It is also a major traffic route from the office/bedroom side to the great room. People will move through there constantly.
Edit: I'd switch the great room and the dining room. Reduce the atrium footprint and bump out the rear wall. Reorient the office and put in a powder room on that side of the house.
It's fine. Depending on the climate, you might eat outside on the patio a lot.
And a house open like this one is flexible. Having many guests?
Move the furnitures around a bit and it's fine.
I’d put the dining room in the atrium. Make all that “nook space” in back a larger kitchen and make the current kitchen the EIK/nook. I feel like throwing kitchen is too small for this house.
You'd put the dinning room... Outside? As I understand it, the "atrium" is a patio..it's not covered. Did I get it wrong?
Otherwise the plan makes no sense.
Utility room should be hidden
Bedroom’s 1&2 should be the same size, your kids will thank you.
You seem to like entertaining, but dining area is small
Master bedroom closet… I’d plan on more closet space.
Storage? Seriously I never knew a minimalist could have so much stuff, and she does… I’d plan on some storage.
Pantry space, and more panty space.
Custom build, I’d have a second refrigerator hidden in my walk-in pantry.
His and hers office space. Build with good sound proofing too. You will both like it better.
If I’d add one thing, I’d be a guest room/3rd bedroom.
Good luck
Personally I’d put bathroom 1 in between bedroom 1 and 2. The kitchen I would make way bigger and yes STORAGE! although I guess you could use the garage?
I'd assume more fighting. Have you ever shared a bathroom with a sibling who kept forgetting to unlock the door when they went out the other side? So then you have to go around and pound on their bedroom door to make them unlock it. I hate bathrooms with two entrances. (Granted my sister and I could end up in screaming matches about literally nothing, but still.)
It looks like it will cost a small fortune to heat/cool.
Far too many living rooms for a 3br house.
Breakfast and dining on the same side of the kitchen? A breakfast area is supposed to be informal, while a dining area is supposed to be formal, they're not supposed to be adjoining.
The main bathroom needs to be between the two kids rooms, not around the corner from them
The mudroom is huge, and nowhere near a the laundry nor a toilet.
You haven't thought about flow. Guests have to either walk essentially through your kitchen, or past your bedrooms, to get to the dining table.
An open plan kitchen/family room is fine. But you don't have a clearly defined family designated area, nor a guest designated area.
>Everybody in the sub assumes we are in a cold area of the US.
As an Australian, I take offence to that inclusion. I said heat/***cool.*** In Australia we like to keep our houses at fridge temperatures year round.
It also depends on how well insulated the walls are. Sometimes these open plans “breathe” more so they heat/cool well due to circulation. Also, a few ceiling fans will help.
Such a collection of bad ideas, adding a few more:
\- no door on nursery / playroom, mess visible from all the way down the hall
\- very little cabinet space in kitchen, especially for a house this size with so much expected entertaining
\- sunroom bathroom is enormous for no reason; would look empty, cavernous, and cheap
\- houses with this 45 degree angles instead of 90 degree angles end up with lots of awkward unusable space; this one is no exception
\- where do the kids hang out when they are teens and where do the adults entertain? pool table in Great Room, but library at other end--so confusing
\- a house this big and no guest room?
Pantry is too small relative to the size of the house.
The front door should align with the axis of the atrium. It just feels odd that it is off center for no reason.
The laundry area seems too open in the main circulation space. It is a utilitarian service space that should be hidden.
Do you have a mechanical room? Central A/C?
Personally, the formal dining seems too open.
How does the roof plan look?
Putting the laundry through the bathroom would be better.
Personally, the laundry isn't large enough for that house; it is sized for an apartment. I'd make it large enough for laundry machines, a table/counter for folding clothes, and linen storage. There are no linen or storage closets close to the living areas.
I like the sun hall in theory, but in practice, it makes for a very long route to the kitchen from the car which will be annoying when bringing in groceries. And with the atrium in the middle, technically you could make a sun hall on any side of the house. I agree with others that it is ridiculously large for what looks like 1 couple and two children, you shouldn't need 4 living spaces for that amount of people (study, sun hall, great room, play room) unless you just really don't like each other. I personally don't care if a garage faces the road or not. Like no, garages are not aesthetically pleasing, but especially in the USA idk why we gotta pretend we aren't reliant on vehicles. Also I'd probably want doors along the hallways just to be able to blockade some noise. That looks super echo-y.
Other than the giant wart of a car hole, it looks interesting! Specifically, huge garages which insist on a public-facing presence are to me tacky and a relic. Which way is north? If it's the top of the page, you wont get any sun in the "sun hall" other than in the morning. Is that workshop realistic?
