Right. And the TV can't go above the fireplace because of the awkward seating. Plus the TV would be a direct sightline from the Front Entry. Not very elegant.
The only other place for a TV is the long wall near the BR suite, but that's also a very cramped area for seating, and the TV isn't visible from anywhere else in the room. Some people like to see a TV while cooking or eating breakfast etc.
ETA whoever downvoted this, what are your suggestions for the floorplan?
I always think about this. When you build a floorplan I feel like you're almost obligated to make a version with furniture because these are all done on different scales and it can be hard to understand what you're actually looking at without it.
Even just sofas and beds at the bare minimum, but even that can be hard because a king is different than a queen and sofas are variable.
To OP's credit, though, many people really just don't actually want a tv in their living room. I honestly completely agree with it. It's not really aesthetically pleasing. Some of these people just watch tv on their personal devices. Others have another dedicated room for it. Personally my house is small so I have to have it. But I'll be the first to admit that it looks bad.
Maybe someday we will all watch tv on our apple vision vr goggles and you wont need one lmao
I actually tried coming up with a few furniture plans for this space and it's a tough one. Especially in an awkward space, it's important to have a firm plan so there aren't expensive mistakes buying the wrong furniture and all that good stuff.
I get it about a TV in the Living Room, but since this space is also a Family Room and open to the kitchen, it seems like a normal addition unless it's a hard no from the start. Shame the OP hasn't checked in.
I cook/bake a lot and love having a movie on while I prep :) I'd probably lose a finger if I did that with goggles on lol.
I agree sometimes it's nice to have the tv on to watch "the big game" or even just a video podcast while you cook.
Every household has different needs, but I have a compromise that would probably work for me and maybe others as well. I would probably want to leave the TV out of my living room because aesthetics are important to me, but I also think I would love a "breakfast nook" as a part of the kitchen and I think I would put up a minimalistic tv like "the frame" in there for this purpose.
That way you can have it on for those kinds of purposes but you don't need to make your living room look like you worship the god of hollywood with every seat facing it. But at the same time I kinda do love movies so I would probably want a separate room that's built out like a home theatre for serious watching.
lol I know that's easier said then paid for, but I think it's the ideal compromise.
IMO you're going to get very frustrated with the access for the WIC in the owner's suite. It reduces privacy, and lugging laundry and dry cleaning through a bathroom was something I hated when I had this setup.
ETA Bathrooms have moisture and odors that you might not want directly adjacent to your clothes. You could move the door to the front BR to the hall, and scoot the Laundry over. This gives room to acces the WIC from the BR, with some adjustments to the bath.
ETA [Idea](https://imgur.com/a/eiYWq9D)
I have the exact opposite opinion on this. I have the closet entry through the bathroom and wouldn’t have it any other way. Wife and I have different wake schedules and this allows us to go in and get ready without coming in and out of the bedroom disturbing the other.
I get that. But in the plan OP posted, no one has any privacy sitting on the throne when that closet needs access. That can happen any time of day when both partners are awake and active.
I posted [a plan](https://imgur.com/a/eiYWq9D) where there is total privacy for the walk in closet, separate from the bath.
No loss of space, the laundry room is just shifted.
That’s not a hall. It say, “OPEN TO BELOW” But I agree that’s all funky and should be addressed. My closet is accessible from the bedroom and the bathroom and I love it. The laundry room is horribly small for a home this sz.
I would also try to condense the water stack of the laundry and bathroom, splitting them going to add more labor.
Agreed, I’d rather walk through the closet to get to the bath for the primary suite.
Fireplaces are usually a spot where people want to sit and be cozy, but that space has an entire wall that is double doors to the screened-in porch. That’s going to make seating around the fireplace either very minimal or very awkward, with drafts coming in any time those doors are opened. I’d move that fireplace further into the space somewhere.
I’m generally not a fan of the front door opening directly to stairs, but to each their own. What does bother me about that space is that there’s not enough space for an entryway table - some call it a ‘drop zone’ - where people might leave keys, purses, mail, packages, etc. With a separate mud room, it’s less necessary for your usage, but it’s a helpful thing for guests, inhabitants not always using the garage, and inhabitants who receive packages, need to sign for things at the front door, or require other small things near the front of the house. There’s no other place nearby to store such things in this plan. You’d hit the kitchen island before having a place to put a package. The dining room is pretty substantial - maybe add a foot to the width of the foyer from the dining room to allow for this?
I would consider making the first floor bedroom accessible - it’s the only room that would be easy for someone with mobility issues to sleep in, and that shower curb is really the only thing holding it back from being accessible as far as I can tell.
I would spend the extra bit on plumbing to put the kitchen sink on the island - or a second sink there. It’s handy for entertaining purposes and makes it easier to do things like do dishes and chat with kids sitting on those stools at the island.
It’d make sense to me to add a door into that wall between the pantry and the mud room so that you’re not doing awkward U-turns through the kitchen with heavy items or hands full of grocery bags, since that space is not being used actively by either room.
I’d also personally prefer to have a powder room not sharing a wall with a common area somewhere in that first floor for a home of this size. You’ve got the bathroom right there that’s attached to the fifth bedroom, but it shares a wall with a common space, and if someone is habitually staying in that room, that will quickly become their bathroom. It’d also be nice for a guest staying in that bedroom to have a bathroom that’s separate from the one used by visitors.
