I won't claim to be more than a novice myself, but looking with a fresh set of eyes I see a couple things:

First floor:

- Looking at the floorplan, I'm not sure where the "entrance" is. Perhaps it'd be more clear if I were a guest actually walking towards the house -- I mean, if I could see steps up to the porch, etc.

- You could save money by "flattening out" the wall that includes a bump-out for the staircase and a bump-in for the sitting area /powder room /network closet. Flat walls are always less expensive than walls with bumps. . . . Update -- now that I've studied the upstairs, I see that you need that bump-out space for the staircase, but you could still flatten out the other spots.

- In the guest room you have a hallway that extends all the way past the bathroom. I'd enclose what you now term hallway as part of the bathroom. It'd enlarge the bathroom. Given that this may one day be used by an elderly parent or impaired sibling (or perhaps even an elderly you), a larger, handicapped shower would be appreciated. I'd move the toilet to the shower's current spot, and the new, exapanded side of the bath could easily hold the tub AND a handicapped shower. This doesn't add a bit to the square footage of your house, but it removes an unnecessary hallway and gives you a larger bathroom. Win-win.

- I hate the big, round table in the dining room. I see that it fits the square room, but it's going to be hard to find and hard to clean in the middle.

- WIth so many people and such a big kitchen, I'd go ahead and plan for two refrigerators.

- Corners in pantries are dark spots where things get lost. I know that many people like fairly shallow pantry shelves so that things can't "get lost", but I'd make sure the back wall shelves are deep enough for heavy-duty Lazy Susans (they sell them at Bed, Bath & Beyond -- I have them in my pantry and love them). This'll make your corners functional. You can see built-in pantry Lazy-Susans online, but if you have the option of building shelves to fit ready-made products, you'll save money.

- With such a large homeschooling room, do you need a separate office too?

- You've devoted a huge space to the homeschooling room. How long will you need this space? I know that when my kids were small, it seemed that time with them would last forever . . . but now I'm only two years away from my youngest graduating. Do you have other thoughts on what you'd do with that space later?

- You've placed three sets of French doors in the homeschooling room. French doors are quite expensive. I'd suggest going with one set of French doors (okay, I'd probably go with sliders, to tell the truth) in the middle and banks of windows in the other spots. Much cheaper, no loss of function.

Second floor:

- I usually like that bedrooms aren't over-done. It just isn't where I personally would choose to spend money . . . but in this case, you have kids sharing a room literally the length of a bed, and they have no real "my own space". You have so much space downstairs . . . and the kids' space upstairs seems lacking. The children's space looks appropriate for visiting grandchildren more than all-the-time-my-own-children My thoughts:

- You could extend the length of the beds a bit so that each kid could have a built-in bookshelf at the foot of the bed for some personal storage. They should also have small, personal lights in their bunks. And I'd consider curtains.

- Where will the kids have space to share with a visiting friend?

- I like the window seats in the kids' bedrooms.

- No tubs in the kids' rooms?

- I assume the laundry is in the upstairs utility room? I can't quite make it out. Since the master bath and the utility room share a wall, I'd definitely include a pass-through so you could just toss dirty items through to a waiting laundry basket. You could do the same thing from the boys' bedroom into the laundry room.

- Imagine you walk in the master bathroom . . . you've opened the derpy little double doors, and you reach for the light switch. Where is it? It's either outside in the hallway, which is odd. Or it's behind the door, which you have to close in the dark. Either way, I think the bathroom door and sinks are poorly designed. Why the sinks? All that space, and you each get a dinky little sink? No storage. I'd eliminate that unnecessary hallway to the closet. Incorporate that space into the bathroom, which would make it really nice and big . . . and have the closet door open from the bathroom.

Looking at the exterior again, one more thought: You have a BUNCH of dormers on the garage. You know those things are crazy-expensive, right? I think they add to the house's design, but having them on both sides of the garage looks unnecessary -- even over-done. I'd put them on JUST the house.

Hi,

I homeschool too. :)

I like a lot of things about your house, but I agree with Mrs. Pete that the kids' rooms are too small.They're totally out of proportion with the rest of the house. Homeschooled kids spend a LOT of time with their siblings, personal space is important, especially as they become teens. I'd be inclined to plan for the guest rooms to be kids' rooms until they are truly needed to hold older relatives.