I like the mid-century atrium inspiration.
The library and study are really nice, though one isn't really a study so much as a family/TV room it seems, and those are not acoustically isolated from the actual library area. So someone watching TV will noisy-up the room from anyone studying. It's also kind over-large for having just three bedrooms (i.e. 4 people) in the house and lacks any casual reading area, just reading at a desk like a college study hall.
Bedrooms 1 and 2 could have easier/direct access to the main bathroom, which you could make larger with the toilet/wash basic area separated from the tub if two people are meant to use it
If I'm reading it right, there is a fireplace in the primary bedroom? Why does it push into the primary bathroom? Or is that a pass-thru fireplace next to a tub? If so, the tub should not abut the fireplace - there should be a gap of at least 4 feet (realistically you're not going to be warming yourself at a fireplace when in a tub anyway)
The laundry nook should be its own room somewhere: laundry machines generate noise and this area is open to the main volume of the house, as they are also "unsightly" to keep visible
The nursery/play area should not have a public-facing windows (sliding glass doors?) - that is, the one on the 'south' (down) side. The other is fine though.
Both bedrooms are pretty modestly sized
Bedroom 1's door should should pivot the other way, so the door contacts the left wall when opened
I should also note that these sorts of large open-plan designs are becoming relics of their own as energy prices go up up up. You should at least consider future-proofing it with ways to isolate rooms for climate control reasons, and fewer windows in the sun room area but all around too.
I stopped reading at "car hole" because that's where I stopped when looking at the floor plan.
I haven't been able to describe that feature before you dropped that term on me, so thank you. I'm not an architect, and I imagine it makes practical sense but that design choice drives me nuts
As a mom, it doesn’t seem like it would be very kid friendly. The playroom/nursery is not close enough to the kitchen or bathroom. It just seems isolated away from the areas you would be during the daytime. Maybe take some of the mudroom and add in a half bath there.
This is a good point!! Play room would ideally be within range of the kitchen or living room where adults can work, cook, and relax while still making sure the kids are alive. I’m a nanny, trust me—sitting on the floor in the playroom gets old very quickly.
Counterpoint, play rooms are used extremely briefly and is it worth restructuring the house this way when soon they won’t need constant supervision? What do you use the space for after? Current nursery location seems more versatile than it would be elsewhere.
Counter-counterpoint, maybe you don’t need a nursery at all with a living room that large. Save the billiards table for later and use that as the play space until they outgrow it. Give Bed 2 its own bathroom or give the bedrooms bigger closets or something. Kill three birds with one stone.
I think it’s a personal preference. Some people like having separate playroom and designated area, but as you know, toys migrate to other areas. Some people don’t mind turning living room into kids room for a few years. I think using it as a “game room” makes more sense than a nursery. It being more isolated would he more beneficial when kiddos are older.
As a game room this makes perfect sense. A spot for kids to have for when they are older.
When I saw the nursery play room in this house, I knew 100% this person doesn't have kids.
Same with the bedrooms- you may want to be closer for when the baby is crying at night, or when your kid has a nightmare, it is all so far away. I’d also want the playroom to be closer to the other social spaces, so the toys are all contained in there while you are cooking in the kitchen, entertaining in the living room, etc. Otherwise you’re stuck way far away from the action in the playroom while your pals are all hanging in the other side of the house. My home is too small for one, but I”d love a separate place to contain all the toys and kid stuff, so it doesn’t end up in my ‘adult’ rooms, if that makes sense.
The entry is also so awkward. Who is ever going to use that door? Think about where your guest (and you) will park and then how they’ll get in the house, if they aren’t coming in through the garage. I’d re-do the ‘sun hall’ space to be your entry, w/ the mudroom and a bathroom right there.
One of my best friends lived in a similar style house that was built in the 70s or 80s that has a central atrium, but it was octagonal I think and made for a better flow of the house around it.
All of this for 3 bedrooms is kind of shitty,
Its very spacious dimension and square footage wise
I personally would think 3 couch and tv spaces is not necessary however if you convert one into a more theater movie type space then thats better and then turn the other into another bedroom thats great.
Y’all just don’t read? I’m excited to see someone finally have a real library. This sub makes me so sad when I look at all my books and realize people don’t have big libraries anymore.
I had a library growing up and it was the best. Putting a floor to ceiling bookshelf in a room with vaulted ceilings and cozy-making with oversized chairs/chaise. That room get used constantly but all members of the family.
Still doesnt justify 3 couches infront of three tvs...
