picture).

3) As far as the fireplace goes, we don’t need it, but would have big resell issues without it. In the neighborhood we are building in, every home has at least 1, some 2, and some 3 fireplaces. Although we have a fireplace in the keeping room, many people here might view that room as an office, hobby room, etc. No fireplace in the family room would be unusual. In our current house, we have a fireplace in the living room and use it all the time. (Fireplaces particularly come in handy here when ice storms knock out power for days, or longer.)

4) In asking about the little porch, I assume you mean the one off of the laundry room. The purpose was to have a covered area for protection from the hot, western sun, a place for swimmers to dry wet towels on outdoor hooks, a place to watch the dog when let out, and finally a place to protect the back entrance to the garage (we had water problems in that area in our current home). Maybe those reasons are not sufficient to justify the porch. Your thoughts?

naf naf: Well, I am glad to hear that someone besides us does not like the 3rd car garage. Thank you. May I ask…do you also dislike the 2-car garage layout in the color picture? I am trying to get a sense of whether you hate (my word…not yours) the whole look or just the addition. I am beginning to wonder whether there is any hope of adding a 3rd car front-facing garage that looks good. I would be willing to pay someone for the redesign of the garage, but cannot start over and put thousands more into the plan.

If we were to go to a side-facing garage, my husband says that we will lose back yard space and need additional concrete work. I care more about losing space in the back yard. The reason we endeavored to add a front-facing garage in the first place was because we really liked the character of the 2-car garage in the picture. We could not imagine that the task would become so difficult.

Sorry, double post.

{{gwi:1418840}}

This post was edited by gerty1231 on Wed, Mar 26, 14 at 9:50

Check your thread on the Kitchens Forum.

Overall I like the house, though it seems very large for four people. You say you're desperate to move. Don't do anything in a big hurry -- well-thought-out choices are less often regretted. Also, I'm concerned that you're trying to move to avoid bullies. Kids who attract bullies (and one of my own kids is one) tend to attract them in new places too -- you can't solve this problem by switching locations. Instead, work on her self-esteem and help her learn to stand up for herself in an appropriate way. You don't want to go to the trouble and expense of moving, just to find that you still have the same problem.

Master suite:

- Yes, I would add windows on the east wall. I'd want one on each side of the bed. I'd find it odd to have just one on one side, as pictured.
- The front-facing triple-window to the front of the house is problematic. People could stand on the front porch and look into your bedroom! I'd cut the size of the porch so that it stops just before that window. Front porches tend to be "just for show" anyway, so I don't see that this would affect the function.
- The one set of double doors into the bathroom look odd placed in a room with lots of simple, single doors.
- I see several issues with the bath: No place for a hamper, no place for linen storage, no place for a small trash can. Too many doors to the back of the bath.
- You're wasting a corner (with backyard view!) on a closet. I'd consider re-working this area so you'd have the closet first and the bath to the back of the house.

Foyer: No place for a hall table or guest coats.

Dining: Is your table round? If so, all is well, but I ask because most people tend to have rectangular tables.

Garage: If money becomes an issue once things are really begun, the third garage spot is the first thing I'd drop. I just don't see the point, and the roofline would be nicer without that extra garage bay. You say you've been dealing with a too-tight garage; keep in mind that adding a separate bay won't give you extra space for the main two-car garage.

Back entrance: Spacious, good placement. In the laundry room, is it possible for you to vent the dryer directly outside towards the porch? Is this the porch that you foresee swimmers using to enter the house? I don't see that happening: Why would they walk all the way around the side of the house, when you have a back door straight into the family room right by the pool? I'm neither pro- nor anti-porch; I just don't think the placement is realistic.

Kitchen: I don't love the kitchen. I don't like that it's too spread out -- you'll constantly be taking extra steps, and the island blocks major parts of the kitchen from one another. A kitchen should have ONE "aisle". Yours has two.

I completely agree with not doing a prep sink if it's going to cost 3K. I'd vote instead for reworking the kitchen layout so that the main sink is more accessible.

I don't see any problem with the pantry and the refrigerator being side-by-side. No, two tall doors isn't an issue, and it makes sense to have all your food storage down at the end of the kitchen . . . you bring out all the things you need when you begin cooking, and then you're not tripping over the storage area while you're cooking. This is the part of the kitchen that already works well.