Also: there is very little storage on the main level-- you have that huge homeschool room, but no book shelves or closet for supplies? And no coat closet by the front door? And where will you keep cleaning supplies?

One last thought: in a house with so many people, I would want to have a space that isn't a bedroom where I could close a door to shut out some noise. I would absolutely want a door to the homeschool room, but I think the sitting area would be more pleasant and useful if it could be quiet too.

Gonna have to agree the dormers on both sides of the garage look, almost comical. They wouldn't be so bad on one side only if you must have the look present on that building

Very expensive to build, with most of the space in the wrong spots. Will live like a 1200 square foot house because of that. And, for a farmhouse vibe, way over decorated and complex. It needs condensing with a sense of actual flow, and editing with an eye towards restraint.

Have you talked with an actual architect? They could probably get you something more in the spirit of a farmhouse with the space allocated better, in less square footage that would be a lot less expensive to build, and with a more restrained look that would be appropriate.

I don't know what your budget is, but I'd bet this plan blows past it without a pause.

I don't know how many boys/girls you have but in their bathrooms, you have one tiny little sink/vanity area for each gender. I would definitely try to get a double vanity in there somewhere---or at least something that has a little more counter space.

I really like this plan. We are building a farmhouse too, and I'm intrigued by some of your ideas. In so many ways, our dream is your dream and it really does call for a unique floorplan to make it work smoothly. And a big heart too... The homeschool room is fabulous. I only have 3 to school, but that is where I spend the bulk of my days and I love the natural light, and how it flows outside so you can keep an eye on the younger ones, while you tutor the older ones (or supervise them secretly from the patio to keep them on task. ;)) Personally, I love the dormers, but they are expensive. Agree with the previous poster that there isn't alot of storage space allocated yet. I do see an upstairs library alcove, but won't you want the school books and supplies in the school room? I have my entire garage lined in bookcases full to the brim and one of my requirements in our new build is to bring those inside finally. So I am making sure I at least have the wall space for bookcases if I can't do built ins for cost reasons. Have you seen the "book vaults" that are basically a long linen closet converted to an interior library? You might be able to fit that in the school room without losing too much space in there and still keep those lovely windows. Love the big table in there. You could always use this space as another living area once everyone is graduated... but I'm guessing with such a large family you will have grandchildren who will use the space for crafting and play at least by the time that happens. Great homeschool room. It does seem to be the main pass-thru to get to the rest of the house from the garage though... if you are very neat in the school room that won't be a big deal. French doors are great if they are in the budget (or french sliders) and with that many people coming in and out of that space you might want more than one door! I like the sitting area near the kitchen too.. great place for grandparents and guests to watch the kids play outside, but still close enough to the kitchen to easily serve them food or tea. Or for mom to relax for a few moments, when she is in between meal prep and clean up. ;) I have a handicap mother and this floorplan would be a dream for her to come and visit because she would feel like she could be a part of everything (not left out), but still able to get away to the guest room if it gets a little noisy.

Also, the concerns for the kids bedrooms is somewhat alleviated by the size of your lot. Kids can entertain themselves creatively outside on a piece of land that size most of the year if they need alone time. But I'm kind of old fashioned that way. Especially with all the great ideas you have planned for the backyard. And eventually when you build out the above the garage space, you can use that as a teen hang out space as needed too.

Don't get rid of the round table idea! It is harder to clean the middle, yes, but also gives you more space to put the food. So much easier to have a conversation with someone across a round table vs. down the length of a large rectangle. And no toddlers running into the corners. ;) It's going to be a major pathway between the kitchen and the living so that would be a concern of mine. Second the previous idea of having a 2nd fridge. And a full size freezer somewhere.

Now I'm off to look at your plans again... can't wait to see how your project moves forward! I'm sure you will get some terrific ideas here. BTW... would you mind sharing the square footage and general location of the build?

Now I see your utility room... so you've already planned for lots of cold food storage. :) What is the tiled area in the middle in between though?