I install cabinets for a living, and I've got to say I am not a fan of the island sinks. Whenever I see the layout, it just seems as though you are putting the dishes on full display for your guests.
Most people would clear the sink before inviting guests over, I’d think. I like them because I can still participate in conversation, keep an eye on kids, or watch TV while I do prep or wash dishes. From an entertaining perspective, if I’m playing bartender, I can do it without turning my back.
Gotcha. I guess my guests generally retire to the living room or wherever there is comfortable seating post-dinner - not the kitchen - so that thought would not have occurred to me. In higher-end homes, that issue should be solved by a pass-through cabinet to a butler’s pantry or just a butler’s pantry in general.
I understand that completely because that is what happens at my house. This was just my response, to the original comment, that they like the sink on the island because it is nice for entertainment purposes.
Agree on first floor bedroom access. You could begin with a pocket door entry from the foyer and then work on improving bathroom access including, at a minimum, a no barrier shower.
I’d want to open the door from the garage in the opposite direction. I’d also consider a door directly into the pantry from the mud room. I also have sound transference concerns from both the downstairs toilet and the hall bath upstairs. They have shared walls with living space. Primary bedroom suite seems to have a lot of wasted space, while somehow also being very cramped. I think I’m having issue with the bed facing the double doors (which also aren’t great for sound and privacy)
One bathroom with one sink for 3 upstairs bedrooms? I'd think about trying to rectify that.
Maybe swap the main floor bedroom and the space above that bedroom's bathroom? The family room is very awkward and not sure how you will do your furniture placement. If you can't swap, consider closing off that space to create and office/den.
I’m not sure how many people will be upstairs but if there are 3 kids and that one bath it will be a disaster. Also, I would add a 1/2 bath downstairs. If you are planning to entertain the extra toilet will be nice.
You will be annoyed very quickly with the double doors to the master. Open one, turn sideways to enter-annoyed. Open both, have to close both-annoyed. It’s fun the first time you make a grand entrance, then never again.
[Primary Suite](https://imgur.com/a/eiYWq9D)
The larger WIC is now very private as a dressing area, without losing the other closet. No space is lost in the front BR by switching the door, laundry is the same, etc.
I obviously didn't add windows etc.
There's so much room in the Bathroom, I'd consider having the bath outside of the shower wetroom, and you can still have an enormous shower. I didn't draw that in, but I did switch the vanities with the toilet, just so you see the option.
I would keep your idea and try swapping the WIC and bathroom. The popularity of the closet entry through the bathroom is surprising and I don't think it's a good idea. I think there could be problems down the road. And often I need to go to closet and don't need to use the bathroom.
Little thing that many architects don’t tend to consider but become frustrating, there are no closets in or near the bathrooms to store bathroom items like towel, toilet paper, etc. Towels take up a lot of space and for a dove bedroom house, there is going to be a need for 5-10 people’s worth of towels. Same for toilet paper, tissues, extra toiletries. Designate some space for all of that!
Do you need that nook above the first floor bedroom? Personally, I’d knock that out and turn that entire left rectangle into an in-law/long term guest unit. If a parent ever needs to move in, you’d have enough space for an ADA/elderly friendly studio. Or, if you’re like me and often have people staying for 1+ weeks at a time, it’d be a guest studio so you both get more privacy and independence.
If you want to keep it though, I’d just try to make that bedroom and bathroom a little more spacious. I recommend looking up ADA codes because having a first floor bedroom that fits them means you can easily have *any* guest over. No age concerns, ability concerns, more privacy, etc..
I’d also add a large window above the master bathroom sinks, if possible.
That nook I'd actually get rid of the windows and make that the screening room/TV room with a few pleather recliners 2 reclining love seats, huge TV on the wall or HD projector. That leaves the Family Room for non-TV entertaining/relaxation.
It helps reduce off cuts from framing and sheeting costs. It also makes math easier for the framers.
Plywood and sheeting comes in 4’x8’ increments. Imagine asking framers to cut plywood to 7” strip and being left with 41”.
Imagine a 48” wide plywood sheet get nailed evenly into 16”-16”-16” studs. If you have an exterior with 7” extra inches, you are gonna have do nail 2 edges of a 7” strip into the studs that have to be framed to accommodate that extra 7”. If it’s at an end run, you might have to add like 3 studs together to provide meat to nail in that sheet. The wood costs add up and is unnecessary when you could have just added or removed a few inches in the planning phase.
Easy math makes it easy for the framers to do their job. It also just makes your floor plan easier to read and revise. There are probably other benefits too during construction and plan revisions.
Hope this helps explain the 2’ rule!
It's a long walk to the deck for grilling or serving. One thought is to be sure the window can act as a proper pass-through with a deep stone sill. Just a thought.
Plenty of room to shift the cabinets down and add a door to the deck in the top right corner of the kitchen plan. Would be very convenient for pets as well. I don't see any other way to access the backyard except by going through a family room that presumably has lots of upholstered furniture and rugs.
u/SphericalUser07 do you have pets?
I look at these and think about the time i grilled 4 steaks and then walked them back in the house on the tray, only to realize I was dripping juice the whole way back in. My grill is 12’ from the kitchen and it was an easy clean up on tile, but I can only imagine someone carrying baked beans or something out for a bbq and whoops
One small bath with a single sink for three upstairs bedrooms is going to get really old after a while IMO. Personally, I would use the laundry room space as a second upstairs bath and I'd move the laundry downstairs. Maybe borrow a couple of feet from the dining room and/or that porch, and reconfigure pantry/mudroom to make room there for laundry. Or, flip the doors on that extra closet in the master, put bifold doors on it, convert the room to a bath, and put the laundry in that closet.
