Mudroom to dining room is unusual.

Bathroom upstairs by laundry should have door swinging opposite side so it doesn’t block sink.

Do you not need a coat closet?

Do you have a garage? Where will you mostly come in via? Where is driveway etc?

Garage is detached in the back. So we would be coming from there. Couldn’t figure out the best place to otherwise put the mud room. The drive way would be to the left of the home if you are looking at the plans. Yes, we saw the door....duly noted! There are 2 closets on the first floor that could be used for the coats. Maybe utilize the one off the foyer for coats and thinking I could reclaim the other for a sink in the laundry room?

I think it all depends how formal your space is. Mudroom to dining seems odd to me but maybe not if it’s all quite open and casual?

It definitely is the more casual/family dining for sure. This is the one dining space besides the stools at the island so it will function as an everyday dining and extend to more formal use for holidays

Wow..thank @One Devoted Dame. I have not laid out furniture to scale...just trying to figure out if it makes sense essentially? Like the fireplace is off center from the kitchen? Is that just my own neurosis, lol or will that look weird? Same thing with where the great room starts...further towards the front of the house?

To your other points:

• I agree that I am worried how the kitchen without windows. He may not have added bc of cabinet space? If my cabinet layout can support it I would love to have a window. East is actually the lower left side of the plan and west the upper right....does that change anything for you? The kitchen potentially get plenty of morning light.

• I’ve heard that comment before about the 1 room deep and I’m not sure how people doe that unless they make a u-shaped house? But yes the house will stay this general floor plan. Maybe pushing back some walls but rooms in the general position.

• Thank you for all the door placement recommendations!! Didn’t even think about stuff like that!

• As for closets...they are labeled as “walk in” but I’m not really sure how walk in they will be though. We can’t make them any bigger bc of square footage limitations so they will just be the size that they are and we will do our best to do some great closet organizing.

Answer 1: Built in seats next to the fireplace may provide the best views into bedroom #2.

Answer 2: Center a fireplace on a kitchen only if it makes the food taste better.

I avoid:

1. Designs that do not relate to the site.
2. Closets where hanging clothes turn corners.
3. Windowless walk-in closets.
4. Kitchens with overly large work triangle.
5. Large expanses of exterior wall without windows.
6. Walk-in closets that will be difficult to walk into.
7. Hallways less than four feet wide.
8. Stairs less than 3'-6" wide.
9. Freestanding tubs that do not have sufficient space to clean around.
10. Exterior doors in living rooms that effect furniture layouts.
11. Bedrooms next to a bathroom without a sound barrier.
12. Clothes closets accessible from a bathroom.
13. Views from living rooms into bedrooms.
14. Pocket doors in spaces that need a door that are heavily used.
15. Gas chambers without windows.
16. Gas chambers.
17. Looking through a screened porch from a living room to any view.
18. Jack & Jill bathrooms.
19. Corner bedrooms with only one window.
20. No coat closet at exterior entrances.
21. Cooking surfaces without counter space on each side.
22. Doors that swing in front of other doors.

to name a few.

@Mark...well thank your for the tongue in cheek remarks. Some comments are helpful...others not so much, lol!

• Not sure the kitchen work triangle will be “overly large”. I hear you about the windows to the exterior. Tryin to figure that part out
• The only true walk ins are on the first floor bedrooms and they both have windows; the upstairs I am really looking at more like LARGE closets vs. walk-ins
• Well can’t go bigger on the hallways due to square footage
• Yep gotcha on the tub
  -Stairs are 4’ wide
• Sound barrier? Can’t tell if you are joking on this one....
• Yeah I’m not as thrilled about the Jack and Jill either, but it came down to square footage and fitting 3 sinks upstairs so everyone has there own sink (1st world problems I know)
• Well I agree with you on not liking gas chambers as well
• It will more than likely be a covered porch....architect designed as screened, but not our cup of tea
• One Devoted Dame gave some great suggestions for me to fix the door on door thing

Thanks for the little laugh this evening....😉😂

It seems that your kitchen has no view of your backyard. Do you really need such a large mudroom? It would seem like you could do a window with window seat and lovely builtins for coat and boot storage on the exterior wall where mudroom is currently. Then you will have a much more spacious dining area w room to expand for holidays, a cozy spot for homework at a window seat, and be able to keep an eye on the backyard while cooking in your kitchen. The dining area is 12x12 functionally w the walkway. Feels undersized since it is the only dining space in this large home.
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We are definitely looking to expand the dining area into the mud room to increase the size so functional space would be 12x15 with windows running that wall to the covered porch. I totally would love to have a window to the back but my need to not have shoes and back packs showing is outweighing that 😩😂 I think we are going to do windows on the exterior kitchen wall to bring in more light. It will limit my upper cabinets to probably just 4 on that wall but to get some light in I think it will be better.