I have 7 kids and homeschooled for many years. The main thing I want to say is that I don't understand why you wouldn't want to give the kids more bedroom space. My kids spend lots of time together and share bedrooms but they still like to have their own space that's bigger than a cubby hole. I'm not saying that all have their own room, but given the size of the house, it just seems way out of proportion. I think 2 sets of bunks feels more dorm like than family like. Just my thoughts.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and constructive criticism! My husband and I have incorporated all of your feedback into the plans being drawn up by the designer now. The designer has provided preliminary plans and a front elevation to us, which you can view HERE. We are meeting with the designer this week and would love it if you would give the plans a quick review and let us know if you see any glaring issues. Thanks! Bethany

Here is a link that might be useful: Preliminary plans and front elevation

It's much better, but I think the kids' rooms are still too small, given the rest of the house. The guest room shouldn't be larger and more comfortable than a room that is in use full-time, IMO.

Also, the built-in bunk beds make the room a lot less flexible than it would be if you didn't build them in. As you children grow up and leave the house, you may want to change the way those rooms are used.

Thanks zone4. We gave this some very careful consideration. Some things to note are that the guest room is probably mislabled and would be more accurately called an in-law suite that will be used all the time. As for long term plans for the built in bunks, we have 6 children and are anticipating many grandchildren who may visit at once. We totally see using them as bunks for a very long time. :>)

I agree with zone4newby: The kids' rooms are just not adequate. You've allotted more space for your master bath than for ALL your girls (or ALL your boys). Especially since your kids are home all day, this is not going to work out well. I'd consider keeping the youngest kids upstairs with you in the bed-closets, and I'd carve out larger, nicer bedrooms in the basement in the space that's currently allotted to family room and rec room and fitness room. Kids need some private space.

Downstairs looks better than your previous plan. I suspect the basement will be less expensive than the large footprint you'd proposed before. I'd point out a couple things:

- 3 showers downstairs? You definitely need one for the guest room, but why the others? These are expensive, while bedroom space is cheap.

- Lots of space downstairs devoted to hallways.

- With all the space devoted to the master bath, your sink vanities are tiny.

Thanks Mrs. Pete. It's funny you should mention the three showers on the main floor. The shower in the mud room is a utility shower and we will most likely change it to a regular utility sink. The reason we put shower in the powder bath is because right out that back area will be a sand volley ball court. We wanted guests to be able to come in from the back and help themselves to a shower without tracking sand throughout the house.
As for carving out areas in the basement, we can not use the fitness or the rec area for bedrooms according to code (no windows). We would consider using the family room for bedrooms, but that would use up all of the available daylight. I should probably mention that our older girls will likely use the bonus area above the garage for their bedroom as they get older. Then when they are on to college the next two boys will be ready to use it. And so on.
I am not sure if you can tell from the plan that there is also a vanity between the two windows in the master bath. We will each have a sink area and then I will use the other vanity to do my makeup and hair.
I really appreciate your feedback!

My point about the bunk beds is that there may be a time when only one or two people are in one of the kids' rooms, and it might be a much more pleasant space for them if they were able to remove the beds that were not in use. Or your grandkids may not come along as quickly or numerously as you're planning, and it might be nice to be able to use that space for a sewing room or in another way.

If the rooms were larger, having the beds built-in might make sense, but as they are so small, removing unused furniture could make a big difference for the people using the space.

Also a six-children family here, and I agree about the bedrooms in this plan. Your master bedroom/bath are palatial, while your kids' rooms look like crowded army barracks. :( If you put two sets of bunks in a room, the kids literally cannot sit on the bed to visit. I have fond memories of my kids' sitting on their beds, visiting and giggling with one another; I wouldn't have wanted their rooms as sterile as army barracks. :(

L shaped bunk beds like these might give you more floor room. I'm planning on doing something similar in one of our bedrooms, since our family is growing with children-in-laws :) and grandkids. :)

This post was edited by bird_lover6 on Mon, Aug 5, 13 at 8:25

I have four children, homeschooled as well, they do really well being together the majority of the time but do need some personal space too. We are moving into our new home at the end of this month and we are all looking forward to being able to spread out a bit (rental is on the smaller side) and unpack all our stuff that we boxed up 10 months ago.

One criteria I had when we did up our plan was that each of the kid's bedrooms could fit a queen bed. My 13 year old twins are 5'7" and my two older teens are taller. They do not fit into twin beds comfortably. My husband is tall and when he's had to sleep in a double bed his feet are right on the edge, he's told me it's uncomfortable to sleep that way. Just something to consider if your kids are still young.

