Overall, it looks like a very nice plan. I'm a little concerned about how much natural light you'll have bc of all the deep covered porches. I love the idea of covered porches, but I don't like how they block out natural light in the interior of the house. Will you have skylights or clerestory windows? What is your family/life situation? That would help in giving comments about your plans.

Thank you gobruno. The walls are ICF. Interior ceilings are 9'. The porch ceilings will all be at 11 ft. We are trying to keep the house accessible because we might have in-laws coming to live with us and we aren't getting any younger.
First floor and ceiling deck will be Insul-Deck and all ducting will run in the space between. That is why there is a difference between interior and exterior ceilings. All mechanics will be in the basement.

I too would be very concerned about the lack of light in the interior rooms because of the porches, particularly across the back.

You might also want to consider your view, or lack thereof, out of the back. Is that a porch or a screened porch or a combination? I don't think it is the most appealing view to look out from a room onto a screened porch. Although we will have that in our build, our screened porch is off our breakfast room and we will have french doors in addition on one side to let light in.

I might play with the porch so at least some of the light coming in the rooms across the back is not filtered by a porch. . . I don't worry as much about the front rooms because those are generally less used and when used they are used often at night.

I'd switch the door swing in the master bath so you won't see the toilet first thing when you open the door.

I can't access the plan.

Anne

Athensmomof3 there won't be any screening on the porches. The rear porch area has a fireplace and sitting area. We wanted to be able to sit outside in any weather without worrying about getting wet. This link is how the front will look. The porch is 12' 3" deep with a ceiling of 12. I do see what you mean on the width though of the rear porch. Thank you

Here is a link that might be useful: House Front

Jimandanne I tried the link and went thru. I don't know if anyone else has a problem. Suero I will try swapping the shower around with the water closet. Thank you David

I love porches, but I too would be very concerned about the natural light ( or lack of) into the house.

This plan has too many hallways and walk-through spaces for me. I think you could do better.

The kitchen seems dark. The breakfast area looks cramped. Whatever! This plan just does not appeal to me. (Sorry.)

You can put skylights in porch roofs. Our screened porch is bright summer and winter with two skylights in the east angle of its roof. The adjacent breakfast room and dining room are bright too; pairs of French doors go out to the porch from each room.

I'm another who finds your plan awkward. I think your layout would feel sort of choppy if you were walking through it.

I'm not fond of your entry. It sort of looks like a dog run to the back. I like to see a bit of focal point or something that makes me want to go further in the house.

I think you need a powder bath closer to your entry. A guest would have to walk through quite a bit of house before they could use yours.

I don't like the outer wall bathrooms in the guest and other bedrooms. I think it is better when bathrooms back up to each other.

There is something awkward about the layout of the master bedroom and bathroom on the left side of the house. I would suggest reconfiguring it. I think the closet is in a strange area between the rooms.

You might consider moving the master to the other side of the house. I think it would fell less choppy there. A neat feature I'm seen in a few homes is a "gallery" that is a sort of hallway that connects the master to the kitchen and eating area. It runs next to the living room in front of the windows. It's open, but has architecture makes it stand alone. It adds a little privacy to the bedroom entrance.

I agree porches are attractive from the outside - just not very attractive from the inside. They suck up a lot of light and limit views (do you want to look outside into your garden or look at the side of a couch in a seating area. I think you have to be very careful and judicious in their use if you value natural light (and I do - can't stand a dark house!). This is particularly important if your lot is heavily wooded (ours is). We made sure to have plenty of natural light in our rooms, and often have light from two sides of the room where practicable.

Our family room has three sets of french doors across the back with transoms going out to the terrace and our breakfast area has another set of french doors going out to the terrace.

Our dining room has two large narrow french doors (almost like windows) on each wall. Master bedroom has windows on either side of the bed and a bump out sitting area with three windows side by side. You get the idea. Light is very important in a house and by having porches on both sides, you are vastly limiting the amount of light you have - particularly such a large porch. I doubt you will use it all simultaneously so maybe just limit it to the fireplace area and use a patio for the rest.

I agree with the poster who mentioned that your breakfast area looks skimpy too. We aren't fancy folk and although we have a formal dining room, we usually end up using the kitchen table and the island when we entertain.

I agree that the eating area is too small. DH will make the room a little larger (but not too big). We usually eat at our kitchen counter now but would like to have a small table handy too. I also agree with the "dog run" comment from the front door to the patio door. We have redone this design many times during the last few years and continue to come up with this appearance. If anyone has any suggestions I would LOVE to hear them. Obviously we are not seeing something that we could change easily to fix this problem. We're trying to keep the front of the house spaced even with the windows and columns not interfering with each other. I don't want to look out a window and see a column. We need two M/B on opposite sides of the house in case parents need to move in in the future. Anybody have any ideas???? Please help!

I don't think the entry has a dog-run feel to it. It actually draws me into the house and it doesn't look like your hall has solid walls, so that would soften any confining hallway effect.

I love porches and being in one of the sunniest places on earth, I wish I had one. I'm not a fan of skylights as they tend to leak here, however I would consider them for a porch. I think wind, weather extremes and altitude here in eastern Colorado damage and warp surfaces, hence the leaks - so maybe that's not a biggie in your area. I commend you for taking in elder family members - I couldn't do it.

Thank you for the reply holyoak. I was hoping to create the effect of being drawn through the house. That is why we put the double doors to the back porch area directly across from the front entry. It's probably not the ideal foyer setup but after many (more than I would care to count) redesigns I think I may end up with a longer entry than I'd originally imagined. We are building in SC and hope to be able to use the outside space often. We're attempting to allow for separate space (because we know living with parents can be a huge adjustment) without making the layout too in-law specific since we don't know how long they will live with us.

