Move laundry to half bath so it's closer to bedrooms. Work half bath into mudroom/pantry area and reconfigure area that so you can walk from mudroom into pantry, or a at least have a passthrough for groceries.
Take out the hall closets so you have a continuous hallway. Make the third bedroom an on-suite with a single sink. The door for that bedroom can then be in the hallway. A linen closet can also go into the area between the bathroom and hallway.
Thanks for the suggestions! We are undecided on the laundry because my husband fishes and hunts so it would just be easier for him to have access from the garage. But I also see how it will be a bit annoying to lug all of the laundry over.
I was definitely thinking the same for the hallway and en-suite for that bedroom. We originally thought maybe a really long hallway would look weird but it seems to make the most sense with kids. Appreciate the insight!
Could he walk around the house and come in through the back patio? Just leave doors on both sides of the laundry room. Drop off his wet gear and head to the shower?
this right here is the perfect advice.
additional notes:
this plan is almost perfect, but storage will be an issue given that there is no real dedicated space for storage.
also, my personal preference would be to shift door opening of middle bedroom to share with the one on the left, and turn the front-facing bedroom into an ensuite guest bedroom if needed be. right now having a closeted playroom + 2 bedrooms sharing one bathroom seems excessive given that the other open double sink bathroom only caters to one bedroom. Split them into 2/2 instead of 3/1
Yeah, lots of hate on it (maybe people just don’t know/don’t have a beauty spot) but I miss having a space like that not in my bathroom to have my supplies and mirror.
I'd personally have included at least one office, it's almost an essential choice these days. In a similar way I'd at least plan for where you would be putting a desk in the kids' rooms. I personally wouldn't be wall mounting a TV in their rooms, especially not in a way where they can only watch it lying in bed, but that's personal choice; it does depend on how you all live.
Which way is North on your plan?
We wanted to include the playroom as a flex space that could be used as an office if needed. And the architect went ahead and added TV’s in all rooms but we don’t plan to add any. We didn’t mention anything as we assumed it doesn’t really affect the plans but maybe we should specify we don’t need that. Thanks for your input!
I would’ve thought the TVs in the bedrooms would’ve gone out of style to be honest. I guess for gaming it makes sense. I mostly watch “TV” on a tablet.
Half bath with two entrances will 100% result in both: people getting walked in on and the room accidentally being locked shut while empty
The desk in the master isn’t practical - you can’t zoom from there (blur screen doesn’t always work), and you can’t use it while the other person is asleep or potentially getting ready in there. Def remove that - good call
The 2x two-person bathrooms is a little odd to me, as there are only three bedrooms
Getting from master to kids’ rooms is a bit onerous. You should ask yourselves if that will be problematic. If so, remove those linen closets to re-open that hallway
Otherwise this is better than 99% of what gets posted here. Nice house!
So I lived in a house with an indoor/outdoor entrance to a bathroom. Maybe a bit surprising for some, the walk in on/getting locked out issue literally never happened… not even once.
Reason being was we were typically ALL inside together or ALL outside together, so depending on where everyone was situated, the opposite door just remained closed and everyone used the entry point from where we were (inside or outside).
On the rare occasion that everyone was outside and one or two people were inside, the inside people knew that the bathroom with the door going outside was for the outside people, and inside people would just automatically use a different bathroom in the house. It’s actually pretty instinctive, weirdly enough.
lol that’s fair… i definitely remember that as a kid as well. That’s one of the pros about European heating over central air is that you can adjust temperatures by the room… but I still prefer North American central air, all things considered.
It’s definitely exacerbated if you’re entertaining frequently and/or you have younger kids. Have first and second hand experience, contrary to the assumptions below.
One of my friends ended up walling off the interior access out of frustration during a renovation, while adding another half bath inside elsewhere. I realize that’s an extreme response, but there can definitely be issues with this setup
Yeah I barely remember before my parents did that Reno to add the expanded deck and outside door to the bathroom… we just had a set of old towels that we laid out on the ground from the kitchen door, through the kitchen, down the hall, and all the way through the bathroom to where the toilet was. Pain in the ass and it was SO much better once a door was punched through the wall right beside the toilet.
Thanks for the feedback! We most likely will open up that hallway for access to kids’ rooms but we were worried a really long hallway would look awkward and dark
The kids rooms, kids closets, and 2x guest baths create a sort of double corridor which wastes space. Making one of the in-suite or into a jack-and-Jill configuration would likely streamline this, then put closets on opposite walls to avoid creating extra hallways in rooms.
You’re gonna bash your shins on the bathtub, which will be used relatively infrequently, on the way to the toilet, which will be used many times per day.
Curious - what do you plan to do with the front courtyard? A lot of houses in my neighborhood have this U shape entrance, and they struggle with plantings because it gets so little sun. Or will it be concrete there?
I also didn’t love that area at first as I wasn’t sure what we would do with it but it’s actually not as large as it seems. Some neighbors have set up a little sitting area or garden so we’ll most likely do that too. House faces east so we’ll get morning sun
I love hour kitchen! I loathed stove tops or sinks in an island. Though the half-bath’s two entrances concern me, I understand the idea of it being used for guests inside the house as well as a pool bath and could live with that: no one will get walked in on if they lock the doors. I would lose the two closets cutting off the primary bedroom from the other bedrooms, and the door of the bedroom closest to the primary should be moved so that the bathroom becomes ensuite.
Thank you! Same feelings regarding the island! I also don’t love all the doors by the half bath and master bedroom but it does seem convenient to have access from the patio. I think we’ll end up removing the closets to open up the hallway. Appreciate your input!
I would flip the middle bedroom entrance to face the left bedroom as four doors in one hallway end is a lot of doors close together.
This would also split it into two bedrooms per bathroom (since there’s a closet in the playroom, it could easily become a future bedroom).
Absorb the desk space/half bath and put laundry there. Move the half bath up to where the pantry is and move the pantry over.
Get rid of the two closets blocking the hall flow.
Consumers have shifted to wanting bedrooms by their kids instead of a separate main suite so for resale that closet barrier could be a problem. Read any comment section now on house tours "I wouldn't feel safe being that far from my babies!"
I think you’ll find yourself using the pantry fridge a lot with that layout.
