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Also, we have a daylight basement lot, so the doors in the den open onto a terrace (which is not pictured in the sketch), which would be a second floor terrace.

I had thought about putting the fireplace on that terrace wall but am worried about interrupting the view (of undeveloped/undevelop-able (ridge) woods), and also the expense of having a masonry fireplace two levels (we will already have one on the screened porch, which is as of now still elevated (we may flip the house so that may change). Also, that interrupts the view from the kitchen of a fireplace.

Also, where do you put the TV in the den (what he has marked living, but will be a casual spot (we have 3 boys and dogs)). Not sure there is enough wall space on the proposed fireplace wall.

Athensmom,

We have a very similar 1st floor plan. The differences are: our parking is under the screen porch, so we don't have the garage arrangement. Our side entry, mud room, etc. is between the dining room and the kitchen with the butler's pantry at the far wall. Our breakfast area is a bump out from the keeping room on the left side to catch a little more morning sun, so we aren't quite as long. Our screen porch also bumps out so that you can go from the screen porch to the grilling porch, which has door betwen the kitchen and the keeping room. (Had to find a place for the Big Green Egg!)

I don't think the room will be too long, but if I were going to do a cased opening, I might put it between the kitchen and the breakfast. That seems like a more natural place for it. It would give you a neat little furniture niche beside the door to the deck, also.

Have you thought about putting the TV above the fireplace? That can look very nice. Be sure to think about the future: you have 3 boys (as do I)and you live in Athens, so football watching is in your future. Where will they gather to watch the games in years to come? If you have the TV over the fireplace and your island seating facing the opposite direction, that could be a problem. Where do you want 3 teenagers to eat their bowl(s) of chili while they watch the game?

I see your concerns about the master bath. I think the L shaped closet is a bit awkward Ours is also really large - as big as the bedroom - but it works a little differently. I wish I could tell you how to fix it. What about moving the vanity down to where the door is now and having a more straight forward door in the corner? You could use the funny little space in the closet next to the for shoe storage for the smaller closet.

I'm sure the wiser heads on the forum will have some great ideas. Good luck!

Thanks for your input! We are doing a TV in the living room too (really just a den) and I will have a small one next to the sink I am sure as I always have it on when I am cleaning up the kitchen. And probably one on the screened porch (thanks hubby!) - and we will probably have a casual dining spot out there too. So there will be lots of options, although you bring up a good point since we can now sit at the breakfast table and watch tv if we want . . .

Not in love with the TV over the fireplace, although I did find a good built in solution which is the best I have found. . . still looking though. I expect we might have to do that in the den though unless I can come up with something else.

Bill recommended maybe bumping up the ceiling instead of a cased opening? With shiplap and beams? I am also not opposed to bumping out the breakfast area and pulling the keeping room forward but don't know what that does to the den/terrace area. . . We have a fabulous view of unspoiled woods out the back on part of our lot, so we are trying to take advantage of that.

Thinking of scrapping the master bath/closets anyway - it is basically the Christmas Showhouse but it seems quite large for our not so big house . . . I do think we could expand the smaller closet, split the vanity which is too much cabinets anyway, and put a door in between the two. Don't like the linen closet outside the bedroom either - afraid a guest will open it looking for the powder room!

Thanks again for your thoughts! I think some things work and others don't so I am trying to get it all working together which is tough!!!! And also trying to keep a major eye on wasted square footage which is why the master bath/closets and foyer for that matter seem in line for a reduction!

Here is a link that might be useful:

I'm a little mixed up on the room terminology. I was suggesting a tv over the fireplace (if there is one) in the living room. That was the tv I was envisioning people wanting to watch while eating at the island. I would put a tv between the windows in the keeping room/den, assuming your sofa will be opposite that wall.

For a bar area, how about moving the cased opening forward to the bottom of the stair (front edge of powder room)? Then you have a nice spot opposite the powder room for a bar. Or you could keep the cased opening you have and add one at the foot of the stairs (both sides), to make an alcove opposite the powder room for your bar. It would also give you a small wall for a pretty chair in your foyer.

Have you played around with furniture placement? You might want to measure your furniture and make scaled cutouts to be sure the seating and so forth will work out. My architect starts by measuring all of the furniture that will be in the new house and designs the house for the furniture. It's realy great to have the furniture (my furniture!)on all of the floor plans, so we can see how everything will fit. That makes tv placement easier, too.

Love the link for the hidden tv!

Great idea about the bar . . . definitely something to think about!

I have an old interior design program that I can draw things out on and then place furniture which I did on the prior floor plan and it made me realize a couple of the rooms needed to be adjusted!

I think most things look pretty good. I would not reduce the master closet size at all. If anything the foyer is pretty large. It may need to be but its got lot of wasted space. If you want sidelites at front door ( not saying you do) you could move closet(s) up to wall on left. Other than that the biggest thing I see is the garage size. There should be more space at each end of the garage...to the left or right of the end doors not the bumpouts. and I would like to see the garage about 2 ft deeper. Good Luck

Thanks bigkahuna! I agree about the foyer size. That will likely be reduced as I thought that was part of the point of the stairs on the side - having a smaller foyer.

Thanks for your input!

Everything works so well hand drawn at 1/10 inch scale.

One other thing to consider. If you plan to ever finish the lower level /basement you might try to see if the stair going down can be the closer one to the kitchen since one is often times taking drinks, snacks etc from the kitchen down to that area.

Thanks. I think that is a mix up, as the upstairs plan which is very much in flux has the stairs entering at that point. Think he may have drawn that originally and when he did the upstairs sketch he didn't re - label. We will be finishing the basement, and have a plan for that as well. Obviously, this is a very rough sketch to get room layouts and dimensions figured out before he has his draftsman put it on the computer.

Trying to get it very close though at this stage and think everything through so we won't get into major room location changes down the road. . .

A fireplace in an small, closed in room, with several people (like a den), will heat up fast in today's well-insulated houses. Better to have it in a larger, multi-room area.

Anne