This May Be The One

15 years ago

After many months of searching, DW and I have chosen the Carinthia plan by Don Gardner. It'll just be the two of us and possibly an in-law down the road. If anyone has built that plan, we'd be very interested in seeing your pictures and modifications. The home will sit on the East edge of our 40 acres up on a hill with the back of the house facing due West with an expansive view of the property. I would like some of your thoughts on the floor plan and what you might consider modifying? For starters, we will use the basement plan with 2x6 framing. The basement will be unfinished, at least for now. We will change the e-space to a Pantry, move the right wall of the breakfast area over 2 ft. In the study, we plan on using it as a library/study so we will do away with the bay window and have built in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on at least one wall (might move the closet a bit). We will put a wall in place of the doors from the GR to the screened porch giving us more wall space in the GR which leaves the only access to the screened porch from the back porch, which shouldn't be a deal breaker. We'll most likely get rid of the tray ceilings throughout. Finally, we're not crazy about the exterior elevations. We'll modify it by changing the windows and siding, maybe going with a green or tan hardi-plank siding, white trim, and stone instead of brick to make it look more at home in the country. Please let me know if there are other things you would consider changing. Thanks!

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Comments (5)

peytonroad
15 years ago
well I quickly looked and like the setup. I think it is going to be a long way anywhere in that house to go to the bathroom! Esp from the kitchen ..
my2sons
15 years ago
I would eliminate one of the bathrooms that serve your guest bedrooms and replace it with a half bath near your e-space/pantry & utility room area. If you decide to keep both of those bathrooms near the guest bedrooms, there is no need for both of them to have hall access.

You might also consider trying to fit a butler's pantry hall between the kitchen & dining room where you could have an entrance coming in from the garage. Lugging groceries through your loooong narrow laundry room might prove to be a chore, especially if you're having to step over piles of laundry.
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cyngar
Original Author
15 years ago
peytonroad and my2sons,

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I have to admit that it does seem like a long haul to the bathroom... so that might be something we consider modifying. As for the other two full baths on the other side of the house, one will be closed off so we can make a small 2nd master bedroom leaving one public bathroom. Not sure about the butlers pantry though. The walk through the laundry room to the pantry straight ahead doesn't seem that far to me. Piles of laundry on the floor LOL...my DW would get a kick out of that.
chisue
15 years ago
So...no 'bonus room' -- and no stairs TO one? Fine with me; we're in our single-level 'forever' home!

I don't like the narrow hallway from the family entrance (garage door) through* the windowless laundry. (Did I miss a laundry sink there?). This is a busy part of most homes. We've been happy to have a true Back Hall to collect all the 'stuff' before it comes into the kitchen. The powder room in our back hall is the most-used facility in the house -- despite the existance of three others. I also dislike the 'roundabout' nature of this path into the house. I wouldn't waste an outside wall on a pantry. I wouldn't *have* one, but you will need something because the kitchen itself is small. The eating space in the kitchen is too shallow, and part of it is walkthrough. Adding width won't help.

Do you really want to wall off your expansive view in the great room? I assume you are OK with facing into the western sun from noon on and having a porch facing both south and west. (We have been too hot in that situaton.)

Will you have a hot tub as drawn on the plans? Where would bathers change?
chisue
15 years ago
Sorry, I see you will close access to the screened porch from the great room. You'll still have your view...but I'd miss the access. It's already too far from the kitchen for me; we often eat on our screened porch. I do see the problem with furniture in these open rooms!

BTW, it seems to me that people *often* need to expand spaces in Gardner and Betz plans -- as well as simplify exteriors.