The first thing that strikes me about this plan is that the kitchen doesn't have any windows. The fridge is way out of the way and the kitchen doesn't seem like a great working area either--but it is doesn't get direct natural light, and that would bother me a lot. Having the open window between the fridge and oven/microwave makes that space unusable--and that's a huge amount of space to not have usable within a kitchen.

12x12 is not a huge space for the only dining area in the house. I'd want that to be larger if it was the only dining area, since it would have to have a large enough table for the largest group dining.

Although it's convenient having the laundry and master closet open to each other, I don't like either of the accesses to the MBR--I definitely wouldn't want my MBR accessible off the great room without a hallway or buffer somewhere.

Similarly, there's no foyer/entry way into the house--you walk into the front door and there you are.

I like the placement of the powder room. The lockers and closet off the garage are convenient.

Bethohio3,

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at the plans and to give me your advice! I love getting other people's take on things like this because I won't see everything (positive and/or negative). I did notice the lack of windows in the kitchen, but when I looked at some of the completed pictures, I wasn't concerned. The area in between the fridge and oven would be nice extra work space, but I definitely agree with you about the placement of the fridge. Maybe it wouldn't bother me since I would have that space next to it. Here's the album with some finished pictures. Also, I hadn't noticed how small the dining room area was until you pointed it out.....that would need to change for sure. https://www.architecturaldesigns.com/house-plans/modern-4-bed-farmhouse-plan-62544dj/client_photo_albums/48

Thanks again!!

It's a nice plan but the question is, do you have a property to put it on yet? If not, then trying to find a plan is putting the cart before the horse. You need to find the property first because many times the property will dictate the house.

Also, I actually prefer the look of the back of the home versus of the front with the garages. My husband thinks I'm nuts (Lol!) and would prefer to keep the garages in the front.

cpartist,

We do have land to build, but putting the cart before the horse is something that I've been known to do before. :) I let my dreams run crazy at times. I see all of these gorgeous kitchens and start picking things for my future home, but then have to remind myself that there's cost to each of these things that I've fallen in love with. Lol!

Thank you all so much for your input....it's helpful to have other people's perspective.

It reminds me a bit of my parents' winter home, which I really liked. But there are some things...

The master bedroom door is problematic, it really limits the placement of furniture in the great room.

The great room has no wall space, no place for books, games, artwork, piano. The tv can only go above the fireplace.

I see no guest coat closet; where is your lot?

I imagine the living room will be used as a den/library, is that right? Would you consider swapping it with the bedroom? Or, bedroom on the end, and the utility/bath/closet areas at the front?

Or, if you can widen the house by 4', you could create a little hallway right of the stairs, leading from the front hall back to the bedroom. I don't know what that would do to the upstairs, though.

cpartist,

We do have land to build, but putting the cart before the horse is something that I've been known to do before. :)

Hey I hear you! Been there, done that more times than I care to admit.

Since you have the land, put together idea books, and what your needs will be for the next 10 years or so depending on when you hope to build. Go for your actual needs and not how you think you'll live if you only have the ...

For example, I can dream all I want of having formal sit down dinners for 10, with us all first starting with cocktails on the lanai, while having violinists playing in the background. After cocktails, we'd move to the formal dining room, where a 5 course meal with wine pairings will be served. And of course I was the one who cooked the meal, although I'm not serving and cleaning up. After dinner, we'd retire to the living room for more witty conversation along with brandys.

Now the reality in my life is that I'm more likely to have an informal get together where we eat on the lanai after I hand DH burgers, franks and chicken to barbecue that will then be served buffet style. Cocktails will be from a pitcher DH made up in advance or help yourself to wine and beer. I doubt I will ever have a formal sit down dinner and I certainly know I won't be cooking it, although I do make great desserts. And the truth is I dislike brandy.

About the only thing that is probably true about the first scenario is that I probably will ask my housekeeper to come and help out.

My point being don't put in rooms you'll never use (like in my case a formal dining room) or make rooms oversized. (How much time during the day will you actually spend in your master bedroom for example?)

Get your needs right and then build a house that is right sized and arranged for how you live and how your land is.

I let my dreams run crazy at times. I see all of these gorgeous kitchens and start picking things for my future home, but then have to remind myself that there's cost to each of these things that I've fallen in love with. Lol!

My sister has a gorgeous kitchen. She lives in a 1927 very large georgain colonial. She has a marble fireplace in her kitchen, white quartzite counters, original hardwood floors, lots of windows, pearl shell backsplash, an antique fixture over the island and blingy knobs with crystals in them. It actually was done quite tastefully and is stunning. I look at it and drool and for a second think I would like that.