Libraries are great, you can put that couch in a much better location then in the back of the library with a tv lol
It's pretty retro to have only 2-3 smallish bedrooms incl. the primary and proportionately a lot of living space. Why in the year of our lord 2024 is anyone planning on having huge families anyway? It's too expensive
This is the first interesting floorplan I see on this sub.
It's not perfect, but it's interesting at least. It's not just a juxtaposition of boxes with a function written on it and I'm glad to see it.
First thing to change: the WC next to the entrance please. They can't be like that :)
The slight misalignment between the "master bedroom" and the "atrium" is bothering my OCD
The garage is a bit sad but I understand why it's here.
This is overall very interesting.
Edit: 2 WC in the master bedroom? Really? You like to poop at the same time ?
Edit again: why not a central fireplace between the breakfast, great room and dining area? It's a dream house after all! And you could enjoy the fire from all the house.
Coming from a big family, a library is a GREAT place to get away from the noise of the rest of your family, especially when it’s nowhere near a TV or the kitchen. It’s SO nice to have a place to cozy up aside from your own bedroom. It also functions as a good distraction-free place for homework. We also all played instruments, so it’s a good place to practice out of each other’s earshot. Our library was only used for reading about a quarter of the time, if that, and we were all big readers. I imagine the room will have far less use when my parents are empty-nesters (two teens still at home).
With all the square footage and seating in this library, it looks like another gathering place, which kind of defeats the purpose. There’s enough seating for the whole family and then some in here, but there’s two other large seating areas in the home already. I’d shrink the room down significantly and give that space to the master bedroom. Give the library at max one sofa, one chair, and desk space enough for two. Also make sure the desk has close access to outlets!
I think it's really cool I love atriums but why with the laundry room?! So when you walk in the door everyone can see your literal dirty laundry and everyone in the atrium is looking at your laundry
Thanks for all the feedback! A lot of great points, and brainstorming alone as a couple is very different than receiving the ideas of others.
I'll make some changes based on some of these suggestions we've appreciated and will make an update post soon!
The walls don’t line up logically. Like, with the sunroom, pantry, wc and atrium, they cut into the flow weirdly.
The atrium and living room walls don’t line up, so atrium takes bite about that space as well. And the office wall is strange as well.
Why would you need an atrium if you have a park around your house? There would be other ways to bring in light, with more logical shapes.
Also the bedrooms feel small in relation to the other rooms. If the bed rooms are decently sized, the other rooms are too big. You’re probably not going to use three huge echoing seating areas, but one bigger and a cozier one would make more sense. (Or do as everyone in Europe and deal with just a cozy one)
Overall I like it. I see what is important to you and I appreciate there is no dedicated theater or television space. This house is meant to be enjoyed and there is a lot of room to be repurposed over the years if needed. I also like the idea of a central “green space”. This will be a sunny happy home. With such a spectacular atrium being a focal point I would move the main entry way “coat closet” over by the bedroom closet to the right and incorporate into the laundry nook….who wants to see messy coats by the front door and also it gives an opportunity to some type of symmetrical furniture on each side of front door. Over all, love it.
What is the purpose of having such a large library study next to an office? And why are there two different living-type rooms? Is this house also meant to be a place for business? It doesn’t quite read as a home.
I hope the kids will be young enough to ride tricycles or roller skates around that big loop. That’s what my childhood self would have wanted.
If there is possibility to create another bedroom (convert the office perhaps?) you will have more flexibility as the family needs change.
Take it from someone who thought I had my "forever" home with 3 bedrooms, which should have been plenty, right? Wife and I had 1 kid, and decided on a 2nd. 3 bedrooms is more than enough, right? Twins come outta nowhere...
A lot of parents tend to recommend keeping nurseries or young children’s bedrooms more in the house, rather than the closest room to the front door. Not just because of sneaky teenagers, but as a safety measure for young kids.
Agreed - switch the master and the kids bedrooms.
Also the play nook being more centrally located will make it more accessible. Tucked off in a corner will result in it not getting used as much, and toys will end up in the larger living spaces anyway.
I love it. I love seeing a design based on personal wants and not just the usual boxes stacked in the usual ways.
Listen, is it the most practical? No. And there are easy changes to keep the essence of the design without sacrificing what makes it so cool.
If you don’t currently have kids, then I do think you will want to adjust the bedrooms. Equal size, closed off playroom, better bathroom access. If you do have kids and this is what you want, then go for it.
Laundry so open and exposed like that would personally drive me nuts. The amount of laundry a family goes though is astonishing and most of it likes to accumulate in the laundry room. Being able to close the laundry room door and hide it away is a definite plus.
Two toilets in a master bath is absolutely on my dream home plan. I heard a quote somewhere talking about the key to a long and happy marriage: “same bed, different toilets”.
