Looking for feedback on our home plan!

3 år siden

We are in the process of designing a home for our multi-generational home. We will be having 2 grandparents, 2 of us, and 2 kids (age 8 and 11). I would appreciate if you can take a peek and give us any honest suggestion on things to modify, or anything that feels odd.

Our lot has its challenges, buildable area is very narrow in the front, hence we designed to have the garage in the front.

Elevation is very preliminary, I have not thought about the exterior too much. We have always liked the white brick homes, but also like the modern farm house look. So very confused at this time.

I am attaching the lot, plans, and elevations for your review. Home will have a walk out basement, and unfinished attic space. Those are not yet fully designed.

Leabrook Plans · Mere information

Leabrook Plans · Mere information

Fremhævet svar

tangerinedoor

3 år siden

Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}3 år siden

@Nexa Group I just build a house that is what I call "senior real" (easy to get around, minimize falling), including the bathroom.

Your architectural plan quite makes me dizzy, so I'll focus on just a few areas.

1. The first thing I noticed was how difficult it will be to be on a Zoom meeting in the Computer nook while another occupant is practicing the clarinet in the Music Room. Eeeeek! (literally, if you're just learning).

2. Guest (downstairs) suite; swap the bathroom and closet. Do not, under any conditions, put the toilet into a booth. Consider how you have to get in one of those; you have to kind of back in. To wipe, you have to kind of turn around squeezed in with your back to the door. Flush, then turn around again in a tight space. And suppose there has to be a helper? And how are you going to fit grab bars in there? Don't do it!

My bathroom is ADA compliant (5' wheelchair turning radius), and it has a barn door. I know designers on here don't like barn doors for bathrooms, but the bathroom door in your suite only goes to the bedroom, not to the living room or anything like that.

I can't tell you how genius this barn door is! The best thing I ever decided! It rolls right open with barely a flick of my finger. No going in through a door and then closing it behind me (since I'm solo, half the time I don't bother closing it, even) and then doing that in reverse.

I have an extra air circulation boost right outside the bathroom. I hit it when I'm done. The house gets a new batch of air.

I have a wall-mount sink. Very plain. I had all the walls in the bathroom reinforced, so if I want, I can put grab bars wherever.

For some reason, I LOVE my sink. (It's Kohler); I think maybe because it's large, much larger than I could have in a vanity.

You can get special valves on the shower to keep it from putting out scalding water

The toilet for a bathroom like that would be elongated and "comfort height" (which I hate, but most Americans like).

I have a curbless shower; no tub. Tubs are too risky. What you don't hear about curbless showers is how easy they are to clean. At the end of the day, when it's dried out, I can vacuum it lol. I could use a vacuum steamer in there if I wanted.

Because I'm on a budget, I have cork floors. It turns out, I love them. My feet never get cold in the bathroom. And having rugs down is a tripping risk, so that's important.

For a little bit of luxe, I've added a towel warmer (it also gave me more wall space to hang towels). If I'd had the budget, I would have tried to get one of those plumbed towel warmers because they warm up the space significantly, and bathrooms with a 5' turning radius might seem a little drafty. Elderly folks might really appreciate this.

-the granny-suite closet should be reach-in. It's too hard to turn around in a walk-in.

General, and most of these items will have insignificant cost:

-When you choose windows, make sure someone in a chair can see out. I can sit on my couch and enjoy view and critters (actually from everywhere in the house except above my bed where I need privacy). In case someone is confined to bed, make sure they can see out from the bed.

-All the doorways on the bottom floor of the house should be extra wide. Mine are 36".

-In the home he built for his elderly father, my builder put deep-ish chair rails at hand height along the corridors and needed walls spaces. These are wide enough to steady someone, or let them grip for a moment; but really, they just look like chair rails.

-lower all the light switches. There's an ADA standard.

-all the exterior doors should be extra wide

-wood floors; use area rugs for now, remove the area rugs if tripping is an issue.

-Light switches should be rockers, not flip switches.

-Put electric sockets higher than standard, so you can plug things in without crawling around.

-If elderly folks will be using a microwave, make sure you have one low down so they don't end up with hot soup in their face.

