Another exterior shot.

Main floor

Upper floor

Rear elevation

Last exterior image.

Overall, I like it. I would encourage you to post your kitchen in the kitchen forum-- I am not sure how well that big island would work. What do you have in mind for that space? If it's for eating, why put a second eating area so close to the main table?

Given your family's age and size, I wouldn't want a balcony between the upstairs and downstairs. It would be better not to have sound traveling between floors.

Overall I like the house. I do think that the extraneous gables and dormers and roof changes at the garage are a bit overwrought, as well as expensive to build and more susceptible to leaks and ice dams and such in complex valleys.

I am not sure why architecture is suddenly overrun with houses that look like individual rooms with individual roofs over each room. Yours is not like that too much, but essentially it's a general direction architecture seems to be headed.

I really like the central mass of the house with the double peaked roof and long roof planes. For this reason I think the back façade with only a single superfluous gable (which I would try to get rid of and integrate into the general roofline and façade) is more successful. I also think that the pitch of the porch roof should be less than the twin central roofs because it is secondary to them an matching the pitches detracts from the central mass.

If you read books on classically based architectural theory, there is Plenty of discussion about the importance of varying roof pitch. Matching a dozen gables and roofs all at the same pitch is Extremely common in architecture right now, but I feel it is a mistake.

Your house both owes a Lot to English Arts and Crafts and to the Shingle Style houses of McKim Mead and White, but yet somehow antithetical to their work because of the complex roofs and superimposed gables.

English A&C Style House:

McKim Mead and White: Isaac Bell House

McKim Mead and White WD Low House (demolished)

This is considered a masterwork, and the distillation of a house into a very simple form. The roof of this house is almost overpowering in the opposite way, simplicity-wise.

This post was edited by palimpsest on Thu, Jul 25, 13 at 20:48

Overall, I like it very much. It has a nice flow.

I do agree with Pal that although the front elevation is pleasing, it would be better without the 2 smaller gables that are within larger gables.

I am not loving the island with seating for 6. I might make is smaller with seating for 4. We have a very similar family room/dining/ kitchen layout and we mostly eat at the table. We will sit at the island to chat with DH while he is cooking or DS will sit there for a meal while I'm working in the kitchen but we don't eat at the island as a family.

How will you use the front bumpout in the family room? It might be more useful as part of the foyer. I imagine a nice settee with a lamp and little round table.

Do you really want the kids entering the house through the dining room from the yard? It would be nice if they could enter through the mudroom. The mudroom could be a bit more functional. I would prefer a discrete laundry room and a coat closet.

I would do all shingles.

So... where's the fridge? (I like to figure out kid traffic patterns... You'll have a bunch of hungry teens soon.)

Pal is one of the better ones to comment on architecture, but depending *where* in the PNW you are building, ice dams may or may not really be an issue. They really aren't, where I live. 30 miles East, they are a HUGE consideration when building roofs.

I don't like how from your master bedroom you have 2 toilets nearly equidistant and REALLY far from your bed (master bath toilet and hall powder). If you are going to live here a while, you might consider how to get a toilet a little closer to where you'll sleep.

Where will baby sleep?

Have you ever had a house with a 2 story room? I think it very odd that you have a hallway to no where (except, apparently, a 2 story space) upstairs.

I like that you have lots of storage upstairs.

In regard to the two bedrooms on the left... I would rather that the bathrooms abut than the headboards.

That long hallway to the upper foyer is a huge waste of space.

Thanks for the replies and thoughts!

zone4newby: The island is a work in progress. What is on the plan now is not what we like. We started out with seating for four, then asked for seating for 6 based on a recommendation from friends that just completed construction. They have one less island seat than family members, and said they wish they could all fit there for informal meals. I was fine with having only enough seating for the kids, but my dear wife would like us to have the option of sitting together at the island for meals. My only additional thought was kid seating when we have guests for dinner. All of our friends have kids and we thought the "kid table" could be the island.

We are going to address the open hallway above the foyer. The architect thought it would be nice to have a "connection" between levels of the house, but we think we will close it off. We want the extra height to let light in from the windows above the entry.

palimpsest: Wonderful feedback on the "extra" gables. I think we can easily eliminate the one at the back of the house. I agree, I much prefer the back elevation to the front. I will address possible changes to the front with the architect.

pps7: The front bump out will be a work/study/computer area for the children. If they need peace and quiet, we can watch TV in the room off the kitchen and not be disruptive. I would love for you to elaborate on your thoughts regarding the utility of the mudroom. We plan on having cubbies for each of us as well as a closet and extra shoe storage. We can throw a couple of doors on to cover the washer/dryer and sink area. We like the idea of having laundry facilities in the mudroom - for Mom and Dad's clothes as well as dirty/wet/sports stuff. I agree with you that the house would probably look best with all shingles.

kirkhall: The fridge is next to the bathroom "below" the counter with the range. We will also have a beverage fridge on the other side of the entry to the room off the kitchen. We are building in Portland (at about 1000 ft elevation), so not too much worry about ice dams. Baby will be at least 2 1/2 by the time this project is finished. If we feel he's not ready to be that far from us, we can either temporarily use the room above the garage or have him in the room off of the kitchen.

Thanks again for all your feedback! I appreciate you all taking the time to share your ideas.