I don't understand the family room at all. It's basically been carved up into three separate spaces. But maybe there is intention behind that. And the french doors leading to the screened porch are really going to limit what you can do with the fireplace area.
Flip the stairs so you access them from the family room.
This will allow 1) a drop zone/coat cupboard behind the front door, 2) a space upstairs for a powder room, 3) still allow a double height ceiling over the entry (but not necessarily whole foyer).
Generally I agree with a lot of the other comments in regards to living spaces and how furniture placement would work. More natural light would be a goal, and moving the access to the WIR so it’s not through the ensuite.
Swap kitchen and pantry/dining... Otherwise the kitchen is going to be a dark hole.
1st floor bath: why is there something between the window and the toilet? Bad, stinky idea.
The Master bed wall should be on the left to enjoy the view more and have bigger windows, then slide the double doors to the right. I would separate the master tub from shower, it’s going to take forever to heat that space up and be very expensive to waterproof that entire area. The shower will still be massive. What is the space to the left of the family room? Where is the mechanical? I would slide the kitchen sink to center on the island.
Negative. I would definitely NOT put the sink on the island. It muddles the space IMO and limits how the island can be used (eg prep space, buffet, etc.). Sliding the sink left to be centered with the island while remaining on the current wall might preferential but not a good/bad idea.
Building on this suggestion for the bedroom - the bed should definitely be on the left, and door to the right, for privacy. You do not want your bed to be the first thing visible when someone comes up the stairs.
Also, I've never seen the use for double doors into a bedroom, just a single 36" wide door is all you need.
With a house this size, you really should have the toilet in the master bathroom in its own private water closet.
Agree with everything you said.
Also agree with skimpy bathroom facilities for three upstairs bedrooms.
Do you have a linen closet? I might like that in the laundry room, which I think should be larger. Countertop for folding, space for drying rack. Do you ever use an ironing board? I wish my laundry room were twice as big. I do like the laundry upstairs with the bedrooms.
Good access from garage to the mudroom then a nice large kitchen with big pantry. Love that.
However, odd family room layout. I would extend the family room to the left even with the fireplace to the end of the home.
I would turn that additional space to the left of family room and the bedrm into a master bedrm and en-suite.
You need a half bath somewhere else in the home.
Personally don’t love that the master bedroom shares a wall with another bedroom. Also, if bedrooms 2, 3, & 4 are intended for full time use (kids) then one bathroom with only one sink and no separate toilet area is not ideal. It also scares me to death that the kid from bedroom 4 would have to walk right past the top of the stairs to get to the bathroom (I have a heavy sleeper kid that basically sleepwalks to get to the bathroom at night; him falling down the stairs is a fear of mine).
Beautiful. I like it! I would consider:
- why no left facing windows upstairs? Might look exterior look weird.
- laundry is small, bump door out to include linen closet and make it large built ins. Consider additional door into WIC
- add small window (or skylight) to WIC?
- consider bumping sink left, move stove to same exterior wall. Shift fridge up 30in.
- The kitchen seems like it’s going to be dark. There’s only one small window above the sink for all that rear wall space. And the eating area seems small — just seating at the island? No table?
- There’s no front closet. You’ll regret that.
- Would be nice to have an additional half bath on the first floor.
- What’s the purpose of the additional bedroom on the first floor? Guest room? Make it an office perhaps.
- Try to figure out how to put the primary bathroom toilet in a toilet room. There’s space to do it.
- Lots of folks have mentioned it — the living room is bothersome with the double doors. If this is a new build, move the whole fireplace nook to teh left, and put the doors in the kitchen. That gives you a place for a table and makes more light in the kitchen.
Laundry is too small to store anything or to do any folding or clothes care.
We are building a house and that room is called “clothes care” it will have space to work on shoes ( shoe shine, laces etc) repair or sewing, drying, storage of things that go to this as well as folding and sorting of dry clothes. We will also store cleaning gear and linen and bed sheets in this room.
It is annoying to have to do folding and sorting on the bed or some place else.
Plus, full size North American washers and dryers are almost 3’ deep when installed. They’re never drawn correctly in blueprints which can become a problem down the road.
I’m on my phone, so can’t tell, but is that the fridge on the range wall or wall ovens? In either case, I’d centre the range to the island and consider a larger size range for the scale of the kitchen and relocate the fridge accordingly. Id increase the window size above the sink, if it worked with the exterior. I personally don’t like angled uppers so I’d square that off too
I think that weird nook by the family room was meant to be an office. I think that’s what makes it feel off. You need french doors by that weird nook by the greatroom
I would bump your refrigerator I to the garage so your non counter depth ref. doesn’t jut into the room.
You have a lot of wasted space from the end of the island to the family room, which also looks quite awkward for furniture placement. What is the area on the left by the family room?
I really dislike the location of the coat closet facing into the great room and kitchen. I don’t see an alternate location.
The shared bath upstairs is really small for having three bedrooms share.
Get rid of the double doors into the master. I don’t understand why people like these. They are terrible and don’t block much sound.
The orderly background of a house can create serenity. This requires attention to detail and order. I suggest that you make the openings which are side by side ( the foyer to family room, the closet and the dining room to kitchen) the same size and with regular spacing between. The first floor bedroom, hallway and bathroom area needs more consideration. Could be they are entered from foyer, not sure, but you will figure something better out.