-use levers instead of twisty doorknobs

-use c-shaped pulls in the kitchen instead of any kind of knob (arthritis can make knobs and switches very difficult)

-put lights EVERYWHERE. I have maybe two extra in the bathroom, including over the shower, so I don't get disoriented. I added an additional 6 Ikea floor and table lamps of various descriptions in about half (aka 300 sq feet) of my house. My eyes don't work the way they used to, and I need light.

-put in extra electric sockets. You'll need them for night lights, towel warmers, CPAP, lamps, lamps, and lamps, electronics, humidifier....

-extra exterior lights, so pathways are very visible

-the kitchen should have a place where someone can mix cookies (or prepare a salad or whatever) while sitting (not on a high stool).

-I actually had my wall cabinets lowered so I can see into all the shelves

-except for my bed and couch, I can easily move my furniture around so I can set things up however I want. I have a groovy footstool for my aging tootsies, and I have a couple of nifty carts that I can pull to wherever I want. All my furnishings are super flexible and adaptable in configuration to whatever my needs in a particular moment. I can easily make room for a wheelchair, if I have a guest with one.

-any faucet handle(s) should be the single lever variety; no twisty taps, left and right; besides, the levered faucets are much more practical for virus minimization, since they can be worked with an elbow or wrist

-my CERV (air exchanger) can be fitted with MERV-13 filters. They remove viral particles (COVID! Flu! Pneumonia!)

I hope this helps! It seems to be only about 1/3 of the nifty little features I had built into the house, so if you have questions, let me know. I tried to think of EVERYTHING, but all is a variant of standard. No extra cost.

Sorter efter:Ældste

(75) kommentarer

PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@bpath

We have a piano, and a couple other instruments kids play. I was thinking they can be placed towards the front or maybe even move to the formal dining room if we have extended guests staying....
Indecisiveness
3 år siden
From the exterior elevation views, do you have a 3D rendering? From this view, my eye is immediately drawn to the roof. Why do you have so many different roof sections, and why hipped roof instead of traditional gable?
Nexa Group thanked Indecisiveness
samarnn
3 år siden
We are hoping the grandparents will be sitting on the porch for the most part, not on the drive way.

This driveway sitting is common in our development of mostly retiree homes and I hate the looks of it! But it does have tremendous advantage of building sense of community...greeting the dog walkers, greeting the mile-a-day folks, exchanging compliments about garden & grandchildren., gossip about new neighbors. It is EASY for landscape design to include a weather resistant bench or a bistro table. Either takes <20 square feet adjacent to some other hard surface. It can be part of the front stoop or further out into the garden. And its the folding lawn chairs that are ugly...not the people. I recommend it!
Nexa Group thanked samarnn
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@samarnn

That is an interesting idea! I have yet to see anything like that. Do you have any pictures of those small sitting area perhaps to get some inspiration?
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@SashaDog

I do want to get a 3D modeling done. Our architect doesn't do it though.... I didn't think those are needed back before we started. How do we go about hiring someone to do a model for us? what programs the models come in, and can we view them ourselves? Sorry I have no idea how those are done....
bpath
3 år siden
Borrow a walker or a pair of crutches. Use your existing bathroom relying on it. Imagine someone helping you. You need room for you, walker with you, walker set aside while you whatever, and the person. It's a pain in the patootie. It's hard. It's frustrating. Make it nice for the grandparents.
Indecisiveness
3 år siden
Your architect should do the 3D modeling, it should be part of the software package they use.

I wouldn’t start anything until you see the 3D model, you may need to change the layout and/or dimensions of the house to fix unappealing exterior features.

For instance, to simplify the roof, the walls need to be straighter:
3onthetree
3 år siden
It may seem like I am defending this architect, but I will say H/She is a competent one and nice to see that compared to so many threads on this forum.

It appears from comments many can't read through the mess of pink lines to get a feel for the plan. Here is the MusicRm suggestion that is being focused on so much. If you close it off to the rest of the house, understand that changes the use and flexibility, and is that something you desire? I see no hint from Nexa that the Grandparents require a 2nd room separate from the house's other occupants and living areas. Realize the big DiningRm window is also under the porch roof. However moving the bath may be an opportunity, as long as you keep Nexa's desire to have access from the Nook.

