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shiltsy

First draft of plan ready for critique

shiltsy
9 years ago

As you saw in another thread, I had asked for some feedback on the lower level. On this thread, I'm posting the entire plan for your feedback!

We met with the architect on Sunday and recommended a number of changes that aren't reflected in this plan. Some of the changes are:

- Separating craft and laundry room into two rooms. That will close off access to the bonus room which is fine for us right now. Wife does not want DD arts and crafts mess (which it will be) in her laundry room. This reconfiguration also means we won't have such a long/dark hallway upstairs.

- Fishing gear storage will not be above built in dog kennel area in mudroom closet. I've been relegated to the garage.

- Window in master bath shower (high enough that won't require window treatments).

- Scaling back the pantry. Appliances will be across the hall from the pantry, so no sink required in pantry. DW likes appliances out of sight from main kitchen area.

- Built ins on main floor on both sides of TV will be lower cabinets only. Rest of the space on both sides of TV will be windows.

- Deck will be larger.

- Screen porch fireplace will be WOOD BURNING. I've had to hammer this into everyone's head endlessly. Apparently wood isn't cool these days.

- will not have separate fridge/freezer in kitchen

- may have hallway access to guest suite bath because of craft room and eventual bonus room

Ok, that's enough for one post.... once some feedback starts rolling in, I will share the things we love about the plan!

Here is a link that might be useful: First draft plans

Comments (15)

  • Katie S.
    9 years ago

    Love it. Big fan of the mud room/ dog area/ powder room, and the fact that it has outdoor access without going through the garage. So much light in your family room and dining area that the kitchen will be pleasant even without windows. And all those windows in the stairs, with the seat...lovely.

    How many sq ft is it? Would a 4 bedroom be expected in this size/ price range?

    Where are you located and which way does the house face?

  • shiltsy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    It will be around 4500 finished sq ft. I am so glad we used an architect that we know and trust... he worked incredibly hard to get all of our wants/needs into the program.

    As for your other questions:

    - With 3 acre lot, value of the home will be around $900k. Three bedrooms is not enough for that range but works perfectly for us and might even keep the tax assessment lower! If additional bedrooms are required, we could convert the LL office and open up the bonus room. For once in our lives, we're really not caught up in concerns around resale.

    - We haven't nailed down the lot placement yet, but back of the home will likely face S-SE. The layout was really designed for the lot in several ways. Views and light should really work well.

    - Deck is off the screen porch and screen porch is off to the side to ensure best views and light from living area.

  • jimandanne_mi
    9 years ago

    Since there's a possibility that the bonus room might become a bedroom at some future date, plan the probable layout for it, and be sure to seal and insulate the garage ceiling and bonus room walls extremely well. Be sure to place the overhead lighting, light switches, and smoke alarms to account for where future walls might be. Since any future wall will need electrical outlets at the very least, find out what the electrician can do to be sure this will be possible.

    We planned for almost everything, but when we added a wall across one end of our bonus room after we'd moved in, we ended up with a junction box over the bedroom doorway--not the ideal way for this to be, but the only possible location for it.

    Anne

  • stefsims
    9 years ago

    Love your plan!! Looks similar to what we are designing with Mitch Ginn. We are trying to keep our plan to no more than 4,500sq ft due to budget reasons (while still getting my dream home)........tough/need help :-). We are shooting for 4 bedrooms (which includes the master), but may not be in line with the neighborhood. There is a bonus/5th bedroom that we decided not to finish because of sq ft limit, but not sure if that will be good for values.

    Yours looks awesome!!

  • dekeoboe
    9 years ago

    - With 3 acre lot, value of the home will be around $900k. Three bedrooms is not enough for that range but works perfectly for us and might even keep the tax assessment lower! If additional bedrooms are required, we could convert the LL office and open up the bonus room. For once in our lives, we're really not caught up in concerns around resale.

    You may not be concerned with resale, but if you have a mortgage the number of bedrooms may impact the appraisal. If you need an additional bedroom, you will have to have a full bathroom for that bedroom.

    Also, all the traffic coming in from the garage goes straight through the middle of the kitchen. I suggest you look at a way to fix that problem.

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    I'm curious about the kennel. I don't have a dog, so bear with me! When you put Fido in his kennel for the night or whatever, he is behind a closed door. Is e closet ventilated? And even when the door is open, he is behind it, and you have to close the closet door to let him out of the kennel. Just checking that that is as intended.

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    I'm also curious about the kitchen layout. Everybody, including Fido, will walk smack through the working part of the kitchen a lot. And guests will, too, to get to the bathroom. I know it's open concept,but open traffic is another thing.

    Love the stairs!

  • jimandanne_mi
    9 years ago

    I agree with dekeoboe.

