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john_trang3

Requesting Feedback on House Designs

7 years ago
First time asking Houzz but here it goes! Houzz Community: I’d appreciate your feedback on these house designs. I plan to tear down most of a very old home and plan to replace it with a two story home. Some limitations: I need to keep it at 2k s/f. I can’t expand the width much-it’s a narrow lot. First floor must have the kitchen, living room, dining room, laundry closet, and a bedroom/bath. While I’d love a powder room for guests, I don’t I have the space. The second floor has the en suite master, and I am debating between having a bigger sized bedroom and bathroom and a small office or making that office into a full bedroom. FWIW, I live in the city of Los Angeles so everything is smaller/tighter than say the Midwest. I am going for a two story Craftsman bungalow type style, not modern. The kitchen looks out into the backyard (and detached carport) and the front entrance is at the bottom of the designs.

ALL THOUGHTS ARE WELCOME! I am a first time homebuyer so I am sure I have plenty to learn!

Comments (11)

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Get an architect and forget these generic plans that require many changes.

  • 7 years ago

    The dining room table is kinda blocking the way between the living room and the kitchen.


    What if you want to seat more than six people? Put the leaf in? Table becomes a barricade and cuts your main floor in half. Looks like there's also some dead space in the kitchen zone.


    Also, I'm not a fan of first floor bedrooms being in the front of the house off the front entry. Also, room is cramping the living room/entry area.


    I'd rearrange the floor plan to put your public spaces up front - living, dining, entry area - and put the bedroom in back and the kitchen, which would still be open, behind the dining room. In doing this, give the entry area some more breathing room and get rid of the dead space in the kitchen and give it to living or dining.

  • 7 years ago

    What jumps to my eye is the sight of the fridge from the front door. It's perfectly lined with the front door. Something you might regret (I know I would).

  • 7 years ago

    The living room appears very small and the front door opens right into it. The kitchen is huge compared to the other rooms. I would suggest putting the dining room where the living room is and create a small foyer. Then put the kitchen in the middle (where the dining area is now) and the living area in the back where the kitchen is. You could have access from the living area to the backyard which will be nice for entertaining.


    Also, you have a 5 foot deep front porch. My front porch is 6 feet deep and it is just enough room to put a chair out and be able to walk around it. I suggest you make it at least a foot deeper.


    Lastly, referring to tira-misu's comment about seeing the fridge from the font door; I don't know how I overlooked it, but when you walk in my front door and turn to the left, you have a direct view to the fridge and I really, really, really, regret it!

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Buy a nice suitable refrigerator, build it in and panel the front.

  • 7 years ago
    For a compact house, there’s wasted dead space next to the living room while the front door opens right into it. I don’t know the answer but there’s got to be a better way to handle that. (Also a big dead zone at the top of the stairs.)
  • PRO
    7 years ago

    As others have said, you can do SO much better - so many things wrong that you will regret.

  • 7 years ago

    I agree with every comment made. The layout is so inefficient I'd say 20% of the floor space is wasted. Get thee an architect!


  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I agree with the 6' minimum width for your porch.

    I'd use a 24" Miele stackable laundry set in the storage space under the stairs.

    I'd replace the bench with a 12" deep pantry. 12" pantry off the dining area also. Anything deeper doesn't work unless you make part of the depth bins on the doors.

    The dimensions between the counter and the island need to be edge of counter overhang for each. Not cabinet face to cabinet face.

    A 24" inside width single sink will be more than adequate and give you more counter space.

    With the laundry moved you can move your frig to that space. There is room for a microwave station with counter there.

    You can then turn the island sideways move the now smaller sink to the left and move your cooktop(or range for an oven) down 18". I'd look at an induction range like a Bosch Benchmark. At 30" that gains 6 more inches.

    With the island turned you can shorten that counter run by possibly 36". And move the dining area towards the back by that amount. You get more living room space.

  • 7 years ago
    I guess I can’t respond to each person’s comment but I want to thank everyone for their feedback.

    If anyone has any additional insight/opinions, please feel free to say more. Thanks again!