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This post was edited by Michelle1973 on Fri, May 2, 14 at 8:52

Deleted post

This post was edited by Michelle1973 on Fri, May 2, 14 at 8:53

Removed

This post was edited by Michelle1973 on Fri, May 2, 14 at 8:54

Sorry, I removed all the photos of the plans as they are architect drawn. Copyright reasons. Sorry. But, I received excellent advice and will provide all feedback to the architect. Thank you!

This post was edited by Michelle1973 on Fri, May 2, 14 at 8:56

I like the first floor layout a lot. Like the sight line from the front door. Kitchen/dining/living arrangement is a favorite of mine. I do not like the banquette area, inside or out. I like your elevation and think the bay looks out of place.

I agree the upstairs is a little choppy. Casualty of the roofline.

Is the office going to be used to see clients? Curious about the location right off the front door.

Hope you post when you build. I think it will be a nice house.

Thanks Lmccarly... the GC came back and said yes, this is out of our price range. So, I sent some likes/dislikes back to the architect and basically asked her to go back to the drawing board! :) Sorry about the upside down pictures. Next set of drawings I'll post them using my computer. :)

I'd love any other suggestions on this plan, though. Thanks!

To add more headroom to the upper floor raise the top plate of the exterior walls above the second floor. That detail requires some careful structural work but it will give you more usable floor space for the cost of a little more exterior wall and some brackets.

Thanks Renovator....any other suggestions? I highly regard your opinion. :)

I love to give suggestions, but my brain hurts trying to process the upside-down images... Can you go back and edit your posts so that they are rotated 180*?

Also, can you tell us a little about your family--who will be living in this house? You mention you don't like the choppy feeling of the upstairs, but (being upside down) my first impression is it offers nice privacy of spaces for each bedroom with central access to all doors without having to wander down long/winding hallways... Which, I think is how I'd like it. So, what were you hoping for?

Thanks Kirkhall....I fixed the pictures, sorry about that.

This home is for my husband and I, our three children (12, 9, 5) and three small dogs. The lot is wooded. Office is for my husband, he does not work from the home.

I agree with your thoughts on the upstairs Kirkhall, husband does not, however.

I think it's a lovely design generally -- I also don't care for the banquette section. If you are looking to cut the budget, don't know your climate/requirements but might you consider building the garage later?

Overall, it seems like a nice plan. Could some of the corners be cut out and the main floor squared up to help decrease the cost? I would imagine the banquette feature adds quite a bit of cost also. It doesn't seem necessary since you have island seating and the DR close by. The foyer looks very tight and narrow. Possibly you could locate the stairs elsewhere to open the foyer up. It might be nice to not have the stairs land in the foyer so the kids can go up/down with more privacy and be away from the front door. You may lose the staircase as a focal point but may make more sense since the house seems more casual. I like the upstairs layout and don't think it would feel as choppy when built after you lose the roofline and attic space that's drawn in.

The plan is similar to the Mascord Halstad linked below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mascord

Very nice plan! Everything looks comfortable and well planned -- it's obvious that an architect created it for you.

I agree with those who dislike the banquette. Typically I go ga-ga for any banquette, but this rounded feature seems out of place with the character of the rest of the house. With the table placed so close by, it really isn't a need. I'd chop it. That's the only thing I dislike about the plan.

Since you're looking to save money, I can see a couple places you could make cuts without really any loss of quality or functionality:

I think you could downsize the laundry room. I'd also consider opening the wall between the laundry and pantry. If that were one space, a person could bring groceries straight into the pantry without cutting through the kitchen.

A big budget saver could be one upstairs bathroom. Three children can easily share one bath -- and that space as an extra storage closet surely wouldn't come amiss.

Finally, I'd consider straightening out the angled garage. Angles cost a lot, and -- unless this is necessary for an oddly shaped lot, I don't see that it adds anything to the plan.

Thanks everyone! I'm in total agreement about the banquet. That is gone. The foyer area bothers me too. I love the stairs being a focal point though... any suggestions on how to improve this space?

Hi Michelle. Beautiful plans. It helps that I know this architect's portfolio of work from Crystal Mountain. I can visualize the intended finishes of several design details such as the screened porch, built-ins and window seats. As a property owner at CM, I can even picture the doors, trim and knobs that will likely be recommended. Charming, cozy, comfortable, functional.

Add me to the list of those who don't care for the banquette, neither inside nor out. Seems that area could be ommitted altogether.

What are your thoughts on garage placement? Will you please describe your lot size and layout?

The laundry room is located rather far from the master bedroom and second level bedrooms. Personally, I'd prefer a stacked w/d near the kids' rooms over hallway closet space ... truly a life saver IMO to not have to haul dirty and clean clothes across the house.

Thanks Juju...

Hubs loves angled garages..hence the reason for that feature. :)

I love to be able to work in kitchen, run back to laundry room to switch load of clothes, then continue cooking. We have a laundry room set up like this now and I love it. However....I will definitely consider adding a second stackable w/d upstairs.