Show all the other sides of the house and floor plan(s). It is not a painting.

^ wow that looks nice and def agree on all brick - totally just my opinion but the stone veneer is getting put on every.single.house these days and I don’t think it is going to age well. All brick is classic

All I see is roof, roof, roof.

Nested gables. McMansions live on!

The pork chop gable ends indicate the level of professionalism of the designer.

(But PPF, certainly knows better.)

I like PPF's changes - the roof does look better. The back patio is vaulted along with living room and 2 bedrooms. I will ask them about that and see if we can lower it.

I remember most of you from my screen porch post and appreciate all of your help and opinions. We do love the interior and here is the drawing on that.

Few changes on the drawing - the master bath shower will be horizontal and the toilet closet along the outside wall between shower and tub. Also, adding a small linen closet in right front hallway just before the bathroom, some shelves in hall across from sunroom entry, another foot wider on sunroom, and 10 ft island with no end stools. No longer a screen porch, the sunroom will be heated and cooled but have windows that open. Also, I decided not to have the front left guestroom be an ensuite because it is primarily my office. It's just two of us in the house but will often have guests. Thank you!

Also, I was happy to hear your thoughts on brick vs. stone. We can save a lot of money doing without the stone. I like raising the fascia, too. I do want some contrast and character and think we can probably do it with the brick, don't you? We could still have the porch columns be wood, possibly cedar, with stone bases. They have already put some details in the brick around windows and dormers. Maybe there are some other accents we could add.

Good point mad_gallica. Landscaping will make a difference. Thanks.

I have been researching pork chop eaves. I learned a lot and do not want them. This style looks better and is probably not much more $$. What do you guys think?

The stone looks like a cheap way to fake a more intriguing design. Nope. I think your house would look much better all brick. Ask for a rendering with all brick and if it doesn't seem to have enough interest, think about whether the windows and roof lines are correct proportions. A home should look harmonious enough without throwing extra finishes on.

Spend that stone money on really good landscaping that plays off and enhances the design of the house.

I don't like the two front gables. As @worthy said, this is a McMansion trait. I would prefer to see the front entry emphasized. The two gables are drawing attention to windows in a way that seems random and unnecessary. The designer was thinking the front expanse is large and wanted to break it up, but this is not the best way to do that.

Very much agree with ditching the stone. Spend that money on more brick (make sure it’s on all sides of the house) and professional landscaping.

I never think the mix of brickand stone is a nice look so no stone and more brick if you must have that. No arched windows this starts going in the mcmansion direction as do huge gables for no purpose Keep it simple is always a good way to go . I agree landscaping is the best way to add character and the bonus it can be changed without braking the bank

Agree tacked on gables are Pulte detail for cramming house next to each other. A joke if no space inside requires them. Repost the floorplan, please. It doesn't expand

Very Top Hat on a Toddler undesigned copy paste by a McDrafter.

dan1888 - here is the floorplan again

The high hip roofs are very Texas, and always because there is a covered porch in back, making the mass of the roof wide leading to the height.

There is a vaulted patio on the back. I will ask designer if they can lower it any just in case. Thank you,.

If the vaulted ceiling of the "family center" was rotated 90 degrees to aligned with the vaulted ceiling of the patio, it would give the design a little continuity that it currently does not possess.

Is it too late to make drastic changes that will improve the layout and elevations?

Not a pro but I’d be tempted to remove the covered patio right outside the dining area - feels like it will cause the kitchen to be dark

Thanks, Mark. That's a thought - I don't think it's too late to change. I wasn't told this is the final iteration. The build won't start until November. The only thing is whether it will seem a little weird looking, going horizontal in the living area. I had always pictured it lengthwise. I will pull up some pictures of houses with the vault like that and it will help me visualize. I llike that it would cut back on the size of the roof. Thanks!

Thank you, la_la Girl. I am afraid of that because I love light and have tried to get as much as possible in the living area. My husband's shop opens to the patio, and he wants it covered walking across. Also, I have a pantry door to this patio where we will have the smoker and grill. That way I can prepare the meat, etc. for the grill/smoker inside the pantry instead of kitchen. Originally, I thought the vault would go all the way across but I see now light could be affected. At least the patio is 10' high.

I would not select brick with stone. It's too much pattern

I would :

use stone with siding

use stone with stucco

use brick with siding

use brick with stucco

See the examples I have posted below.

"I am afraid of that because I love light and have tried to get as much as possible in the living area."

I am afraid you are going to hate your living area. On one side light will have to travel about 20 feet under the roof's overhang and on the other side light will have to travel 12 feet under the roof's overhang. Those distances are enough to substantially reduce the amount of light that will be experienced in the living room.

