Lady Lavender ... i will get this for you as soon as i can ... thanks for your patience ... :-)

Summerfield- Thank you so much! :)

Lady Lavender ...

had some time to address your changes...

enlarged the pantry by 1 foot ... altered the bath slightly , giving you the arched tub enclosure and placing the open shelves at each end of the enclosure ... that left 30" for the toilet enclosure ... small , but acceptable and code-worthy ...

i added a wall at the left side of the clothes dryer ... since the doorway from the dining area is a cased opening , with no door , i thought it best to hide the dryer from view of diners ...

made some of the elevation changes that you asked for ... still rough until i redo the front elevation ...

let me know your thoughts ... thanks :-)

Summerfield- The window boxes are charming! It makes such a difference on the side of the house. The shutters look great, too :)

The wall against the dryer is a wonderful idea...I was just thinking about how that would look from the dining area...and you've made it so much bettter!

What you've done with the tub is so elegant (and very much like my picture) but now that I see it, I'd rather have the larger plants around the tub (maybe a few small palms) with only a wall between the tub and toilet.

Thank you for adjusting the pantry, as I asked. While I really like the extra space in the pantry, I want to keep a little more room around the toilet. After seeing the trouble my grandmother had, when she was using a walker, I want to make sure there's plenty of access for anyone who needs it. Maybe split the difference and add 6" to the pantry...or just leave it as is?

While I like the idea of an armoir, I've changed my mind about having it built in. I'm hoping to find a dresser to use for the sink vanity...and I'd like to find a small armoire or cabinet at the same time. I think free standing pieces might look a little more cottage-y.

Since we have more room on that wall, I did try moving the door down, towards the toilet. What do you think? I like that there's more space in front of the cabinet.

Thank you so much for all of your help and patience, with my plans! You are so wonderful to do all this and I really appreciate it! :)

Here's what I was thinking of for the bathroom (please ignore that I used the old plan).

{{gwi:1416697}}

Sorry, I meant to write a half wall, between the toilet and tub. No wall at all looks a little too open, but a full wall makes the toilet area seem a little small.

I saw this on Sarah Richardson's farmhouse remodel (HGTV) and thought it might work well for the half wall. She built the half or knee wall for the shower and then put marble on top. Very pretty and would go with my (hopefully) marble on the vanity. So, maybe a fancy cottage style :)

Thanks again!

I like this idea for the vanity, with the mirror and sconces, but a dresser more like the next picture...and probably an oval (not yellow) mirror.

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Summerfield- There is some concern over the roofline addition for the master bedroom/bath and hot tub. I think I'm going to have to make a few changes in this area, but there is a good side to all this...which I'll show you when I update the plans :)

look forward to seeing what you need :-)

Summerfield- Thank you for your patience and assistance with all this!

There's a little concern over the roof lines and the amount of snow we get every winter. So, I think my idea to add on a few feet to the back of the living room/bedroom addition is not going to work. Instead, the bedroom will go back to 13' in depth.

There is a slight adjustment that needs to be made in the living room/bedroom addition and hall area, too. The kitchen and original area where I put the vestibule, should be 3' further 'south' than the living room addition. I then added another 3' to the vestibule area, to make it 6' further 'south' than the living area and 3' 'south' of the kitchen.

All the other measurements are fine, but the hall space should be 20' long. Also, I was hoping to put a pocket "french door" to the basement, which means I need to add a little wall space to the stairs. Then, I was hoping to add glass double doors (about 3'6" to 4' wide, depending on hall size) to divide the entry hall from the bathroom.

The bathroom/tub area should be 3' 'north' of the master bedroom area. If all this lines up okay, here's the changes I've made. We don't have to worry about resale, so as long as we have two bathrooms (and the potential for a small one upstairs) that's plenty.

I switched the bed to the other wall, with windows on both sides, like in the other plan. The bedroom should be about 15' x 13' with the closets on the 'south' wall, with a built-in armoire in between. Someplace for extra storage and to add a TV...and a bay window on the 'east' side with a window seat and bookcases on both sides.

