Modern farmhouse/barn plan - feedback request

9 years ago

Hi, we're trying to nail down a final design of a modern-ish farmhouse/barn style home. We were initially inspired by this set of plans. We've went through a few rounds of changes with our designer/draftsman, and are pretty happy with the attached layouts (we do not currently have elevations), and was hoping to get some feedback.

2 adults, no kids but frequent guests, and this will be home for 25+ years. Being built on a 5 acre view (mountain) lot in a rural area of Los Angeles County. Trying to stay below 4,000 sqft, which puts us on the small side for the area (typically 4,000 sqft to 6000 sqft).

Things we like:

Odd/quirky nature of the design
Large open living/dining/kitchen area
Each bedroom has its own bathroom
Lots of covered outdoor space
Large kitchen area with a lot of counter workspace
Walk in pantry

Things we're still not sure of:

Entry way/foyer open to 2nd floor. Not sure if it really adds much, also not sure what else we'd do with the space on the 2nd floor.
Kitchen layout is the best compromise we could come up with. May put an additional sink in the island in order create a fridge/sink work zone.

Thanks, finally being able to post a "plan feedback" post has been a bit of a dream of ours since we closed on our lot. This feels like a major milestone!

Featured Answer

User

9 years ago

Looking at the inspiration plan ... where you changed things in the utility areas, you didn't improve them. Look where the mudroom and powder room are.

That curved entry change, open to below, plays havoc with the traffic patterns, the room shapes and doesn't fit the barn feeling of the place.

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Comments (6)

Ray Switzer
Original Author
9 years ago
Opps, looks like Houzz shrunk my images. Here they are at a more readable size: http://imgur.com/a/CbSTl
cpartist
9 years ago
Will you be living upstairs or downstairs? If upstairs why would you want your laundry room downstairs? Lots of shlepping. Especially since you have such a large master closet.

I ask because your downstairs guest bedroom looks like it could be a master bath. would guests need a closed toilet or two sinks or a walk in closet? I think one sink with extra storage would be more appreciated, especially when you consider guests need space to store temporary things and hate the idea of putting them in "your" drawers.

The toilet in the master bath is quite a haul in the middle of the night. Maybe not now, but as you age it might become more of a haul. LOL.

Also if you're planning on living there for the next 25+ years, I'd think a bit more about it being able to be converted to being ADA compliant. Is there a place you can add in an elevator if it's ever needed? Your bathrooms would be quite difficult to get into and out of.

Would you be able to use the powder room if you needed a wheelchair or walker?

The kitchen needs help. I would suggest posting in the kitchen forum and let the guru's there help you design an efficient kitchen. This isn't quite it.

The upstairs guest bedroom is a bit oddly configured. Have you tried putting furniture in the room?

In the upstairs guest bath, there isn't enough room between the toilet and the wall, and it will be quite a tight squeeze to get to the shower.

What is the point of the 6'6" loft area? It's too small for much of anything but looking down.

Frankly, I think that extra guest bedroom/bathroom/loft area needs work.

Love the his and hers drop zones. :) Wish I had thought of that.
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User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You are losing an amazing amount of living space to hallways. And the utility hallway, which would make a good mudroom area, doesn’t have the powder room accessible. To come in muddy from gardening you have to go through the entry to the kitchen.

And then I don't think the bathrooms are going to be accessible if you have a walker or wheelchair** ... start with the ADA recommended spaces and work out from there.

And yes, that is one heck of a trek to the toilet.

**The SO has been through a broken leg, ruptured achilles tendon, and a knee replacement ... we're sensitized to this stuff.
just_janni
9 years ago
So, I love this modern farmhouse inspiration. It will be tricky to execute correctly - as some of the features are specific (white house, black framed metal windows that have to carry a lot of structural support, etc) so having a good designer / architect AND engineer will be critical. And you MUST get your elevations at the same time because they are critical to the overall feel of the house.

Couple of feedback items:

Large guest bedroom down is really a second master. Make it friendly to age in place - that means things like a nice "roll in" shower, at least one sink that can be used by a wheelchair using person, plywood and concrete backer board in the shower for "anywhere" installation of grab bars. Probably remove the tub and make the toilet either in a larger room or open so that you can transfer to it from a chair placed beside it.

The dual laundries are a nice idea - esp for longer term guests - they can do some of their own laundry and you can throw guest sheets and towels in the downstairs room when they leave.

Not sure about the curved staircase and the curved 2 story foyer. I would need to see some renderings or at least some Sketch Up views - as right now, I don't see it blending with the linear feel of the rest of the space.

Post the kitchen in the Kitchen forum and prepared to be wowed...

Overall, (pending thoughts on elevations) I like this and think it could be REALLY cool sited properly to enjoy a yard and views. But it will be imperative to site it correctly - managing these views, how you enter the site / first see the house, where the parking gets placed, etc.

Exciting!
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Virgil Carter Fine Art
9 years ago
I like the simple, yet sophisticated concept. It looks like a small house, but it's over 3,000SF, so it's not small. There's a lot of duplication in the design--two laundries, two master bedroom suites--but if that fits the living patterns, so be it.

I like the spatial variety in the living area. It will be challenging to design proper building systems, lighting and controls for this space, but it can be done if given proper attention. Acoustical treatment may also be necessary.

I agree about more thought being needed to make this truly a long-term, 25-year place to live. There will likely come a time when one or both owners no longer want to climb stairs (or are able to climb stairs), making the first floor living design very important.

At that point in time, not only will there likely be a need for ADA access, but also for separate sleeping areas for the two adults! Just things to consider.