Thoughts on our house plans, please?

[EddieWalker]

Nothing good to say about the new plan. Might just need to take a break and come back at it when you are fresh.

Something to consider is that we are all born with certain gifts and skills. Some people can design, others cannot. For the time and effort that you are putting into drawing plans that don't work,you should go back to looking at existing plans. Maybe contact a local builder to look over plans with you and walk you through them. Point out features that make the plans good, and what makes them bad. From a cost to build aspect, to finishing it out and what it will be like to live in it.

Eddie

 

[gocards1177]

Boy, with friends like these...

No, seriously though, I get what you're saying. I don't have a home design talent, as evidenced by my work that you've seen so far. However, I'm determined, stubborn and I'm asking for help. A lot of decent things in this world have been accomplished by brute force. I'm considering all of the previous advice, I took a couple of weeks off, I'm reading through the "At home in the woods" thread and taking notes, and I spent several hours looking through eplans.com on Saturday, but I just didn't see what we were looking for.

As much as you expect me not to be offended, it's important for you to realize that putting this home design process out here on the web for everyone to critique is the equivalent to wearing my heart on my sleeve. I respect and appreciate almost all of your comments. But I can't do everything that's suggested to me. Look at the summary I listed regarding the previous plan. There's several instances of contradictory advice.

I know that this image I posted last night isn't much. I almost didn't post it, but I thought to myself that rather than working on it alone for a few weeks and then getting you guys' opinions latter, why not involve you as I go along? I'm showing a lot of respect by doing that, but if you'd rather I don't post my progress, I can go a different route. FWIW, I think there's several things in what I posted last night that follow the previous suggestions. The family room, study, and dining room are larger. It's rectilinear - I removed unnecessary corners. I removed the second stairs. The overall square footage is smaller. Sure, the master suite, kitchen layout, utility/mudroom, and not to mention the second floor haven't been addressed, but it's a start.

So if I had my 'druthers, I'd like to make this a collaboration as it goes along. I'll keep posting as long as I get constructive criticism. Once the layout is decided, I plan to go back to the architect and/or hire a structural engineer to develop the final builder's set and sign off on the structure. People design their own homes all the time, and I think that if you all are willing to help me, there's no reason I can't be any different.
Take care.
Thanks,
GoCards

 

[MossRoad]

I was able to take some time this afternoon start over again. Dmcarty, I agree with you about the grid paper. That's where we started months ago, and we like the overall layout, so it's going to be hard to move away from the general idea. Besides, it feelsfaster and easier to use the drafting program.

Anywho, considering things like room sizes, efficiency, cleaner exterior lines, and open layout, here's where I'm at so far. I like the arrangement of the entry, family room, dining, and kitchen. I also like making the sunroom into a screened-in porch instead and pulling it under the main roof.

I don't have a clear idea of the master suite nor the mudroom, yet. I intentionally left the garage separated from the house, but oriented and lined up in an "L" shape. Somehow there will be a mudroom/laundry that will connect the two.

We're going to try to stick with a 2-story. I spent a lot of time the past 2 days perusing E-plans and I have a concept in mind. Like one of you said, the second floor will depend on the first, so I'm working on it first.

BTW, ignore the dotted lines. They're put there by the program to calculate room sizes.
View attachment 281040

If you want to move furniture to the upstairs, that offset between the centerline of the stairs and the front door will cause issues. The bottom of the stairs is too close to the front door. Bump the front of the house out 4' all the way across and that will give you a larger master bedroom, a larger study, a larger front entryway and a larger great room.

If you have a party, where will guest's pee? They will have to go through that study or through the dining room and kitchen and use the master bath. You want the master bath for the master, not the guests.

I do like this layout better than the first. :thumbsup: Good luck with the planning.

 

[LD1]

I second the notion of adding 4' to the front.

I would also consider re-locating the bathroom. Having to track through the study to use the facilities isnt something I would like. Instead, I would condider something like this....

Where the current bathroom is, make that the closet for the master suite. and re-locate the bathroom to an area where the closet is. Or even downsize the kitchen a tad. That kitchen is HUGE especially with having an open dining room with no walls between it and the kitchen. This will do a couple of things, it will give you a bathroom right when you enter from the garage. And also keep the plumbing closer together so your runs arent as far. And this bathroom really only needs to be a toilet and sink. I wouldnt see the need to have a full bath since I "assume" the master bath will be a full bath and "assume" that the upstairs will have its own FULL bath. All you really need is a guest restroom. And no shower is necessary, and tracking through the study I wouldnt want.

Just some food for thought.

 

[gocards1177]

We'd like for the study and associated bathroom to have a dual purpose. My in-laws don't do well with stairs. My parents are younger, but someday probably won't do well with stairs. That's always going to be the case for some guests. For the most part we'd like for the study to be just that, a quiet sitting area with some chairs and books. Something nice to see when guests arrive. We were thinking it would have a Murphy bed and the bathroom would have a shower for when guests that can't really use the basement guest room come over. I have a friend in town with an almost identical arrangment in their house, but I haven't seen it in a while. I might go over and look at it sometime and see if I can replicate it. If I recall, they have a front area with sink that attaches to the entry hallway, and then there's a back area to the bathroom with toilet and tub that also attaches to the study/guest room that is at the front of the house, just off of the front door.

 

[gocards1177]

MossRoad,
Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[gocards1177]

On second thought, with regards to the grid-paper: As I'm packing for vacation, I'm going to throw some in. I can't take my desktop computer with me very easily, but if I'm inspired while I'm away, maybe I can play around with pencil and paper.

 

[cdaigle430]

Not a good idea to post plans for your house on a public forum, may as well post your security code to.

 

[sdkubota]

Not a good idea to post plans for your house on a public forum, may as well post your security code to.

Maybe he is looking for target practice volunteers.

 

[gocards1177]

Never thought of it that way. You really think so? Like someone breaking in or for taxes? People put photos of plans, buildings, equipment on here all the time. Should I make it more generic somehow or do you think I should stop altogether?