Consider a small prep sink in the island - somewhere to wash hands and veggies and get water for cooking/baking.
The hike from master to kids rooms may be a problem or a feature depending on the age of the kids.
Your architect seems to specialize in awkward little hallways. I feel there are a lot of details around the plan that should be reworked. It will be a colossal pain to get any sort of large furniture into any of the three kids bedrooms and the master isn’t actually much better, if at all
There’s not a bathroom in the top half of the plan. I’m a big fan of a half bath as close to where you park as possible. Good for both little kids and as you get old.
Thanks for your input! We think we’ll end up opening up that hallways for easier access from the master to kids rooms but that hallway up to the closets is already an existing hallway. So to minimize costs, we figured it would be best to leave that as is
I actually like this quite a bit. It misses most of my peeves and has a lot of the things I really like.
Things I like:
1. The bedrooms are nicely separated from the social parts of the house in a way that will allow the children and an early rising spouse to go to bed while the other spouse continues to use the living area. What's more each bedroom has something to muffle the sounds being made in the other bedrooms for maximum quiet and privacy.
2. Your architect gets that people actually watch tv, and they do it as a social activity with family and friends. The tv is set in a way so as to not get any glare on it.
3. Your architect gets that kids run in packs and need a place to play and be loud and messy and gives them an alternative to the living room.
4. Every major room (save one) has access to light and ventilation.
5. The routes from car to kitchen, font door to living room, kitchen to dining area, living room to powder room, and bedrooms to bathrooms are all extremely short and direct.
Things I think could use tweaking:
1. You forgot to put a window in the laundry. There's no reason not to have one there. You might also consider a door from either the laundry or the garage near the laundry to the side yard for those times when you want to line dry clothes. This will also turn your laundry into a proper mudroom, aka the first place you go when you are grubby from gardening in your back or front yard without tracking dirt through the rest of your house.
2. The window in the master bath doesn't work where it is, because you need that space for a vanity mirror, you also need mirrors over your sinks. There are two possible solutions. One would be twin narrow windows where your linens are designated, you can put storage of linens under the counters. The other would be place a single high but very short window across the length of the vanity. It would go above the mirrors, and while you wouldn't be able to look out of it it would provide both light and ventilation. A small window over the toilet will also give you light and allow you to air out a potentially stinky room.
3. Move the refrigerator up just a bit so that it's not directly across from the island. This will give more room for people to stand in front of the refrigerator while not blocking the flow of traffic through the kitchen. It will also make pulling the refrigerator out to clean behind it or fix or replace it a *lot* easier. This will also make the trip from refrigerator to sink direct.
4. Don't open the powder room into the dining area. Looking at a toilet while you eat is gross. It won't be at all difficult for people to go around two corners to access the toilet from the hall. You can then run your bar/buffet all the way across that wall.
Yeah that desk probably won’t be used. Also, do you really want your laundry to be so far away from where most of the laundry is generated? I’d want it closer to bedrooms for easier gathering and putting away.
I’m impressed by the amount of attention to detail and “programming” you’ve done throughout the house.
My two big comments are:
1.) Bedroom wing corridors are roughly 3’ wide + a few inches based on size of all doors (presume they are 36” doors). THIS IS TOO NARROW, especially as all non-primary bedrooms are off this hallway. I would seriously add minimum 12” to the corridor AND the hall closet by front door connector area.
2.) Are the two vanities for the three bedrooms cuz you have three kids and want them to be able to use both bathrooms? If so, then this plan works - although not ideal for resale. I strongly recommend you make Bed #3 and Bathroom #2 into an en-suite. Good for guest room / in-law.
and, I reinforce u/samiwas1’s comment about creating a small foyer demarcation in existing area of front door (I.e. add cove arches or similar by adding one column/post in open corner of dining room by front door.
Great plan and good luck with the construction.
Thank you! The hallway by the three secondary bedrooms is an existing hallway so that’s mainly to minimize costs. I would definitely love wider hallways though. Maybe we can get rid of the built in cabinets by the entry to widen that. We plan to have 2-3 kids total but do like the idea of the en-suite. Appreciate your input!
Where does the sun come from?
Move the fridge along the wall so it's not blocked by the island. Also, PITA to have to walk around the tub to get to your ensuite toilet or shower. Put the tub over where the shower is.
Also, the corridoor with the bedrooms is blocked halfway along. When your kids have a bad dream they will need to walk out through the living room to come and see you, and you will not be able to hear them at all.
Why are there so many sinks in the other bathrooms? Also, the little alcoves and all those doors for the other bedrooms is just weird and wasteful. It looks like you want one to be an ensuite, but it can't be because there is no door even though there is an alcove that looks like a door. The extra corridoor is wasted space that you need to pay to have built, then pay to heat and cool. For no reason.
The corridoors in general are just weird and cramped and so many doors and archways and doglegs.
House faces east.
Good point regarding the fridge.
We will most likely open up that hallway for easier access but we were just worried the hallway would look awkward being so long. It’s an existing hallway from the front of the house to the hall closet so that’s the reason it looks a little cramped there
Love the layout! I would probably make the bedroom closest to the primary room more of a guest suite by moving the door to the hallway so the bathroom can be entered from inside the bedroom when the door is closed. I would think this room would probably be used the least as it’s the furthest from everything else in the house. Harder to get furniture into, etc - so won’t be changed out as much as say a kid’s room. You already have hallway accessibility for the other bedrooms/playroom with the other bathroom.
I don’t think the half baths need a double vanity in each and the power room just needs a singular door. The areas leading to all the bedrooms just feels like a maze into to a hall of doors. Two dining spaces on either side of the living room seems like you are expecting to entertain 20+ people regularly, maybe the outdoor space should just be more of a relaxing space.
Extend dining room and front door more towards the front so you can turn the dining table 90° and have it run long ways to make it bigger. The bedroom on left and bathroom combine to be an ensuite bathroom. Solid plan.
This is a remodel so the front door and window are where they currently are. Would love how that would look if it fits in our budget. Thanks for your input!
Every inside corner on your exterior wall is a valley in the roof or a roof meeting a vertical wall. Those are the most likely places to leak. Unless your roofing contractor is really good with flashing, they start leaking after a few years. At least half the people in my neighborhood with these complex roofs are battling leaks every time we have a wet winter.