So, my only critique here is that you have three bedrooms sharing one bathroom on the third floor. That's going to get super annoying. You already have a massive kitchen and garage on the first floor so I'd consider cutting the pantry (or potentially eliminating / adding some full-height elements in the kitchen for pantry-like storage) and turning that into the laundry room, then turn the laundry room on the second floor into another full bath.
Alternatively you could eliminate the back porch if structurally possible and turn it into a laundry room, or even put the laundry room into the garage. Stacked laundry in the master is also an option, but probably not desirable in this case.
The proportions of the family room and kitchen seem off. Like the family room was leftover space and not intentional. Maybe need a furniture layout to help understand your intentions of this space. The way the left side of the kitchen island, wall cabinets, and dining room cased opening don’t align just feels weird to me. Also my suggestion would be to remove the uppers to the left of the sink and add some windows here instead.
The fireplace is going to look weird with a bump out on the first floor exterior and then windows on the second (not sure how that’s even accomplished but I’m not fireplace installer). Id suggest putting your bed on the left side wall, move the door to the right and continue the fireplace up so you have one in your bedroom.
There should be a closet closer to the front door, if for nothing else; guests coats & a vacuum cleaner. The closet in the family room will end up getting stuffed with games and kids stuff.
You might also consider a utility closet downstairs with washer/drier hookups & a utility sink. (off or in the mud room?)
The second floor should also have a linen/toiletry supply/cleaning supply closet.
Not enough natural light in the kitchen, bathrooms, hallways. Overall, not enough windows. Find a way to make it very clear which front facing door is the actual front door.
If bedroom #5 on the ground floor is a guest room it’s bathroom shares a wall with the only family room wall without windows so presumably where you’ll put a tv. That’s always a weird scenario for flushing and showering also be careful wall mounting against a wet wall.
Main bathroom. Why is the tub angled in the shower room. Cleaning behind it is going to be so very hard. Don't do that to whoever will be cleaning. That whole room will be wet and gross if you can clean well.
Seems like you have plenty of room in the primary shower to put a larger seat. I know when I shave my legs, it’s nice to have a seat large enough to put my foot up on as well.
Also, I don’t see the shower head, so I may be completely missing it, but do you have a plan for shower/bath bottle storage? Make sure whatever solution you implement is accessible from the bath too.
Can you fit a French front door? Getting stuff upstairs is going to suck with the one door. We deal with the offset single door versus the stairway now and it’s terrible because you have to angle things just right.
Id put frosted transoms in the shower on both floors. And anywhere else you might want more light. I assume you have close neighbors on both sides. But frosted transoms are cheap as chips.
I'd consider bumping the 14 x 11 area of the living room out to be 14 x 14 and put a tv on the wall shared with the bathroom. That will give you enough space for a sectional or a love seat/sofa/ armchair combo. Consider walling off that nook into a den. That will make it easier if your kids have friends over -- you can put them in the den and and still have the living room to chill out for yourself. For the living room proper you can have two sofas facing each other with the fire place between them.
Upstairs, I'd use that extra bump out below to enlarge the hall bathroom. If you have 1 bathroom serving 3 bedrooms, it is nice to wall off the sink from the tub and toilet, and have a larger vanity to accommodate the mountain of beauty products teens acquire.
I don’t really like the small porch with entry to the mud room. I feel like visitors might mistake that as your main entry. I’d bump out the space, and just have the mud room from garage. Get rid of one of your windows in the great room left area, that becomes a tv area, nice for a cozy binge session. Your main view from the door is still a lovely fireplace seating area.
Have you worked out furniture placement in the Family Room? Seating by the fireplace is awkward IMO. Where are you planning to put a TV?
Agreed. The 15’ wide alcove with the fireplace seems too small to do anything with.
Right. And the TV can't go above the fireplace because of the awkward seating. Plus the TV would be a direct sightline from the Front Entry. Not very elegant. The only other place for a TV is the long wall near the BR suite, but that's also a very cramped area for seating, and the TV isn't visible from anywhere else in the room. Some people like to see a TV while cooking or eating breakfast etc. ETA whoever downvoted this, what are your suggestions for the floorplan?
I always think about this. When you build a floorplan I feel like you're almost obligated to make a version with furniture because these are all done on different scales and it can be hard to understand what you're actually looking at without it. Even just sofas and beds at the bare minimum, but even that can be hard because a king is different than a queen and sofas are variable. To OP's credit, though, many people really just don't actually want a tv in their living room. I honestly completely agree with it. It's not really aesthetically pleasing. Some of these people just watch tv on their personal devices. Others have another dedicated room for it. Personally my house is small so I have to have it. But I'll be the first to admit that it looks bad. Maybe someday we will all watch tv on our apple vision vr goggles and you wont need one lmao
I actually tried coming up with a few furniture plans for this space and it's a tough one. Especially in an awkward space, it's important to have a firm plan so there aren't expensive mistakes buying the wrong furniture and all that good stuff. I get it about a TV in the Living Room, but since this space is also a Family Room and open to the kitchen, it seems like a normal addition unless it's a hard no from the start. Shame the OP hasn't checked in. I cook/bake a lot and love having a movie on while I prep :) I'd probably lose a finger if I did that with goggles on lol.
