Some very cool features and there are a lot of things I like about it.

From experience, I can say that unless the parents spend a lot of time upstairs, it'll be awhile before the kids use the playroom up there very much. They will want to be where you are. It is so cool, though, and will be good eventually. I love the kids' end of the 2nd floor.

Not sure about the kitchen. The cooktop is a long way from the fridge. When you get more detailed drawings, the kitchen forum is a great place to get advice for creating a great kitchen area.

I have 3 children also, 3,6 and 13. I like your plan. The two things I would consider: I would definately want bathtub/shower combinations in the kid's baths. I would also want to re-work the plan to get the laundry and linen over by the kid's rooms & play room area vs on the other side of the master. I can imagine being close by the play room keeping an eye on the kids while I do laundry and getting the noise away from the master bedroom. Since the 3 kids and their clothes, and linens will generate the bulk of the laundry it seems to make sense to me. You might be able to put the master on the corner where the laundry is and put the bath & closets where the master is now and then create space for the laundry/linen area that you could even access from your bath or closet area if you find that convenient. Of course the layout may be the way it is for reasons only you know, (maybe you like the laundry close to the stairs for easier access from downstairs?) and I can see how having the Master over the Great Room would make for a pleasing exterior elevation.
Good luck and have fun planning your home!

Thanks for your responses. As far as the kitchen, we have been thinking of a few changes that address your comments. We will probably go with a 48" range with a double oven underneath, so the fridge can be put where the double wall ovens are on the plan right now. We have also decided to move the sink to the island. I think these changes will make the layout more user-friendly. We have also decided to add a tub to the jack-and-jill (or jill-and-jill in our case) batrhroom upstairs. We're figuring our son will not be as interested in taking baths as he gets older, so he only has a shower.

Your feedback is much appreciated. As first-time home builders we are worried we are forgetting some major feature(s) that will be noticed only when it is too late!

Wow, this looks great!

Definetly visit the Kitchen forum, you'll get some great advise and encouragement.

As for me, I would leave the kitchen as it is. Yes, the fridge is a bit far from the cooktop, but so what? You have plenty of nearby counter, both next to the sink and on the island, for a landing zone and prep space. And I'd much rather have the double wall ovens in front of the passage from the mud room than to have the fridge there. The fridge gets *much* more use during the day than the oven ever will. Btw, where's the dishwasher?

One more thing that might make life easier: I would give up a few feet of shelving in the hugh linen closet upstairs so that I could have two doors; one so I could move directly from the laundry to the linen closet, and another from the hallway.

The only real tough spot I see is the "jill-and-jill" bath, as you call it. To put in a tub/shower, you may have to lose the dividing walls and doors and make it one long narrow bath with access doors at each end. But that still gives each girl a "semi-private" bath. And as they get older and have some of their girlfriends over, they are gonna *love* having almost an entire wing to themselves.

And don't worry about forgetting some major feature. The plan presented here doesn't leave anything out that's worth having, as far as I can see. You even included a stackable washer/dryer downstairs so you won't have to carry kitchen lines to the upstairs laundry.

You're off to a great start, and joining this forum is another great thing you have going for you!

Looks great! Really well thought-out.

Again, the only thing I would re-work is the kitchen -- the range location relative to the seats. Maybe flipping the island so the seats face the range, then adding a prep sink on the island? Definitely head over to the kitchen forum before you build.

But a great plan! I'd love to see the elevation drawings.

Love it! Some previous posts were from people whose children created problems with the shared bath -- lock-outs, etc. They decided a hall bath was preferable. Would guests in the 'Playroom' use Holden's bathroom? Could you have a hall bath between the girls' BRs and the playroom?

I like the angled aspect of the house. Ours has that and I feel the side wing is like a 'welcoming arm'.

Welcome to the forum!

I see a whole lot that I really like about your plan and it is definitely different than the run-of-the mill plans out there! You've clearly put a whole lot of thought into it and have come up with some great ideas.

One thing I would caution you to think carefully about however is that "upper gallery" which appears to be at least 35 or 40 feet long (from the top of the stairs to the outer wall of the toy closet), but only about 4 feet wide. Aesthetically, that might wind up having the appeal of a single-lane bowling alley.

More importantly though is that, if you do decide to go with it as is, plan on carpeting that gallery! If you floor it with hardwoods, I promise you, your kids and their friends will turn it into an indoor slip-and-slide!