The roof planes are not complicated and overbearing. it is a simple hip roof with 2 small bumpouts, a separate lower garage roof (which it should be), and a bay bumpout in back. When you have a steep large gable roof, making it a hip lowers the dominance on the ends. "Clipping" an open gable end makes that less dominant as well.

IMO improvement to the roofs to help the front elevation would be to introduce another clipped gable to match the garage one. And shed dormers coinciding with clipped gables match that style more than with hip roofs. For the roofs separate from the main hip, your final "style" (e.g. farmhouse, brick w/quoins, etc) should determine the expression of the smaller roofs. The porch roof could be more prominent in slope to match the house.

On the back elevation the MorningRm gable is out of place, although I understand shooting for a vault with the clerestory window. And the shed roof over the screened room interferes with the juliet balcony, it will require a very low-slope roof. Maybe these roofs should have the same expression as the front. So a clipped gable on the MorningRm (with faux vault or tray) and a steeper screen roof. Also the bay bumpout can be a steeper, more prominent, metal roof.

Other tidbits I recall:

- 3D rendering: Your architect is competent, houses were designed for millenia without 3D tours, I see no big conflicts that a 3D will spot. But it can help you visualize something if you are light on translating it in your head.

- ADA: not logical to meet strict standards only in the Master Bath unless everything, from the entry porch, to path from the garage, to the bedroom, the kitchen and powder room, also meets ADA. There is a middle ground.

- There are not a lot of stairs. There is an additional from the loft to attic, and a back stair to the bonus room over garage.

- Garage door: 18' wide is best when you have a side entry. The front corner of the car may still be swinging into the opening.

- Dual dishwashers: 6 people is not a platoon. If the cooking appliances and ref storage are scaled to the same use, then it is proportionate.

- The change in orientation of the faux beams in Kitchen vs GreatRm I'm not sold on yet.
Nexa Group thanked 3onthetree
3onthetree
3 år siden
What would be some main items you would suggest us shift around to maximize the lot's advantage and lighting? Would love to hear some directions before we move away from discussing the plans.

Moot now, but I would've started with the site and sun. I would have prioritized South/West over East and put the garage on the North. All 4, maybe only a 3.5 car on grade. That's where I like to start blocking the site planning - the sun, views, grade, and garage (like it or not) is a big factor. But that's for another time and place than where you're at now.
partim
3 år siden
ADA: not logical to meet strict standards only in the Master Bath unless everything, from the entry porch, to path from the garage, to the bedroom, the kitchen and powder room, also meets ADA. There is a middle ground.

I don't agree with this comment. If one of the parents needs a walker or wheelchair, an ADA bathroom will be a great help. At that point they're unlikely to be doing their own cooking so an ADA kitchen is not as much of a priority. And as far as an ADA powder room, they would just use their own bathroom which is on the same level. ADA house access would be good to build in, but is not as difficult to add later compared to ripping apart a bathroom with many small compartmented areas, compared to the "open plan" which meets ADA standards.

I do speak from experience since my son used a wheelchair when he lived with us until age 18, and my father now has serious mobility issues requiring a walker, and soon a wheelchair. The bathroom is very expensive to re-do, and much more important than the kitchen. For a house like this which is fairly close to the ground, a short ramp can usually be added, or a lift.
Nexa Group thanked partim
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@partim What are some tips you have on ADA compliance bathroom designs? I am researching it, and seems like everything should be more wide open, less doors, zero entry shower? I really appreciate you and other bring up this point.
3onthetree
3 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}3 år siden
Here are the entire ADA standards to peruse.

ADA.gov Standards.pdf

You will find a lot of guidelines, like maneuvering ability at doors and toilet, will greatly affect your plan. Like I said, there is a middle ground when you are designing for an unknown situation rather than a specific need.
lyfia
3 år siden
3onatree sketched out the bath and music room arrangement that was in my head.

