http://www.dongardner.com/plan_details.aspx?pid=3504

I would add a finished basement with a guest suite, rec room, home theater and storage. Other things I would like to do is add a "kids' locker" area in the "mudroom", switch the butler's pantry with the pantry, and perhaps make the garage a bit larger. I also want to completely redo the exterior of the house using mainly brick instead of stone.

First floor:

Second floor:

Let me know what you think of this plan in general and also what things you would change. Thanks.

PS SO jealous you can add a basement w/ all that extra stuff, we don't have basements where I live. :(

Something like this...

I am worried if I swap the mudroom (lockers) with the utility room I would have to walk through the utility room pass the washer and dryer on my way to the master bedroom, upstairs, etc. I am trying to avoid having to walk past the washer and dryer at all.

Is this a reasonable concern?

The bedrooms will be used by our children (currently have 2). No doubt that someone may get the short straw and not get their own bathroom.

I will have to see if we can alter the plan to have a bathroom accessible from the bonus room.

I am actually considering extending the garage width by 2-4 feet which would make the bonus room even larger. This may make adding an additional bathroom for that space even easier.

Since most carpet comes in 12' widths, it's easiest if the finished Bonus Room is not wider than 12'. Obviously, it can be pieced, or you can pay more for 15' wide carpet--assuming that it will be carpeted.

Anne

I like the dormer idea as well.

Any other thoughts?

That said, I do like the plan, and consider it very livable.

You've also considered that the rendering is made much more charming by all the fancy windows and copper dormers on the front elevation. If you were to lose some of those to budget considerations, you'd have a very different-looking house.

I hear you on the rendering. I actually don't really like the artist's rendering as there is way too much stone. I do like the copper accents but have no idea what they might cost.

Got any other ideas for cost effective accents for the exterior?

I would definitely rework the laundry/mudroom area, to give you more storage and a door from the outside, directly into the mudroom. Kids like pets and they all track in a big mess! :)

The planned neighborhood doesn't allow for vinyl siding of any kind so I think I am left with brick, stone and perhaps hardiplank as my exterior options.

Anne

Depends. How much furniture do you want in your dining room? How many do you want to seat? What size is your table?

Will you have a buffet and/or china cabinet? If either is on the long wall opposite the wide Foyer doorway, the window might be shifted to the left, and you would have to consider how this would affect the space left for seating around the table, as well as the front elevation. If neither is on this wall, you'd want to have a focal point from the Foyer doorway--a group of pictures, a large painting, etc. on the long wall.

If either is on the wall to the left of the Butler's Pantry, you would also have to consider how much space would be left for seating, and possible take some space from the Pantry and B. Pantry. If you did the latter, I'd get rid of the B. Pantry by turning the cabinet to face the hall, and make it a "To Go" setup--keys, charging station, mail sorting, travel stuff, etc. Or extend the Mudroom. It also might change how wide you want the opening to the Foyer on the "north" end. The Pantry can be any depth down to a finished 9" inside, and could be quite wide with 2 or 3 doors to make everything easily accessible. I saw one like this in a model home, and liked it so much that I tried unsuccessfully to work it into my plan. To have a place for some larger items, I think a pantry with about a 15" finished interior would be sufficient, but it depends on what YOU plan to put in there besides cans & normal sized grocery items.

I hope others can add to this from their DR experiences.

Anne

Same thing with the great room and hearth room. If they have a different focus (maybe TV in great room and seating/conversation in hearth room) then each space will be used daily. If both spaces are just duplicates of each other...then they may not be used as often.

If you're adding a bit more space, I'd also recommend a bigger laundry and mudroom area...and maybe a wider bonus space. 11'8" x 34'8" seems very narrow and maybe add a couple of dormers over the entry to the garage. I'd want more light up there, unless you just plan to use it for attic storage.

Hope that helps :)

Since we are adding 2-4 feet to the width of the garage adding 2-4 feet of width to the bonus room is also planned. I have already asked to have 2 dormers added to the plan and the builder has said this shouldn't be a problem.

Love these ideas...