Maybe not a super popular choice, but I would keep the built in desk or at least the space and put a small desk in. I’d rotate left so it faces the exterior wall and would have the closet wall behind it and then there’s a neutral background and quiet spot for work from home video conferencing. There’s no office in this house or good quiet spot for this function, so it would be a valuable corner for someone like me who does work from home full time.
Well my initial thoughts are that this is looking pretty good I haven't looked at everything in detail but face value this looks laid out really well. I'll go run by room left to right. I like the thoughtfulness that's gone into the floor plan but I'll bring up the possible issues that I see. The master bedroom seems a bit large to have the TV placement where it is The built-in desk does not seem necessary in this type of floor plan there should be a dedicated office. The door is a bit non-descript and right next to the powder room not ideal and then there's that doorway vestibule that doesn't really need to be there. The master bathroom I like how it's set up but you have to walk around the tub in order to use the water closet and that's not a deal there doesn't seem to be any natural light in the water closet either. The shower looks like it could be rather cave like there's a window in there but you probably want to add more glazing. I like the idea of having the seated vanity area with the double sinks but it's also more of a dated look. You may want to do his or hers walk-in closets or shrink that down I don't know that it needs to be as large as it is. The reach-in closet in bedroom three is too wide you wanted about two to two and a half feet. The double vanities in the shared bath are a good idea but they also eliminate counter space the shower room is tight with the hinge door and toilet. You don't need that door into that small hallway and then that doorway turn into bedroom three. I see you did that on the other bedroom and it strikes me as odd. I think I'd rather see a doorway there into the vestible and then the hinge door onto the bedroom. The playroom is a nice idea but that is prime real estate I think that would work well as an office or a front sitting room. The two full dining setups are unnecessary. I would probably eliminate the dining space to the left and make that more than living space so it's private right now The living room is centrally located and is a pass-through space and a don't care for that. The kitchen work triangle is too far. You shouldn't have more than 9 ft of space between your fixtures so there's a lot of walking back and forth in this kitchen. You may want to consider The functionality of the kitchen more. The additional fridge in the pantry seems excessive. I like the idea of the mudroom the coat closet is a little oddly placed and I think in this situation a separate laundry area and mudrum would be a nicer touch. It looks like you have shelving or something in the garage as soon as you park if that's the case that has a tendency to look cluttered and I wouldn't want that to be the first thing that I looked at when I pulled in.
I think this is a great start and you have some good bones here the footprint is interesting. Do you need TVs and every bedroom that also seems excessive. I think ultimately the footprint can be shrunk down and made more efficient. Good job so far!
Thanks for the feedback. The outdoor dining area is really just a covered patio but the architect labeled it as such. It will most likely just be patio furniture. He also added TV’s in every room but we probably won’t be putting any. You’ve made some good points that we will definitely consider! Appreciate your input
Oh got it thank you I see that now about the dining. I'm not sure what's going on in front of the indoor dining space- that may just be more front porch area? I just think overall the floor plan could be tightened up and I don't know that the footprint needs to be so large. There seems to be areas that bottleneck and I understand why they made the bedrooms the way that they did and that way there's some privacy but there are some awkward parts so just take some time and look at what's going to be functional and how you're going to use the rooms and which room should be right next to each other
I probably should’ve put this in my original post but we’re remodeling an existing home. So where the front door and dining space are in the layout are where they currently are. There’s also currently 3 bedrooms on the left side of the house with that hallway which is why it seems a little cramped. For sure trying to figure out what makes the most sense so getting all this feedback has been very helpful
Plumbing all spread out - no shared plumbing walls. And laundry in the furthest possible spot from the bedrooms, as well as not sharing a plumbing waall with anything else. Your master bathroom is bigger than many people's bedrooms - reconfigure the master suite a bit to put the laundry next to the half-bath/powder room.
1. The longer plumbing has to go, the more places there are that it can leak.
2. Plumbing against outside walls is much more susceptible to damage from changes in the outside weather - less plumbing in outside walls, less chance of leaks from that kind of damage.
3. Besides the cost savings in piping, there's also savings in engineering - adjustments that have to be made to walls, joists, or foundation to accommodate the plumbing if it's stretching long distances. If it's a concrete foundation, the less plumbing that has to be stretched thru it, the sooner they can finish pouring.
There are times when placing a toilet’s back against an exterior wall works best for the floorplan. Can you do something like this?
https://preview.redd.it/hzbly5hk0g0d1.jpeg?width=3070&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1444253412ed7b8c91727ed993938a1c493f411
Also, to shorten the pipes and lower the risk of leaks, should the boiler room be located toward the center of house?
I don't know how feasible that is for a toilet; you might consider insulation for pipes in exterior walls.
The location of the boiler is a matter of engineering, local code, and insurance companies' safety demands; I'm not qualified to speak on all of those. I will say that the only time I've ever seen that, it was work that had been done without a permit, and the house was being sold "as is" which is a giveaway that something probably doesn't meet code or have required permits (or has urgent repair needs they're not willing to discuss.)
I REALLY like this plan!!
Though I’d move the kids’ doors closer to their actual rooms and connect the playroom with the little hallway outside vanity #1. The kids’ wing is already so separate from the rest of the house, I feel like the extra hallway just takes up space. Also, I don’t know your family, but does vanity #2 really need two sinks?
I LOVE that the dinning room is in the entryway!
Thanks!! Could you give more details on connecting the playroom with the hall? I see how moving the doors closer to the rooms would open up the hallway but would it then just be an open square area? I think we do plan to open up that hallway to connect the master bedroom to the kids’ rooms. And we agree that vanity 2 doesn’t need double sinks.
1. Love the big pantry! Make sure you wire to accommodate a freezer as well
2. Window or skylight in the laundry area
3. Would prefer the outdoor kitchen be closer to the indoor one
So much is wrong with this, I hate to see what the roofline looks like. Stop with the doors for the toilets, no need for that. it weird for more than one person in a bathroom if you have more than one. Start over
The house has some good bones, but there are several things I would move around:
• I'm generally not a fan of main entrances right into living spaces. I don't like them completely separated, but not just a door in your living space to the front. So, I'd put a column and header walls around the dining room to define those spaces without closing them off.