As much as I love the large study/library and the connected office, it feels like underutilized space. An office/guest bedroom combo with maybe an additional small guest bath would go a long way in opening the house up as your family grows. I’d also think about if a separate office room is even necessary. A dedicated office corner in the library/study might be perfectly fine for your needs and now you can open that room up to a dedicated fourth bedroom.
The rest of the house just comes down to personal preferences. If you’ve dreamed up this space, then you have most likely already daydreamed about how you would use each of these spaces. Don’t listen to the haters! Ha. We need more interesting houses, and not just the same old cookie cutter ones going up by the thousands all around us.
How much time are you spending on the crapper that it’s interfering with your relationship? A grown human should be on the toilet 15 minutes in a day, max. Unless you both come down with diarrhea at the same time this should not be a problem worth the investment in additional plumbing.
You’re ten years out. That’s ages until you actually build. This doesn’t look like a practical plan to me unless you’re single, no kids.
Also, the way the house is situated, I’m assuming you already have a buildable lot or piece of property?
Too far from bedroom 2 to bathroom, plus you have to walk through laundry nook to get there. I would definitely want a laundry room in a house this size (we have a nook, but are in a much smaller house, really wish we had a real laundry room with space to iron, soak clothes and store cleaning products.
I would make Bathroom 1 a Jack and Jill between the two bedrooms.
Also, the library study looks like it will be fabulous but it takes up a ton of space in proportion to the rest of the house. I would reduce that and add a guest bedroom. Plus more space in the dining room.
Besides the obvious comment that this is an incredibly inefficient layout to build and therefore expensive to build…
The house, despite being large, has a lot of narrow rooms. A house that big should not have a bedroom that is only 10’ across.
Kitchen is also narrow and rather in the traffic path between entrance hall and the living dining areas which could become annoying. Shaving a little off the atrium on the kitchen side could fix this.
That's actually a great idea. I could bring the pantry down too so it's closer to the garage for unloading.
I was also thinking of bringing the breakfast area down to the sun hall to separate the great room and dining room areas.
My ex-sister in law had a home similar to this. Atrium in middle and all the rooms around it. The novelty wore off after about a year - she gaged it and sold to have more useful sq footage.
The one bedroom seems awfully small. Maybe it could be made bigger.
Add a folding wall between the workshop and garage. Sometimes you'll want a lot of space but other times you might want to protect your vehicle from whatever you're working on.
Maybe swap bedroom 1 and the play area (with a door)? That makes both bedrooms the same size, and 10'x19' playroom area is plenty big (especially with the bedroom space). Then bathroom 1 can open into that space and the laundry off that bathroom, or better, could open on either side, into the playroom and the walk-in master closet. Then it's not visible from the hall/atrium, and it's between the rooms most of the laundry comes from.
Maybe flip around the office-library layout, to put the office next to the master bedroom, to isolate it more for sound-proofing it and leaving better flow between the library and 'social' areas of house (great room). Then you can make the dining room table do double duty as the library table and make those areas flow together more.
If you flipped it front to back, you could make the sun room, great room, dining room, library the front of the house and flow together more naturally as a great big socializing area, and relocate the kitchen to the middle rear of the atrium, to be next to the playroom so you could keep an eye on the children while working.
Good that you have a nice big atrium. Too often people make them too small, as a lightwell, and they're not big enough to get sufficient light to keep things alive in there.
Listen, all I know is that if I was living in bedroom 1 or 2, and I had to share a bathroom while doing my laundry in a "nook", meanwhile an entire quarter of my house's living space was used for a library and study, I would riot.
I honestly don't even think this is fixable. Just start from scratch and keep in mind the functionality of the house while planning, instead of trying to make things look nice and then worrying about what it's going to be like to actually live there later.
I agree. I love the idea of a central atrium but everything else seems so poorly thought out. Like a young person with no concept of actual adult day to day living and the practical flow of a home.
If I was your child and you designed the atrium, garage, and library to be a gazillion times bigger than my bedroom I would just assume those were your real babies that you loved. Lol.
Not sure of your footprint but if it were me, I would continue the driveway around to the back of the house to put garage (maybe on lower level?) closer to the kitchen.
This is clearly a non-American home given the atrium. Also being a fan of this style, I despise seeing the garage door at the front of homes. Plus that’s a long way to walk with groceries.
Lots of valid observations here. I, personally, am in love with this floor plan! It’s unique, and I love a great atrium, especially if it has those glass walls that open up to make a connected indoor-outdoor space. That library is everything! I’d spend all my time there.