The main bathroom still has the claw foot tub, with plants on both sides, but the toilet and sink moved and I added a shower, recessed into what was the master bath. I put a linen closet (not very deep) at the end, facing the hall. A hall closet is across from it.

Also, can we add maybe a foot to the depth of the mudroom? Since I'm NOT adding the 3' to 4' on the back of the bedroom area, I should have enough in the budget for a small greenhouse area! Maybe 10' wide and the depth of the mudroom and pantry. This will give me the ability to add a small sink in the greenhouse...and the plumbing will not be on an outside wall.

Any ideas how to tie in the greenhouse? It doesn't have to be real fancy, just room for a work bench against the house, with plants against the windows...and room for a small table and two chairs.

Here's a quick sketch on graph paper. I moved the hot tub to the back porch (maybe in a screened area?) and made it just a bit deeper, with the BBQ, a few benches and a couple of chairs. The BBQ is not screened...and there's a patio at the bottom of the stairs with table and chairs and extra seating.

Thank you so much, for all of your help! I really appreciate your advice and expertise...and I look forward to seeing what you can do with my changes! :)

Here's the plan...one square equals two feet. I don't want to change any of the layout in the living room, kitchen/dining seating area, the pantry or laundry area...and just add a foot (for the greenhouse door) to the mudroom. Thanks again!

{{gwi:1416701}}

That plan is not quite right (and will probably disappear soon) so here's the right plan. I put a bench, not a BBQ by the back door. My husband want to put a covered area over the patio, for BBQ and dining. His friend built a neat one last summer and he'd like to do something similar. It's a bit further to walk, but that's what he wants :)

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As for the rooflines on the 'west' side...can they stay anything like the original? I am rebuilding the dining area/porch, but if we could use a similar roof line, it might be much easier to add the greenhouse. Here's the front and back of the house (scary, I know) LOL

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It is supposed to be kind of cottage like, so would a little steeper slope, over the dining banquette, be a problem? The pantry and mudroom would have the greenhouse gable, so they should have more head room. The back door and steps are now off the back...what do you think? Would it be possible? I don't want to violate codes or anything, but I'm not going to be walking out anywhere on the 'west' side, except into the greenhouse.

Anyway, thanks again and I look forward to your ideas about all this! You're wonderful and I really appreciate all your help with this! :)

Summerfield- I was looking at the house this afternoon...if we had to do a gable on the side, it would work, as long as it was steep enough for the snow to slide off. I think a metal roof would help. Maybe another gable for the greenhouse? I'm looking forward to seeing your ideas, whenever you find the time...I know you're busy! :)

I've been thinking about gardening all day (must be the sunshine and the idea of a greenhouse) but anyway, I was reminded of how many yellow jackets we get here, especially in the late summer and fall. So, I'd like to screen the entire back porch area, with a door, opposite the door from the mudroom. Since the BBQ is going down on the patio (with all the smoke) I think it will also be a great way to keep the bugs and barn kitties out of the hot tub! LOL

Lady Lavender ...

could you please e-mail or repost your sketch of the original "as is" farmhouse ... it has disappeared from the previous post , and i need it ... thanks :-)

Summerfield- Here's the 'as is' of the farmhouse. One square equals two feet. Please, let me know if you need anything else :)

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Summerfield- I was watching a movie on Hallmark...and they had a wonderful greenhouse, attached to the Bed & Breakfast. Here's the only picture I could find, with one of the guests, standing in the greenhouse :)

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Lady Lavender ...

take a look at this version ... went back to your original plan , and tried to keep you from having to add on so much ... also , i was concerned that you had no way to get to the deck area from the bedroom , living areas ... condensed the foyer , so that the stairs to the basement will easily go under the stairs to the second floor ... the living room is larger , and easier to furnish ... made the master bath private , and the powder room serves guests , as well as family ... the changes at the front of the house will better allow me to do a more correctly designed exterior ... also , i'm thinking that the greenhouse will look better if it is perpendicular to the house ... let me know your thoughts ... have a great sunday :-)

Summerfield- Thank you so much for drawing another version...it's wonderful to see other ideas and have more options! :)

I LOVE the greenhouse! It's exactly what I had pictured, down to the placement of the table and chairs.

