HA! Since we just added a second bathroom, that is an easy
one to answer. The pantry will be part of the window seat
build, flanking both sides of it, and located in the dining room. Best I can do, considering.

ML- That sounds like it's going to be really pretty! I love built ins around window seats.

Since I already have to clean 3 bathrooms, and have a dinky little cabinet for food storage, I'd vote pantry.

Are you thinking about that 3rd bathroom next to the kitchen? Could you make it a half bath instead and still have a little pantry?

If you already have two bathrooms I would vote pantry.

Agreed. If you already have 2 bathrooms. 2 bathooms is enough for me to clean! I vote for a walk in pantry in that scenario. (But, if there is only one bathroom in the house, then I'd have to vote for a bathroom over a walk in pantry.) :-)

Indeed, I totally agree with kimkitchy. The need for bathrooms sort of tapers off after you have the second one. It is all about having a second crapper somewhere convenient. After that, I think a third bath is a luxury, not a necessity, especially in a small home. Of course, if you have several generations living in the same house, an elder suite with a toilet and a handicap accessible shower is a good idea. Then a half bath (toilet/sink) in the hall for general use, maybe somehow ponied with the master bath. If there is a way to share the bathing portion of the master bath with the general bath, or maybe the master can use the tub of the general bath, then you'd only need one tub in the house, and two showers.

In my DH's cape, upstairs has a 3 piece bathroom, a tub with shower in it. Serves the two bedrooms up there.
Then downstairs there is currently one bath with tub/shower combo. What I'm planning this spring is to make a master bath adjacent to this bath, with only a walkin shower, single sink, and a toilet, but the way things are located, it would be possible for us to close off both baths and use them privately with the master. Achieved by unifying the tile flooring of the short hall and both bath areas, and locking the door from the living room that accesses the hallway to both of these baths, as well as our bedroom.
Hard to make clear w/o a drawing, but believe me it will work.

I think halls are wasted space, sacrificed usable room you pay for but don't get to use. So making our tiny hall into an ante-room or part of the FEEL of the baths is giving us a more generous feeling.

Young- I know you don't have a basement, so my initial answer would be pantry, but your access to the back yard and third bedroom are a long way from your hall bath. You have your two 'kids' bedroom split up, so they both need to be somewhat near a bath...if they're going to be used as bedrooms.

Crazy idea, I know, but have you ever thought of switching the kitchen and back bedroom? While I can see that it's nice to have the french doors out to the patio, it would give you two bedrooms by the 'new' hall bath and the large front bedroom, by the current bathroom. That big space should be enough for your kitchen, pantry, laundry, maybe even a powder room, if you don't want to share the master bath.

Maybe you hate the idea, maybe you don't...but I thought I'd see what you think :)

Marti- That's exactly the area on my mind, and I'm wondering which would be more useful since I can't work in both.

ML- I hope you'll post pics as you progress with the plan. It sounds like it would be a GREAT use of space!

LL- I'm a bit brain fried this week, so I'm not sure I understand. Is this what you mean? Or, do you mean the front right bedroom would become the master, creating a split bedroom plan?

Without a 2nd thought: I would rather have a large pantry but there is only me and hubby. In your situation: it would be a very hard toss up-I see you needing both. I like lavandar lass suggestion of getting all in one room.

nathan- I'm itching for a pantry, and it's just the two of us. So, I worry about storage when we have more mouths to feed, for sure! If I thought we'd be moving before a child was old enough to use a stand up shower alone, I'd go with the pantry without looking back. But, I guess you just never know. That's what's causing me to hold back, I think.

Young- I don't think you have enough space for a master bedroom, where the kitchen is now...so putting the master bedroom in the front, with the kitchen in the back is what I was suggesting. This will give you a separate wing for the kids' bedrooms (or guests, for now) which will give the master bedroom more privacy.

If you're going to do this, I think it will work out very well, when you do have kids, assuming you stay in this house for many years. Even if you sell, I think a kids' bedroom wing will be a big plus, with buyers.

Maybe add a bay or bump out window to the master bedroom, with a huge window seat and some book shelves or cabinets on either side? Maybe even make that bath only for the master and add a powder room off the kitchen? If you take out the laundry and move it more into the kitchen area, you could have a nice sized closet and access to the master bath...maybe close off that entrance from the living room and enter through the dining room and corner of kitchen...by bathroom?

I don't know if this would work, or not, but it might be worth a few sketches...just to see :)

Young- I just saw the stairs you have planned, on the other post. If you do like any of these ideas, I think the stairs would work out fine...in fact, if you enter the kitchen and master bedroom wing, through the very corner of the dining room, it might give you more room for your stairs...and a little more room for your front entry area.

You know, I do like that thought of the understair entry to the Master. It would make a foyer type space. Good thinking.

