For views, wow! Nice!

The living room serves as entry, living room, playroom and passage from all bedrooms to everywhere else in the house. That's a lot of work for a space that should be for leisure. You might want a quiet space for yourselves and for the kid who needs some "space".

In the kid bath, even with 3 boys you will probably need storage more than 2 sinks. Go with one sink.

You might want a "service door", where the desk is shown. And maybe move the laundry room door to the mudroom. And maybe a door from laundry to outside. The boys might want a puppy someday and that will be convenient.

Thanks bpathome! It definitely is a beautiful home for a view! i should add, the garage wouldn't be attached so the mudroom door would be a utility entrance. I also like the idea about moving the laundry door into the mudroom, it makes sense. Thanks for the input on the powder room, Cami! I do make sure the bathrooms are clean for guests, even though I dislike cleaning them ;)

I wasn't implying that you don't clean them! I meant that 3 boys and all their tooth brushes, shower towels, products, etc. . . A small powder room that is off limits to occupants but available to guests would be nice.

For one to properly review the floor plan, they would have to have knowledge of your site; anything less is doing you a disservice. I am surprised with "200ish acre property" you are not working with an architect to truly take optimal advantage of the site and the "absolutely stunning views".

Thank you to everyone for the input.

Mark, It pleases me beyond belief to know that there are people out there as passionate about your profession as you are. I am sure you are very successful because of it.

Cami, thanks. I understand with your clarification what you were trying to communicate.

All the best,

Andrea

Is the desk area being used as a family computer area? It is in the walkway. The dining room seems tight for when family comes back with grandkids. I prefer cleaning bathrooms to dishes/laundry. I easily get my 10 year old boy to clean toilets though. Assuming the grandparents bathroom is pretty much off limits; is 2 toilets really enough for a family of 5...or the future grandkid gatherings? We have 2 toilets on the main floor and every time grandparents are over, there is at least one time someone is waiting for a restroom.

Maybe expand the kids bedroom that will be shared?

If everyone is in the habit of washing hands upon entering the house, I'd keep the powder room by the mudroom. Especially if they go from outdoors/garage to the kitchen. At the very least it'll keep the rest of the house cleaner. My two cents as a mother of three : ) .

In the kitchen, the sink and window placement looks odd.

Even in Oregon, be careful situating a house with stunning views to the west, so you don't deal with glare etc. You might want to consult an architect at the very least about optimum orientation for a house.

We live on a farm and are building a new house. One of our goals with the house is to bring the outside in, and toward that end, and since we don't have to worry about neighbors on top of us, we have what our youngest child called, at the beginning of the build, "an excessive number of windows" lol. They are also large. And we located them based on our property.

I'd be very hesitant to use a stock plan with pre-determined window placement on a large property with beautiful views. I would much prefer to have a house plan that takes the site and views in each direction into account for window -- and room -- placement.

Given the size of your property and the fact that you likely won't have to worry about neighbors, I'd be very unhappy with the window quantity, size, and placement on the side of the house with the bedrooms and master bathroom,

The living room serves as entry, living room, playroom and passage from all bedrooms to everywhere else in the house. That's a lot of work for a space that should be for leisure. You might want a quiet space for yourselves and for the kid who needs some "space".

It's a large living room ... connected to a large dining room ... it's not going to be cramped. However, the comment about "away space" is valid; I'd want to see each child have a bedroom.

In the kid bath, even with 3 boys you will probably need storage more than 2 sinks. Go with one sink.

I agree. Storage trumps duplicate sinks every time.

As a guest I would hate sharing a bathroom with 3 boys.

I hate cleaning bathrooms too, and guests don't get to dictate how you build your house. I'd go with two bathrooms -- and teach the boys to keep theirs neat. I'd rather clean two bathrooms than three.

Other thoughts:

- This house has a lot of exterior, so it will be expensive to build.

- What's the activity room in the garage?

- You need a first-floor office ... I'd look at making one of the bedrooms into an office ... remove the other bedroom ... and put all three boys upstairs.

- I don't like that a person at your door has an excellent view of your living room.

This house has a lot of exterior, so it will be expensive to build.

This.

For the amount of money this stock plan would cost to build, I would much prefer a more customized house plan that makes the most of the setting and the natural light.

I don't like that a person at your door has an excellent view of your living room.

A person at the front door is virtually in the living room.

A house of this size and scope should have a proper entryway, to honor the house, the family, and the property/setting. It's also a good way to bridge the exterior and interior spaces.

B Carey, becky sharp, and mrs Pete,

Thank you for all the great input! Its all food for thought as we figure out if this is what we might build or design something of our own. I had not considered that the two sinks would mean less storage space in the kids bath!

The desk area would go away as I will need a dedicated office.

Also I love the "excessive windows" comment. I resemble that remark! :)

As far as the people at the front door having a view of the living room, and needing an entry way, I guess the locked gate at the front and the mile long driveway makes me feel like if someone makes it clear up to the house and knocks without calling they are already invading my space!

Great info everyone, thanks again!

Andrea

I would think you'd want an entryway as a place to contain visitor's wet and/or snowy (depending on where in Southern Oregon you are) coats, boots, shoes, umbrellas, etc.. We're Portlanders and my parents have a house in Bend, as well, and in both places we really value having a separate entryway to help keep the Portland weather outside. It also means that when you open the door and a windy, wet gust comes in with you it isn't felt quite so much by everyone in the house.

On a side note, I'm pretty sure I know where this exact original house is in Bend :-).