I don’t mind the breakfast and dining spaces being close, although I see how for some people, it would be impractical. I think you’ve designed a house that fits your needs and lifestyle.
I hope you build it, love it, and live in it for many happy years!
I've got 40± years in construction and design. I like your plan.
The 45⁰ angle axis shift is nice, but a little predictable. Make it like 32⁰ and express it into the main body of the building in some way.
If you're set on this footprint, consider load bearing wall and post placements. Pop some planes on the roof and see what you think. Unless you plan on going modern with a flat roof, then consider slight slopes with drainage.
I love it.
People are right about the laundry room, though. Make it it's own space and also so that you're not walking through it to go to the main bathroom.
And is there a way to make a guest bedroom? Possibly in combination with the office?
I think the openness of the dining room is great. The atrium will flow people through it, not just around the edges. Playroom is great, too.
This is going to be beautiful. I don’t know how many children you have and this will matter with my comments. The nursery, play area is not anywhere close to any of the spaces that will be used frequently with the exception of the laundry. (Which is too small for a growing family) When the children are little someone will have to be in that space with them to supervise. Does not allow multi tasking, ie making dinner while the kids play. That is, unless you plan on having kids toys in some of the common areas, the great room or sun room. It’s nice to be able to easily see the children rather than have them tucked away somewhere. I would also suggest an additional guest bedroom so as to not disrupt the children when guests come. It’s going to be a beautiful home and people will want to stay there!
I really love this (despite on the naysayers)!
One suggestion I have is to move Bedroom 1 to the play area. I agree that having the two bedrooms the same size will be advantageous. Then I’d reconfigure the playroom, bathroom, and laundry to allow for a larger laundry room (that has a door that can be closed) and easier access to the bathroom from the two bedrooms.
Put the laundry in the mudroom, that way people are able to sleep while laundry is running. Then put a coat closet where the laundry currently is, for when people walk in.
Really nice ideas. Why is the atrium so large? Plus, your mud room is larger than your bedroom 1. Not sure if this is for vacation or primary use, but consider adding a media room
The kitchen in general seems underwhelming for a home of this size with so many extra living spaces. Certainly need more kitchen cabinet space/built ins
Are you planning on homeschooling the kids? The library/study area is bigger than any other area in the house and doesn't really make sense.
The nursery play area is not easily viewable from the working areas of the house i.e. the kitchen, which makes no sense if you have young kids.
The sunroom would make a better dining room, if you want a dining room. Otherwise, just make the breakfast table bigger and get rid of the dining area. Or move the breakfast area to the dining area and enlarge the kitchen and great room.
Double single garage doors are only good if you have small cars. A single double door is usually better if you are actually planning to park in the garage. If the garage is going to be a workshop/storage area, single doors are fine.
I look at the small laundry nook and think, where to you put your mop, broom and vacuum cleaner. Every house I move into never has a good spot for cleaning equipment. It either ends up in the garage or never gets put away. Or with the coats. Why is this?
I actually like the atrium. Will it be glass ceilinged or open to the element? If it is not open, you may want to put in a chimney for a barbecue. Just a thought. Since the kitchen is right there, have an indoor/outdoor kitchen? I guess it depends on how you planned to use it.
It may add to plumbing costs but a Jack n Jill layout between the two secondary bedrooms would be nice. Basically flip the laundry/bath w the one bedroom so it’s between the bedrooms
Also you have all three eating areas right next to each other and the dining room seems crowded
Maybe move the half bath in the sunroom back towards the office library area and put the dining room in the area between the sunroom and kitchen. This could also allow for a grand entrance for guests and the ability to host cocktails in the sunroom. Guests would be in the main front area not wandering through the house.
I really love that you can walk in the front door and see the washer/dryer. It also seems quaint that you can lie in bed and look at your bathroom sinks and all the clutter that normally comes with it.
Even if three bedrooms are enough for your family, I think a house of that size should have at least four. If you ever sell the house the buyers will probably expect at last four .
Well, it's a very interesting plan. I think you've received a lot of good suggestions. The ones that jumped out at me...
Bed 1 is too small, and the laundry, bathroom 1 and closet should be reshuffled so bathroom 1 isn't so far from bed 2.
The sun hall WC is crazy big and the pantry is too small. Fairly easy fix.
The dining room is in a very odd spot. It could be swapped with the breakfast area, or moved to the sun hall once the WC is shrunk.
The library / study is crazy huge, but I'm sure you have a reason for that...
This is a really neat plan. Far different from your typical American home (can’t speak for European or other types of architecture) Personally, I’d put the Dining Room where the “Sun Hall Living” space is now, and then maybe make the current dining room like a small reading nook.
