Here is our floor plan

2nd floor

I wouldn't get rid of the porch, especially if you are going to extend the family room.

A few thoughts on the plan.

Where will you place the bed in the master? I don't see you you could fit a king bed.

On the kitchen, I would ditch the peninsula and put in a 6x4 island.

There's no real landing zone when you enter through the garage.

I like this houseplan, and it looks great in the red in the drawing,

I wouldn't bother to do away with the porch. It's so small that it wouldn't save you much of anything, and it gives you windows on three walls in the great room. I kind of wonder if you'd spend just as much having the plan altered.

I agree that with your choice to bump out the great room a bit. Otherwise it'd be a bit cramped. Don Gardner's plans don't contain spacious rooms.

I would reconsider removing e-space. It serves a necessary purpose, and it allows more lint into your kitchen. You could get more space in the laundry room by using a stack up unit.

I'd like to see a pantry somewhere. The kitchen could use more storage.

I do agree that you don't have an ideal spot for a big bed in the master. I personally like to see the bed "facing you" when you walk into the bedroom. Another idea: a door from the master to the porch would be nice; as it's drawn, you'd have a rather long walk from the master to the back yard, and if you're building that hot tub, you'll appreciate a shorter walk.

I like this houseplan, and it looks great in the red in the drawing,

I wouldn't bother to do away with the porch. It's so small that it wouldn't save you much of anything, and it gives you windows on three walls in the great room. I kind of wonder if you'd spend just as much having the plan altered.

I agree that with your choice to bump out the great room a bit. Otherwise it'd be a bit cramped. Don Gardner's plans don't contain spacious rooms.

I would reconsider removing e-space. It serves a necessary purpose, and it allows more lint into your kitchen. You could get more space in the laundry room by using a stack up unit.

I'd like to see a pantry somewhere. The kitchen could use more storage.

I do agree that you don't have an ideal spot for a big bed in the master. I personally like to see the bed "facing you" when you walk into the bedroom. Another idea: a door from the master to the porch would be nice; as it's drawn, you'd have a rather long walk from the master to the back yard, and if you're building that hot tub, you'll appreciate a shorter walk.

I could see simplifying this plan by removing the double height foyer and the odd bumpout on the porch roof above the door, and squaring off the front fa�ade of the garage. Those are not really "true" details in the sense that this house is supposed to appear added to over time and those would not be natural additions.

Very pretty little house and that red is just luscious in the evening light in the photo!

Definitely do NOT lop off the side porch. It would change the look significantly and not save you very much money. Besides, the side porch may be wide enough as it is to hang a small (4ft wide) porch swing in front of those two front-facing great room windows and then that side porch could become a favorite "get away" spot. But, since you're going to be making the great room wider, I'd suggest making the front porch a little wider also and then you'd definitely have room for a porch swing. And, if you don't include the side porch stairs but closed it up like in the photo, you could also put a small round table and a couple of wicker chairs in the corner and turn the side porch into a lovely and useful "outdoor room."

BTW, I think MrsPete meant that the e-space serves the purpose of allowing more LIGHT into your kitchen, not more "lint." LOL! I think making expanding the laundry room would be more likely to do the latter. ;-)

I don't think the MBR is large enough to put yet another door into it so that you have direct access to the spa. But, if you do decide to go ahead and expand the laundry room, consider stealing back a little of the extra laundry room space to make the powder room a tiny bit wider also and then replace the PR window with a half-light patio door so you have access to the PR from the porch and spa. With a door out thru the PR, I don't think you would really need a door from the MBR out to the back porch because it would be easy enough to cut thru the PR.

Since you don't have a basement, I'm wondering if there is anyway to incorporate the space under the stairway landing to expand the MBath a little bit. Depends on how much headroom you would have I guess. It might be nice to be able to move the door to the master closet into the master bath but to do that, you would probably want to put the shower up where the toilet room currently is. That's why I'm wondering if you could use the space under the landing to expand the bath slightly. I think the bath and bedroom are workable as is tho so I wouldn't go nuts trying to change things.

The exterior of that house is really charming! I do think all of the rooms seem pretty small and if I was building it I think I might try to figure out how to swap the kitchen and utility space. I'm not sure I'd like working in a windowless kitchen.

I would keep the porch but I find the plan uncomfortable as if it was a larger design that was shrunk.

Thanks for all the comments everyone!

We are leaning towards keeping the porch.

We want to make the laundry room big to serve dual purpose. We would use that room as a mudroom of sorts to enter the house from the back yard (our lot is 12 acres). I can come in from the back of the property and take my muddy boots off in there, or bring in fish to clean in the wash sink we�ll have in that room, instead of getting fussed at by my wife for using the kitchen sink.
We would also plan on the laundry room as being a big storage area for stuff we don�t need on an everyday basis, but would like to have inside the house.

We are probably going to build a pantry that opens into the hall way roughly where the "linen closet" is on the plans now.

We have also thought of changing the kitchen peninsula to an island so that the kitchen is more easily accessed from the great room; however, do yall think we have enough room for an island? If so, do you think doing an island would take away too much cabinet/counterspace in our kitchen?

Also, no offense to the people who love natural light, but I personally don�t feel as strongly about it. In fact, we arent going to include the two windows on the west side of the great room because we are worried the setting sun will make watching tv a problem in the evening.

That being said, we are perfectly fine with our kitchen not having any windows to the outside.

This is a compact plan and an attractive exterior, without being to "builder cute". I'd go with it as is, leaving the front porch intact.

If some initial cost-savings is needed, I'd start by eliminating the raised ceiling area in the entery. It's small and buys little.

My first glance reaction to the plan is that the Great Room really isn't. The dimensions will cause furnishings to be very close to the kitchen counter area (a simple square "U' arrangement of two love seats and a pair of chairs, with a coffee table in the center requires approximately 13' X 13'). If it were my house, I'd add 4'-0 to the 18' dimension, thus allowing an approximate 4' circulation space between the kitchen counter and the furniture placement.

Good luck on your project.

Wanted to know if you decided to build the Chestnut Hill plan? My husband and I are considering buying this plan too. Any information on it would be great.