I also question the need for a dining room, a breakfast table, and island seating. Probably outdoor seating too. Do you really want to devote this much space to different eating areas? I think people are doing this "just because" it's become a thing, but it's overkill.

Wall: I have no opinion on whether to keep the wall between the family room and the kitchen or not, but I don't love the idea of a pass-through.

Keeping room: How do you envision using this room? The entrance to the room concerns me a bit. Unless your table is quite small, it will block the way to this door. The fireplace is a nice thing, but if things have to be cut (which happens pretty often), I'd put it on the chopping block. With its placement back at the back of the house, its impact is minimal. And it'll probably cost two prep sinks.

With an open floor plan, I also think you should consider doors into the Keeping Room. If someone wants to read quietly or listen to music, this would provide a place for acoustical privacy. Pocket doors might be a good choice.

I think this Keeping Room could solve your porch problem. Create a door from the back yard into the Keeping Room, and flip-flop Bedroom 2 and its bathroom. Now swimmers can enter through the keeping room (which should be built with a tile floor) and enter the bathroom without walking around the edge of the house.

Upstairs: I agree with losing the half bath --- no real purpose. I'd also lose the door between the sink and the tub/toilet -- again, no real purpose.

Why a loft AND a gameroom? Just one is already a luxury. I wouldn't build both. I'd have extra storage instead. You've several times mentioned re-sale; if the space is there, a future buyer could add this himself.

This post was edited by MrsPete on Sun, Mar 30, 14 at 8:37

We really need some help thinking through some design options. In trying to reduce square footage and costs, we have decided to reconfigure the garage layout -- from a 3-car to a 3-car tandem (2 vehicles side by side and 1 in front). That change also will allow us to go back to the original 2-car, front-facing garage we always loved.

Decision 1: Eliminate the Bedroom or Keeping Room?
We need to cut either the keeping room or the secondary bedroom on the main level. Here are our (somewhat random) thoughts:

Keep the Bedroom (4 bedroom/3 bath/2 living)
The bedroom would probably be used by out-of-town family 2 to 3 weeks a year. We are hopeful that more out of town friends will visit if we have a dedicated guest bedroom but that is by no means certain. This choice would give us 4 dedicated bedrooms in the house with a possible 5th, if you include the bonus room. Isn’t that too many? At least the 3rd full bath makes sense though. Finally, having the bedroom would provide future flexibility for an elderly or disabled parent to come live with us.

Keep the Keeping Room (3 bedroom/3 bath/3 living)
The keeping room provides another open (but private with french doors) living space on the main floor. It would be used at least weekly. However, don’t we look silly for building a full bathroom without a bedroom nearby? There is a pool, but how often will the shower actually be used? We think we need 3 full baths for re-sale. This room also will be more expensive to build. Both options could be used as an office, a hobby room, or a play room.

Decision 2: How Do We Lay Out the Space?
The next post includes some options we have drawn. We need a minimum garage depth of 40 feet on the long side and 21 feet on the short side. Please, please help us choose/improve our layout. Thanks for all your help and reading all the way down!

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Option 5

Bump.

Option 5 is probably my favorite... I need to see the whole picture (floor) though for better context. My brain works best to shift spaces).

But, I am going to point you in the direction of a number of houses by a local designer here (in WA state). They design for a narrow lot with 3 garages (tandem style). You might get some inspiration from them. The homes I've been in from this designer are very livable...

When you view this plan at this site, you can choose "view other plans by this designer" and you'll see a few variations of the entry from a 3 car tandem design on a narrow home...

Also, I think you'll get more help if you start a new thread with your specific questions. I had mostly ignored this thread because it was from March and I wasn't aware that it had essentially a new question on it.

Here is a link that might be useful: one of the plans

Also, the kitchen as drawn in the above 5 options, needs work. The kitchen forum, once you know what space you'll be working in, can get this optimized for you. But, the stove in the corner (while I am not against them like some) in this layout is not working for you.

Kirkhall - Thanks for the helpful link and the suggestion to start a new thread. I was afraid of getting yelled at ... but now that I have permission. :)

Hope to get the original plan and options posted in a new thread soon.

Thanks for looking at my post!

When you start your new post, link to this one. And, try to get all your pictures in the first post. Less words, but very specific--who lives here? What climate? Typical pattern of coming and going (through main door? back door? pool door?)
KWIM?

Whoops. I started the new thread before I saw this post. I will see if I can edit to link back to this one. Thanks.