In a custom build, people tend to put the space into where they imagine they will spend a lot of time. I can see you've done that here, with the master bath. However, you need to analyze how much time you actually spend in your bath. You've got a lot of precious square footage around that tub, that if you are very very lucky, you will occupy for 15 minutes once a week.

Meanwhile, the space that will be used every single day by more than one person is extremely shorted on square footage.

It's a skewed priority.

And, it's not fair to your children to have such a large master suite for yourselves and for them to have what amounts to a temporary bunk house. Heck, I've seen more spacious quarters with more personal space on a military installation! One presumes that you want to treat your children as well and as fairly as you treat yourselves. This needs to be fixed.

Lose some of the master bath space and redo the kids space.

It also seems that you must have horrible views out the back, as all of your rooms that you will spend a lot of time in are on the front of the house. And the back is mostly utility areas. If that's not the case, then you've got a serious organization problem. Just "turning around" the house won't work. Now, if the views are on the front, and that is where you will spend the majority of your time, the only conflict I see is the public/private space issue. The front of the home is generally reserved for the public spaces where we entertain visitors to the home that aren't friends or family. The census taker. The Avon lady. The gentlemen canvassing for the local candidate for dog catcher. Etc. I'm assuming the piano room would work for that, but there is no way to easily be a gracious hostess and excuse yourself to bring in a tray of coffee or lemonade. It's not close enough to the kitchen for that. In fact, I don't see any small, quiet "away" space other than the piano room, which presumably may not be that quiet if kids are practicing. Where is the space for the adult conversations away from the children's noise?

This post was edited by live_wire_oak on Mon, Aug 5, 13 at 9:57

As for long term plans for the built in bunks, we have 6 children and are anticipating many grandchildren who may visit at once.

Or your grandkids may not come along as quickly or numerously as you're planning, and it might be nice to be able to use that space for a sewing room or in another way.

I agree with the above. Options would be better since you cannot see into the future. I am one of four children and my parents don't have any grandchildren.

And none of your children is an introvert that craves space away from others?

This is a large beautiful home and I doubt very much that any child would feel cramped living here, especially on acreage. It's going to be fabulous. The actual sleeping space is relatively small and has a bit of a camping out feel to it. But most kids love that and are more often than not begging to have sleepovers anyway. And I like having all my kids close by on the same level with me. With the basement in this plan I can't imagine an introvert couldn't find a place to get away to read a book if needed. I'm an introvert and this setup wouldn't have bothered me in the least growing up.

Just a fun sidenote: My friend raised and home schooled 5 kids in small rooms with bunk beds - the 3 boys were NFL sized by the time they went to college and although I'm sure it would have been nice for them to have a bigger bed, it clearly did not hinder them by having to bunk as brothers. They were and still are, very close siblings and are remarkably hardworking and responsible young adults. I'm sure it has alot more to do with the parenting than the bunk beds, but still... ;)

As for the master bath situation... I think that is a very personal decision. Remember if in-laws are staying downstairs often, than that master bath might be the only personal "get away" space for mom. Or mom AND dad. I know my husband and I have our best talks in the morning before he goes to work in the bathroom while we are scurrying around. So that space can be very important depending on the family. For a multi-generational home, I don't think the master bath and closet look all that large actually.

The only thing I like a bit better about the old plan was the little sitting area going out to the backyard and the hidden pantry in the kitchen. The garage looks super cute on the new plan.

Thank you everyone for such specific feedback. It is interesting to hear things from different perspectives.
I am most definitely surprised by most of the feedback regarding the kids bunks and room area. We designed this area very specifically with them in mind. We looked at houzz pictures and together with the kids' feedback came up with this configuration. We purposely chose parallel bunks instead of L-shaped so that they could see one another across the aisle and giggle and carry on like they do. When seeing the pics on houzz, the kids all thought it would be cool to each have their own pullable curtain and their own light. My husband is also planning on installing a combination safe in each cubby so each has a place to keep stuff that is off limits to others. The kids see it as their own little fort areas and are excited about it, even our 16 and 14 year olds.
I do want to consider what you all are saying, as often the best wisdom comes from the views of others. However, I am truly baffled by your feedback. Both my husband and I would have LOVED LOVED LOVED an area like this as kids. This is so much better than either of us had at their age. Our priority is that our kids will spend much time together but that they can go to their "fort" and pull the curtain when they want alone time. As redheaded daughter pointed out, they also have plenty of room in other areas of the house and 12 acres to boot. The areas in the basement were also designed very specifically with them in mind. They will all have their own desk in the home school area. All of them will benefit from both the fitness and the rec area. My teenagers are looking forward to hanging out with their friends in a nice spacious area in the basement with all kinds of fun things to do.

