I like the garage-mudroom-hall set up. However, if you move the garage door down to the bottom of the mudroom, yyou’ll be able to use more of the storage area for storage instead of a walkway, and, if you turn the utility sink 90 degrees, it can be part of a stretch of countertop which will be handy when using the sink, and with drawers below for the accessories like extra gloves, caps, masks, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. You can still have hooks on the opposite wall.

Upstairs, the attic door, can it be in the hall instead of in your closet? If you need to get up there, you don’t want all that dust etc falling on your clothes, or have to move things to get to it.

In the bedrooms, adding a window to a second wall would be nice. We can definitely tell a difference in our two bedrooms with windows on only one wall, versus the two bedrooms with an additional, even small, window on a second wall.

Consider this concept.

This eliminates the jack & jill bathroom giving more privacy to the bedrooms.

More windows would be my only suggestion: clerestory on either side of FP, every bedroom, even a clerestory by the breakfast area....which leads me to say that it’s very very important to have the furniture laid out on the plans for every room. This helps size all windows appropriately as well as lighting/electrical locations planned right.

Nice Mark! I especially like what you did with the master closet reorientation. More useable storage in the closet and another full wall in the bedroom.

Absolutely agree with Mark. Other than one thing. Do you need four bedrooms up? Did I read you have two kids and a guest room downstairs? What is the extra room upstairs for then? Does it need a bathroom if not used?

Also would love to see more windows

I would do whatever you can to eliminate the split landing in the staircase. That is an ankle breaker.

Just a few thoughts on the exterior.

The existing porch posts appear frail. I suggest using thicker porch posts on the to add visual strength to the front elevation.

You don't show side elevations, (and I can't tell from the drawing with my old eyes) but I suspect that some of stone/brick veneer terminates on outside corners which would make it look artificial and pasted on the front elevation. If my assumption is correct, then you'd have to figure a way (e.g., bump out the front bedrooms) to create inside corners on the side elevations.

I'm also wondering how visible the side elevations are from the street. I'm a fan of making all sides of a home as attractive as the front so that it has visual interest from any angle that it's viewed.

It looks like you may have already done this, but, if not, to add visual depth/shadow to the house, I'd recess all windows at least 2" and where windows are surrounded by stone/brick veneer, I'd recess 6" - 8".

Hi. Beautiful house! Exciting project! I would really think about your door swings and light switch placement. The plans don’t alway get it right with practicalities and because you usually have to change a light switch / electrical if you change a door swing, it’s difficult to do later. Specifically - I noticed your Master WIC door swing - I would amend that to swing out instead of in. I’ve lived in houses with WIC doors both ways, but you will get much more usable space if they swing out. The reason is because you never leave them open. - you open, go in get what you need and then leave and close the door. Doors opening ‘in’ leaves the items tucked behind the door inaccessible unless you close the door behind you to access them, which is awkward. I’m not a pro and pros may disagree, but IMO it’s much more practical opening out unless of course you are going to put a large piece of furniture where the door will swing. It you will just have art on the walls or something skinny it is fine. If you change the door swing - remember to look at the light placement as a result.

I would play around with furniture placement in the greatroom and make sure it is gonna work. You will be very limited by this width and one wall occupied by doors and another by the fireplace. We are currently building a similar greatroom and I wish I had realized these issues beforehand.

Several of the rooms would live better by adding windows on a second wall.

Thank you all very much for your feedback. This is exactly what I was hoping for. Please keep it coming. So many great points to think about and definitely some changes to make.

For the washrooms and bedrooms upstairs, the Jack & Jill washroom was a request of our son and his friend who stays with us often. We can certainly make changes on this, though. Our daughter also requested her own room as she is tried of sharing with the boys. She’s tidy, they’re not.

The games room/guest room in the basement will be built as a poker, card and video game room with a Murphy bed.

Definitely need to reconsider the windows. I am big on natural light.

"the Jack & Jill washroom was a request of our son and his friend who stays with us often."

How much are your son and his friend contributing to the construction cost? What benefit do they feel they will gain with a private connection between bedrooms? After your son leaves home, you're stuck with two bedrooms with little privacy.

On the exterior, simplify to 1-2 types of siding, it looks like you have 3 currently.

28’6” is not wide enough for a 3 car garage. Your single overhead door is close enough to the wall where it will be tight getting out of the car. Consider switching to two 10’ wide garage doors and making the garage flat across the front.

Will the front door be used often? The closet is an annoying distance from the door if it is.

The double front door is kinda pointless. A siingle door with side lights would leave you room in the foyer for a bench and/or table..

That is A LOT of roof. Is it really as tall as it looks in the elevation you provided, or is that a perspective issue?

you might have reduced construction cost if the front of the second floor was flat versus the three steps/bump outs you have currently.

Where is the fridge in the kitchen?

I like Mark’s recommendations on the second floor as well; and agree with more windows:)

Mark, I very much appreciate your perspective and for you taking the time to reconfigure the upstairs. The question of contribution from our son, I am going to assume, was meant to be sarcastic. Regardless, we have chosen to gather input from our kids as we work through building our family home.

The Jack and Jill washroom was something we had in our previous house when our kids were younger and it was heaven. Having said that, it is certainly something for us to consider before finalizing the plans

My question was dead serious, and based on over 40 years of designing family homes.

The front elevation is full of builder cliches and amateurish detailing. I suggest eliminating all stone, using brick only on the first floor, not breaking the cornice line and changing the roof from a steep hip to a lower sloped gable shape. Make the porch columns full height and fatter with proper capitals.

Make sure the bedroom windows meet the emergency escape and rescue opening requirement.

Change the color of the roof so you can see the changes in the roof planes and the cornice returns. A roof only looks that black on a dark and stormy night.

Mark’s plan with a hallway bath and one ensuite for kids really is lovely. We have two girls and one boy. Our son has his own bath and girls share. We purposefully didn’t do the J&J model as we really want it to be private for whoever was in the bathroom. Since yours would be mostly for your son and a friend when over I would recommend even more it just be a hallway bath and give your daughter the ensuite one. Mark’s plan is far superior and gives you better closets, storage and a lovely laundry.