As for the other changes, I'd like to be able to compare them to my plan, to show my mom and my husband...but my graph paper is no match for your beautiful design! Could you possibly draw my version, as is, and then we can compare the two and decide if we want to make any changes? That would be wonderful!

Thank you so much and I SO appreciate all the time and thought you've put into my little farmhouse :)

Here's my plan, one more time, with the changes on the screened porch. I don't think I mentioned that I'd like to screen the entire back porch, if possible, since my mom (last summer) had a bad allergic reaction to a yellow jacket sting. The table and chairs, BBQ, etc. will be down on the patio area...maybe with a little fire pit. Thanks again! :)

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Summerfield- Sorry, here's the plan! LOL My husband LOVED the living room changes, the way you flipped the furniture around! He said that's where the TV always was, when his grandparents lived in the farmhouse. It looks a lot better with the window seat, too :)

He said he'd also like to see both plans, side by side, to see if there are other changes we should make...but the living room is definitely a keeper. So, here's the plan, with the changes to the screened porch and the living room. I've also included another picture of the exterior, since my husband noticed the window location, in the living room, works better with this new arrangement!

Thanks again :)

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Lady Lavender ...

here you are ... couldn't determine if you still desired shelves and a window seat at the dining area , so i added them ... also , the powder room was a long tunnel , so i split it and gave you an enclosed toilet for the hall bath ... the stairs still concern me , but i do like this plan :-) let me know your thoughts ...

i've got 9 projects to work on now , so it'll be a while before i can do your elevations ... thanks for understanding :-)

Summerfield- This looks wonderful! :)

In the dining room, I was thinking a buffet, not a window seat, but it's very cute! I can see why my plan is a bit confusing (LOL) The powder room is a concern for me, too...but what if I bump it in a little...would I need some kind of access from the back area for the hot tub? Any mechanical stuff? I haven't had one before.

The greenhouse is lovely, but I really liked the earlier version. It's much more for starting plants than as an entertainment space, so I was hoping to have a small sink, tied into the pantry sink plumbing. Could you put the previous style greenhouse back in? It's so perfect :)

Everyone loves this living room arrangement! It's so much better with the window seat and fireplace...and easier to walk into the room, too, with the sectional on the other wall.

The only other thing, is maybe screening the entire back deck...here's a quick change to the plan. What do you think?

I know you are really busy! Everyone wants help and you are SO wonderful to do all this. We are all so fortunate to have such a talented friend at GW!

Don't worry about the elevations. If things ever slow down, I'd love to see them, but I'm not building in a few weeks...and many people need plans right away. If I could just get a slightly revised plan, to show our contractor, that would be fantastic! That way, he'll know what we want and we can figure out the elevations later.

Thanks again and I can't believe how beautiful our humble little farmhouse has become, with all your help! :)

{{gwi:1416701}}

I never have much luck with white out...it's too messy and hard to read. I went ahead and did some cut and paste, so hopefully, this is easier to read :)

The desk is now in the dining area, which I think will be easier to use and what was the desk is counterspace by the freezer. I switched the freezer and cabinet, and added a wall, since I really liked the one you put by the dryer. I also brought that wall forward, to be even with the mudroom wall. It just seemed to fit better, with the powder room.

Also, I put a pocket door to the basement stairs. Hopefully, that will keep doors from bumping into each other, or blocking other areas.

It's not as pretty as your plans, but hopefully a little easier to read! Have a great day and thanks again for your help :)

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I made a few changes to the deck, too. If I change that back wall, the hot tub should fit right in that alcove. I put a few chaise lounges on the other side, with lots of plants. It's the only outdoor space I have...that the barn kitties can't get into...so I'm planning to make the best of it! :)

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Summerfield- No rush, but I just wanted to make one more change, this time in the living room. Although we liked the switch in furniture, unfortuantely, it's not going to work. The TV won't fit in the corner...and my husband does like his fairly large TV...as do I, actually. Also, I forgot how far the fireplace sticks out into the room...so I'll have to take out the window seat. It's just too dangerous for the kids, with those bricks sticking out from the hearth. I'm afraid someone will trip...and now I have space for another plant!

