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cjh2823

House Plan Critique

cjh2823
10 years ago

Looking for input, as I'm having a hard time visualizing how the floor plan we are working on will look in real life. Overall, I think we are very happy with the design, but there are a few things we plan on changing:

1. Move the exterior wall on the master bedroom out 2 feet to increase the size of the master bed/bath.

2. Make the kitchen island wider, to accommodate 2 seating areas across the short side if we want it.

3. Change the kitchen island to 1 level instead of the raised bar portion.

I'd love feedback on any issues you see that we should address. One concern I have from the start is the size of the pantry in the kitchen, so any comments on this would be appreciated.

Thanks!

This post was edited by cjh2823 on Sat, Jun 22, 13 at 19:23

Comments (13)

  • LuAnn_in_PA
    10 years ago

    Ummm... a photo would be necessary! Or a link to a stock plan/website.

  • kirkhall
    10 years ago

    Yay, see it now... Comments will be forthcoming.

    This post was edited by kirkhall on Sat, Jun 22, 13 at 23:44

  • mrspete
    10 years ago

    Here's what I'd do instead of the extra two feet for the master: the problem is lack of space in front of the shower -- you have space everywhere else. I'd put the shower where the toilet is, which would allow you to have a bigger shower. Place the toilet where the shower is now, no closet. I'd also downsize to one sink: the space you have won't allow two sinks and any storage at all.

    I think the expanded island is okay -- if you can reach across it to clean it. I'm short and would have trouble reaching.

  • okpokesfan
    10 years ago

    Could you post this larger? It's hard to read.

  • kirkhall
    10 years ago

    Here are my thoughts...

    Your back door powder room is oversized. You can slide the wall between the powder and the master bath "down" to make the powder narrower, and get some more length in your master bathroom--allowing you to get more length in your vanity, which I think you need with a bath of this size.

    In the shared J&J bath--
    Why have the shower in that orientation? Turn it and put it along the entire "right" side of that section of the bathroom. You can have a larger shower and roomier bathroom area. Additionally, you'll have a wall to put towels (right now, you don't have much because you have a pocket door). AND, you can get away with making the vanity area a little "deeper" which will allow you to slide the left bedroom's bathroom door down a bit so there isn't a door conflict (it isn't a conflict in the strictest sense, but I do think that bedroom door will partially block the bathroom door when it is open. You can weigh pros and cons in that area).

    If you make the island "wider" to get seating along the "dining room" side, you'll need more depth to the dining room. I don't think you have the space in the dining room for a dining table, chairs, AND stools along the island, and a walking path as needed around that end of the island, which I think is needed to keep people out of your cooking zone...

    And, I think with this plan you need a pot filler, or better yet, a prep sink on your island. I think your main prep area for your stove will be on the island, since your pantry cuts your counter area in 2 between the sink and the stove.

  • chicagoans
    10 years ago

    It might be nice to have a door between the LR area and the hall to the secondary bedrooms. It will provide some privacy and perhaps reduce noise, which would be good especially if your kids are younger.

    If it's a pocket door I think it would have to open towards / behind the kitchen wall so that you can hang things on the back wall of the closet in BR 2.

  • cjh2823
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm sorry the picture is so small, I'm not sure how to make it bigger.

    I really like the idea of moving the wall down in the back door bath to give more room to the master bath vanity.

    I've been debating whether or not I want a prep sink in the island. The island I have now is one level with no sink, and I love the uninterrupted prep space. But I've never had a prep sink in the island, so maybe I'd like that better.

    Also, good point about reaching across the island. I am short, and that could be a problem.

    A pocket door leading into the secondary bedrooms is also a good idea. The kids aren't too young, but I still like the idea of being able to close it off if needed. If it is a pocket door, it can be open and not be obtrusive, but we'd still have the option to close it if we want.

    Thanks for the feedback and helpful ideas you given me so far.

  • kirkhall
    10 years ago

    Whether or not you do a prep sink should have everything to do with functionality rather than if you've had one or not or liked one in a previous house or not. Some houses/island NEED one, some it would be redundant. And, in most islands, there is an optimal place for one versus just putting one in because you liked it (and it is forever in the way).

    I suggest one near the stove top for these reasons--Most people prep between the sink (a sink) and the stove. You need water to wash your veggies, wash your hands, rinse a knife, fill a pot, etc, etc. In your current kitchen, I see you prepping either between the sink and the pantry, or on the island. Btn the sink and pantry is handy because the water is right there. But, then you have to cart your wet veggies over to the stove top (around the pantry). Or, you have to carry a heavy hot pot of water to drain the noodles from the stove to the sink (around the pantry.) If, instead, you had a prep sink at the stove end of the island, you could prep on the island, turn and dump into the pot. Similarly, if you had a pot of hot water, you just turn and dump...

    So, you have to think about how you use a kitchen to see where you need things. (plan for the trash can, plan for compost, plan for snack accessibility, etc).

    In your kitchen, if I were the cook, I'd gather things out of the fridge and pantry, set them on the island, prep my veggies (preferably using a prep sink to wash the veggies) and then plop things into the pots on the stovetop. For this reason, I'd probably want the prep sink on the lower left to lower right section of the island (I'm not sure how wide your island will be...but somewhere along there).

    How would you see yourself cooking in that space? And, then, make sure with your pantry door, that the swing is the right way to accomodate that too. If it were me, I'd have the door open outwards, and with the doorknob on the sink side...

    If you haven't found the kitchen forum yet, this is the sort of stuff that gets talked through on the kitchen forum. As for their input. They are very good and you'll get more thoughts about a better tweak or layout piece...

  • pps7
    10 years ago

    The garage entrance is far from the kitchen. The size of the garage is almost the same as the size of the house and the front load 3 car garage does little to camouflage this fact.

  • cjh2823
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks again for the ideas and suggestions. I'll have to think over the prep sink and how I see working in the kitchen. The draftsman took my plan and drew this one, but didn't include specific measurements on island size, kitchen sizes, etc. I think they are very close to my original plan, but need to get the specifics so I have a better idea of the flow in the kitchen. I definitely see myself prepping on the island, as that is how I work now.

    Yep, I'm not thrilled with having the garage entrance on the opposite side of the house, but that was something I ended up compromising on in order to get the configuration of dining, living, and MB on the outside north wall and the additional bedrooms on the other side of the house. We are building on a small farm, and the north end of the house will be a walkout with a beautiful view. So I wanted those rooms to have full advantage of that orientation.

  • cjh2823
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks again for the ideas and suggestions. I'll have to think over the prep sink and how I see working in the kitchen. The draftsman took my plan and drew this one, but didn't include specific measurements on island size, kitchen sizes, etc. I think they are very close to my original plan, but need to get the specifics so I have a better idea of the flow in the kitchen. I definitely see myself prepping on the island, as that is how I work now.

    Yep, I'm not thrilled with having the garage entrance on the opposite side of the house, but that was something I ended up compromising on in order to get the configuration of dining, living, and MB on the outside north wall and the additional bedrooms on the other side of the house. We are building on a small farm, and the north end of the house will be a walkout with a beautiful view. So I wanted those rooms to have full advantage of that orientation.

  • kirkhall
    10 years ago

    Oh, the view side is north? Do you live in a sunny clime? If you lived where I do, you'd hate that all of your living space and backyard is perpetually shadowed... (permashade, we call it). Make sure you know for sure you want your living spaces to be mainly north-facing (entirely northfacing). And, make sure you plan adequate lighting in the house to make up for it.

  • cjh2823
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Argh, I hadn't even thought of the north exposure being an issue. All that was in our minds was the view. There are so many things to think about! Thanks for brining this point up.