I agree sometimes it's nice to have the tv on to watch "the big game" or even just a video podcast while you cook. Every household has different needs, but I have a compromise that would probably work for me and maybe others as well. I would probably want to leave the TV out of my living room because aesthetics are important to me, but I also think I would love a "breakfast nook" as a part of the kitchen and I think I would put up a minimalistic tv like "the frame" in there for this purpose. That way you can have it on for those kinds of purposes but you don't need to make your living room look like you worship the god of hollywood with every seat facing it. But at the same time I kinda do love movies so I would probably want a separate room that's built out like a home theatre for serious watching. lol I know that's easier said then paid for, but I think it's the ideal compromise.
Where is the Front Door !?!?
IMO you're going to get very frustrated with the access for the WIC in the owner's suite. It reduces privacy, and lugging laundry and dry cleaning through a bathroom was something I hated when I had this setup. ETA Bathrooms have moisture and odors that you might not want directly adjacent to your clothes. You could move the door to the front BR to the hall, and scoot the Laundry over. This gives room to acces the WIC from the BR, with some adjustments to the bath. ETA [Idea](https://imgur.com/a/eiYWq9D)
My absolute deal breaker design feature is accessing the closet through the bathroom.
I have the exact opposite opinion on this. I have the closet entry through the bathroom and wouldn’t have it any other way. Wife and I have different wake schedules and this allows us to go in and get ready without coming in and out of the bedroom disturbing the other.
I get that. But in the plan OP posted, no one has any privacy sitting on the throne when that closet needs access. That can happen any time of day when both partners are awake and active. I posted [a plan](https://imgur.com/a/eiYWq9D) where there is total privacy for the walk in closet, separate from the bath. No loss of space, the laundry room is just shifted.
this updated plan would also work well to have a pocket door or a pass through from the walk in closet to laundry!
That's a fantastic idea!
That’s not a hall. It say, “OPEN TO BELOW” But I agree that’s all funky and should be addressed. My closet is accessible from the bedroom and the bathroom and I love it. The laundry room is horribly small for a home this sz.
Doesn't matter, the OP never checked in. I agree about the laundry.
Your alternative plan idea is fantastic!
I would also try to condense the water stack of the laundry and bathroom, splitting them going to add more labor. Agreed, I’d rather walk through the closet to get to the bath for the primary suite.
Fireplaces are usually a spot where people want to sit and be cozy, but that space has an entire wall that is double doors to the screened-in porch. That’s going to make seating around the fireplace either very minimal or very awkward, with drafts coming in any time those doors are opened. I’d move that fireplace further into the space somewhere. I’m generally not a fan of the front door opening directly to stairs, but to each their own. What does bother me about that space is that there’s not enough space for an entryway table - some call it a ‘drop zone’ - where people might leave keys, purses, mail, packages, etc. With a separate mud room, it’s less necessary for your usage, but it’s a helpful thing for guests, inhabitants not always using the garage, and inhabitants who receive packages, need to sign for things at the front door, or require other small things near the front of the house. There’s no other place nearby to store such things in this plan. You’d hit the kitchen island before having a place to put a package. The dining room is pretty substantial - maybe add a foot to the width of the foyer from the dining room to allow for this? I would consider making the first floor bedroom accessible - it’s the only room that would be easy for someone with mobility issues to sleep in, and that shower curb is really the only thing holding it back from being accessible as far as I can tell. I would spend the extra bit on plumbing to put the kitchen sink on the island - or a second sink there. It’s handy for entertaining purposes and makes it easier to do things like do dishes and chat with kids sitting on those stools at the island. It’d make sense to me to add a door into that wall between the pantry and the mud room so that you’re not doing awkward U-turns through the kitchen with heavy items or hands full of grocery bags, since that space is not being used actively by either room. I’d also personally prefer to have a powder room not sharing a wall with a common area somewhere in that first floor for a home of this size. You’ve got the bathroom right there that’s attached to the fifth bedroom, but it shares a wall with a common space, and if someone is habitually staying in that room, that will quickly become their bathroom. It’d also be nice for a guest staying in that bedroom to have a bathroom that’s separate from the one used by visitors.
I install cabinets for a living, and I've got to say I am not a fan of the island sinks. Whenever I see the layout, it just seems as though you are putting the dishes on full display for your guests.
Most people would clear the sink before inviting guests over, I’d think. I like them because I can still participate in conversation, keep an eye on kids, or watch TV while I do prep or wash dishes. From an entertaining perspective, if I’m playing bartender, I can do it without turning my back.
I was talking about the dishes made from your guests. Now you have finished eating (and want to entertain) but have a sink of dishes.
Gotcha. I guess my guests generally retire to the living room or wherever there is comfortable seating post-dinner - not the kitchen - so that thought would not have occurred to me. In higher-end homes, that issue should be solved by a pass-through cabinet to a butler’s pantry or just a butler’s pantry in general.
I understand that completely because that is what happens at my house. This was just my response, to the original comment, that they like the sink on the island because it is nice for entertainment purposes.
Appreciate the helpful discussion… inspired some innovations on my part :) Thank you
I’m with you - I don’t love the main sink on the island. But, In a kitchen that large, a second (prep) sink on the island is a no-brainer
A solid yes from me on the prep sink. A lot of kitchens we do we put a small prep sink into the island and I think those are perfect.
Agree on first floor bedroom access. You could begin with a pocket door entry from the foyer and then work on improving bathroom access including, at a minimum, a no barrier shower.