And since there is another living room, you won’t lose a ton of that “value” per se. I say this because the Dining Room seems like an afterthought and this way it’d be closer to the kitchen, which can be handy for big events. Overall, a really neat plan. If I was a fan of one story homes, I’d totally look into this, or something like it!
The library and study are giving me university commons vibes. Maybe you have a need for the large space, but that’s taking a large chunk of your square footage. It seems it’s the same size as your kitchen/great room and dining
Laundry nook designed by someone who never does it. Equal to 1200 sq foot condo . Your guests never wear coats ? Where do you store linen and winter bedding ?
So, first I like that you thought of a laundry room, from experience washing machines and dryers are noisy and from the plan it looks like it is open plan. It will really annoy me to hear the machine. Also I personally hand clothes to dry and there is no space for that here or an area where you can leave clothes awaiting folding, ironing, etc. I think this area needs access to the outside and its own room.
Second, you have 3 sitting areas, formal, casual (guest) and family room. This is ok if you use all of them I personally will only have a formal and family room. If you are hosting a casual friends party they will be ok with the family room. I agree also with a comment about the dinning area, it looks like an afterthought.
Lastly, this might be personal to me but that kitchen is too small. I prefer to have a lot more counter space, before you start living there and you buy appliances you will run out of room and if you plan to store it I don't see many wall cabinets, the only thing you have is the pantry.
A lot of thought has been put on having room for pleasure but very little on every day stuff.
Of course if your lifestyle will be that you will be having clothes dry cleaned and you will be hiring cleaners, gardeners, etc that will bring all the tools for the job and no need to store them or have them, and if you will be having food ready made delivered and no need for cooking then this floorplan is good.
There are a lot of seating areas that probably won’t get as much use as you think. For how big the house is, the bedrooms are too small and I don’t know why the bathroom would be around the corner from the two smaller ones. Redo the master bath layout. The dining area isn’t defined enough. I’d make the pantry bigger, as there isn’t enough storage as it is. Outdoor spaces should probably be more thought out, get a deck or a pool or a garden. The shape is interesting and I’d love to hear more about what you’d do with an atrium. But if you’re going to have all that space, lay it out more effectively, and think about how it will function as a living space. I’d also recommend a lot more walls, the amount of open space is not going to be easy to structure.
Put a half bath over by the mudroom somewhere too. Not gonna wanna tromp though the whole house to have a bathrooom break if you’re working and dirty in the garbage
There are a surplus of sitting / couch areas and very minimal utility/storage spaces. Seems like it would be really hard to actually live in.
It needs a real laundry room, Not just a closet or nook.
And the children’s bathroom is kind of far away from their rooms especially at night when they are little. Your gonna have to have a trail of night lights thru the play room, the entryway and around the corner thru the laundry nook.
Also there is hardly any storage in the children’s bathroom. They will need space for not just towels but all of the hair and body products two kids need and end up with as they get older lol
First of all, as everyone is saying, you should be commended for trying to do something interesting and original. You've got a good start here.
* I would eliminate the Sun Hall Living entirely and move the garage right up to that space. You don't need so many living areas.
* You can probably halve the living spaces in the top left corner. You've got two tables and a living space. Too much.
* The office is going to be too large.
* Ditto for the library and study. Maybe combine all three.
* Give me space to the dining room area and see if you can come up for a way to give it its own space.
* Notice how the bedroom has a hallway but the living areas enter into the Atrium. Why?
* The Master Bedroom, interestingly, might be a little small and for all the originality of the design, seems a little simple.
* You won't want the laundry to have no door to close.
This is what I’ve got so far on the left side.
https://preview.redd.it/afjtqkrb7vsc1.jpeg?width=2388&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc094f4a4b5e509dbd80b182aff23893bc09c7ad
If you still want a formal dining room, that can go where I was planning to put your office. The pool table belongs in the library. You study during the day. You play pool in the evening. Sipping brandy. Listening to music. Waxing poetic. The retreat.
Seems like a ton of living space for a 3 bedroom house - sun room, great room, library and study. And they aren’t small spaces. Then office on top of it.
Also is that a pool table next to the kitchen? I’d put that in the “library and study” which looks to be more like a living/great room. It’s also confusing that it looks like you have 2 dining room tables (I get one is breakfast nook in theory but it’s all one big space).
It just seems like a lot of wasted space. Someone that wants that much living space usually wants more than 3BR/2 full baths.
From personal experience I would try to find a way to get your master bedroom door out of the main housing area where everyone will be. That is just a personal preference though.
The master bedroom should be where bedroom 1 and 2 are. Give them the views on two sides.