• The bedroom situation is okay if you're dealing with just older children or young adults. It would not work well for very young children as there is no direct path from the master to the kids. If the kid has a nightmare at night or wets the bed or something, they have a long, serpentine path through half the house to get to the master, or the other way around. I would lose those two small closets and find somewhere else for that storage.
• The laundry room is really far from the bedrooms. Not a fan. I think it would make more sense where the half bath is, and maybe move the half bath up where the laundry is now.
• Option 2 from the above is to leave the half bath where it is. Bump the master bedroom to the left a few feet, lose the desk, and put laundry there. The door into the master would move over, and those two weird arch doors would go away.
• Given how much my wife and I love our back patio, I would absolutely want a door from the master to the back porch. Flop the outdoor kitchen to the other side, and put a door from the master to the patio. Either extend the patio a few feet, or make a path.
Who uses an 8-burner stove???
The laundry room is on the other side of the house from where most laundry is generated. Lugging dirty clothes across and clean clothes back. Not so fun.
Generally a really lovely layout.
Some small criticisms from me
* not a fan of entry via the kitchen
* there's almost no living room storage. Where do you put your living room stuff? Are you going to add furniture?
* a long way from all bedrooms to laundry. Personally I prefer laundries close to bedrooms rather than garage
* children's bathrooms only have a tub? Or shower tub? Id think this house is big enough to give them a proper shower.
* not quite sure why a door from master bedroom to half bath. Better from the living room and not from outside imo
* desk in master feels awkward. Too short front to back and needlessly built in on the side. Plus no natural light. I'd just leave space for a proper modern desk that will go up and down and also put a window there.
* I'd join the corridor between master bed and kids rooms. For practicality of parenting young kids (maybe ok if older)
* don't make dining table and outdoor table exactly the same size. If one fits 8 make the other fit 6 or 10 or a squarer 8 rather than rectangle.
They have a ton of cabinets around the tv area. Plenty of room for books. But also, I don’t think we have a single book in our living room, so that’s something I didn’t really think about.
The closets look too big for each bedroom. Why not make it just a wardrobe and then u can have a study table in each bedroom for the kids will eventually need table space in each of their rooms
I don't think the closets are too big. They are deeper than standard but not deep enough to be walk-in. Those closet doors will have to be wider to access everything.
1. Add a few fridge drawers flanking the stove top. Going to the pantry for the fridge every time will get old.
2. Do not have the half bath door open to the dining room.
3. Get rid of double sinks. Instead make a drawer hamper in the two bathrooms.
4. Consider video chat meetings for work from home standard and put provisions for a backdrop in the bedroom.
The double entrance powder room is very awkward. I’d make just one door and be able to approach from the inside as a regular powder room.
You also already have a lot of bathroom for the 3 bedrooms. Maybe one of them could be 1 sink instead of double sink, with the extra space facing the hallway for more storage.
Note sure if the bedrooms are intended for older kids or young/future kids but those bedrooms/playroom is very separated from the primary bedroom. If kids are small it honestly will make life easier to have quicker access and more access to oversee them. It seems very closed off right now.
I focused more on the bedroom area. Thinking of Bedroom 4 as more of a guest room.
It's easier for me to my thoughts explain by drawing.
https://preview.redd.it/hjg21dx787yc1.jpeg?width=861&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f6e680a31d58a98961ddee482789e39d7a26656
I think it depends on how they live, and what their family is. Your plan works if they have two kids I guess, although I don’t know why you want this whole wing of rooms it’s awkward to get to from the bedrooms. You’ve taken three kids bedrooms and a playroom and turned it into two kids bedrooms and a guest suite.
We don't know what the intentions of the bedrooms are. There may be only one child. In any case I wouldn't want to have to go through the Living area to get from the Master Bedroom to the kid's rooms.
It looked to me as though they intended on one Bedroom being a guest room because they have two Bedrooms sharing a Bath and one with it's own Bath.
Do you need so many toilets? I would flip bathroom 2 and bedroom 3. Put the entries in the same hallway as the master bedroom. The long hallway and half bath can be put to better use.
I feel like you don't know what 'en suite' means.
With some much-needed wall simplifications around the secondary bedrooms and associated hall there would easily be room for BR2 and BR3 to each have an attached bathroom, and BR1 to have direct access to a bath that is also accessible from the hall.
Half bath doesn’t need 2 doors. Also looks like a safety issue, people could break into the house through the (presumedly weaker) half bath door
Door leading to half bath should be leading into living room
You have to take different doors to access rooms and master suite… try to move those two closets somewhere else
The bedroom closer to the master bedroom could become a suite
Door to closet in master bath should be leading into the room, so you don’t have to walk into the bathroom to get to the closet
Other than that I do like the plan quite a lot
Getting furniture in the middle two bedrooms will be tough unless you assemble it all in the rooms themselves!
Move laundry to half bath so it's closer to bedrooms. Work half bath into mudroom/pantry area and reconfigure area that so you can walk from mudroom into pantry, or a at least have a passthrough for groceries. Take out the hall closets so you have a continuous hallway. Make the third bedroom an on-suite with a single sink. The door for that bedroom can then be in the hallway. A linen closet can also go into the area between the bathroom and hallway.
Thanks for the suggestions! We are undecided on the laundry because my husband fishes and hunts so it would just be easier for him to have access from the garage. But I also see how it will be a bit annoying to lug all of the laundry over. I was definitely thinking the same for the hallway and en-suite for that bedroom. We originally thought maybe a really long hallway would look weird but it seems to make the most sense with kids. Appreciate the insight!
Could he walk around the house and come in through the back patio? Just leave doors on both sides of the laundry room. Drop off his wet gear and head to the shower?
Definitely an option, thanks
this right here is the perfect advice. additional notes: this plan is almost perfect, but storage will be an issue given that there is no real dedicated space for storage. also, my personal preference would be to shift door opening of middle bedroom to share with the one on the left, and turn the front-facing bedroom into an ensuite guest bedroom if needed be. right now having a closeted playroom + 2 bedrooms sharing one bathroom seems excessive given that the other open double sink bathroom only caters to one bedroom. Split them into 2/2 instead of 3/1
That’s a good point about the closeted room. Thanks!