But then I realize that really isn't me at all. Plus, I'm cheap and wouldn't want to pay what she paid for her backsplash or knobs. LOL.

Dream on, but with a dose of reality.

Either way, CP, I am coming over for the party. :-)

Building a house is a good time to let dreams run wild. Too many people settle for other people's dreams.

Building a house is a good time to let dreams run wild. Too many people settle for other people's dreams.

I hearby nominate this for the quotes for 2017 thread :)

Overall it's a nice, clean layout with good circulation. I have a couple suggestions - all rather minor:

- The kitchen is the weak spot in this plan. Someone else commented that it has no windows ... what I'd add here would be a pass-through window to the screened porch, where I assume you'd enjoy meals occasionally. The refrigerator placement is very bad -- you have no "landing space" -- which means that as you unload groceries or take out the items you need for dinner, you have no place to "set something down". Wait -- that's a window seat beside the refrigerator, right? Though the kitchen will be lovely, it could be more functional.

- The dining room is fairly small compared to the rest of the house ... and it contains the only public door to the back yard. I'd also want a window on that left side of the dining room.

- The entrance to the master bedroom is odd ... a cased opening PLUS a door? And I never like those derpy double doors. Even ignoring the light switch placement issue, when are you going to want to use two hands to open the door? I suppose the idea is to make the room look "grand", but this falls flat.

- I never like a toilet-in-a-closet, but this one seems to be sized /positioned exactly like a public toilet stall. Next time you're at the mall using the facilities, ask yourself if this is really what you want to build into your own home. Additionally, the door swings inward ... where are you going to stand to close that door?

- You've given two prime corner spots to closets ... but I really do like the connection between the master closet and the laundry room.

- I like the living room. It's nicely located away from the main family areas, so it'll have visual and acoustical privacy, and a pocket door is appropriate in this spot because it'll likely stay open most of the time.

- The upstairs bedrooms/bathrooms look good, but I wonder about the desk. It's in a pathway to the bedrooms. I'd lean towards making it a bookcase or a closet ... not a place to sit.

I don't generally comment on layout posts because I'm not qualified at all in house design. But I have learned a bunch from reading others comments about what might work and what might not work.

Assuming this works with your site, I like this plan mostly. As far as stock plans go, it seems like one of the better ones. A few comments that I do have but are pretty minor....

1) I think the entrance from the garage will be quite functional. You have a locker/cubbie space to drop coats, shoes, bags, etc. A closed off coat closet for bulkier and lesser used coats and this could be your guest closet. And the pantry is accessible from the kitchen.

2) The kitchen layout needs work but I think its placement in the house is OK. I'd seriously consider a 'drop zone' area for mail, keys, and other assorted stuff that gets dropped on my kitchen island daily. Maybe where the refrigerator is. You need to tweak the whole kitchen layout to make it more functional.

3) I'd put more windows in the dining room...on the left side so you have light from all 3 sides (including the door to the back). I'd actually consider replacing the dining room door with a window. It looks like the whole wall of the great room is full of doors, so do you really need another door?

4) Will you really use that screened porch? Seems like its in a location that won't have great views and kind of looks like an after thought. Plus if you can get rid of the door from the dining room, that opens up more kitchen layout options.

5) Put more windows in the master bedroom. On all the walls you can.

6) The laundry room isn't very big and those 2 doors limit the space even more. I don't have any better suggestions, but maybe a whole tweak of the powder room, laundry and master bath space could fix it?

7) Do you need a 2nd fireplace in the Living room?

8) Full disclosure, I'm not a fan of 2 story great rooms or foyers. If you put a ceiling in the great room, you'd end up with a great bonus room upstairs. Don't know if you have kids or not but that would be a great space for a toy/play room. I've got 2 kids with a bonus room upstairs in our house I don't know what I would have done without it! I think your great room can still be quite 'great' with the walls of doors on both sides and make it 10' foot ceilings.

Good luck!

The door from house to garage drops you right at the car door, which really isn't so great. Not to mention when a passenger gets out, they could trip on the steps. I'd flip the door and boot bench, or even put the door around the corner.

Either way, CP, I am coming over for the party. :-)

I'm hoping for a New Year's Day, all day open house. So definitely come on down.

Thank you all again for the GREAT input....lots of good advice!

cpartist
And the truth is I dislike brandy.

That's a shame, I had a bottle of XO ready for you. Even though I primarily drink scotch, I like to end a formal dinner with cognac. Now I wonder what I'll serve when we invite you over for dinner.

I love a nice bar!! That's lovely PineBarron!