The master bath with a single hallway leading to all the spaces a person needs to access makes it easier to navigate vs. the maze with corners that were there before and that is true even without any ADA requirements. You could do the shower on the back side of the house with a window placed above spray level. Also I would consider if you really want the bench built in there or if using a stand alone shower seat might be a better option. No bench means more room if you need the space and a stand alone shower seat allows it to be moved for the preference of the user and they are less slippery and warmer to sit down on to start with than the slick stone/tile covered seat most built-in seats tend to have.

The doors to the music room from the entry may or may not help with light. Depends on the direction and angle of the sun some too. Some glass in the front doors no matter what would help some as well. Don't think the dining will provide much light into the entry. How do you plan to use the music room? Doors to the entry may make sense depending on the usage. For an extra guest space no doors there makes it better, but all depends on other usages too. If you want to easily monitor stuff in the computer nook glass doors or just an opening would make sense. How do you see yourself using the music room. We know about the occasional guest part.

Here's a rough sketch of what I meant for the upstairs bedroom, I highlighted the changes I made in red. This impacts one of the master closets so it is not literal and just to show an idea. If you rearrange some space it might work out fine still. I moved the master toilet entry to not be recessed around the linen cabinet to make the room as well. A different bath arrangement could be done to impact the master closet less. Maybe flip sink/toilet and carve out a shower is one way to do it.

While adding the door I noticed the closet in that bedroom. We used to have a closet like that in one of our bedrooms and I removed all the walls and did built-in wardrobes instead because that wall blocks access from stuff in the closet and it makes it un-useable space. We do have doors behind the entry door to the bedroom, but it is not a big deal. Our kid closes her door to get dressed anyways so there is full access.
Nexa Group thanked lyfia
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@3onthetree

- Now I feel like we need to seriously rethink the plan based on the lighting... :( It didn't occur to me until I started to putting this post up for review to label the direction of the home/lot. Not sure how my Architect will feel about us now.... But this shows me how valuable forums and the unbiased feedbacks are!

- the interior beams are just something Architect put up. we have not yet discussed about interior design and finishes. So don't pay close attention to those yet.

- I need to revisit the roof lines to incorporate the hips. I guess I should first decide if we really should overhaul the plan before I do too much there...
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@lyfia

We have a two story foyer that is preventing this idea. I was also trying to reduce the number of bathrooms. I feel like we already have way too many bathrooms. :(
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@lyfia

I think I agree about the first floor master hall idea, and with two story foyer, we should have decent lighting from 2nd floor windows as well. The only thing is that moving the opening to the hall will make it more like a private room, rather than a flex/living/music room. I will think about that and see what makes more sense.

Appreciate you and @3onthetree for the great demonstration!
partim
3 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}3 år siden
Agree completely with what was said above about ADA. Every situation is different. My son could not stand, so his need was different from my father's, who needs help standing up and sitting down on the toilet. But if you google images for ADA bathrooms you'll see a consistent theme. Plenty of central "open concept" space, with room for a person to easily turn a wheelchair or walker, and room for a helper to be beside or behind them. When showering a person, the helper is not actually in the shower, but in front of it.

Some things can be easily changed if you go ADA "lite" for now. For example, strict ADA would have a sink area open underneath, so a wheelchair can be pushed under it. If you put in a regular vanity now, it's fairly easy to replace that vanity with an ADA one if needed later. (Maybe tile all the way under now and place the vanity on top).

Another example, if you put glass doors in front of a roll-in shower now, later they can be removed or made to swing out of the way, if they're in the way of an assistant.

But if you have the toilet area in a separate room with narrow-ish twisty hallways to reach it, then you have to remove walls and maybe move the toilet, if help is needed there.

Of course grab bars are a good idea, and IMO should be in every bath/shower whether ADA or not. Anyone, any time, could slip, feel dizzy, etc.

Wider doorways or hallways are a relatively easy change to make now, harder later.
Nexa Group thanked partim
3onthetree
3 år siden
I need to revisit the roof lines to incorporate the hips.

The roofs are already all hips (except Garage & Morning). It looks imposing in an elevation drawing, but pedestrian height on grade the roof sloping backwards minimizes (a bit) how much you actually see in mass. Also the undulating footprint and their associated roofline intersections breaks up the monotony of solid walls and simple roofs, and has come to indicate the level (read: cost) of the house.

