can you post a larger picture or a link that will make it bigger?

Is there a kitchen in your garage?

My guess would be that having to go through the mudroom to get to the master suite may not be a popular arrangement.

Is there a reason why you do not want the master bedroom facing the clearing?

How to post a bigger picture: upload your image to a photo hosting site like photobucket, and then use the html img code in the "message" box to put the image in your post. You can add multiple images this way.

Copy and paste the html img code from here: http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_img.asp

Other helpful information: who will live in this house, what part of the country are you building in, and which direction is North? Where do the stairs go?

I agree with Chris that having the master bedroom off the mudroom is unusual. It wouldn't appeal to me to have to stumble over my kids' boots and backpacks on my way to coffee in the morning.

Why is there a kitchen in the garage?
I would not like such a prominent garage...especially when there are 18 acres to work with.

I would not like to go through a mudroom to get to the master.
I would not like two sinks so close together in the master bath... one sink with more space is better.
I would rather my sleeping area get cross ventilation that the master closet.

I made the image bigger by picking it up, moving it to word processing, then zooming in on the screen.

- Your site sounds ideal.

- I agree with the others about your garage. With so much space, why squeeze it onto the front? I'm not a big fan of angled garages. Sometimes they're necessary for small city lots, but you don't need it here.

- I think that's a workshop in the garage. I'd suggest that you don't have the builder install this for you. Instead, keep your eyes open on Craigslist 'til someone sells old kitchen cabinets, and you can install this yourself for a fraction of the cost -- and avoid having it financed in with your mortgage, which will save you big bucks over the years.

- To stay on the other folks' bandwagon, I'm totally in agreement that I would not like to circle through the mudroom to reach the master. I don't know that it'd be a make-or-break item for me, but it isn't ideal.

- I also agree that I'd want the master bedroom facing the back of the house /would want to take advantage of the ability to have windows on two walls. Your master is kind of small, which I actually prefer -- I don't see the point in a huge, oversized place to sleep -- but windows on two walls will make it appear larger visually and will make it more comfortable, especially since you'd get lovely southern sun from the back.

- The master bath could be much better arranged. It's relatively large and could be much nicer.

- Love the big pantry. If you're going for enough space for L-shaped storage, only one extra foot could enlarge your storage area by 30%. If you don't do that, I'd consider either in-wall can storage (like Pharoah's Storehouse) for the wall "behind the door, OR at least a pegboard that could store seldom-used kitchen utensils. And consider Lazy Susans in the corner; they don't have to be expensive, built-in items -- just have your shelves built wide enough for the ready-made pantry-quality versions at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

- Your eating area is going to be cute, but it isn't overly spacious. If you do away with that clipped corner, you'd have space for a larger table. And in such a set-up (with a big window behind), I always like a built-in banquette.

- In the kitchen, angled cabinets are expensive and provide less storage than plain squared-off cabinets. Being in the center of the house, the kitchen won't be particularly bright, so I'd go with white cabinets or pale wood.

- I'd consider putting the bathroom into the middle of the two bedrooms. First, this would be more convenient than walking all the way down that loooong hallway. Second, it would allow you to make the back bedroom nicer: It could have windows on two sides, and part of that giant hallway could be incorporated into the bedroom. I don't think I spelled that out very well: When you enter the secondary bedroom hallway, you'd see the first bedroom door and the bathroom door on the right-hand wall . . . but the back bedroom door would be straight ahead of you -- and closer than it is now. Less hallway, more bedroom -- win-win situation.

- I have a friend whose house has that half-moon front step configuration, and she has no handrails (where would you put them? Against the house?) as you walk up the steps. It isn't a problem for me, but it is an issue for her elderly mother.

I totally get the mudroom on the way to the master. I basically did the same thing. It works for us. My husband is a farmer/mechanic/welder/jack of all trades. He comes in FILTHY 90% of the time. I have a sliding door that shuts off that "wing" of the house from the public areas.
He can come in, ditch his clothes in the laundry/mudroom, go straight to the master bath/bedroom and come out squeaky clean, before he even touches the rest of my house....