So, here's the drawing you did before, with the chair moved back, closer to the window. I have a picture I've saved for years, that is similar to our fireplace...and shows a big chair and ottoman. I also like the window with the drapes :)

Thanks again and I think you're wonderful to help us all with our plans. You've made such a difference for me, because now people can actually read my plans! LOL Have a great day!

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Also, here's the kitchen from that same home (which I also like) but you can see where I got my idea for my kitchen plan!

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Summerfield- I've talked to my husband, other family members, asked my friends on the Smaller Homes forum, thought about it...and I still love my plan! I think I'm FINALLY to the point, where I don't want to make any more changes! LOL

Thank you so much for all of your help and patience. It's been a wonderful process and it was so much easier, thanks to your beautiful drawings! :)

it has been my pleasure , lady lavender ...

i think that you have an incredibly good eye , and your house will be charming and wonderfully liveable when it comes to fruition !

please let me know if i can be of further assistance ...

:-)

Summerfield- Actually, I love the plan, but it's now so light, it's hard to read when I post it, or print a copy. Is there any way you could make the changes I did with my 'cut and paste' and post it on this thread? Even without the elevations, that would be SO helpful. I was hoping to show the plan to our contractor pretty soon, and I know it's going to be hard for him to read, as is.

Thank you so much for your help and I want to tell you once again, how much I appreciate your advice and input...and wonderful drawings! :)

Summerfield- On second thought, let's leave the living room, as you drew it. I just realized that I'd be walking in the front door and the first thing we'd see is the TV! Your plan is much better...I'd rather see the sectional, then the fireplace, then the TV :)

Thanks again!

Summerfield- I just found this picture on the Internet and I wanted to show you. It's wonderful and I love the pergola with the swing :)

What do you think?

Forgive the quick cut and paste of your previous plans...but I wanted to try to incorporate all our favorite features. The little sun porch on the back (not the greenhouse) is a flexible space that could be a porch, but also a home office, if necessary. Obviously, we'd add some curtains or blinds but I like the separate entrance.

We've been cleaning out the old house and it's amazing how much bigger it looks! What a busy summer...I hope you've had a lovely summer and thanks again for all your ideas and advice. You've been a wonderful friend and I really appreciate it :) {{gwi:1416725}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures
{{gwi:1416727}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Lady Lavender ...

had a little time , so ... here's your revised plan ...
love the proposed elevation :-)

addressed two issues with your plan ... replaced the single door from the vestibule to the hall with double doors ... don't know if this will work for you , but i think the single is going to be too large to swing back against the opening to the kitchen ...

also ... tweaked the powder room a bit ... this allows you to install only one toilet with double duty ... added a pocket door on master bath side ... also handy for a shortcut from master bed to laundry ...

let me know your thoughts ...

Summerfield- Oh my, it's beautiful! The double doors are wonderful...a much better fit and tie in with the doors at the end of the stair hall. The greenhouse is amazing and just what I imagined. Is that a little fountain, on the wall by the sink? That's a great idea. I love what you did with the desk area, too. And, the window boxes are charming :)

The pergola with the swing is just like the picture. The front of the house is almost at ground level, so there's only one step up, which I think will work out well with the pergola area. I hadn't thought of an arched opening over the kitchen sink, but it's such a great idea! Less expensive than an arched window. Maybe I can put a plant shelf there, for a few herbs...

