Need house plan feedback

15 years ago

Below is the initial house plan we've received. Would appreciate comments. There are some things that already will need to be changed. DH and I plan for this to be our retirement home.

Bedroom 2 and 3 will be used by teenagers. The Dining Room is to be converted to my study. DH will use Bedroom 2 as his study but it could be converted to bedroom use if necessary. The bath with a shower was supposed to be Bath 2, not Bath 3. My kids don't use a tub. It is also to be done as a handicap accessible shower just in case that is ever needed. We added Bath 3 (instead of having a powder room) so as to have one tub in the house.

A few comments/questions:

1. Do we need the island in the kitchen? (Am X-posting kitchen to kitchen forum). I do not cook a great deal and only 1 cook will usually be in the kitchen. I don't need the island for cabinet space. The issue to me is whether it is a help or a barrier in the kitchen. If I do need it, is it necessary to have a sink in it? If not needed, I would just as soon get rid of it but will keep it if the walks will be too long other wise.

2. The utility room is too narrow. It is about the width of the one we had in the house we recently sold and it was a constant annoyance because it was too narrow. I think I don't want to have stuff on 2 parallel walls and want it on one long wall and the wall at the end of the room (i.e. the outside wall). I really like the drop zone pantry location though.

3. The master bath layout needs work. I wanted split vanities and want the bath so it could be converted to handicap if necessary. I want the toilet room moved so that the wall enclosing it could be removed to open up that room to the rest of the bathroom in case we ever needed to really use it long term for someone in a wheelchair. I don't like "tunnel" master bathrooms and feel this doesn't make use of the corner of the bath. I will probably convert the door to the master closet to a pocket door (in generally most doors in the house will be 3' doors).

4. In my office (dining room) the closet is nice but the doors interfere with my plans for that room. Perhaps make that closet either open shelves with no door or a pocket door?

5. I think the garage might need to be a little bigger. I will have a minivan and DH is thinking of getting a Suburban.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

chisue
15 years ago
Kitchen: I'd skip the island and bring the two sides of the kitchen closer -- no angle on the breakfast bar portion. I'd want a larger eating area, minimum 12 X 12. There's no point in recessing this from the back BR anyway.

Back Hall: Yes, I'd want more space in that heavy traffic area, and I'd want a line-up of laundry sink, washer, dryer with cabinet storage opposite. Is there a place to hang-dry anything? Can the water heater go in the garage? You have a door conflicts. The doors through our back hall are directly opposite one another. Groceries go in one door from the garage and straight across the hall into the kitchen. No jogs. The laundry is at one end of my rectangular back hall and a powder room and very large closet are at the opposite end, along with a door to the back/side yard. You need a window in the laundry.

Master Bath: I don't like this layout at all. Why waste an outside corner on a closet? All those conflicting doors! Maybe our layout would work for you if you rotate the MBR dimensions. We have a short hallway in the middle of the interior BR wall. It connects MBR and bath. Flanking the hall are a pair of closets (w/pocket doors). No door on the MBR end of the hallway; door on the bathroom. Sinks on each side of the bathroom door; line-up of toilet, tub, shower opposite on the exterior wall. Linen closet.

DR/Study: It doesn't need a closet. Do you want one so that the room could be counted as a BR? This would be an awkward DR -- inconvenient path from the kitchen.

Garage: You can't have a garage too big. LOL It's also cheap to build garage space.

Foyer: Reverse the door and side window.

Rear BR: Awkward space. Can you change the entrance so the door opens against the left wall? I'd give this room a second window.

Patio: Do you want a screened porch? Is this on the north side of the house?
lyfia
15 years ago
I think one thing that hasn't already been mentioned is the entry space to the master and the bedroom on that side. It seems really awkward to be walking through the foyer to access that part. It just doesn't flow well to me. Is it possible to move that entrance some to be less of a having to actually step through the entry every day.

What size are your interior door openings? All ours are 36" and our neighbor said her husband could actually use our house - he is in a wheel chair.
Related Professionals
Dalton Architects & Building Designers · Baltimore Architects & Building Designers · Tulsa Architects & Building Designers · Poughkeepsie Architects & Building Designers · Green Bay Architects & Building Designers · Denver Architects & Building Designers · Middlesboro Design-Build Firms · Westminster Design-Build Firms · Gulfport Design-Build Firms · Gary Design-Build Firms · Grand Forks Design-Build Firms · Brunswick Home Builders · Columbia Home Builders · Laredo Home Builders · La Grande Home Builders
kats_meow
Original Author
15 years ago
The interior doors are almost all 36".

The Study/DR doesn't need a closet but the designer is just using some space that would otherwise be unused. I'm going to have it changed to recessed shelving.

I am going to entirely have the master bath redone. I really overall like a lot of the plan and it meets most needs
dekeoboe
15 years ago
When the teenagers come home, will they be coming in through the garage? If so, the path to their rooms will take them straight through the middle of the kitchen. How will the cook feel about this?

If the dining room is ever to be used as a dining room, I would switch the door to the family room side to make an easier path from the kitchen.
kats_meow
Original Author
15 years ago
Not worried about path through the kitchen...rarely would kids come home and there be someone already cooking in the kitchen. Dining Room will never ever be a dining room as we putting in built in desks in the dining room for its use as a study.

I have thought about getting rid of the 18" end on the bar. If I did and got rid of the island I could move the bar over a bit closer to the cooktop wall. I would be OK with that. We plan this as a forever house but you never know if you might have to sell and I wonder if not having the island between the bar and the wall might hurt resale?