Now I feel like we need to seriously rethink the plan based on the lighting...

Depends on how you live, your desires, your patience, and pocketbook to pay the Architect more. The plan works great when you just consider it as an island to itself, and guessing 75%+ of houses follow that recipe. No design can meet all criteria perfectly, so I guess it comes down to weighing going after missed opportunities vs what are deal killers for you.
Nexa Group thanked 3onthetree
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@3onthetree

- you mean the hip roof will help reduce the massiveness of the home, and does it usually indicate the level (cost) of the home to be higher? or lower?

- I am laying out a few major blocks of spaces in the lot to see if it is possible to move things around. We have a subdivision, and garage must be side entry. I am seeing some possibilities of shuffling things around. Will come back with some rough idea to bounce off to get your take on.

Thanks again for your great suggestions!
3onthetree
3 år siden
Yes, multiple roofs has become the harbinger for high-end. It literally costs more, but figuratively represents that as well in the "typical" home design. The fact of not having open gables on the main 2nd story roof will appear to reduce the overall massing.
Indecisiveness
3 år siden
@3onthetree Im not sure what you mean by the roof plans not being overly complicated, if you include yhe dormers over the garage there are 7 different roof lines, visible from just the front, the “hipped“ roof style doesn’t quite go with the house and is overall about as textbook McMansion as you can get, given its unnecessary complications, steep pitch and weird ”nubs”

https://mcmansionhell.com/post/149948821221/mcmansions-101-roofs-part-1
Nexa Group thanked Indecisiveness
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@3onthetree

Totally unrelated, but I am learning more English literally through your comments. I had to look up what 'harbinger' means. :p
Indecisiveness
3 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}3 år siden
Also, complicated roofs do not indicate a high end home, they indicate a track build home with little regard for good architecture.

https://www.finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/roofing/create-clean-roofline-design-roof
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}3 år siden
@Indecisiveness

The McMansion Hell website is quite interesting...

We certainly don't want to create a McMansion, which is why I somewhat like the farmhouse look, but we will have to see what our HOA approves. We have a neighborhood that is mostly traditional houses, so we have to keep it somewhat in line with the rest of the homes on the street.

Here are some of our neighbors. (our subdivision was build in late 90's and early 2000's)
3onthetree
3 år siden
Also, complicated roofs do not indicate a high end home, they indicate a track build home with little regard for good architecture.

Moderation in everything is good. "Tract" homes take cues from different styles and items that represent things figuratively and apply them haphazardly. A watered down version of the real thing, but then "gussied up" (google that one Nexa!) if you will. As opposed to undulating walls or masses, which creates personable spaces inside and out, and their associated roofs that allow interest in the variations. But as with anything, things can be taken overboard.

Not that all roofs and massing has to follow that critera, but in this genre for this kind of house in this thread, that is what is usually expected and desired.
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@3onthetree I indeed had to google it up! I am loving the learnings on all front!
Indecisiveness
3 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}3 år siden
@Nexa Group The last picture you posted of your neighbors is a much better roof line. many of the builder-grade neighborhoods do utilize the overly complicated roofs because there was no architectural consideration to the exterior of the home during the floor plan design. A home is a huge expense, you want a design that’s timeless. Keep in mind that the HOA approving the plan doesn’t mean it’s good architecture. Look through all of the McMansion pages (I appreciate her humorous take) and the Fine Hime Building article.

@3onthetree those articles will be helpful for you too.
Nexa Group thanked Indecisiveness
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@Indecisiveness I was actually thinking if the garage part which is fully built up to full height would appear too massive in that home. Roofline is certainly clean on that one.
PRO
RT Studio
3 år siden
Are you working with an Architect? If the answer is yes, he should tell you what's best for you, otherwise he is not doing his job. If the answer is no, I recommend you to hire one, this is not an easy project to handle by yourself.
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@RT Studio
We do have an architect working with us. I am not sure what do you mean by “what’s best for us”? He addressed all our basic requirements regarding the rooms we need to have. It always bugged me how dark the family room feels, but I never realized we should look at things from lighting perspective.
PRO
RT Studio
3 år siden
I meant that he or she will give you what you are looking for. Architects should go beyond providing a layout of rooms.
Nexa Group thanked RT Studio
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
It actually takes quite a few rounds to get what we like on paper so far with the architect. I assume it is not easy to read through people's mind, especially sometimes, we can't quite put it to words ourselves.
PRO
RT Studio
3 år siden
Architects are also psychologists :)
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@RT Studio

