Floor Plan tweaks feasible?

10 years ago

Hi all -

We recently bought 4 acres of land where we will be building our very long term home. We have scoured the web for hours and hours looking for floor plans that could possibly work. I found the one below, but made some tweaks.

Looking for any(+/-) feedback on whether these tweaks would be possible. This is our first house to build, so we're quite clueless on what can and can not work when changing things.

- Turn formal dining into office. Close off entry to kitchen.

- Take out rotunda. Make into long entry hall.

- Remove study & kids retreat. Rework 3 bedrooms & 2(1 jack & jill) full baths in area.

- Move master bedroom and bath off great room(backyard side). Would obviously have to make changes to exactly where the master bathroom would be.

- Turn old master location into game room

- Change "desk" area into powder room

- Leave utility and side entrance

- Turn powder room into open mudroom + take out storage space in garage. Move WH elsewhere in garage.

- Remove morning nook. Pull that space in. Place sink/dishwasher/cabinets in area facing backyard.

- Remove bar(?) closest to great room.

- Add a large(huge) island

- Remove butlers pantry. Add fridge/double ovens/microwave on that wall + more cabinets. Hmmm. Now after typing it out that may not be possible?

I haven't gotten into the room sizes or exact placement of closets/bathrooms/etc. Just wondering if the changing of these rooms/basic layout would make any sense.

Am I completely off my rocker? :)

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Comments (6)

zone4newby
10 years ago
I think that if you can afford to build that house, you should hire an architect and get a house that is really what you want instead of reworking a plan you found online. It probably wouldn't cost much more, given the extensive changes you want.
bevangel_i_h8_h0uzz
10 years ago
I agree with zone4newby. Every single one of the changes you mention is probably possible but with all of them together, you're really NOT leaving any portion of the original house untouched except possibly the garage. That's not "tweaking" the plan - that's redesigning it completely!

I think you'll be happier and it will probably cost you less if you go to an architect and have something designed just for you.
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jennybc
10 years ago
I agree... You stole the words right out of my mouth...!
Jen
lavender_lass
10 years ago
Have you checked eplans? Or Donald Gardner?
ChrisStewart
10 years ago
I do agree that you need to find a good designer early on but I disagree about working from scratch. This plan and any of several hundreds of similar others plus your list shows the basic configuration you have in mind which is a good way to start.

That is always the first step in designing -to lay out a basic schematic of the space requirements and room relationships but this needs to be done while simultaneously thinking about the exterior styling and also how it will fit to the site.

A good designer or architect will view this as what it is -a suggestion of room relationships. A bad designer is actually a plan drafter and will simply draw whatever you tell them to draw -good or bad.
mrspete
10 years ago
I agree with the majority. Tweaks are very possible . . . but you're talking about a major re-work. Rather than reinvent the wheel, search for a new plan that starts a little closer to your idea of "right".