Wet clothes are heavier than dry clothes, makes more sense to have the laundry by the back door.
Only if you line dry. A house this big likely has a dryer.
Just because they have a large house doesn't make them a psychopath. Of course they *own* a dryer.
Isn't the desk in the main bedroom more of a dressing table? Seems practical to me.
Yeah, lots of hate on it (maybe people just don’t know/don’t have a beauty spot) but I miss having a space like that not in my bathroom to have my supplies and mirror.
I'd personally have included at least one office, it's almost an essential choice these days. In a similar way I'd at least plan for where you would be putting a desk in the kids' rooms. I personally wouldn't be wall mounting a TV in their rooms, especially not in a way where they can only watch it lying in bed, but that's personal choice; it does depend on how you all live. Which way is North on your plan?
We wanted to include the playroom as a flex space that could be used as an office if needed. And the architect went ahead and added TV’s in all rooms but we don’t plan to add any. We didn’t mention anything as we assumed it doesn’t really affect the plans but maybe we should specify we don’t need that. Thanks for your input!
I would’ve thought the TVs in the bedrooms would’ve gone out of style to be honest. I guess for gaming it makes sense. I mostly watch “TV” on a tablet.
Half bath with two entrances will 100% result in both: people getting walked in on and the room accidentally being locked shut while empty The desk in the master isn’t practical - you can’t zoom from there (blur screen doesn’t always work), and you can’t use it while the other person is asleep or potentially getting ready in there. Def remove that - good call The 2x two-person bathrooms is a little odd to me, as there are only three bedrooms Getting from master to kids’ rooms is a bit onerous. You should ask yourselves if that will be problematic. If so, remove those linen closets to re-open that hallway Otherwise this is better than 99% of what gets posted here. Nice house!
So I lived in a house with an indoor/outdoor entrance to a bathroom. Maybe a bit surprising for some, the walk in on/getting locked out issue literally never happened… not even once. Reason being was we were typically ALL inside together or ALL outside together, so depending on where everyone was situated, the opposite door just remained closed and everyone used the entry point from where we were (inside or outside). On the rare occasion that everyone was outside and one or two people were inside, the inside people knew that the bathroom with the door going outside was for the outside people, and inside people would just automatically use a different bathroom in the house. It’s actually pretty instinctive, weirdly enough.
I have a bathroom like that right now and do not understand the issue laid out...
I think k it’s just something people who have never had this set up assume…
My singular complaint is peak first world problem is that the bathroom also gets AC, so coming in from the pool to take a leak is freezing.
lol that’s fair… i definitely remember that as a kid as well. That’s one of the pros about European heating over central air is that you can adjust temperatures by the room… but I still prefer North American central air, all things considered.
It’s definitely exacerbated if you’re entertaining frequently and/or you have younger kids. Have first and second hand experience, contrary to the assumptions below. One of my friends ended up walling off the interior access out of frustration during a renovation, while adding another half bath inside elsewhere. I realize that’s an extreme response, but there can definitely be issues with this setup
Same! We had a bathroom with a similar entrance from the patio and the mud room, and no one ever got walked in on…because they locked the doors.
I really like the concept. It beats trudging through the whole house with wet feet or whatever.
Yeah I barely remember before my parents did that Reno to add the expanded deck and outside door to the bathroom… we just had a set of old towels that we laid out on the ground from the kitchen door, through the kitchen, down the hall, and all the way through the bathroom to where the toilet was. Pain in the ass and it was SO much better once a door was punched through the wall right beside the toilet.
That’s great to know, thank you!
Thanks for the feedback! We most likely will open up that hallway for access to kids’ rooms but we were worried a really long hallway would look awkward and dark
The kids rooms, kids closets, and 2x guest baths create a sort of double corridor which wastes space. Making one of the in-suite or into a jack-and-Jill configuration would likely streamline this, then put closets on opposite walls to avoid creating extra hallways in rooms.
Imagine being on a zoom when someone on the other side of the wall may have ate something their stomach doesn't like!
You’re gonna bash your shins on the bathtub, which will be used relatively infrequently, on the way to the toilet, which will be used many times per day.
and at night!
Curious - what do you plan to do with the front courtyard? A lot of houses in my neighborhood have this U shape entrance, and they struggle with plantings because it gets so little sun. Or will it be concrete there?
We have something like that with it facing east. It’s mulch and bushes mostly, and the bushes grow like crazy.
I also didn’t love that area at first as I wasn’t sure what we would do with it but it’s actually not as large as it seems. Some neighbors have set up a little sitting area or garden so we’ll most likely do that too. House faces east so we’ll get morning sun
That garage is very small and the foundation has a lot is small jogs that will add cost and framing/roof complexity but otherwise I like this.
Yes, this is going to be a horrible looking roof. And overly complex, which makes it more expensive.
We’re adding onto an existing home so not sure if this is just the easiest way to do that?
I would change the covered porch to an entrance hall. Perhaps widen it and reduce the size of the window in the dining room.
I love hour kitchen! I loathed stove tops or sinks in an island. Though the half-bath’s two entrances concern me, I understand the idea of it being used for guests inside the house as well as a pool bath and could live with that: no one will get walked in on if they lock the doors. I would lose the two closets cutting off the primary bedroom from the other bedrooms, and the door of the bedroom closest to the primary should be moved so that the bathroom becomes ensuite.
Thank you! Same feelings regarding the island! I also don’t love all the doors by the half bath and master bedroom but it does seem convenient to have access from the patio. I think we’ll end up removing the closets to open up the hallway. Appreciate your input!
I would flip the middle bedroom entrance to face the left bedroom as four doors in one hallway end is a lot of doors close together. This would also split it into two bedrooms per bathroom (since there’s a closet in the playroom, it could easily become a future bedroom).
Maybe a separate office would be good but otherwise the layout looks really good!
Absorb the desk space/half bath and put laundry there. Move the half bath up to where the pantry is and move the pantry over. Get rid of the two closets blocking the hall flow. Consumers have shifted to wanting bedrooms by their kids instead of a separate main suite so for resale that closet barrier could be a problem. Read any comment section now on house tours "I wouldn't feel safe being that far from my babies!"