Keeping the porch ceiling high will hopefully allow for enough light and allow us to hang ceiling fans. DH is 6'4" and I don't want to worry about him hitting himself in the head with the fan. We've been in houses that hung them so low he was at eye level with the blades (yikes).

I like the powder room by the side entrance to you can access it without going to the front of the house or walking through the living area. I think if you're at my house and want to use the restroom I've probably already let you into the living area.

Thanks for any help..............we really need all the input we can get!

I like the plan. I have an entry like that. I love it when you walk in and you see straight through ot the back. It draws you in. I do agree with everyone about the covered outdoor space. The part along the bedroom and family room won't be too bad b/c it's shallow but you dining area and kitchen are going to be quite dark. Especially with the master suite bump out. I would seriously re-evaluate the amount of covered outdoor space you need.

Also the stair to the basement is an awkward location. It will be virtually impossible to get large pieces of furniture down there.

Hi pps7

I just had to say thanks for making me laugh. Why you ask? DH is a mover, and believe me, he hates stairs and turns that are so tight you can't get furniture in/around them. I'll have to make sure he takes another look at his design. The basement will not be finished, it's for storage. Here in FL basements are few and far between, especially here on the coast, and we need someplace to store "stuff". I grew up having a basement for all the things I wasn't ready to part with. I'm not sure if there will be an outside exit yet but I hope so. If anyone has a suggestion on moving the stairs please let me know. I'm not a huge fan of its current location either but don't know where to put it.

I agree that the kitchen area will not have a lot of light (our current kitchen is in the center of the house with no windows so I guess I'm sorta used to it). I'm hesitant to make that area more shallow as we want to use the fireplace seating area even during the rain. Maybe the rain in SC isn't as wind driven as we're used to here??

I like this plan a lot. Pretty elevation. Nice Southern feel.

As a fellow Floridian, the biggest question is where is the West exposure? You will be loving those wide deep porches to the front and the back if you have the back to the West, and you will be loving it only slightly less if your back exposure is to the east.

I read so many comments on the board adverse to wide deep back covered patios, and kitchens recessed into the house. The last thing you would want in our area would be a sunny kitchen window! It would be highly unpleasant and ruin your cooking experience!

We LIVE on our patios 12 months a year. Plus, with the never ending sunshine, and predictable rain showers, the patio must be covered to be fully enjoyed.

Do you already own the lot? Can you orient the house to receive your prevailing summer winds to the back? Hope so!

The only thing I would do to this plan is bump out the casual dining table area so it will comfortable seat 6 at a table. I don't see the dimensions on the plans so I can't give you much more advice on that point.

pamelah

Yes, we do own the lot, approx. 3 acres in SC. I was hoping for cooler weather but they've been hotter than us this summer. At least the fall, winter and spring will make up for it (I hope). If I understand what DH said, the front porch faces East which makes the rear patio West. I anticipate that the porches will be where we spend a lot of time. I have visions of a porch swing and a good book.

I agree with you that the casual dining area needs to be enlarged. It looks a little tight for moving around the table when people are sitting at it.

I'm also concerned about the center island in the kitchen. I've never had one and wonder if it makes moving around difficult. If I take it out there's a HUGE hole. We could redesign the kitchen but I don't know how to make it work............

Do you have dogs? We won't have an island because we have dogs and they swarm around in the kitchen when we're in there and there's just not enough room. But I certainly love them and I think most people love them too for their convenience.

Re the island- do you have 39 -45" clearance around the island? That is my definition of workable clearance. Island's are a convenience, and it only takes a little while to start navigating around it without thinking of it as an intrusion.

I don't know where I got the idea about you guys being in Florida...

BTW- South Carolina is plenty sunny, so I am sure you will appreciate the porch over the West exposure. At my current house I have porch on east, porch on west that I use depending on the time of day. It's nice to be able to sip a little coffee or an adult beverage where the sun isn't blasting you off the porch!

krycek1984, we do have a dog (86 lb. Golden Retriever) that is sure her presence is needed if I'm in the kitchen. I hadn't even thought about that. Hmmmm, more to think about. As pamelah mentions it will need plenty of clearance around it or we'll have to remove it and re-work the kitchen. There's too much room to just take it out without doing something different with the whole kitchen. Maybe move the kitchen wall over and put a pantry or an area with a warming drawer between the DR and Kitchen??

pamelah, we live in FL now which is where you probably got the idea. I think an adult beverage is JUST what I need to add to my swing and book fantasy.

We have a kitchen island, and a golden retriever and a goldendoodle. I love having an island--we usually eat at the island, and watch TV. I think that the island helps create a traffic pattern, rather than interfere with it. We are planning to build a log home next year. I measured the width of our dining table with chairs, and figured that we would want a minimum of 6 more feet to allow moving around the table. Good luck with your planning and building. Also, remember that not the same things appeal to all of us, so don't second guess things you really like or want just because someone says they wouldn't want it!

Good point, Katie. We all live in our own ways.

I agree with both of you that the decision is ours to make depending on how we live. However, sometimes if you're planning on a design you're unfamiliar with the people who have it and live with it can give invaluable input on the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are so many decision to make and I know that no matter how hard we try there will be things we will wish we had done different. Oh well, I guess all we can do is give it our best shot and hope we don't make any huge mistakes. :)

I'm sure that all the people here on the forum that have already been through or are going through the building process will be very helpful to us, the beginners. Nothing like learning on the job I guess.