While fixing the vaulted ceiling in the living room* and covered patio, have the designer If you choose to keep them) fix the jumbled congregation of spaces, make the closets larger so they may actually be walked into or make them reach-in closets. Make the access the master closet only from the master bedroom.

I think the plan has a lot of cleaning up to be done that will improve it and the exterior massing; or start over.

Beverly - Thank you! Wow those are beautiful homes and I love the combinations on the exteriors. I am definitely no longer doing stone with brick. I like the other combinations with brick, but I think I will stick with brick alone.

Mark - Thank you for the depressing realization. :( I really do appreciate your insights - you are one smart cookie! :) I love the layout on the inside - it's just what we wanted - including access from master closet to laundry. I wish I could get more light with the layout I have but looks like my favorite room will be the sunroom!

PPF. - Thank you for the drawings yesterday! I love the lower roof. My designer doesn't offer 3d renderings, but I found some places online that do them. It would be so much better to see it in 3D! I appreciate your help and advice.

Honestly, there's not much that I like in this plan. I'm probably going to repeat some of the problems I noted in your prior posts.

• The roof is overwhelming
• I wouldn't use brick and stone--one or the other is better, but not both
• The "family center" room is much smaller than it appears due to the many walkways where you can't place any furniture. It's also going to be very dark due to the covered porches outside and the fact that there are few outside walls with windows.
• Ditto for the dining room--it's very small for the size of the house and will live even smaller because of the walkway from the mudroom through the kitchen to the family room. Also, having to go through a dining room from a mudroom and garage is not a good idea.
• You reiterated that you love light, but this design doesn't capture light effectively. Once again, you have bulky garages that block the light on one whole side of the house. The design seems to be a small living area attached to two huge garages. You're prioritizing cars over humans.
• Bedrooms 2, 3 and 4 only have windows on one wall, again limiting light into the house.
• The sunroom is the best room in the house.

It's hard to find a brick/stone combination that works well together. I immediately don't like the dormers rendered in brick. Would suggest siding for those.

" I wasn't told this is the final iteration "

That should be up to you when the plan is finalized not the person you speak of as a designer.

As noted the house as drawn will be very, very dark. And the interior is a jumbled mess quite honestly. All you see if roof on the front elevation and it is not a good look.

" :( I really do appreciate your insights - you are one smart cookie! :) "

He ( Mark Bischak, Architect ) is what you needed from jump street, a true architect, not a "designer". The dollars you are spending should be what you want and the architect helping steer the ship. Not a designer just drawing whet you ask for. Remember, your here for advice because you do not know what you do not know.

"I wish I could get more light with the layout I have . . . "

The layout you have is what is inhibiting light from reaching the spaces you wished. Here is an illustration of where natural light will come from and how much it will be reduced from roof coverage.

I encourage you to consider redesigning the house in a way that maintains the thing you like about it but changing the things that are bad about it. I think the best way to achieve that is with not using the same person that designed the current house. Someone that understands spatial relationships and how spaces are efficiently used. This is not a usable closet layout.

It is best to address "depressing realization" now than while you are sitting in your living room experiencing the lack of natural light.

Comparing the first iteration you posted and this one, great changes has been made. The first looked like it was "custom" (because it wasn't very well done), this looks like a standard Texas builder's plan (yes regions do look alike) with some minor changes. It has some things worked out from the last thread to where you wanted (not what commenters wanted) it to go, so that is a positive for your builder's designer. I suspect going through the builder you are somewhat limited in the changes you can make going forward.

A couple comments:

- The Great Room cathedral ceiling cannot be turned as suggested without completely scrapping the entire plan and starting over. Like the entire concept.

- The dormers are fake, so having them brick doesn't seem wise.

- You are concerned with cost. There is a lot beyond brick and stone which can lower cost, like simplifying the layout. There are so many interior corners, nooks, and crannies that framing/finishing is complicated relatively.

- The roof height, besides changing the pitch, would require a lot of plan rework to contribute to lowering it. Once it is framed, you will be standing up there wondering why you couldn't utilize the attic space other than your HVAC.

- There are many areas in the plan that can be improved.

The home is a fundamental failure for someone who wants natural light in their home. The homes with the lightest and brightest interior will be ones that are 1-2 rooms deep, longer than wider, with windows directly to the exterior. They will not be 3+ rooms deep, and then tack on a light stealing covered porch that forces a witches hat roof full of expensive nothing, that you try to disguise with fake bricked dormers, hopefully without shudders. :shudder: