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benavides_gw

rip my floor plan apart

benavides
10 years ago

As the title says, let me have it... likes, dislikes, etc. Windows are not placed. the loft is over the master bathroom and the living, dining and kitchen are vaulted. These are our ideas before taking to a house planner.

Thanks.

Comments (26)

  • Naf_Naf
    10 years ago

    Pretty good for a preliminary plan.

    Back bedrooms and bathroom/closets/desk set up: Nice.

    Master, Master Bathroom and closets: Nice.
    Some would think that shower and toilet should trade places because you might be in a hurry to use the toilet :)

    You have a nice kitchen but needs some work. Nice pantry.

    What I do not like:
    -Front door could be better located. Where are you at? no coats closet? A small foyer area is always nice.

    -Laundry and powder room set up.

    And what I like the least:
    The stairs to the Loft. They are fine if you just look at the first floor but the issue is you are dividing the loft itself and the view to the great room (unless you will not have a view to below, it is like you will need some sort of a bridge to look to the great room. I'd fix that issue.

  • rrah
    10 years ago

    Also not a fan of the powder room/ laundry set up. I would recommend moving the washer/dryer to the back wall so that the dryer can vent outside directly.

    The master seems almost like an after thought for a couple of reasons. The size seems off compared to the closet and master bath size. It's also not much bigger than the secondary bedrooms. Why not just even up the left wall with the bath wall? That eliminates some of the after thought look.

  • bpath
    10 years ago

    Do you have any other storage space for "stuff"? Vacuum? Haan steam mop oh wait that was another forum. Wrapping paper? Home office (as we work on taxes, where do you put all the paperwork during the year?)

    The double doors into the bathroom are inconvenient as is, but if you reverse them, then open they block access to your towel after the shower...unless they hang on the back of the door.

    The laundry room is probably better with a pocket or regular door, not doubles.

    How do up plan to use the loft?

    Is this a vacation home?

  • jdez
    10 years ago

    I love your plan.

  • renovator8
    10 years ago

    good luck with your project

    This post was edited by Renovator8 on Sun, Mar 23, 14 at 9:03

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    10 years ago

    I'd think about moving the MBa and the MBr; Take off the front bedroom bumpout, and place it on the end, (lot-permitting) and make that the MBa, making the current MBa the MBr. The front porch would normally not be 15 ft deep. 8ft is pretty much ideal.
    There are a number of jam points for moving furniture, like at the MBr door, stairwell.
    The living rooms have no view, except over the kit sink, and through the extremely deep front porch, which blocks any view of the sky from inside. A depressing house.
    Casey

  • amberm145_gw
    10 years ago

    I assume the double doors into the laundry allow for a wider opening, for space to get a washer and dryer in there, while reducing how far into the room the door needs to swing. You could leave one closed most of the time.

    There's also no dimensions on the laundry room, so it's hard to say there's not enough room for the toilet. I'm guessing it's at least 10' long, using quick subtraction on the overall dimension. If that's true, then it's plenty wide enough for the toilet. I currently have a combined laundry/powder room. I am careful not to have laundry out in the floor when we're having people over. I'd rather not have to worry about that. (And it drives me mental when we're preparing the house for company, and after I've cleaned the powder room, DH throws a dish towel in there on the floor. A proper place for a hamper would eliminate that problem.)

    The "kids" bathroom doesn't appear to be wide enough for a bathtub. Is that supposed to be a shower? Or were you really planning to put in a 3' tub? The kids will get bigger, you know. :D

  • benavides
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for all the feedback so far. To clear up some dimensions and background:

    All doors are 36" (except double doors which are 48" and the double doors to the front porch which is 72".)

    The tub in the kids bathroom is 6' long but it does look short and fat, perhaps my fixtures are not to scale.

    The counter opposite the washer and dryer would house hampers below. The shower in the laundry/guest bath would be mostly for dog washing, filling mop buckets and hanging wet clothes. The double doors are so that laundry baskets can be carried thru the 4' wide opening easily.

    The area west of the master bedroom would be for a private porch with outdoor shower in the future.

    The driveway comes behind the house and the entrance into the house is thru the back porch and the lockers would house coat racks, etc. The house will be on a ranch so there is no typical front or back. Behind the house will be a barn/shop with carport.

    The loft will be used for kids playroom. My office will be in the barn/shop behind house. Under the stairs would be a closet for cleaning supplies/junk. The loft will not overlook the living room.

    Built-in cabinetry will flank the fireplace. TV will be mounted over the fireplace.

    The counter by the master WC is a vanity for DW.

    The north wall of the kitchen has a standup freezer and fridge only side by side. The south wall has double built in ovens. Inspiration for this was stolen from http://chinesegrandma.com/2010/08/dream-kitchen/

    Nothing is final. We made this by merging the parts we liked from online floor plans in the hopes of being prepared to meet with a home designer.

