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ezlife2000

House plan feedback

14 years ago

I designed this set of plans and I'm looking for feedback. I'm trying to make any changes now that I'm missing.

Comments (5)

  • 14 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Sorry, the image is too small to see the level of detail necessary to check for many common issues like closets that are too small, lack of necessary aisleways, kitchens that are too tight, etc.

    But my first thought is that this is likely to be a VERY expensive plan to build due to the complex roof and foundation.

    The interior of the house is going to be rather dark due to the deep covered porches that shade all windows except those in the masterbedroom and a couple of bathroom windows. (Even the nook windows will get little or no direct natural light because they are tucked deep between two projecting roofed spaces.) One of the reasons for a complex house shape with lots of jigs and jogs is so that, in a big house, your rooms have more exterior wall space where you can put windows...and ideally, so rooms can have windows on two walls and get natural light from 2 directions. You have not taken advantage of the exterior walls.

    Next, the floorplan really doesn't flow all that well and there is quite a bit of wasted space in some areas.

    Why the big hallway between the two secondary bedrooms? That seems like wasted space that could be put to better use...like maybe replacing the J&J with two full baths, or giving the back bedroom a closet that doesn't seem to have been an afterthought carved out of the corner of the bedroom.

    I don't like how the front bedroom door is straight thru from the living room. Not good for privacy.

    I also really don't like having the master open directly off of the breakfast nook. That might be okay in a very small house where space is at a premium...but not in a house this size. And, the breakfast nook is very oddly shaped with that jog out.

    Can't tell if that is supposed to be a fireplace in the corner of the living room or just a TV wall. If it is a fireplace, be certain you have room for whatever window treatments you plan on having. Curtains and fireplaces don't coexist very well!

    What is the big room between the garage and masterbath? I'm guessing maybe a home gym or an office but really can't tell.

    No mudroom or drop-zone at the garage entry? It's a pretty long hike from garage to the first spot in the kitchen where one can set down bags of groceries. I also don't like that long unrelieved hallway leading from the front foyer down to the garage entry. It looks like it is at least 20 feet long and may not even be wide enough to accommodate a narrow hall table. That is gonna look like a bowling alley.

    Is that a full bath tucked into that hallway behind the stairs? That seems like an appropriate place for a powderroom but not for a full bath. Who is likely to shower or bathe there? The only potential guest room I see is the room off the front foyer. It that is meant to be a guest room, then anyone staying there will have to make a long walk thru the foyer and around the stairs in order to reach the bathroom. If I were a guest in your home, I would definitely NOT like that. It's one thing to make a quick dash down a reasonably private hallway in one's PJs but no one guest wants to walk thru the front foyer in the morning before they've even had a chance to brush their teeth.

    Wow! Do you really want a shower the size of the one you show in your master bath? While I can't see the dimensions, comparison to the garden tub you've drawn suggests that the shower itself is about 6.5 ft x 7.0 ft. That is ENORMOUS. Plus you've used even more space on the hall leading to the shower. I could be wrong but I suspect the result will be evocative of the big "group" shower areas we had to use after gym class in junior high. (One big tiled room with about a half dozen shower heads lining three of four walls.

    Were you thinking of having a pocket door in the master bedroom closet? If so, remember that pocket doors and plumbing for the bathroom sink won't co-exist very well in the same wall.

    Sorry to be so critical but do hope some of this helps you make your plan better. Now is the time to catch and fix things. Paper is cheap. Building materials are not.

  • 14 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I can't read the dimensions on your plan. If you changed the entrance to the upper right corner bedroom by putting the door where the closet is, and moving that wall down, you could incorporate closet space into the area which is now apparently open, unused hall space. It would make that bedroom larger, and provide a larger walk-in closet.

    Also, what is that room to the left of the laundry?

  • 14 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Will be twice as expensive as it needs to be due to the jigs and jogs that don't really do anything but add expense. They aren't functional. Overall, there is very poor flow and lots of wasted space. I wouldn't even use this as a jumping off point for revisions. I would start over completely with the right professional.

  • 14 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    "I designed this set of plans and I'm looking for feedback. I'm trying to make any changes now that I'm missing."

    You might be missing something, or nothing. Wouldn't it be interesting to be able to design something that addresses issues you never even considered? The person (in the link) below works with architects and designers. I have used her services more than once with good results. Just saying.

    "Design Phase Projects

    Why create a master bedroom addition that looks great, but which will over time, undermine your health or relationships? Why build a house facing a certain direction when shifting it a mere 5 degrees on the lot could make the difference between a house that is good or bad for money? Why expand a really negative part of the house when you could just as easily enlarge a positive part of the house? If you are gutting the house and removing the roof, what kind of new energy will you create?"

    A link that might be useful:

    www.fengshuisolutions.net/services.htm

  • 14 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Hmmm. I'd be interested in seeing how the house is laid out on your lot. The garage seems like it is overpowering the rest of the house, with the way it is extruding out the front.