I have not laid out furniture to scale...just trying to figure out if it makes sense essentially? Like the fireplace is off center from the kitchen? Is that just my own neurosis, lol or will that look weird? Same thing with where the great room starts...further towards the front of the house?

Furniture composition and placement are key! :-)

For example, I love love LOVE twin chesterfield sofas flanking fireplaces. <3 So, I'd be looking for a great room large enough to accommodate 2 slightly large, 3-seater chesters facing each other (with sofa tables behind them) and 2 accent chairs facing the fireplace (all furniture in a U-formation), with enough space (3'-4') to walk around the entire set of floating furniture. I also have a family that's bigger than most (my husband and I currently have 6 kids + 1 in-utero), so maximizing my seating is a pretty big priority; y'all might not need or want that much furniture.

On the other hand, I absolutely and totally dislike sectionals, lol, despite their popularity and ability to seat several people (I can, arguably, fit more people in the same space with a sectional [my family is an affectionate one, and would have no problem using the corner seats on a sectional] ). But I just can't get past the *massiveness* of sectionals, lol.

I, personally, wouldn't be concerned with the fireplace's relationship with the kitchen, so much as I'd want the fireplace centered in the room (because I like the Twin Chesters thing, and having an offset furniture grouping in the room would bother me like no one's business, lol). But if you're planning on an L-shaped sectional along the bottom, facing the windows, then I'd want more space behind the sectional (for a sofa table and circulation space), so the fireplace wouldn't necessarily be centered in the room. This all assumes you won't have a ceiling treatment that requires centering the fireplace in the room, like a tray or coffered ceiling.

I agree that I am worried how the kitchen without windows. He may not have added bc of cabinet space? If my cabinet layout can support it I would love to have a window.

How much storage do you really *need,* especially with the nicely sized pantry that y'all have planned? ;-) Going with all drawers in lieu of lower cabinets is a great way to maximize storage, making room for windows.

Regarding orientation, is the below illustration correct?

Southern exposure receives the most consistent sunshine throughout the day (assuming you're in the Northern hemisphere), and is generally the most desirable direction for a house's shared/living spaces to face.

If I understand correctly (if my image is accurate), then I fear that without a window in the current kitchen, the kitchen will be quite dark. You will likely get some unpleasant western glare through the screened/covered porch, via the great room at sunset, unless you have a bunch of trees on the west side.

I’ve heard that comment before about the 1 room deep and I’m not sure how people doe that unless they make a u-shaped house?

1 and 2 room deep is ideal for maximizing natural light, yes. They can be many different shapes, not just U. L and T shapes are common, too. Hs are pretty neat, as well (my first house as a newlywed was an H-shape tract home). Architectural style often influences the shape of the house. I like atrium and U/C shapes, which go well with Spanish and Texas Hill Country houses (both appropriate for my area), for example.

Thank you for all the door placement recommendations!!

You are very welcome!!!

As for closets...they are labeled as “walk in” but I’m not really sure how walk in they will be though. We can’t make them any bigger bc of square footage limitations [....]

I was actually thinking of going the opposite direction -- turning the not-so-functional walk-ins into really nice reach-ins. :-)

. . . and get rid of the barn doors.

Well don’t hold back @Mark, lol! Is that a personal preference regarding barn doors?

@OneDevoted....I am not keen on sectionals either. We have a small one now in our living room with just the small chaise at the end but the rest of couch is “normal”. We are increasing the great room (length wise) and re center the fireplace as appropriate bc I too like the double couch. It’s what we had at our other home and the plan is to get the couches reupholstered for this nest one. We will definitely be adding some windows (probably 2 small casement windows). It will sacrifice my in wall double ovens but the windows are worth it. Your sun diagram is close!! I think southern may actually be slightly shifted downward which would be good to have the extra windows on that left exterior wall. Any recommendations on reach in vs “walk-in” with the dimensions not changing?

Personal and Professional. Barn doors occupy wall space that could be used for art and are a poor visual, audio, and olfactory barrier between spaces. Rarely is the exposed hardware congruent with interior design of the space it invades.

There are 4 doors into the screen porch. This makes the entire back 1/3 of the porch unusable for furniture. Could you extend the screen porch to the sème depth as the mudroom, extend the family room to the same depth as the master bedroom, then have just two access doors to porch? Better flow and probably cheaper. Fewer doors, better insulation, less complicated exterior lines.
Also, do you really need two laundry rooms? If downstairs master is for guests, and eventually for you, that means you are using Bedroom 3 for yourself. It would make more sense to have a walk-in closet for bedroom 3 instead of a second laundry room. You can always put two sets of W/D stacked in downstairs laundry if you feel you need two. Again it will save you money.