    Thanks and keep'em coming

  • renovator8
    10 years ago

    good luck with your project

    This post was edited by Renovator8 on Sun, Mar 23, 14 at 9:04

  • ineffablespace
    10 years ago

    I think it is a very good start.

    I agree that you need some sort of sense of entry at the front of the house. As drawn there is not a lot of actually room for furniture in the LR and DR and unless you do floor outlets very little opportunity for lighting other than from the ceiling, which isn't all that comfortable in a residence if it's the only source.

    I'd square up the plan even more (or make it more truly L shaped) to get more room into the MBR, perhaps get the entry over by the fireplace and stairs, and get you a separate powder room and laundry room. The porches are too deep so maybe some of that footage can be annexed as well.

    All in all a good starting point, much more straightforward compared to many of the proposed and actually built plans in this forum that are out and out labyrinths.

  • mrspete
    10 years ago

    The main thing that jumps out at me is that it's a "front living" house, whereas most of us prefer a "back living" house. By that, I mean most of us like to have a living room, kitchen, or some other public room facing the back of the house. Your only backdoor access is through the locker room. Most of us do most of our ourdoor living, grilling, entertaining in the backyard . . . does the "front living" layout suit your land and your needs?

    I like the kitchen /pantry layout very much, though I'd think about moving one item (probably the stove) to the other leg of the "L". It'll just be more convenient.

    I agree that the laundry /half bath set-up isn't ideal; however, I know more than a couple people who have such an arrangement, and it works. I do agree that you should vent your dryer directly to the outside, especially since it'd be very easy in this floorplan.

    I'd downgrade the kids' tub to a standard 5'. An extra foot in the tub doesn't do any good, but an extra foot of storage is solid gold.

    I agree that the front door (and the staircase) are odd, but I can't make any good suggestions on how to fix them -- not without moving the master bedroom.

    I'd switch the double doors in the master bath and the laundry room to singles. Doubles are just hard to deal with /hard to place a light fixture near them (because it ends up behind the door). I especially dislike this in the master, where you'd have two mismatched doors.

    We're seeing more and more of this "shotgun open plan" with the living room - dining room - kitchen all in a straight line. I'm intrigued, and it's definitely a space-saver. Those of you who have lived in such a house, is it a comfortable arrangement?

  • benavides
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    There is no front or back of the house. It's on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. The front door will only be used to go outside to the porch or yard and moving in big items thru the big door. The back door will be used for entering and exiting the house for residents and guests alike via the locker room/mud room/foyer/whatever.
    As far as the guest bath/laundry combination, while not ideal, I have learned that company is few and far between when you live an hour+ from anywhere and when guests do come the spend all their time out on the range. I think of the room as a laundry room with a toilet in it so we can come in to use the bathroom and head back outside. I would be fine keeping the laundry in the barn as we have it now but the DW would prefer it in the house.
    Interestingly, most houses I've seen in the country (including childhood homes) have the front and back yards reversed from city houses. Has anyone else noticed that? The entrance is always thru the back and the "front" yard has no driveway or garage or doorbell; it's merely a relaxing setting usually with a nice view. It is purely a name: there is usually no real front or back, no street or alley, no neighbors or privacy fencing, only land in all directions.

    Casey: The view is outstanding from the front of the house, the vaulted room will have windows up high on three sides and low all along the south and east side. In Texas a deep porch on the south helps to block the summer sun and the sky is too big to hide. The first picture is from where the "front" porch will sit, that's the river view framed in by the live oaks. The second picture is the East view (Kitchen windows) of the mountain. Who could be depressed here?

    Renovator8: My only concern with the dual circulation is the crowding of the living room. Do you think a 20' wide living room can afford losing 6'+ to walkways as opposed to only ~3'? I do like the idea of bookshelves in the hall. Sure wish I could draw like you, my computer sketch took too much effort for too little reward.

    Thanks for the suggestions.

  • benavides
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Second picture for previous post:

  • bpath
    10 years ago

    Well, obviously you're going to have to add another bedroom...for me. What a gorgeous site :)

  • renovator8
    10 years ago

    good luck with your project

    This post was edited by Renovator8 on Sun, Mar 23, 14 at 9:05

  • Lori Wagerman_Walker
    10 years ago

    Are you building a bunk house too, so we can all come visit?
    What awesome area!!
    I do agree that you could bump your s.f. just a little and make things a bit more managable.

  • benavides
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    s.f. is definitely adjustable. What size should the large room (dining, living and kitchen) be for comfort? I think the bedrooms are big enough.