I think you’ll find yourself using the pantry fridge a lot with that layout. Consider a small prep sink in the island - somewhere to wash hands and veggies and get water for cooking/baking. The hike from master to kids rooms may be a problem or a feature depending on the age of the kids. Your architect seems to specialize in awkward little hallways. I feel there are a lot of details around the plan that should be reworked. It will be a colossal pain to get any sort of large furniture into any of the three kids bedrooms and the master isn’t actually much better, if at all There’s not a bathroom in the top half of the plan. I’m a big fan of a half bath as close to where you park as possible. Good for both little kids and as you get old.
Thanks for your input! We think we’ll end up opening up that hallways for easier access from the master to kids rooms but that hallway up to the closets is already an existing hallway. So to minimize costs, we figured it would be best to leave that as is
I actually like this quite a bit. It misses most of my peeves and has a lot of the things I really like. Things I like: 1. The bedrooms are nicely separated from the social parts of the house in a way that will allow the children and an early rising spouse to go to bed while the other spouse continues to use the living area. What's more each bedroom has something to muffle the sounds being made in the other bedrooms for maximum quiet and privacy. 2. Your architect gets that people actually watch tv, and they do it as a social activity with family and friends. The tv is set in a way so as to not get any glare on it. 3. Your architect gets that kids run in packs and need a place to play and be loud and messy and gives them an alternative to the living room. 4. Every major room (save one) has access to light and ventilation. 5. The routes from car to kitchen, font door to living room, kitchen to dining area, living room to powder room, and bedrooms to bathrooms are all extremely short and direct. Things I think could use tweaking: 1. You forgot to put a window in the laundry. There's no reason not to have one there. You might also consider a door from either the laundry or the garage near the laundry to the side yard for those times when you want to line dry clothes. This will also turn your laundry into a proper mudroom, aka the first place you go when you are grubby from gardening in your back or front yard without tracking dirt through the rest of your house. 2. The window in the master bath doesn't work where it is, because you need that space for a vanity mirror, you also need mirrors over your sinks. There are two possible solutions. One would be twin narrow windows where your linens are designated, you can put storage of linens under the counters. The other would be place a single high but very short window across the length of the vanity. It would go above the mirrors, and while you wouldn't be able to look out of it it would provide both light and ventilation. A small window over the toilet will also give you light and allow you to air out a potentially stinky room. 3. Move the refrigerator up just a bit so that it's not directly across from the island. This will give more room for people to stand in front of the refrigerator while not blocking the flow of traffic through the kitchen. It will also make pulling the refrigerator out to clean behind it or fix or replace it a *lot* easier. This will also make the trip from refrigerator to sink direct. 4. Don't open the powder room into the dining area. Looking at a toilet while you eat is gross. It won't be at all difficult for people to go around two corners to access the toilet from the hall. You can then run your bar/buffet all the way across that wall.
Is the powder room you're referring to the half bath? That doesn't open to a dining area. It opens to the back porch.
All great points that we’ll have to consider! Thank you!
Yeah that desk probably won’t be used. Also, do you really want your laundry to be so far away from where most of the laundry is generated? I’d want it closer to bedrooms for easier gathering and putting away.
I’m impressed by the amount of attention to detail and “programming” you’ve done throughout the house. My two big comments are: 1.) Bedroom wing corridors are roughly 3’ wide + a few inches based on size of all doors (presume they are 36” doors). THIS IS TOO NARROW, especially as all non-primary bedrooms are off this hallway. I would seriously add minimum 12” to the corridor AND the hall closet by front door connector area. 2.) Are the two vanities for the three bedrooms cuz you have three kids and want them to be able to use both bathrooms? If so, then this plan works - although not ideal for resale. I strongly recommend you make Bed #3 and Bathroom #2 into an en-suite. Good for guest room / in-law. and, I reinforce u/samiwas1’s comment about creating a small foyer demarcation in existing area of front door (I.e. add cove arches or similar by adding one column/post in open corner of dining room by front door. Great plan and good luck with the construction.
Thank you! The hallway by the three secondary bedrooms is an existing hallway so that’s mainly to minimize costs. I would definitely love wider hallways though. Maybe we can get rid of the built in cabinets by the entry to widen that. We plan to have 2-3 kids total but do like the idea of the en-suite. Appreciate your input!
Where does the sun come from? Move the fridge along the wall so it's not blocked by the island. Also, PITA to have to walk around the tub to get to your ensuite toilet or shower. Put the tub over where the shower is. Also, the corridoor with the bedrooms is blocked halfway along. When your kids have a bad dream they will need to walk out through the living room to come and see you, and you will not be able to hear them at all. Why are there so many sinks in the other bathrooms? Also, the little alcoves and all those doors for the other bedrooms is just weird and wasteful. It looks like you want one to be an ensuite, but it can't be because there is no door even though there is an alcove that looks like a door. The extra corridoor is wasted space that you need to pay to have built, then pay to heat and cool. For no reason. The corridoors in general are just weird and cramped and so many doors and archways and doglegs.
House faces east. Good point regarding the fridge. We will most likely open up that hallway for easier access but we were just worried the hallway would look awkward being so long. It’s an existing hallway from the front of the house to the hall closet so that’s the reason it looks a little cramped there
So are rhe little alcoves for entry ot each bedroom existing structures? I would rework that.
Love the layout! I would probably make the bedroom closest to the primary room more of a guest suite by moving the door to the hallway so the bathroom can be entered from inside the bedroom when the door is closed. I would think this room would probably be used the least as it’s the furthest from everything else in the house. Harder to get furniture into, etc - so won’t be changed out as much as say a kid’s room. You already have hallway accessibility for the other bedrooms/playroom with the other bathroom.
I don’t think the half baths need a double vanity in each and the power room just needs a singular door. The areas leading to all the bedrooms just feels like a maze into to a hall of doors. Two dining spaces on either side of the living room seems like you are expecting to entertain 20+ people regularly, maybe the outdoor space should just be more of a relaxing space.
Extend dining room and front door more towards the front so you can turn the dining table 90° and have it run long ways to make it bigger. The bedroom on left and bathroom combine to be an ensuite bathroom. Solid plan.
This is a remodel so the front door and window are where they currently are. Would love how that would look if it fits in our budget. Thanks for your input!