Just as a side note, my husband and I have also observed that many times the more true privacy kids get, the more potential there is for true trouble.

It also might be worth mentioning that we do not know that we are finished having children. It is also likely that as our youngest ones start leaving the house we will become involved in fostering children. The bunk room idea seemed to be the most efficient way to house many children. The rooms seem fun and cozy to us, and we actually felt like we had designed something really cool and desirable.

Live Wire Oak, we actually have super views from both the front and the back. The house will be on a hill and set very far back from the road, so the front yard will feel pretty private. In order to enjoy the back views, we have planned a spectacular outdoor living area for the rear.
As for a space away from the children's noise when visitors come, they can easily be sent to the basement to hang out. I envisioned entertaining visitors in the more than ample great room with the beverage bar being in the dining room and a just a few steps away. We wanted one big open space where it was easy to have many people over at once.
For the budget we are working with, and considering the number of people who will be living in the home (husband and myself, 6 or more children, elderly parents, and 2 siblings with special needs), and also considering all of the ways that we wanted the home to function, this seemed to be the most efficient way to accomplish all of those things.
I truly appreciate everyone's feedback.

What a fun house!

With the kids' bedrooms, you might give some more thought to the benefits of arranging the bunks in an L or along a single wall in order to allow more floor space for the kids to get dressed or pass each other getting to the bathroom or closet. That also would allow more natural light throughout the room which might be preferable if the kids expect to spend any time in there during the day. You would be able to look in on little ones from the doorway without actually having to go in their room. Good luck!

If you plan to foster children, the state may require larger children's bedrooms.
From childwelfare.gov:
"Nebraska and New York require 35 square feet per child. Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Texas, and Wisconsin require 40 square feet per child. Massachusetts requires 50 square feet per child. In Illinois, the first child must be provided 40 square feet, and each additional child in the room must have 35 square feet. In Tennessee, the first child must have 65 square feet and additional children 50 square feet each. In Utah, the first child must have 80 square feet and 60 square feet for each additional child. In Wyoming, bedrooms must provide 75 square feet for the first child and 50 square feet for each additional child. In Maine, single-occupancy rooms must be at least 60 square feet; multiple-occupancy rooms must provide 40 square feet per child. In Mississippi, single-occupancy rooms must be at least 70 square feet; multiple-occupancy rooms must provide 50 square feet per child"

Here is a link that might be useful: Home Study Requirements

The kid-fort concept works great for summer camp, and it's be nice for visiting grandchildren. But I simply can't see it working for kids who live in your house full-time.

- I purposefully buy my kids less than I could afford to give them, and they absolutely have less than their average peer; still, my kids would have trouble with the lack of storage in these bunk-rooms. They each have certain books, games, dolls, etc. that are super-favorites, and they prefer to store them in their room rather than on the large family bookshelves.
- The privacy thing will be a problem. Yes, I can see that pulling your curtain and hiding from the world when you want to read quietly could be pleasant -- but what about if your little sister is on her bunk underneath you attending to a project of her own, and she keeps singing the same song over and over? What about when you have a friend over, and your sister won't leave you alone? I think having this set up ALL THE TIME will get old.
- This design provides very little natural light, which won't make for a pleasant spot.
- The rec room, etc. looks good for the family, but not for the kids as individuals.
- I have not found that age-appropriate privacy drives kids to get into trouble, but I have found that lack of space makes them fight more!

One completely different thought:

What's the space beside the shower in the kids' bathrooms? I'd move the toilet to that spot beside the shower, which would allow for a much wider vanity. And a wider mirror, which would make the small room look larger. This would allow for greater counter space and drawer storage underneath. If that spot was to have been a linen closet, you could still have a shelf above the toilet for towel storage.