  • littlebug5
    10 years ago

    I like the configuration of the rooms, but I agree that you need some kind of vestibule to reduce the prefab/mobile-home-feel of the front room.

    Also, I think you should use the space currently labeled as back porch to separate the bathroom and laundry facilities. You could take the lockers out of the hallway (which seems crammed plus it looks like all that stuff might be visible from the front door as drawn right now) and put the lockers right next to the back door. This would leave a nice wide empty hallway to the back door, bathroom and a new separate laundry room.

    If the back door is going to be the main entrance to the home, you need a LOT MORE space designated to it. Make the house fit your needs and the way you live.

  • Iowacommute
    10 years ago

    Mountain? I swore you were building down the road from my last place in NE Kansas. Its a mound or generous hill. :)

  • benavides
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    littlebug5: I'm intrigued by your suggestions on the back hall but I'm having a hard time following. Do you mean make the back porch the laundry? The front door will never get used for coming and going. I'm fine with eliminating most of the back porch but do want some room to open the door without rain on my back. I'm not sure what we mean by lockers yet other than a bench and coat rack, maybe some cubbies. What about moving the back porch left along the side of the second bedroom so it could have a window on the porch side?

    IowaCommute: I figured someone would say that! It's a mountain by hill country standards and it even has a name but it is rather puny by the standards of the western states--like a termite mound. I guess not everything is bigger in Texas after all. When guests come to the ranch and I give them the tour I get similar reactions until we drive to the top and see the view.

  • littlebug5
    10 years ago

    My point was that there is too much going on in that upper right hand corner of the house. There's not enough space for everything you are squeezing there.

    I was suggesting that the space currently labelled 'back porch' be used for some kind of configuration of a mud room/laundry room. Then your bathroom will be simply a bathroom.

    Your back door could be placed somewhere in the new mud room/laundry room. If you need a back porch to keep the rain off your head, add one along the back of the house outside the back door.

    Also, I don't like the cubbies/lockers/bench currently drawn in that back hall. I don't know about your family, but my family was way too messy and had way too much stuff to keep that kind of arrangement neat. And I wouldn't want to be able to see that messiness from the front room/dining room/kitchen/front door.

  • User
    10 years ago

    ben,
    I wouldn't want a loft for my kids over my master bedroom.
    Sorry, but that wouldn't fly with me.
    Unless you don't have kids, and have no intention on keeping the person up who is sleeping in the Master.
    Idon't know how hot it gets where you are, but here in SC it can get really hot in the summer. Air conditioning is expensive, and heat rises, so the loft will not be used much in the hotter months, unless you don't mind huge electric bills.
    I like the house plans, I think you should look at it, and turn it. Literally, don't put the house on the lot with the front porch acting as a front porch,
    Turn the plans, pick a different side.
    If you want to utilize the porch, put it on a sie of the house next to your driveway where you would enter the house.
    Did you want to wake up to a particular view?
    If not, turn it around, and add a bigger porch out off of your locker entrance.
    You did a pretty good job with your own plans though.
    My dad's sister had a ranch in Alabama when I was growing up, and her entrance was on the side of the house. No entrance at all in the front.
    The driveway was on the side too.
    Her giant barn was to the left of the house, off the driveway.
    Good Luck, I hope you are happy with the finished product.

  • Iowacommute
    10 years ago

    Yes thank you for being a good sport. It may not be a huge mountain, but if it's big enough you can climb it and still have views. It does look like a pretty place. I've only driven through Northern Texas in March and man was it hot. I mean I had the air conditioner full blast. I guess I'm a silly Northerner accustomed to the cold.

  • benavides
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Rev 2.

    Deleted Loft.
    Changed Entry/Mud/Powder
    Removed all references to front and back.
    Added windows.
    Added details.
    Heated Sqft - 2133

    What do y'all think?

    This post was edited by benavides on Sun, Mar 23, 14 at 16:35

  • bird_lover66
    10 years ago

    Don't know if you plan on aging in this house, but if you do, I would swap the shower and toilet space in the master bath. The shorter the distance you have to walk in the middle of the night, the better! :) Personally, I would rework the whole bathroom.

    Also, you might consider changing your master bed orientation along with the windows. A large window in the "front" would give you a nice view from your bed, as well as when you walk into the room.

    Another possibility - I would put the hall bath between bedroom one and the master bath. Then, I would grab that closet space in bedroom 2 to make your mudroom/laundry a bit larger. Take the former bathroom space for closet space for both bedrooms as well as much needed hall/linen closet space. I think you need more storage.

    Good luck. There's a lot to like about this plan; it seems particularly well suited to your country lifestyle!

  • lyfia
    10 years ago

    I would widen the master bedroom to be even with the bathroom. One less corner in the foundation, roof, and walls so the extra sq ft won't cost you.

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