    For this size house, even with the office/bedroom in the LL, people would expect at least 4 bedrooms. So if that's the case, do you really want 4 baths upstairs? If not, that entire area needs to be redesigned for a hall access bath that will serve 2 bedrooms, or a well-designed jack & jill bath--which a lot of people don't like. You will also need the bath for a 4th bedroom/guest bedroom over the bonus room to be over the second floor, so that plumbing will work out. If you lost power/heat so that the temperature got below freezing, you don't want frozen/burst pipes.

    Be sure any heating/cooling ducts for the bonus room are INSIDE the insulated envelope. We ran ours along the base of one of the inside walls, and made a bench and shelves over ours. What part of the country/climate are you in?

    Strongly agree that the kitchen traffic will be a problem. In redesigning that space, I'd rearrange the powder room so that it's easily accessible from the study, in case you needed to have the study as a first floor bedroom (think broken leg, stroke, wheelchair, hip replacement, walker, etc.).

    Is that the actual length of your dining room table? I'd want a wall for a buffet or server somewhere, so I'd extend the wall between the dining room and the great room enough (3-4'?) for this, and shorten that window--and the one opposite it--or maybe delete them, since with a S or SE exposure, you will get a lot of light in this side of the house, unless you're in an area where it's overcast a lot. I'd also extend the little wall by the appliance garage to make a little more separation between the (possibly) messy & noisy kitchen and the great room.

    Anne

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    Looking at the island seating, im thinking about the view of...pots on the stove? Mixing bowls in the sink? And a solid wall beyond? Or is this for casual hop-on-a-stool, mix-the-dry-ingredients seating, and you'll usually eat at the table? If you plan to eat at the island, you might like to have the eating face the LR or windows.

    Just wondering if you'd like an extra door to the porch from the service hall, a little more convenient for popping into the kitchen for fresh lemonade or the pantry for picnic ware.

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    Say, is that a doggie door the the kennel from the mudroom itself? Ingenious!

  • shiltsy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the round of fresh feedback. My thoughts:

    1. We are bringing significant cash, so there won't be a loan to value issue... that said, good to think about that factor.

    2. The idea with the kennel is that Ted (90 lb boxer) will be put in the kennel when we are on our way out the door. Right now, we have to take him all the way to the LL. He is out all day/night as long as we are home. We would likely have a framed door with metal grate looking out into the mudroom. We may also frame up a metal grate looking into the mudroom closet so he has additional ventilation. I think he'll be very comfortable in there. We may also leave the door off/open so he has full reign of the mudroom when we're away.

    3. Good point about walking through the working area to access to the PR. Not sure what the alternatives may be. We're only a family of three, so it would only be an issue while entertaining. Even then, I'd prefer the current layout to having PR closer to the living area. Have that in our current layout and HATE it.

    4. Good call on island seating views... we are really trying to keep the plan shallow and wide to fit the contour/views of the lot. Will have to think about alternatives, but it's really just for things like homework and grabbing a quick snack. When we eat together, it's at the table where we can converse and see each other.

    5. Not showing on the plan, but the guest bath will be configured for hall access.

    There are plenty of million dollar homes around us with four bedrooms.... in fact, in many cases that level of home is typically empty nesters where the number of bedrooms and small children just isn't as big of a deal. We could easily just describe that basement office as a bedroom when plans are submitted.

    Thanks again!

  • Katie S.
    9 years ago

    Wondering if you could also find a way for the study to have direct access to the bath so it could be a plausible bedroom as well?

    I personally like the split freezer and fridge... It reduces their hulking hugeness and gives you a nice landing spot. You could even put a window in between.. It wouldn't need a screen since the porch is screened, so you could have a little pass through for drinks and snacks.

  • joyce_6333
    9 years ago

    Love the plan. And as others have noted, my only concern (and a big pet peeve with me) is that the kitchen is basically a hallway. Will be a beautiful home!!

  • londonw1f
    9 years ago

    I think that the bath in the basement should have a shower. If someone would want to use the office as a bedroom, then they would have to go to the first floor to shower.

    I think that the shower and the toilet room should be switched in the Master Bath. It is quite a distance from the bed to the toilet. IF someone got sick in the middle of the night, one might not make it to the toilet.

    There should be a roughed in bathroom in the bonus room. If there isn't, then there is no hall bath on the second floor.

  • bpath
    9 years ago

    For the kitchen to not be a runway, what if it were basically rotated?
    - put the cooktop on the right-hand wall, with 2 feet of counter on either side.
    - rotate the island.
    - on the bottom wall, have the fridge, ovens, and micro. This space doesn't see the protracted work that the sink/cooktop area does.

    The runway would therefore go below the work area, totally changing the path without totally changing your floor plan.

    Another benefit to this is that it is easier to get to the dining table from the work area; no one has to circumnavigate the island to serve or to get to the dishwasher afterwards.

    In the mudroom, hinge the closet door on the other side. Here's why: as it is now, you can only open the door a skosh over 90 degrees because of the kennel. Whereas, hinged on the other side, it can open more than that, making it easier to get in and out.

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