At this point, if we feel the lighting is not ideal for the rooms, should we go back to revamp the entire design? Is that fair to the Architect?
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
3 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}3 år siden
The priority is what is fair to you. Reviewing pink and purple drawing is not fair for anyone.
PRO
RT Studio
3 år siden
The question is if that is fair for you as a client. If the Architect did show you everything and gave you the opportunity to see clearly what you were getting, then you can’t complain much. If not, then there is room for discussion but it is not an easy discussion.
3onthetree
3 år siden
@Indecisiveness

@ 3onthetree those articles will be helpful for you too.

LOL although I am always learning I'm pretty sure I don't need a lesson in architecture. Maybe you're misconstruing my comments or something. Anyway, that 3rd picture you so like, look how dominating the front gable is. Now, you like it because of the pseudo-Colonial/pseudo Georgian detailing where the gable roof fits that style, but that massing is the exact scenario of Nexa's garage, and why the architect lowered the roof, causing the 2 riser step down (and then additionally clipped the gable). Likewise, picture standing on the side of the house, with a towering 2 story flat wall, with a huge open end gable above that. Pretty massive, which is why sometimes you break up a facade with massing ("bumpouts"), which leads to differing roofs. And if you want and it fits your chosen style, you slope back the open end gable to a hip roof so it somewhat minimizes.
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@Mark Bischak, Architect

I am not sure I understand what you mean by ' reviewing pink and purple drawing is not fair for anyone'?
Jennifer K
3 år siden
@Nexa Group, those pink and purple plans are pure eye torture. There are a variety of different ways to style these kind of things. Your architect has chosen one of the least user-friendly versions I've ever seen. Unless he's doing this entirely by hand, he should be able to easily switch the style so that the things of most import are more visible than construction details that have no (current) bearing on your decision making process. In otherwords: emphasize the walls, windows and doors. The rest is just noise.
Nexa Group thanked Jennifer K
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@Jennifer K

That is something I never knew! I am struggling with viewing them myself, and I thought to myself, how come other people's plan is so much easier to read... I will ask him that! Thanks for pointing these out!
Indecisiveness
3 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}3 år siden
@3onthetree lmao
lyfia
3 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}3 år siden
Sorry didn't realize it was a 2 story foyer as it is not something I would ever consider having due to the noise/air shaft (like I said function is important to me), but light wise it certainly would be good.

I think with worrying about the number of baths you have and the poor access for bedroom 4 I would consider making a bathroom that is accessible from all rooms including the loft without having to walk through a bedroom.

Also do something to fix the closet in bedroom 4 as it looks big, but there is a lot of unusable space in there.

What furniture do you plan to use in bedroom 4? It appears it will be hard to place furniture in there.

As to your architect - we had a horrible architect to start with. Actually he started out good, but once we made a site change based on his suggestion it went downhill quickly and there was no consideration for light conditions etc. even though we repeatedly brought it up. Yes we had the rooms we wanted, but the room sizes were way larger than we need, lots of wasted space and did not take into account light conditions at all and the exterior moved further and further away from our selected style. Architects/designers I interviewed after we decided to part ways all talked about their process and it involved considering light conditions, the site conditions etc. along with our wants/needs. We are now working with someone from this site and the experience is vastly different. We have on our first draft something that has a lot of promise and just needs some tweaks and some preferences adjusted. We are also in love with the exterior, which we never were before. Maybe really evaluate if you have the right professional in your court. We took way to long to realize this and lots of frustration and we wasted time and money continuing down that path.