I like the idea of the shared toilet, as it keeps the main bath looking so elegant, but I do need two toilets. We have a big family and when we have parties, they really come in handy. Also, living out in the country, you always want to have a back up...for everything. LOL

Thank you so much for the drawing! I'm glad you like the elevation. It doesn't show the chimneys, but it's so close that I wanted to show you. It's very fairy tale cottage (or Keebler elf as one gal mentioned). Cute, cozy and not too pretentious, but still well planned. I wanted something that would match the inside and I think this works. Thanks again for all your help and all I can say is you're a wonderful, talented person, who has helped so many of us. You really make this forum special :)

Summerfield- I have a couple of things I wanted to ask you about...mainly, is there anyway to easily add a few feet to the bathroom areas? I'd like to add 2 feet to the main bath, with the sink by the tub and toilet on the same wall, closer to the door. This would give me a bit more room for the chair and plants by the tub, too.

The powder room shows 6' and I'm wondering if we could make it a little larger? We're a tall family and this would be easier to use and not quite so tight. If you think it would be better, maybe 18" in the bath and 6" in the pantry? And to keep the size consistent, maybe a foot in the pantry area and a foot in the mudroom? Everything else is so lovely and spacious (even thought it's not a lot of rooms) but the back feels a little tight.

Over the banquette window, I like the window box, but I'm thinking a shallower pergola (only a few feet deep and width of the window) would be so nice. I've always pictured climbing roses hanging down and seeing them, when working at the kitchen island. Wisteria would be on the big pergola...if I can find some hardy enough for our zone 4 climate :)

Last, I know I'm a bit porch happy (LOL) but I'd like to have a screened deck/porch off the master bedroom for a couple of chairs and a hot tub...like we did in the first plan. It's not by the bathroom, but it does overlook the 15' to 20' tall (they're really old) lilac hedge and would be very private. I know the back porch would make more sense for the hot tub, but I want to keep this as flexible space, in case we ever need another main floor bedroom or office. I hope to have it as a screen/glass porch for now and be able to make it true living space, if we need it, in the future.

Here's my quick sketch with the hot tub area. Instead of a slider, I still like the idea of a french door, hinged in the middle, opening on the side closest to the closets. The built in between the closets will be for an armoire for storage and the TV and the linen closet will probably end up being a built in cupboard, with two doors, maybe drawers below. I love built-ins and want to have some in the house. The desk area you designed in the kitchen is a wonderful example.

Also, the window in the living room and the bathroom windows will be leaded glass, which will hopefully allow some light to come through, but also give some privacy to those areas. Do you have any ideas on that? I'm picturing something that would go with the cottage look, maybe a floral in the bathroom with a bit of color, maybe an oval with a leaded look in the powder room (over the toilet) and in the living room, something else. I can put a drape here, but it would be nice to let the light in, but not see the hot tub. Still thinking about this one.

Thank you so much for all your help! Oh, my quick sketch... {{gwi:1416729}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

I lost all my posted pictures, when I was having trouble with my Photobucket account. Now, I'm with Picasa and here are a few pictures...one of a corner fireplace, with a woodstove (nice idea for the kitchen). The other is the front of the farmhouse (where the kitchen will be) and the current front door is going to be closed off and the stove will go there. The vestibule will be just to the right and the upstairs window will be changed to something smaller. Hope these help :)
{{gwi:1416730}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures
{{gwi:1416731}}From Farmhouse pictures

Oh, Summerfield...it's so beautiful...and exactly as we pictured it! It's just amazing! I actually don't even know what to say, I'm just sitting here trying not to cry, I'm so happy :)

Thank you so much and I appreciate all of your advice, help and ideas. You're the best!

Lady Lavender :-)

you're very welcome ! enjoy !!

when you and your mil are making those christmas cookies ... please , remember me ;-) ...

Summerfield- We will definitely remember you, baking cookies and anything else, in our lovely farmhouse. Somehow, gingerbread cookies with frosting seems like something you'd like, probably because it makes me think of a gingerbread house. So, whenever we make gingerbread...I will always think of you!

Thank you so much and have a wonderful holiday season! :)

Summerfield- Absolutely no rush, but I'd like to ask you about one more thing...could we add a foot to the pantry area (the sink area is a little tight) and a foot to the mudroom (to make a little more space for the door to the greenhouse)? The covered deck would be the same, but maybe add 2' to the screened porch? It's a wonderful width, but if it were a few feet deeper, it would be easier to make it a bedroom or office, down the road, if necessary.