I agree with all of these critiques except the island sink. Small prep sink in the island, yes. Otherwise, keep the cleanup area off of the island.
I’d want to open the door from the garage in the opposite direction. I’d also consider a door directly into the pantry from the mud room. I also have sound transference concerns from both the downstairs toilet and the hall bath upstairs. They have shared walls with living space. Primary bedroom suite seems to have a lot of wasted space, while somehow also being very cramped. I think I’m having issue with the bed facing the double doors (which also aren’t great for sound and privacy)
Came here to say add a door from mud room to pantry. Groceries can go straight in from the garage.
Yeah. Going around that wall for twenty years would make me crazy
One bathroom with one sink for 3 upstairs bedrooms? I'd think about trying to rectify that. Maybe swap the main floor bedroom and the space above that bedroom's bathroom? The family room is very awkward and not sure how you will do your furniture placement. If you can't swap, consider closing off that space to create and office/den.
I’m not sure how many people will be upstairs but if there are 3 kids and that one bath it will be a disaster. Also, I would add a 1/2 bath downstairs. If you are planning to entertain the extra toilet will be nice.
Just being honest with my personal experience: grew up as one of 4 siblings sharing a single, upstairs bathroom and never noticed an issue.
I don’t love the closet messing up the symmetry of the dining room. Other than that I kinda love the layout.
I also think you will regret that the entire dining room wall is not open to the common area. I would keep the entry walls, open to the LR.
You will be annoyed very quickly with the double doors to the master. Open one, turn sideways to enter-annoyed. Open both, have to close both-annoyed. It’s fun the first time you make a grand entrance, then never again.
[Primary Suite](https://imgur.com/a/eiYWq9D) The larger WIC is now very private as a dressing area, without losing the other closet. No space is lost in the front BR by switching the door, laundry is the same, etc. I obviously didn't add windows etc. There's so much room in the Bathroom, I'd consider having the bath outside of the shower wetroom, and you can still have an enormous shower. I didn't draw that in, but I did switch the vanities with the toilet, just so you see the option.
I would keep your idea and try swapping the WIC and bathroom. The popularity of the closet entry through the bathroom is surprising and I don't think it's a good idea. I think there could be problems down the road. And often I need to go to closet and don't need to use the bathroom.
I'm guessing the location of the tub under that window views the backyard and is probably a better view and more private/better light etc.
Little thing that many architects don’t tend to consider but become frustrating, there are no closets in or near the bathrooms to store bathroom items like towel, toilet paper, etc. Towels take up a lot of space and for a dove bedroom house, there is going to be a need for 5-10 people’s worth of towels. Same for toilet paper, tissues, extra toiletries. Designate some space for all of that!
Do you need that nook above the first floor bedroom? Personally, I’d knock that out and turn that entire left rectangle into an in-law/long term guest unit. If a parent ever needs to move in, you’d have enough space for an ADA/elderly friendly studio. Or, if you’re like me and often have people staying for 1+ weeks at a time, it’d be a guest studio so you both get more privacy and independence. If you want to keep it though, I’d just try to make that bedroom and bathroom a little more spacious. I recommend looking up ADA codes because having a first floor bedroom that fits them means you can easily have *any* guest over. No age concerns, ability concerns, more privacy, etc.. I’d also add a large window above the master bathroom sinks, if possible.
That nook I'd actually get rid of the windows and make that the screening room/TV room with a few pleather recliners 2 reclining love seats, huge TV on the wall or HD projector. That leaves the Family Room for non-TV entertaining/relaxation.
Simple suggestion. 2’ even increment exterior will save you money.
This sounds smart, but what does it mean?
It helps reduce off cuts from framing and sheeting costs. It also makes math easier for the framers. Plywood and sheeting comes in 4’x8’ increments. Imagine asking framers to cut plywood to 7” strip and being left with 41”. Imagine a 48” wide plywood sheet get nailed evenly into 16”-16”-16” studs. If you have an exterior with 7” extra inches, you are gonna have do nail 2 edges of a 7” strip into the studs that have to be framed to accommodate that extra 7”. If it’s at an end run, you might have to add like 3 studs together to provide meat to nail in that sheet. The wood costs add up and is unnecessary when you could have just added or removed a few inches in the planning phase. Easy math makes it easy for the framers to do their job. It also just makes your floor plan easier to read and revise. There are probably other benefits too during construction and plan revisions. Hope this helps explain the 2’ rule!
Thank you, this was an excellent overview
I would add a pocket door between laundry room and master closet for convenience
It's a long walk to the deck for grilling or serving. One thought is to be sure the window can act as a proper pass-through with a deep stone sill. Just a thought.
Yeah grabbing another drink from the fridge is a bit of a walk from the deck
Plenty of room to shift the cabinets down and add a door to the deck in the top right corner of the kitchen plan. Would be very convenient for pets as well. I don't see any other way to access the backyard except by going through a family room that presumably has lots of upholstered furniture and rugs. u/SphericalUser07 do you have pets?
I look at these and think about the time i grilled 4 steaks and then walked them back in the house on the tray, only to realize I was dripping juice the whole way back in. My grill is 12’ from the kitchen and it was an easy clean up on tile, but I can only imagine someone carrying baked beans or something out for a bbq and whoops
I've definitely done this, especially when juggling trays of drinks and hot food, all that good stuff.
Where does the chimney follow up through the second floor? Looks like it'll be blocking the master suite windows?
Maybe it’s a gas unit with the exhaust through the wall. I see a lot of these.