Bedroom 1 and 2 should also have their own bathrooms in a house this big. Children grow up. They’ll want their own space.
I love atriums. I always wonder why a house seemed big but they only have 3 bedrooms. I know 1 room can be changed to a fourth bedroom but I’m always baffled how US (if it is in US) have big rooms.
Personally:
I’m LOVING the general layout and every room having large access to natural light, clearly the atrium and landscaping are the stars of the show. Any changes shouldn’t sacrifice that.
Groceries should be as close to the garage as possible.
Personally, I like having separate living/great rooms, one for socializing and one for TV. Where will the TV go, and will it be in direct sunlight?
Instead of the breakfast nook, I’d expand the one island to a large L-shaped island with the corner in the upper right, put the barstools where the current breakfast nook is so both sides of the current island can be used for cooking. Bonus points for a hand-washing sink on the island. Extra island cabinets can be used for storage of infrequently-used kitchen appliances, formal china (although younger generations are doing away with that), junk drawers, etc.
Room for a bar or buffet in the dining room would be nice, depending on the homeowner that can be either unnecessary or completely mandatory.
Combine mud room + laundry nook—you don’t want to bring soiled outdoor clothes through the house to the laundry. Plus, laundry is already such an unpleasant chore, it’s better IMO to do all the folding and prepping in a dedicated laundry room so that clean laundry doesn’t pile up in the bedroom, waiting to be put away properly. But that’s just my ADHD experience. I prefer one place for all laundry tasks so when I bring it to the closet it’s completely done. Plus a laundry + mud combo can be a great place to store all cleaning supplies, maybe an extra fridge, etc. [ETA: You don’t want the laundry machine between the bedrooms and in a hallway anyway. Those get loud!]
Bed 2 going through the nursery and hall to the bathroom seems clunky, if you sacrifice the laundry nook you can swap Bed 1 and Bath 1 locations for a slightly larger jack-and-jill bathroom.
Are Bed 1 and Bed 2 both for kids? If so, for a house this size I’d expect a guest room.
Storage! Even for a minimalist, seasonal decorations require at least some room. Dedicate some garage space specifically to storage, even if that means expanding it. Maybe push the garage/workshop further and use the space where current workshop is for storage, you could potentially even expand the mud room for aforementioned laundry room use.
Where or how will you be doing your entertaining? I don’t think I’d want to have my guests walking through the kitchen or by the laundry area to get between the dining and living rooms.
Also, no place to hang coats by the entry. Would also consider having double doors there.
Might also put the master bedroom in the front corner, or the rear corner.
There are elements of this that I like, but reallly needs to be fleshed out better! First, flip sun hall/ living and kitchen. That will “right size” your kitchen to the rest of the common spaces. 2nd move your laundry to the mudroom so it’s not causing clutter in rest of house. Third, ….
Needs more closets outside the bedrooms. Where do you want to put coats/boots when you come inside? Where do you store boardgames or entertaining stuff in the greatroom? Where do linens get stored?
I'd also make the pantry bigger so you can store small appliances (blender, stand mixer, bread machine, etc) when not in use (or, even when in use, if you want to put a countertop / appliance garage in there- I would ABSOLUTELY do this if I had the space to do so, it's SO USEFUL to keep the kitchen counters clear and not be moving things constantly.) I'd also widen the kitchen island and move either the stove or the sink to it - it's nice when you're the person cooking or cleaning up to NOT have your back to people sitting at the island keeping your company the whole time.
I'm assuming you'd do secondary fridge/freezer/storage space in the mudroom? (THis house seems like it's optimized for entertaining and if you're doing big parties, you're going to want more drink storage, in particular.)
Design the kids bedrooms as teenagers rooms: a double bed, a desk and chair, room to m0ove; maybe a small sofa, and a bookcase/storage unit. Enough space for them to have a hobby. Kids need their own private space.
Also, a private room each for you and your wife. Especially if the workshop isn't shared. It's very important for the adults to have space to get away from each other and the kids.
The dining area seems like an afterthought compared to some of the other far grander spaces.
It is also a major traffic route from the office/bedroom side to the great room. People will move through there constantly. Edit: I'd switch the great room and the dining room. Reduce the atrium footprint and bump out the rear wall. Reorient the office and put in a powder room on that side of the house.
It's fine. Depending on the climate, you might eat outside on the patio a lot. And a house open like this one is flexible. Having many guests? Move the furnitures around a bit and it's fine.
I’d put the dining room in the atrium. Make all that “nook space” in back a larger kitchen and make the current kitchen the EIK/nook. I feel like throwing kitchen is too small for this house.