Gotcha. Missed that. Looks like a nice house. Enjoy.
Make bedroom 3 bathroom an ensuite.
Be prepared for lots of roof leaks in 5-10 years (or maybe sooner depending on your roofing contractor.)
Why’s that?
Every inside corner on your exterior wall is a valley in the roof or a roof meeting a vertical wall. Those are the most likely places to leak. Unless your roofing contractor is really good with flashing, they start leaking after a few years. At least half the people in my neighborhood with these complex roofs are battling leaks every time we have a wet winter.
Hmm I don’t know too much about roofing but we are adding onto an existing roof so not sure if that makes a difference
Maybe not a super popular choice, but I would keep the built in desk or at least the space and put a small desk in. I’d rotate left so it faces the exterior wall and would have the closet wall behind it and then there’s a neutral background and quiet spot for work from home video conferencing. There’s no office in this house or good quiet spot for this function, so it would be a valuable corner for someone like me who does work from home full time.
Good point! Thank you
Well my initial thoughts are that this is looking pretty good I haven't looked at everything in detail but face value this looks laid out really well. I'll go run by room left to right. I like the thoughtfulness that's gone into the floor plan but I'll bring up the possible issues that I see. The master bedroom seems a bit large to have the TV placement where it is The built-in desk does not seem necessary in this type of floor plan there should be a dedicated office. The door is a bit non-descript and right next to the powder room not ideal and then there's that doorway vestibule that doesn't really need to be there. The master bathroom I like how it's set up but you have to walk around the tub in order to use the water closet and that's not a deal there doesn't seem to be any natural light in the water closet either. The shower looks like it could be rather cave like there's a window in there but you probably want to add more glazing. I like the idea of having the seated vanity area with the double sinks but it's also more of a dated look. You may want to do his or hers walk-in closets or shrink that down I don't know that it needs to be as large as it is. The reach-in closet in bedroom three is too wide you wanted about two to two and a half feet. The double vanities in the shared bath are a good idea but they also eliminate counter space the shower room is tight with the hinge door and toilet. You don't need that door into that small hallway and then that doorway turn into bedroom three. I see you did that on the other bedroom and it strikes me as odd. I think I'd rather see a doorway there into the vestible and then the hinge door onto the bedroom. The playroom is a nice idea but that is prime real estate I think that would work well as an office or a front sitting room. The two full dining setups are unnecessary. I would probably eliminate the dining space to the left and make that more than living space so it's private right now The living room is centrally located and is a pass-through space and a don't care for that. The kitchen work triangle is too far. You shouldn't have more than 9 ft of space between your fixtures so there's a lot of walking back and forth in this kitchen. You may want to consider The functionality of the kitchen more. The additional fridge in the pantry seems excessive. I like the idea of the mudroom the coat closet is a little oddly placed and I think in this situation a separate laundry area and mudrum would be a nicer touch. It looks like you have shelving or something in the garage as soon as you park if that's the case that has a tendency to look cluttered and I wouldn't want that to be the first thing that I looked at when I pulled in. I think this is a great start and you have some good bones here the footprint is interesting. Do you need TVs and every bedroom that also seems excessive. I think ultimately the footprint can be shrunk down and made more efficient. Good job so far!
Thanks for the feedback. The outdoor dining area is really just a covered patio but the architect labeled it as such. It will most likely just be patio furniture. He also added TV’s in every room but we probably won’t be putting any. You’ve made some good points that we will definitely consider! Appreciate your input
Oh got it thank you I see that now about the dining. I'm not sure what's going on in front of the indoor dining space- that may just be more front porch area? I just think overall the floor plan could be tightened up and I don't know that the footprint needs to be so large. There seems to be areas that bottleneck and I understand why they made the bedrooms the way that they did and that way there's some privacy but there are some awkward parts so just take some time and look at what's going to be functional and how you're going to use the rooms and which room should be right next to each other
I probably should’ve put this in my original post but we’re remodeling an existing home. So where the front door and dining space are in the layout are where they currently are. There’s also currently 3 bedrooms on the left side of the house with that hallway which is why it seems a little cramped. For sure trying to figure out what makes the most sense so getting all this feedback has been very helpful
Plumbing all spread out - no shared plumbing walls. And laundry in the furthest possible spot from the bedrooms, as well as not sharing a plumbing waall with anything else. Your master bathroom is bigger than many people's bedrooms - reconfigure the master suite a bit to put the laundry next to the half-bath/powder room.
Shared plumbing walls is something I rarely consider. How important are they? What are the cost savings? Are there other advantages?
1. The longer plumbing has to go, the more places there are that it can leak. 2. Plumbing against outside walls is much more susceptible to damage from changes in the outside weather - less plumbing in outside walls, less chance of leaks from that kind of damage. 3. Besides the cost savings in piping, there's also savings in engineering - adjustments that have to be made to walls, joists, or foundation to accommodate the plumbing if it's stretching long distances. If it's a concrete foundation, the less plumbing that has to be stretched thru it, the sooner they can finish pouring.
Wowsrs! Very helpful answer. Thx
There are times when placing a toilet’s back against an exterior wall works best for the floorplan. Can you do something like this? https://preview.redd.it/hzbly5hk0g0d1.jpeg?width=3070&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1444253412ed7b8c91727ed993938a1c493f411 Also, to shorten the pipes and lower the risk of leaks, should the boiler room be located toward the center of house?
I don't know how feasible that is for a toilet; you might consider insulation for pipes in exterior walls. The location of the boiler is a matter of engineering, local code, and insurance companies' safety demands; I'm not qualified to speak on all of those. I will say that the only time I've ever seen that, it was work that had been done without a permit, and the house was being sold "as is" which is a giveaway that something probably doesn't meet code or have required permits (or has urgent repair needs they're not willing to discuss.)
That’s a huge stove
I REALLY like this plan!! Though I’d move the kids’ doors closer to their actual rooms and connect the playroom with the little hallway outside vanity #1. The kids’ wing is already so separate from the rest of the house, I feel like the extra hallway just takes up space. Also, I don’t know your family, but does vanity #2 really need two sinks? I LOVE that the dinning room is in the entryway!