I quickly threw the idea down in the program, so you'll see it needs tweaking. But, it gives you an idea of the flow. I need to find a real space for the laundry, something convenient, and I need to really think through the kitchen.

What I really like about the concept is that the driveway would finally be closer to the kitchen. It would also put the kitchen on the sunny side of the yard, where the garden will be.

actually, this layout might give me the chance to use my inspiration picture, too....not just solve the "how many bathrooms" problem. good thinking, LL.

closets in a master hall (snapped these at a SL idea house)

and 3d
(with the wrong bathroom door)

That reminds me. Someone asked, and I don't remember who it was...but the program is by HGTV. (I don't like it.)

Young- I asked about the software, and thank you....sorry you don't like it.

As for the plan, I think it gives you a lot of privacy in your master bedroom. Nice, especially if kids are on the way! :)

The dining room is really big...any chance you could add a butler's pantry and maybe a bigger laundry area? When the stairs are added, the dining room arch from the living room, is going to be smaller. Maybe the butler's pantry could go behind the stairs?

I really like your inspiration pictures! They're beautiful and so elegant. The other two bedrooms and bath look great, the way you've drawn them. Good to know the kitchen might be in a better location. It's always good to have more light in the kitchen :)

In the hall bath, if you slide the toilet, towards the tub, you could fit in a linen cabinet, where the toilet is now.

This is turning out to be such a great plan! It's really changed the whole flow of your home, but it's still so inviting and quite charming...with all the built-ins and details :)

The software gets the job done, but I thought the learning curve was high and that the software was touchy. It won't always let me do what I want, particularly with kitchens and outdoor spaces.

Good suggestion for the bathroom! That would give me double the storage. I played for a few minutes for the laundry and some storage space. While not ideal, I did find a place to store my jarred items. I'll keep thinking on that. Great idea regarding a butler's pantry that could someday end up tucked under the stairs. I think that would look really charming.

Here's a thought with a few things flipped around. Thanks for the comment on the DR. It felt oddly oversized to me, too.

interior shots

Young- I really like this plan! :)

Were you planning to put your half walls and posts, on either side of the entrance, between the living room and dining room (like your inspiration pictures)? I think a buffet on the right, would give you more storage and help balance your room.

The doors to the pantry and laundry would be better if they opened into the rooms...but I wasn't sure they would fit (especially the pantry). Of course, the pantry could open out and the laundry could open in...just don't forget the washer and dryer have to fit through that door. I changed them, because it might look better if you have even spaces of wall, between the french doors to the library, and the doors on either side.

Also, are you still having your bump out with the entry...and french doors to the front porch, from the living room?

I think this looks great (my favorite so far). Very creative use of space! I just thought it might look better, with the interior drawings, to have the dining area a little more balanced. It really is going to be so pretty, when you get this all done! :)

{{!gwi}}

Yes, I'm hoping to the the half wall and columns. DH fell in love with those in a house we toured before buying ours, and I'd love to work them in. I wish the program could show them because I'd love to see it in the space. I hadn't even ALMOST considered getting the washer and dryer through the door. YIKES. You're wise.

The expanded entry and porch idea is still on the wish list, but it would be the final phase, for sure. DH said he'd sketch the front of the house with a porch so I could play with the shape. I can't draw worth a lick. ;)

Here's the plan with a door that will fit the W/D with wiggle room. I accidentally left out the window in the children's bathroom.

Just for fun, I fitted it out with my full, pie-in-the-sky wishlist. :) :)

Young- Does that say rose trellis, over the parking area? And a potager? Two screened porches...are you sure we're not related? (LOL) That is going to be absolutely beautiful! :)

Do you think your stairs will be tall enough, to walk under them, to get into the master bedroom? Even if you had to move the entry over a foot or two, you have room, if you change the size of your dressing cupboards. Speaking of dressing area...I don't know if you'll have room for hanging storage on both sides of the walk-in closet, but even an L-shaped hanging area would be wonderful!

I love the little bump out seating area in the master bedroom...very charming. If you ever decide the kids can share a room...and that front bedroom becomes your study/craft space, then french doors out to the swing bed would be so cool!!!

In the second/kids' bathroom, while double sinks are nice, I think a big vanity might be a better use of space. Maybe a big vanity with two sinks? Are you putting DH's man space upstairs? I'll be he would love that...like a big bonus room. Then, surely, you could get the front bedroom for your craft area? (LOL)

This is a beautiful, functional, lovely plan and I think you would be happy here for many years. With all the improvements and bonus space upstairs, I don't think you'd ever need to move! :)

Also, thanks for thinking I'm wise about the laundry door...but more experienced, than wise. LOL

We had to get a new washer this winter and there was too much snow to get around the back...so they came in the front...and had to take our door off the laundry room, in order to get the washer through!