Years ago, as newlyweds we rented a lovely place that had a similar "long hallway" and, while we had no children, lots of our friends did. Every child from age 4 to 15 that ever visited us there seemed unable to resist kicking their shoes off and running partway down the hall then seeing how far they could slide in their sock-feet or on their fannys.

Like your design, our long hallway ended with a set of stairs and I was terrified that one of the kids would go tumbling down it.

I love the plan! It is so interesting, and is definitely personalized for your family and needs. Addressing the comment above about the dimensions of the gallery/hallway, our upstairs hallway is 50'+ long and 4' wide. I was concerned about the exact thing that bevangel mentioned, but now that it is framed, it actually looks great. Also, we are using hardwood, not carpet, for that hallway.

I'd work on the entrances to the 2 walk-in closets in the master. I think you are losing space on closet 1 with the walk-thru to closet 2. I'd find a way to make them completely separate with 2 unique entrances, or I'd make them into 1 large closet.

I agree that you need an upstairs hall bath. Can you move the door to Holden's into the hall? Once the children are using the playroom with friends (and or as teenagers with their boyfriend/girlfriend), it could be uncomfortable for everyone to have to enter and walk-thru someone's bedroom to go to the bathroom!

I'd move the w/d placement in the laundry to the far wall. I think that with the door swing in the direction it is that you'd be bumping into it while loading/unloading clothes.

You have a lot of "sitting" rooms downstairs. What is the purpose of the one on the far left hand side? Is it a library? I'm a little thrown by the peninsula that you drew in!

I'd love to see elevations when you get to that point!!!

Thanks for the helpful feedback! We know we need to fine-tune the kitchen - it is the area of the plan I am having the most difficulty with (my wife is not surprised, LOL).

As far as the bathroom situation on the upper level, you all bring up a great point. What if we were to add a pocket door to Holden's room which could be shut to keep his room private? His bathroom could then be used for guests without them having to enter into his bedroom area.

I think we'll switch the placement of the laundry sink and the W/D. This will eliminate the door getting in the way and create a more uninterrupted counter for folding clothes.

The master closet will probably end up being one large closet.

The other room on the main level is an office/library for my wife and me. The peninsula will NOT be a part of that space. We will have built-in desks along the far corner of the room and bookcases next to the door.

Thanks again for all the helpful comments! It is very nice of all of you to spend your time helping us out.

Since a few of you asked, I have attached an exterior drawing as well. Thanks again.

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Another bowling alley hallway here. I think what might have helped brighten it up would have been skylights. Just a thought! Also, are you sure you don't want to have a tub in Holden's room? You mention that he probably would only want to take showers but what about resale? If I were looking for a home and had kids, I'd want tubs in all the kids baths.

I like your plan alot and the exterior is beautiful.

Whoops! Almost missed my #1 peave: There is no toilet/sink in the back hall where you all enter the house. Long trek, right *through* the Kitchen to the foryer and facilities. Also a trek from the 'Sitting Room'. (Go to the Kitchen Forum for help with yours.)

I would prefer a hall bath *between* the playroom and the girls' rooms. I've had a DS; NOBODY should have been subjected to using his bathroom!

Beautiful elevation! Where are you building?

With 3 kids, having a 1/2 bath by the mudroom would be a good feature.Tom

We are having our architect fit a half-bath in the mudroom area. That was one of the things I added based on a thread in this forum! We plan on finishing the lower level a few years after building and that will be the main area in which our kids will hang out with friends. I hesitate to add another bath upstairs because it would take away a feature we really want.

We will be building outside Minneapolis.

I like it too. It looks very large, though, and quite expensive with all those jigs and jags in the outside walls. LOVE the porch and the mudroom setup. You'll need all that mud-space with 3 kids and Minnesota winters.

Gorgeous! As one builder pointed out to me, the 'gallery' really could be one, with photos, or paintings, etc. You can incorporate art nooks, etc.

Love the mud room! I know you're reconfiguring it, but I would say that it seems to have alot of open space for a mudroom. I'd want more walls, or closets, for storage.

I know it's not big on everyone's list, but is there a wall for a tv? If that's a see thru fireplace, I guess you could have the tv above it?

Beautiful elevations! Did you do the exterior drawings, or did your architect?