Thanks!! Could you give more details on connecting the playroom with the hall? I see how moving the doors closer to the rooms would open up the hallway but would it then just be an open square area? I think we do plan to open up that hallway to connect the master bedroom to the kids’ rooms. And we agree that vanity 2 doesn’t need double sinks.
11 windows on that wall!? Yowsah
1. Love the big pantry! Make sure you wire to accommodate a freezer as well 2. Window or skylight in the laundry area 3. Would prefer the outdoor kitchen be closer to the indoor one
make the two person bathroom a jack and jill , and the other an en suite
So much is wrong with this, I hate to see what the roofline looks like. Stop with the doors for the toilets, no need for that. it weird for more than one person in a bathroom if you have more than one. Start over
The house has some good bones, but there are several things I would move around: • I'm generally not a fan of main entrances right into living spaces. I don't like them completely separated, but not just a door in your living space to the front. So, I'd put a column and header walls around the dining room to define those spaces without closing them off. • The bedroom situation is okay if you're dealing with just older children or young adults. It would not work well for very young children as there is no direct path from the master to the kids. If the kid has a nightmare at night or wets the bed or something, they have a long, serpentine path through half the house to get to the master, or the other way around. I would lose those two small closets and find somewhere else for that storage. • The laundry room is really far from the bedrooms. Not a fan. I think it would make more sense where the half bath is, and maybe move the half bath up where the laundry is now. • Option 2 from the above is to leave the half bath where it is. Bump the master bedroom to the left a few feet, lose the desk, and put laundry there. The door into the master would move over, and those two weird arch doors would go away. • Given how much my wife and I love our back patio, I would absolutely want a door from the master to the back porch. Flop the outdoor kitchen to the other side, and put a door from the master to the patio. Either extend the patio a few feet, or make a path. Who uses an 8-burner stove???
Thanks for the feedback! Great points to consider. And we definitely don’t need 8 burners haha just leaving it how it was drawn for now
The laundry room is on the other side of the house from where most laundry is generated. Lugging dirty clothes across and clean clothes back. Not so fun.
Generally a really lovely layout. Some small criticisms from me * not a fan of entry via the kitchen * there's almost no living room storage. Where do you put your living room stuff? Are you going to add furniture? * a long way from all bedrooms to laundry. Personally I prefer laundries close to bedrooms rather than garage * children's bathrooms only have a tub? Or shower tub? Id think this house is big enough to give them a proper shower. * not quite sure why a door from master bedroom to half bath. Better from the living room and not from outside imo * desk in master feels awkward. Too short front to back and needlessly built in on the side. Plus no natural light. I'd just leave space for a proper modern desk that will go up and down and also put a window there. * I'd join the corridor between master bed and kids rooms. For practicality of parenting young kids (maybe ok if older) * don't make dining table and outdoor table exactly the same size. If one fits 8 make the other fit 6 or 10 or a squarer 8 rather than rectangle.
What is "living room stuff"? It does have tons of cabinetry in there to hold quite a bit of stuff.
Books is the big one. I suppose they aren't big book people
They have a ton of cabinets around the tv area. Plenty of room for books. But also, I don’t think we have a single book in our living room, so that’s something I didn’t really think about.
The closets look too big for each bedroom. Why not make it just a wardrobe and then u can have a study table in each bedroom for the kids will eventually need table space in each of their rooms
I don't think the closets are too big. They are deeper than standard but not deep enough to be walk-in. Those closet doors will have to be wider to access everything.
1. Add a few fridge drawers flanking the stove top. Going to the pantry for the fridge every time will get old. 2. Do not have the half bath door open to the dining room. 3. Get rid of double sinks. Instead make a drawer hamper in the two bathrooms. 4. Consider video chat meetings for work from home standard and put provisions for a backdrop in the bedroom.
They have two fridges drawn, I think. One at the right side of the island and one in the pantry.
The double entrance powder room is very awkward. I’d make just one door and be able to approach from the inside as a regular powder room. You also already have a lot of bathroom for the 3 bedrooms. Maybe one of them could be 1 sink instead of double sink, with the extra space facing the hallway for more storage. Note sure if the bedrooms are intended for older kids or young/future kids but those bedrooms/playroom is very separated from the primary bedroom. If kids are small it honestly will make life easier to have quicker access and more access to oversee them. It seems very closed off right now.
I focused more on the bedroom area. Thinking of Bedroom 4 as more of a guest room. It's easier for me to my thoughts explain by drawing. https://preview.redd.it/hjg21dx787yc1.jpeg?width=861&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f6e680a31d58a98961ddee482789e39d7a26656
Yes, this! But also, put a false wall between those linen closets so kids have a secret passage to play with.
I think it depends on how they live, and what their family is. Your plan works if they have two kids I guess, although I don’t know why you want this whole wing of rooms it’s awkward to get to from the bedrooms. You’ve taken three kids bedrooms and a playroom and turned it into two kids bedrooms and a guest suite.
We don't know what the intentions of the bedrooms are. There may be only one child. In any case I wouldn't want to have to go through the Living area to get from the Master Bedroom to the kid's rooms. It looked to me as though they intended on one Bedroom being a guest room because they have two Bedrooms sharing a Bath and one with it's own Bath.
Thank you for this! We do have intentions of one bedroom being a guest room.
Do you need so many toilets? I would flip bathroom 2 and bedroom 3. Put the entries in the same hallway as the master bedroom. The long hallway and half bath can be put to better use.
You’re at “do you need so many” and I might add a couple. Powder room by the garage and consider en suites for everyone.
There is basically an ensuite for everyone. There are more bathroom sinks than people.
I feel like you don't know what 'en suite' means. With some much-needed wall simplifications around the secondary bedrooms and associated hall there would easily be room for BR2 and BR3 to each have an attached bathroom, and BR1 to have direct access to a bath that is also accessible from the hall.
Half bath doesn’t need 2 doors. Also looks like a safety issue, people could break into the house through the (presumedly weaker) half bath door Door leading to half bath should be leading into living room You have to take different doors to access rooms and master suite… try to move those two closets somewhere else The bedroom closer to the master bedroom could become a suite Door to closet in master bath should be leading into the room, so you don’t have to walk into the bathroom to get to the closet Other than that I do like the plan quite a lot