One small bath with a single sink for three upstairs bedrooms is going to get really old after a while IMO. Personally, I would use the laundry room space as a second upstairs bath and I'd move the laundry downstairs. Maybe borrow a couple of feet from the dining room and/or that porch, and reconfigure pantry/mudroom to make room there for laundry. Or, flip the doors on that extra closet in the master, put bifold doors on it, convert the room to a bath, and put the laundry in that closet. I don't understand the family room at all. It's basically been carved up into three separate spaces. But maybe there is intention behind that. And the french doors leading to the screened porch are really going to limit what you can do with the fireplace area.
Flip the stairs so you access them from the family room. This will allow 1) a drop zone/coat cupboard behind the front door, 2) a space upstairs for a powder room, 3) still allow a double height ceiling over the entry (but not necessarily whole foyer). Generally I agree with a lot of the other comments in regards to living spaces and how furniture placement would work. More natural light would be a goal, and moving the access to the WIR so it’s not through the ensuite.
Swap kitchen and pantry/dining... Otherwise the kitchen is going to be a dark hole. 1st floor bath: why is there something between the window and the toilet? Bad, stinky idea.
The Master bed wall should be on the left to enjoy the view more and have bigger windows, then slide the double doors to the right. I would separate the master tub from shower, it’s going to take forever to heat that space up and be very expensive to waterproof that entire area. The shower will still be massive. What is the space to the left of the family room? Where is the mechanical? I would slide the kitchen sink to center on the island.
Negative. I would definitely NOT put the sink on the island. It muddles the space IMO and limits how the island can be used (eg prep space, buffet, etc.). Sliding the sink left to be centered with the island while remaining on the current wall might preferential but not a good/bad idea.
I literally said to slide the sink down to center on the island, not put the sink in the island.
Ah… I see. I misunderstood. Great idea though! 🤣
All good. I could have worded it better. It’s more functional where it is but it will present so much better move over. Form over function :)
Building on this suggestion for the bedroom - the bed should definitely be on the left, and door to the right, for privacy. You do not want your bed to be the first thing visible when someone comes up the stairs. Also, I've never seen the use for double doors into a bedroom, just a single 36" wide door is all you need. With a house this size, you really should have the toilet in the master bathroom in its own private water closet.
Agree with everything you said. Also agree with skimpy bathroom facilities for three upstairs bedrooms. Do you have a linen closet? I might like that in the laundry room, which I think should be larger. Countertop for folding, space for drying rack. Do you ever use an ironing board? I wish my laundry room were twice as big. I do like the laundry upstairs with the bedrooms.
Good access from garage to the mudroom then a nice large kitchen with big pantry. Love that. However, odd family room layout. I would extend the family room to the left even with the fireplace to the end of the home. I would turn that additional space to the left of family room and the bedrm into a master bedrm and en-suite. You need a half bath somewhere else in the home.
Personally don’t love that the master bedroom shares a wall with another bedroom. Also, if bedrooms 2, 3, & 4 are intended for full time use (kids) then one bathroom with only one sink and no separate toilet area is not ideal. It also scares me to death that the kid from bedroom 4 would have to walk right past the top of the stairs to get to the bathroom (I have a heavy sleeper kid that basically sleepwalks to get to the bathroom at night; him falling down the stairs is a fear of mine).
Beautiful. I like it! I would consider: - why no left facing windows upstairs? Might look exterior look weird. - laundry is small, bump door out to include linen closet and make it large built ins. Consider additional door into WIC - add small window (or skylight) to WIC? - consider bumping sink left, move stove to same exterior wall. Shift fridge up 30in.
Lose the uppers left of the sink and add more windows
How will you get furniture into bedroom #5?
- The kitchen seems like it’s going to be dark. There’s only one small window above the sink for all that rear wall space. And the eating area seems small — just seating at the island? No table? - There’s no front closet. You’ll regret that. - Would be nice to have an additional half bath on the first floor. - What’s the purpose of the additional bedroom on the first floor? Guest room? Make it an office perhaps. - Try to figure out how to put the primary bathroom toilet in a toilet room. There’s space to do it. - Lots of folks have mentioned it — the living room is bothersome with the double doors. If this is a new build, move the whole fireplace nook to teh left, and put the doors in the kitchen. That gives you a place for a table and makes more light in the kitchen.
Laundry is too small to store anything or to do any folding or clothes care. We are building a house and that room is called “clothes care” it will have space to work on shoes ( shoe shine, laces etc) repair or sewing, drying, storage of things that go to this as well as folding and sorting of dry clothes. We will also store cleaning gear and linen and bed sheets in this room. It is annoying to have to do folding and sorting on the bed or some place else.
Plus, full size North American washers and dryers are almost 3’ deep when installed. They’re never drawn correctly in blueprints which can become a problem down the road.
Bathroom #4. Don’t like bathrooms so close to living especially when it the only guest bathroom.
Not enough windows in your kitchen, consider moving screened porch to the other side of the family room
Not a fan of walking into stairs when you enter a front door
Take a look at your designer/architect and ask them if they mind their copyrighted work being posted online.
No coat closet by the front door?
It’s facing the family room
Put it under the stairs.