One other thing...if you did have to slide the master entrance 'up' a foot or two, then you could have the big dressing cupboard, on the side towards the bedroom (across from the closet) and a small linen cabinet, across from the master bath. I've been looking for a cute built-in linen cabinet, for my plans...and I saved those dressing cupboard pictures. They're beautiful! :)

LL- I hope you're loving your new washer!

For me, outdoor spaces are icing on the cake when it comes to houses. Around here, the mosquitoes eat you alive though, so I'm sooo looking forward to a screened place.

The man who is currently doing the bathroom would be doing most of this work for us, so I'm going to have him look at the plan. On the 3d version, the doorway is a bit blocked by the standard stairs the program uses, and I don't know what our code is regarding pitch here. But, I do think the door can be shifted. I'd like to keep it out of the dining room, for sure though. I played around with your cupboard idea, and it worked out really well. Glad the pictures were helpful for your collection!!

For the kids' bathroom, I think I'll end up moving the unit we're currently putting in the future master bath over to their bathroom. When we started work on this bathroom, we designed it as the kids' space, and not ours. So, it doesn't have the finishes I would want in the master, but I can still have plumbing added to give us a second sink when it becomes a master space. And, if I get the hall linen closet, I'll have enough storage to maybe do the console sinks I love. The unit we have in the room now has a nice big surface space, which would be good for a kids' bath. Oh, the switching!!

Young- The washer is great, in fact we got a return from Lowe's, which saved us some money. It was out of the box, but never used. As the delivery guys opened the box, the lady decided she wanted a front loader! I guess they took it back, because the front loader was more expensive :)

I love outdoor spaces, too. I saw on your blog that you are from the north, but now live in the south. I used to live in the south (my dad is from there) but I'm back up north now. While I like the four seasons, I could do with a little more spring and fall and a little less winter...but I do like the snow, at least for a few months. I don't miss the mosquitoes, either...we have a few here, but only in the evening in the late spring/early summer. Then the creek dries up for the most part and the mosquitoes disappear, but we have a lot of birds, who help out, too :)

I think it's a great idea to reuse the items in the bathroom for the new kids' bathroom. Your master bathroom will be so nice...do you have a picture of the console sinks, you like?

Also, I hope your reno man likes your plan! I think it will be wonderful and I think the stairs would work, still from the living room, but maybe just closer to the corner. You probably don't need tons of clearance, maybe 6'6" would be enough? It looks close now, and I think every stair is about 8" to 10" up, so a few more towards the edge of the living room, should give you another 18" to 24" in height...not that I'm any expert...just my best guess (LOL)

Thanks again for the cupboard ideas! My planned master bedroom is about 15' x 10' with built in closets along the wall opposite the bed. I don't want to have bi fold doors, so I've been thinking of some kind of cabinet and you've given me some great ideas! :)

Here's the only other closet built-in/cupboard picture I've found, that I really like...

{{gwi:1435532}}

Hey, I like that last picture. Especially the caftan!
Those are my colors exactly, and my style too. And I bet also Shades would love that outfit. I like the wood, and the molding, the antique hooks, and the cut glass door knobs. I have SEVEN swing arm lamps in DH's old cape (two in our bedroom up there), and five in the family room along the length of the sectional sofa, so the light shines down and up on the old travel posters hanging within the moldings above the chair rail.

Oooo, I love those doors. The aged mirror is gorgeous. Actually, I'll just take the whole space! Love it.

I know they aren't the most practical, but I love sinks like this:

ML and Young- I'm glad you like the dressing cabinets. They look very french to me, and quite elegant. I want something that looks built-in and at least 80 to 100 years old.

Young- Those sinks would be perfect, with the style of the rest of your home. I like the mirror and sconces, too. Are you thinking one of these sinks and a vanity, or two sinks?

Would you have room for a shelf or cabinet, for all the things, usually stored in the vanity and drawers? Is that what you're planning to put in the linen cabinet? I like how light and airy it makes the bathroom look. That beadboard is nice, too...and the blue towels :)

I was thinking two sinks, small scaled ones. The linen closet just outside the master bath could hold towels and most toiletries, but I think I'd want a towel basket in the bathroom, like above. Perhaps a place to toss them after a shower? I have room for shelving over the toilet, or perhaps to add in a small medicine cabinet for toothbrushes and whatnot. Due to where the lighting would be in the morning, I'd do most of my "getting ready" in the bedroom. So, we'd just need toothbrushes and shower items in the bathroom. I do want to work up a little space for DH to keep his things though. I want him to feel like he has a "space of his own."

I wish we had two sinks too. I like your inspiration picture, kind of a mix of the old wall hungs and pedestals - a good look for your house too.