Need feedback for my new design, soon to be published
Hello to all my Homies, I mean HOUZZIES out there. I'm a residential designer in the Twin Cities. I publish a lot of my house plans on line. Here is one I'm about to submit and would love to get feed back on it. Pros/cons, design, layout, room sizes too big/small. How can I improve it. This goes out to everyone, professionals and homeowners. Thanks in advance! Kieran
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You just had to have that star, didn't you!
I really like the feel of the whole house and the overall size - rooms are generous without being huge. Each room individually is well-thought out. But I do have some concerns over how rooms - especially entrances - flow.
In my opinion, the house feels backwards. With an open concept kitchen/dining/living space, I would expect the view to be towards the back - and to have a closer connection/access to that backyard. If this house was designed for a specific location where the view (and some privacy) were at the front of the house, then that's different - ignore all the following!
I have concerns about the entrances:
The front door needs to be more separate from living/dining areas - to keep wind/snow/rain/heat/cold out from these areas. Also, picture having 4-6 or more people over, you will have to step over their shoes to get to the dining room.
The mudroom looks like it has sufficient locker/closet space, but the laundry area needs to be bigger. I would want to have a laundry sink plus room to hang/drip-dry clothes and then space to fold clothes. But between the pantry/desk/mud/laundry rooms, there's got to be a way to fit all that in.
The flex room - to me that feels like it should be the main entrance! Lots of room to add closets and still be grand. It doesn't need to be stuffy/formal, just roomy. Now, the living areas are at the back of the house, the door to large porch is not a main entrance, so no worries about storing boots, coats, etc. Probably the windows in master sitting room and garage need to be grander to fit being at the front of the house, but I think that can be done without changing the layout anymore.
And one last comment - the central pillar at front - it hides the front door. Can it be removed without the roof falling down? I would prefer a smaller dormer with just 2 pillars rather than hide the front door.
So, I've said I liked your house but then went and changed the whole place around - sorry. Just trying to picture how I would want to live in that space.
Front elevation: Are the chimneys for design purposes only? Maybe it's just a style that I'm not accustom to seeing. I think everyone's in agreement about removing the center pillar.
Floor plan: *Have you considered a 3rd garage with a house this size and price point? *In general, Kmkh's and others comments and concerns are very valid. This would be a tough sell in this market.*In the MBA, someone at either vanity would prevent access to the toilet or shower. The closets are small and the shower should be 5' or more. I would distribute the master bedroom, sitting area and bath space differently. (I'd eliminate the window seat). *The sinks in the other bedrooms wouldn't appeal to most.*My biggest concern might be seating for dining. Where is a family going to eat meals? Entertain? Have holiday meals?
Thanks for the opportunity to critique!
And agree that the front columns block too much of the house. My first thought is that you would never get any sunlight in those windows with all that blocking them.
Lastly, I think the back porch could be a little larger. At least big enough for a grill in the summer time!
I also like the idea of turning the house 180 degrees and making the flex room the entry hall and giving the living areas a better connection to the backyard which I assume is the more private side - of course this depends on the views, solar orientation or any other contextual reason to have the main living on the street side.
I like how you took the sliding barn door idea from inside to use outside for the shutters. They are held back somehow from banging in the wind, right?
On a minor note the window on the gable over the front porch looks small while the trim above the window looks heavy.
Did you consider pulling the kitchen to the left to the outside wall so you could get some natural light in there. If you did you could rearrange mudroom, laundry and 1/2 bath and open up the stair to the living space - and as a bonus would have room for a large dining table. (stairs are going to be dark too - can't you get a dormer at top of stair? Not sure how you will light that kitchen with a cathedral ceiling but as is it will need lights on even in day time to work in there.
Looks promising so far. Will there be a balcony on the 2nd floor looking down to the living space?