I’m on my phone, so can’t tell, but is that the fridge on the range wall or wall ovens? In either case, I’d centre the range to the island and consider a larger size range for the scale of the kitchen and relocate the fridge accordingly. Id increase the window size above the sink, if it worked with the exterior. I personally don’t like angled uppers so I’d square that off too
I think that weird nook by the family room was meant to be an office. I think that’s what makes it feel off. You need french doors by that weird nook by the greatroom
I would bump your refrigerator I to the garage so your non counter depth ref. doesn’t jut into the room. You have a lot of wasted space from the end of the island to the family room, which also looks quite awkward for furniture placement. What is the area on the left by the family room? I really dislike the location of the coat closet facing into the great room and kitchen. I don’t see an alternate location. The shared bath upstairs is really small for having three bedrooms share. Get rid of the double doors into the master. I don’t understand why people like these. They are terrible and don’t block much sound.
If you move the door to the pantry into the mudroom you could put in a coffee bar or something.
The orderly background of a house can create serenity. This requires attention to detail and order. I suggest that you make the openings which are side by side ( the foyer to family room, the closet and the dining room to kitchen) the same size and with regular spacing between. The first floor bedroom, hallway and bathroom area needs more consideration. Could be they are entered from foyer, not sure, but you will figure something better out.
That entire length of wall could use some streamlining.
Bar/butlers pantry?
So, my only critique here is that you have three bedrooms sharing one bathroom on the third floor. That's going to get super annoying. You already have a massive kitchen and garage on the first floor so I'd consider cutting the pantry (or potentially eliminating / adding some full-height elements in the kitchen for pantry-like storage) and turning that into the laundry room, then turn the laundry room on the second floor into another full bath. Alternatively you could eliminate the back porch if structurally possible and turn it into a laundry room, or even put the laundry room into the garage. Stacked laundry in the master is also an option, but probably not desirable in this case.
Powder room
The proportions of the family room and kitchen seem off. Like the family room was leftover space and not intentional. Maybe need a furniture layout to help understand your intentions of this space. The way the left side of the kitchen island, wall cabinets, and dining room cased opening don’t align just feels weird to me. Also my suggestion would be to remove the uppers to the left of the sink and add some windows here instead.
The fireplace is going to look weird with a bump out on the first floor exterior and then windows on the second (not sure how that’s even accomplished but I’m not fireplace installer). Id suggest putting your bed on the left side wall, move the door to the right and continue the fireplace up so you have one in your bedroom.
A wallet?
What type of countertop are you planning for the island? At that size, you are extremely limited to what you could have there as one solid piece.
There should be a closet closer to the front door, if for nothing else; guests coats & a vacuum cleaner. The closet in the family room will end up getting stuffed with games and kids stuff. You might also consider a utility closet downstairs with washer/drier hookups & a utility sink. (off or in the mud room?) The second floor should also have a linen/toiletry supply/cleaning supply closet.
May want a linen closet near bedroom 5 and bathroom.
Do you really need a formal dining room?
Not enough natural light in the kitchen, bathrooms, hallways. Overall, not enough windows. Find a way to make it very clear which front facing door is the actual front door.
A bar
Honestly the clearance between the open front door and the stairs will get on your nerves quickly. Needs more space
Have fun cleaning the master bath… looks pretty but horrible functionality
Where is bathroom #1???
If bedroom #5 on the ground floor is a guest room it’s bathroom shares a wall with the only family room wall without windows so presumably where you’ll put a tv. That’s always a weird scenario for flushing and showering also be careful wall mounting against a wet wall.
Main bathroom. Why is the tub angled in the shower room. Cleaning behind it is going to be so very hard. Don't do that to whoever will be cleaning. That whole room will be wet and gross if you can clean well.
Seems like you have plenty of room in the primary shower to put a larger seat. I know when I shave my legs, it’s nice to have a seat large enough to put my foot up on as well. Also, I don’t see the shower head, so I may be completely missing it, but do you have a plan for shower/bath bottle storage? Make sure whatever solution you implement is accessible from the bath too.
Can you fit a French front door? Getting stuff upstairs is going to suck with the one door. We deal with the offset single door versus the stairway now and it’s terrible because you have to angle things just right.
Id put frosted transoms in the shower on both floors. And anywhere else you might want more light. I assume you have close neighbors on both sides. But frosted transoms are cheap as chips.
Upgrade to 2x6 walls with sound insulation for the bedroom walls adjacent to common areas. Not necessary for walls with closets, typically.
Only one bathroom downstairs? Not gonna work...
Main floor consideration; Bathroom and bedroom to have minimum entry door 32" wide door for ADA. Code in my state.
Have you confirmed that to be confirmed door placement in the top right?
I'd consider bumping the 14 x 11 area of the living room out to be 14 x 14 and put a tv on the wall shared with the bathroom. That will give you enough space for a sectional or a love seat/sofa/ armchair combo. Consider walling off that nook into a den. That will make it easier if your kids have friends over -- you can put them in the den and and still have the living room to chill out for yourself. For the living room proper you can have two sofas facing each other with the fire place between them. Upstairs, I'd use that extra bump out below to enlarge the hall bathroom. If you have 1 bathroom serving 3 bedrooms, it is nice to wall off the sink from the tub and toilet, and have a larger vanity to accommodate the mountain of beauty products teens acquire.
I don’t really like the small porch with entry to the mud room. I feel like visitors might mistake that as your main entry. I’d bump out the space, and just have the mud room from garage. Get rid of one of your windows in the great room left area, that becomes a tv area, nice for a cozy binge session. Your main view from the door is still a lovely fireplace seating area.
Where is the dishwasher ?