Thanks for your thoughts @Newideas. We are probably only going to have the one entrance to the porch via the great room and we will be expanding it!the downstairs master is for us hence the laundry room attached. We have a separate guest bedroom downstairs for aging parents. Bedroom 3 upstairs will probably be my office until we ge the basement refinished and even if the kids decided to split the bedrooms instead of being in the ones attached to the jandj bathroom, the still don’t have enough stuff to need a walk in 😂

We will definitely be adding some windows (probably 2 small casement windows). It will sacrifice my in wall double ovens but the windows are worth it.

Absolutely, 100% agreed! Windows that make your kitchen a pleasant, happy place, for 365 days of the year definitely overrides the convenience of having double ovens that'll be used 2 or 3 days of the year. :-) (Unless you regularly use double ovens, but your kitchen is so large that I can see a fridge, sink, range, and double ovens fitting no problem, even with windows.)

Any recommendations on reach in vs “walk-in” with the dimensions not changing?

This is kinda what I was thinking:

The solid green box with the arrow would be shelving or built-ins for Media Room storage, instead of a small closet between the Media Room and Bed #5. Since the MR doesn't have windows, I'm assuming y'all are using it as an in-home theater room (or similar), where darkness is highly desired. I thought having storage *inside* the room would be helpful for things like changing movies, without opening the doors and letting in light from the stairwell window.

This would allow a great expansion of Bed #5's closet (as a reach-in). I couldn't quite make out the dimensions of the rooms, but I'm guessing that Bed #5 is roughly 12' top-to-bottom, so if the door takes up 3' of space, the closet now has roughly 9' of hanging space. As drawn, the walk-in only has hanging space along the back wall, because the sides are unusable for rods, which looks to be only 6' of usable space.

Regarding the outlined, rounded box with the question mark, I was wondering if you could incorporate that area into the walk-in closet for Bed #4. I was trying to leave the window intact (since I don't want to change the fenestration), while improving the usability of that closet. As it's currently depicted, clothing will be unable to hang near the door. :-)

Those are great suggestions! We didn’t plan on the media/bonus room to be without windows but placement in the house and the roof hipline necessitated it. We are considering skylights maybe or just keeping it windowless and maybe making it more of a teenage lounge/movie/game room. Yeah that little niche we probably will incorporate into that closet. That would make it a pretty big closet at 7x7 though....

Yeah that little niche we probably will incorporate into that closet. That would make it a pretty big closet at 7x7 though....

If the door is moved over just a smidge, and swings out into the room instead of into the closet (being careful not to hit the bedroom entrance door), then I think the closet would be fantastic. You could have 12"-18" deep shelving along the window wall (shoes, intimates, bench, whatever), 24" deep space for hanging clothes along the top wall, which would then leave a 3.5'-4' aisle for walking into the closet. Very comfortable. :-) Wouldn't even need a dresser in that room!

Would something like this work? Then you'd enter the mudroom between the kitchen and dining and not walk through the dining.

The master bedroom laundry room stands out to me. It's way off in an isolated corner. I would want a door into the hallway, both for general flow reasons and because if I'm working on laundry during the day while I'm in other parts of the house (say, the kitchen), it would be a giant PITA to have to walk down the hall, through the master bedroom, master bathroom, and master closet just to change the wash.

No windows in the kitchen would also be an absolute deal killer for me. There's an awesome long exterior wall that is begging for large counter-height windows and a cleanup sink!

@lyfia... hmm interesting concept! I wonder how many square feet that would add?

Yeah I’ve thought about adding a pocket door into that and rearranging the layout in there. Totally agree on the windows...we added 2 in the updated Plan here

I-s that’s the original... here’s the updated one

mamagoose gave you a terrific kitchen layout option in your other thread - with cleanup sink and big window on that exterior wall :)

Glad you're thinking about access to the master laundry room. I might be paranoid, but I would also worry that being in that laundry room means either I can't hear if kids/guests are having an emergency somewhere else in the house, and/or I can't get to them quickly because of the long path to get out.

Thanks @course411 I’ll go back to look!

This refers to Bedroom #2 which you indicated may be for an elderly relative. Your doorway into this bathroom is only 24” which will make it impossible for a wheelchair and difficult for a walker. I encourage you to remove or make more shallow the linen closet so you can enlarge the bathroom access door. Then make the Tub shower combo a Shower with low or no curb and a handheld wand. You never know when you will need this for an elderly relative or an immediate family member who has had surgery/broken leg. Make sure there is enough clearance on the sides of the toilet for grab bars and/or to assist in lifting.
It would be simpler for this person to access the bathroom through one door instead of two, especially at night. You could remove the anteroom and make this a simple large bathroom with access door to hall and another access door to bedroom. It seems overly complicated in its current configuration.

Great idea @newideas!

rsburket, I think your elevation will be beautiful, so I am looking at older posts about your floorplan. It is a very nice plan. You received a lot of good and practical advice. I primarily thought exactly what lyfia told you about shifting the mud room so it will be entered from kitchen instead of through dining room- this would also give you the opportunity for windows to the rear yard in the dinning room.