I'm coming late to the party... But, in looking at your revised plan, can you tell me about your dish storage? Are you a Kosher kitchen?

It seems strange to me, and not really helpful, to have 2 DW in a kitchen on opposite sides of a long island. It seems that at least 1/2 of your dishes are going to have to be trucked around to the other side to be put away. No?

It seems you are very wedded to the bedroom plan which is a shame. I can understand the necessity of having kids share rooms when there are so many. However, this is a HUGE house so I'm not sure why you have turned the children's rooms to what amounts to barracks?

Sharing rooms is great til they are teenagers...then kids really do need privacy to grow as people and experience having something of their own. It's not like you have a small house and are forced out of necessity to have children share rooms.

I think back to being 14 or 15 and I definitely appreciated having my own room.

What is the worst trouble a kid can get into when they have their own rooms? Computers have effective blocking software, etc.

I really don't think teens need their own rooms, and it is simply not possible for many families. Besides, they'll leave home and share a dorm room, and perhaps marry in a few years and share again. :) They do need spaces to get away, however, and this house has a plethora of that.

I do think it's important that kids sharing are within a few years' age range, if at all possible.

I had my own room growing up being the only girl in the family, and grew just a tad envious of my children who shared rooms with a sibling. They were and are still very close.

I don't think the problem is whether kids should share rooms. That's up to each parent to make that decision. The only think here is to critique the plan and I agree that if the kids are going to share, in this case, up to 4 per room, then the rooms are too small when compared to the rest of the house. If you want to do the double bunks, you should still have bigger rooms to keep it in proportion.

"The ACA (American Correctional Association) requires that each inmate be provided with a minimum floor area of sixty square feet. For dormitory accommodations, the guidelines call for a floor area of at least fifty square feet"

"The New York State Commission of Corrections ("Commission") ... requires living space of at least fifty to seventy square feet per prisoner. It calls for a minimum of sixty square feet per inmate for an individual housing unit, and fifty square feet per prisoner in cases of multiple housing, such as areas in which individual cells are clustered around a common living area."
______________
Prison Overcrowding: Standards in Determining
Eighth Amendment Violations, Fordham Law Review

I really don't think that you want to have your children's personal space be below that of prison standards do you?

What if you turned this around and the kids had designed a house where they designated a large 14x18 sized space for every two of them, and they had put you two a 9x9 room? How would you feel about occupying that space? It would be proportionate to the amount of room you've given your children. Even if you love your spouse, you want more space than that when you occupy the same room! And we haven't even discussed the amount of square footage devoted to the master bath, and how much is actually just wasted space rather than pulling it's weight in the budget by being hard working. You've got a lot of "luxury build" ideas mixed into what is supposed to be a "budget" build.

Why not take some of the excess space on the ground floor and think about a master there, and give over the entire second floor to the kids? You've got double foyers, a music room, a gigantic dining room and a breakfast room and so many halls that I lost count. That's all duplicate function or wasted space that you're paying for but won't add a lot to the space that you use the most. Plus, you've got a giant luxury kitchen planned (the amount of use that it receives may justify it's size, but does it justify the amenities that you have planned for it?) All of that adds up to having enough room to have the master downstairs. With probably some left over if it's designed correctly.

I also really don't care for having all of the utility areas to the rear. If you're going to have that fabulous volleyball court out back, you probably want to be able to have a view of it and the rest of your back yard. From your most used spaces.

This post was edited by hollysprings on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 14:19

I can't bite my tongue any longer. I know it's not my place (and I'm kind of worried that by the time I post my own plans nobody will want to give me feedback because I'm so outspoken ;), but hollysprings... that prison reference is ridiculous. These kids will have more space than most any kids I know to roam and have an excellent childhood. If they are anything like my kids they will be in those rooms for sleeping hours and that is about it. Are you under the impression that because they homeschool they are sitting in their rooms all day? Between chores and academic activities I doubt they will be in there long enough to change clothes. They will be downstairs making wonderful meals, creating memories with grandparents, and having a grand ole time in that massive basement that will be the envy of all their friends... when they aren't outside tending the garden and the animals and growing up in the great outdoors instead of in front of a computer screen. Seriously. I'm appalled that any adult here would suggest that children require the same amounts of privacy and space as their parents. That is some skewed entitlement thinking. ( I can't imagine what grown children will do when they realize they won't get a window office with a private bathroom and instead must work in a cubicle 10 hours a day for the bulk of their careers!)