One of my friends said my inspiration picture looked like a fairy tale cottage...and it does. If that's the case, then you would definitely be my fairy godperson...helping me turn a pumpkin into a carriage or a rundown farmhouse into a beautiful home.

Also, I'm thinking about trying to make a gingerbread house for the holidays...and why not make the one in the inspiration picture? Any ideas for what to use for the pergola? Have a wonderful holiday and thank you so much for all your help...you've been just wonderful :)

Summerfield- Just wanted to let you know...my husband and our contractor seem to think I'm a little 'porch happy'...can you imagine that? LOL

Anyway, they said I need to cut my four porch/add-ons to three, so disregard the above request. Instead, I'm taking off the hot tub porch and moving it to the back...so no need to change anything, since the hot tub area only needs to be 10' deep.

Here's a quick cut-and-paste...just to give you an idea. I love the pergola and of course, that greenhouse may have to be added later...but that's my favorite! And my husband is really looking forward to that hot tub.

Thanks so much (again) for all your help and have a very Merry Christmas! :) {{gwi:1416733}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

you're very welcome lady lavender :-)

i apologise for not realising that you had a previous request ...

please let me know if you require any further revisions ...

til then , may you and those you hold dear have a very special Christmas ...

i'll be waiting on my Christmas cookies :-))))

Christmas cookies are the best! LOL

I haven't had time to do any fun Christmas decorating/baking yet, because a truck ran into our two vehicles and then crashed into the front of our home, a few weeks ago. It broke one of the front bay windows and shoved the floor in about five inches! What a mess, so we've been dealing with insurance companies/adjustors, etc.

Anyway, during this process, I've had to move the dining table over to the side of the kitchen (similar to where it would be in the plan) and I do not like it. It's too far from everything, we have no where to set things down, when we walk in the door...and it doesn't feel as friendly as it did, in the front.

The funny part is that I'm usually very practical about most decisions, but I've resisted moving that wood stove...depite the fact that the chimney is in a more difficult place to vent, it disturbs the placement of the upstairs window, and it means we'd have to reinforce the floor, for the weight of the stove. Despite all these things, I still thought it would be a 'better place' for the seating area and the table would be better, off to the side.

Well, suddenly, I'm on board with the seating area on the old porch...and my husband is surprised, but relieved! LOL Anyway, I just thought I'd share that silly bit of news, because I needed a funny thing to think about this morning...and it might help someone else, who seems a little stuck on an aesthetic decision.

Summerfield- So, here's my other 'cut and paste' of the farmhouse plan. As you can see, it works, but it's getting a little light. If you could possibly make a few adjustments and post it for me, it would be the best Christmas present, ever. And, I am planning to make cookies this weekend (up at my mom's house) and when we get to the gingerbread...I will definitely be thinking of you. If you like, I'll post you some pictures of the cookies, since actual cookies are difficult to send, over the internet :)

Thanks again...and have a wonderful holiday season and a very Merry Christmas! {{gwi:1416734}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Bummer about the accident. Hope dealing with the insurance companies isn't too painful.

I've had to move the dining table over to the side of the kitchen (similar to where it would be in the plan) and I do not like it.

Does this mean you have moved into the farmhouse?

Dekeoboe- Thanks...it's been a huge pain, mainly because the home insurance company is taking so long and we're due to have snow, anytime. Hopefully, we can at least start working on this soon, to fix the bay window and keep more damage from happening.

No, we haven't moved into the farmhouse, but it's been interesting seeing how the living spaces work together, in a more open space, before committing to anything permanent. There's a lot more flexibility in our current home, just not much extra space :)

Summerfield- Actually, someone just came up with a REALLY good idea, for a modification of my floor plan. I need to sketch it out, to see if it will work...but it sounds very promising. So, I don't need any more help for now, but have a wonderful holiday...and I'll still send you some Christmas cookie pictures! :)