ETA: At least your architect seems to have considered some of your wants wishes and I do realize there will be some trade-offs, but there are some things that should be considered before building such as the function where it really matters as well. If these things are an issue on paper and in a persons mind now, consider what it will be like to actually live with it for several years. It's not like it is going away. Much easier to fix on paper.
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@tangerinedoor

Thank you for all the tip on how to make the home more prepared for senior family members. I will certainly make notes on several tips!

@lyfia

that bathroom for the loft and bedroom 4 does bug me since the beginning. I am moving things up a bit, and will see what we can come up with.

We have a two story foyer currently, and love the open and airy feeling in the front. We do not like a two story family room, that would be too much sound traveling for me, and feels cold. Somehow, those are really popular in the expensive homes in our area.
tangerinedoor
3 år siden
@3onthetree

- ADA: not logical to meet strict standards only in the Master Bath unless everything, from the entry porch, to path from the garage, to the bedroom, the kitchen and powder room, also meets ADA. There is a middle ground.

I don't get why this would be true unless a word is missing?

IMO ADA details absent in most of the house does NOT preclude there being advantages to ADA features in a bathroom!

Universal design bathrooms are helpful to everyone: young people with broken legs, thirty-somethings with dizzy spells, all ages with tendencies to trip.

And if you are constructing from scratch, deploying universal design features in the whole house is not going to cost you any more than conventional, able-bodied, specs. They are such simple things! E.g. IMO there's no sense at all in spec-ing light switches so they can only be reached or operated by able-bodied folks. You just buy a different light-switch plastic thingy and install them lower than conventional on the wall.
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
I am back! Thank you all for your wonderful constructive advice, and I have made a complete new plan, mainly based on the lighting source for the home, and moved around the rooms to create a much simpler plan in my opinion. Please let me know what you all think!

I hope it is easier to read. I made these by hand via Microsoft Visio, not professional Architectural software.
samarnn
3 år siden
Much better! Being in the "senior set" myself, I would advocate a bigger rectangular shower in the in-law-suite....big enough for a sturdy stool or chair. An able person simply can't imagine how tiring even a simple shower can be. And a linen closet somewhere in that area suitable for storage of irritating & ugly medical and toileting supplies. Also a stackable washer/dryer convenient for elders' laundry, probably in the mud room where it could also serve excessively dirty outdoor clothes for whole family. And beach towels!

I like the computer room off the kitchen for supervision of homework or convenience of cooks & bill payers.

You having sleeping facilities for more people than you have sitting space in family room or breakfast room. I suggest you anticipate furniture layout (perhaps temporary) for when house is full.
lyfia
3 år siden
Just some quick commenting on the item that really stuck out to me. You have an 18x22 area with nothing but a small bar area in it. That seems like wasted space. I would either pull in the breakfast table and cut off the breakfast area into that space or instead of cutting it off make it a sun room, however the 18x22 area will be darker with that space there. Or move the kitchen and the left side over some. Of course this requires reworking the upstairs.
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
@lyfia

I did struggle a bit with that blank space. I initially was thinking to pull the kitchen into that space, but really wanted to have sink with a window. (not a big fan of sink on island). If I pull in the kitchen to that space, I was going to add a guest suite to that corner where the pantry and mud room was. But it will be so far to reach from front door. So I thought and thought, and just left it there. Perhaps using that as the breakfast area, and use the breakfast area as sun room would be nice.

@samarnn

- I do want to put in a larger shower for the bedroom suite downstairs, but the program I have only have limited items to use, and this one can not be resized.

- I need to figure out where I can get a linen closet in there. I try to leave a wide open space for mobility in the middle.

- We have placed a washer and dryer in the mud room.

- LOL on the furniture comment, I just started to play around with furniture to see how the bedrooms fit. Will have to play around some more to fill up the space more.

Big Thank you to @3onthetree, your drawing on the plat actually gave me the idea to put each room floating around, and came up with this new plan. I think we have eliminated the extra stairs, also eliminated the awkward bathroom access issue for the bedroom 3 and the loft area.
PRO
Nexa Group
Forfatter
3 år siden
Question: Should we have the screened porch connecting to the open deck or patio? We have it on either side of the sunroom right now. SInce the right side of the lot is more elevated, so it will be almost ground level, where the screened porch side is almost a full level above ground.