Keep in mind that nearly all those other "large" spaces in the home plan (excepting hallway spaces, which might be helpful for infirm and elderly grandparents) will be occupied by a large extended family (6 kids plus possibly 8 adults + visitors) for the rather important waking hours. The eating/seating/utility spaces need to be large to accommodate the function there. It's not like the OP is designing a house selfishly. Clearly they have considered the needs of all the members of their family, which is kind of unique and wonderful in a society that likes to farm out the older generation, and I'm kind of surprised at how so many posters keep harping on the kids bedrooms. This works for their family. If it were me, I'd be hoping for some more helpful plan comments at this point. (Actually I'd be in tears at this point).

Do you have any idea of what this house will cost to build? I would guess 7 figures, plus. It is not a very efficient use of space. Are you planning on a million dollar house or a multi-million dollar house?

If you have not talked to a builder, I would talk to one before you spend any more money with the drafter to figure out how much this will cost . . . There are many, many ways to make this house more efficient and cost effective without losing any functionality and perhaps with gaining it.

If your budget is very robust, no worries. I just look at your house and see many many dollar signs!

Hello,

I have a few comments on you plan

- I think there is too much hall space in the back , its really kind of wasted , you really have 2 mudrooms . You could put one bigger mudroom over by the stairs ( moving the stairs twoard the front of the house ) , then you have a ton more space to do something else with

- I personally like when the breakfast room is more connected to the kitchen
- If you are going with a 60' range , a 36 inch fridge almost looks small go for a 42 inch
- The dining room and Kitchen are huge - you have about 40K in countertops alone in there , if it fits your budget great , I like it but I would not be surprised if your kitchen ends up at 200K+ by itself
- The guest bathroom is arranged kind stange - again too much hall space
-I saw the debate above on the kids bedrooms and I would have to say I dont like them much - here are my thoughts on it:

1) there is no window available from the sleeping areas , they get no "time to get up" light
2) I know you never plan on selling this house - but for some reason you had to - its going to be very hard. This a very unique layout that would not appeal to others.
3) the kids think this is cool now , but when they are 16 they are going to hate it , the girls will tear each other apart . your either going to end up redoing the upstairs or the kids will end up sleeping in different areas of the house - or spend less time at home ( I'm going to my friends!! )
4) Why no tubs or double vanities for the kids ?

I would consider figuring out a way to get 3 kids bedrooms and more windows in those rooms , you wont regret it .

Do you have a budget for this yet ? Have you talked to any builders yet ?

I'm with FrozenElves. The question isn't whether children should share rooms. Rather, the question is whether those shared rooms have allotted enough private space for the children.

RedHeadedDaughter, I grew up in a large family on 60 acres -- plenty of space to roam and play. We tended the gardens and the animals, and we had extended family members living with us. Some of those memories are good, and others are pretty horrible. We were a real family, not the Waltons. All that space didn't mean I didn't very much appreciate having a bedroom where I could close the door have expect some privacy. I had a room to myself, and later I shared with my younger sister, and I can't imagine essentially EVERYTHING in my life being "shared space".

No one has suggested that children should be allotted the same amount of space as their parents -- in fact, I think parents who "over-do" and provide walk-in closets and private baths for every child are setting their children's expectations high, and they may be setting them up for disappointment when they move into their dorms or their first apartments. The issue isn't that children should have "equal space"; rather, it's that they should have more than a bunk bed to themselves. A happy medium is the right answer, and this floor plan isn't there yet.

Giving the whole second floor to the kids and having the parents in a first floor master sounds like a pretty good idea to me. I have the impression that -- at this point -- the extended family isn't part of the family's everyday life? So the guest room will be sitting empty while the kids crowd into nicely designed closets.

The whole point of the prison quote was to give some perspective as to how much personal space is considered adequate by those who would like to pack people in as closely as possible. They've found that if they have less personal space than that, lots of fighting and assaults happen. I think it's a pretty relevant discussion. Especially since the OP stated that they'd like to foster, and the foster system also has the same ideas about the amount of personal space that each child requires.

It's not like this is a 1200 square foot house being planned on a shoestring, and everyone has tiny bedrooms. The only small spaces are the kids area. And that's just flat out wrong. There is a ton of wasted space throughout the house. With a redesign, it would be possible to give everyone the room that they need. And better fit the budget by giving up some of the excess.

Mrs Pete... I have learned so much reading your comments and posts. You are likely right that I focused on the positives of a more rural, multigenerational upbringing and that there is much more involved. My husband had that growing up in the midwest. It's hard work for the whole family. We would still choose it over city living any day though for our kids. I think in order to brave the task of building a home you have to be something of an idealist anyway.

My point was that kids growing up in this home are not going to feel deprived...this would feel like a dream home to me growing up. A few of the posts were getting downright mean.

Hollysprings. I'm sure you didn't mean to be. As a lawyer, I'm always impressed by your grasp of the relevant codes.

There is also the possibility that the septic restrictions prevent more "official" bedrooms. Around here the septic plan determines the number of bedrooms you can have.

deleted post double post

This post was edited by redheadeddaughter on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 19:52

Around here the septic plan determines the number of bedrooms you can have.

Yes, but doesn't it also assume two occupants to each bedroom? Around here it does. So, if this is considered a 4 bedroom house, the septic would be be enough to handle 8 people rather than the 10-11 people planned to be living in this house.

Regarding the children's bedrooms, the allotted closet space looks small to me. I don't see any dimensions on the closets, but if there are 4 children in the bedroom, it looks like each child only has a space of about 3 to 3 1/2 ft of closet space. And it appears all their clothes will be in the closet as I am not seeing any space for dressers in the bedrooms.

Also, I see space for washers and dryers, but I see very little space for drip drying clothes. Maybe I am odd, but I hang a fair number of clothes to dry rather than put them in the dryer.

I'm looking at the closet space for how many kids per bedroom?

And the bathroom setup for teenagers will be stressful: Susy is in the shower and Sally needs to pee ... I envision a lot of squabbling. Go back to Victorian times and give them a bathing area and a toilet room, with grooming areas in the bedrooms.

just reading this thread and am curious how the kids rooms ended up. I think that it would be wise to have 2 children per room, but 4 is too many. The design is more of a vacation home design. But every night long term having 4 kids in that space will get old.

We are a Natural Family Planning Family and have 4 kids and our kids share rooms. I've noticed that they wake each other up in the mornings and keep each other up at night. This drives me crazy because their moods are terrible when they haven't had enough sleep. Thus, we are giving them each their own TINY room in the house we are building. Could you maybe put 2 per room? There really is a LOT of space around the Master Tub which will be a pain to clean anyway.

There is DEFINITELY not enough closet space for the kids. Think about sleepover bags shoes etc etc.

I think, with everything you want this house to do, you need to hire an architect. You're trying to cram a lot of functions into this house, and you aren't quite succeeding. Where will the siblings with special needs stay? Certainly not in the bunkbeds with the kids?

The main level has tons of wasted space-- the huge foyer and stair foyer, for example. If you put a straight staircase in the foyer, much of the upstairs hallway could be eliminated, enlarging the kids' rooms. And it would let you eliminate the "stair foyer" on the main level which is totally wasted space. It would also save the cost of the expensive switchback stairs and bumpout. That's just one small change that would make the house cheaper and more functional.

This is such an expensive house to build, it's would be a shame if in the end it doesn't meet your needs.

Good luck!

Good evening everyone. I thought it would be appropriate to follow up to this thread with the final version of the plan. You can view the floor plans and elevations HERE.

Thanks for all of your feedback. Although we stuck with some of the design elements that were questionable to many of you, we also made a lot of changes based on your feedback. Thanks for your expertise and honesty!

Someday, after the house is built and we've spent some time breaking it in, I will follow up with this post again and let you know if we have any regrets about the design.

Morselofjoy

Here is a link that might be useful: Final Plans and Elevations

Thank you everyone so much for your feedback! We ultimately decided to start from scratch and redesigned our home based on comments that many of you left in this thread. We opened a new thread on GardenWeb for the redesigned plan HERE. We look forward to your feedback on the new plan!

Here is a link that might be useful: New Thread for Redesigned Plan (Started from scratch)