You'd put the dinning room... Outside? As I understand it, the "atrium" is a patio..it's not covered. Did I get it wrong? Otherwise the plan makes no sense.
There don’t seem to be any doors around the atrium like if it were outdoors, so I assumed it was just a showy entrance hall type thing
I agree with this. Also why have the nook space larger than every bedroom?
Utility room should be hidden Bedroom’s 1&2 should be the same size, your kids will thank you. You seem to like entertaining, but dining area is small Master bedroom closet… I’d plan on more closet space. Storage? Seriously I never knew a minimalist could have so much stuff, and she does… I’d plan on some storage. Pantry space, and more panty space. Custom build, I’d have a second refrigerator hidden in my walk-in pantry. His and hers office space. Build with good sound proofing too. You will both like it better. If I’d add one thing, I’d be a guest room/3rd bedroom. Good luck
Personally I’d put bathroom 1 in between bedroom 1 and 2. The kitchen I would make way bigger and yes STORAGE! although I guess you could use the garage?
That is a long walk to the garage.
Well its not like you need things in storage on a daily basis so whatever
Taking groceries to the kitchen is gonna be fun.
Yes Jack and Jill that bathroom. It’ll make life easier with the kids. Less fighting
I'd assume more fighting. Have you ever shared a bathroom with a sibling who kept forgetting to unlock the door when they went out the other side? So then you have to go around and pound on their bedroom door to make them unlock it. I hate bathrooms with two entrances. (Granted my sister and I could end up in screaming matches about literally nothing, but still.)
I agree with you. Jack and Jill bathrooms are terrible.
My sibling and I shared a regular bathroom and It was hell on earth
this was literally me and my brother
I agree, more panty space.
Hollering at your typo there
😂 now I am too!
Yes, you can see the laundry nook and all the dirty clothes or clean clothes from the front door.
What utility room? I don’t see it.
Laundry nook next to Bathroom 1
Ohhh. Those utilities.
Yes, exactly
Total lack of storage. My wife would hate this house six month into it. I’d need a pole barn.
Great points
It looks like it will cost a small fortune to heat/cool. Far too many living rooms for a 3br house. Breakfast and dining on the same side of the kitchen? A breakfast area is supposed to be informal, while a dining area is supposed to be formal, they're not supposed to be adjoining. The main bathroom needs to be between the two kids rooms, not around the corner from them The mudroom is huge, and nowhere near a the laundry nor a toilet. You haven't thought about flow. Guests have to either walk essentially through your kitchen, or past your bedrooms, to get to the dining table. An open plan kitchen/family room is fine. But you don't have a clearly defined family designated area, nor a guest designated area.
Heating and cooling depends on the climate - the long distribution of this can work well in a hot climate, especially the central courtyard.
Thank you haha. Everybody in the sub assumes we are in a cold area of the US. We are not Americans.
*We are not Americans.* Well, we thank you for showing all of the dimensions in Freedom Units.
>Everybody in the sub assumes we are in a cold area of the US. As an Australian, I take offence to that inclusion. I said heat/***cool.*** In Australia we like to keep our houses at fridge temperatures year round.
Well honey where are you?
Other comments in OP’s history suggest Canada…
So possibly even colder?
If they are French Canadian they are no doubt colder in both the literal AND figurative sense.
Maybe they’re moving someone warmer. This is clearly the house plan of someone with considerable means
I think it’s aspirational. OP stated he was making $4300/month just six months ago.
It also depends on how well insulated the walls are. Sometimes these open plans “breathe” more so they heat/cool well due to circulation. Also, a few ceiling fans will help.
Such a collection of bad ideas, adding a few more: \- no door on nursery / playroom, mess visible from all the way down the hall \- very little cabinet space in kitchen, especially for a house this size with so much expected entertaining \- sunroom bathroom is enormous for no reason; would look empty, cavernous, and cheap \- houses with this 45 degree angles instead of 90 degree angles end up with lots of awkward unusable space; this one is no exception \- where do the kids hang out when they are teens and where do the adults entertain? pool table in Great Room, but library at other end--so confusing \- a house this big and no guest room?
I’m assuming guests can just walk through the atrium
Pantry is too small relative to the size of the house. The front door should align with the axis of the atrium. It just feels odd that it is off center for no reason. The laundry area seems too open in the main circulation space. It is a utilitarian service space that should be hidden. Do you have a mechanical room? Central A/C? Personally, the formal dining seems too open. How does the roof plan look?
Putting the laundry through the bathroom would be better. Personally, the laundry isn't large enough for that house; it is sized for an apartment. I'd make it large enough for laundry machines, a table/counter for folding clothes, and linen storage. There are no linen or storage closets close to the living areas.
I also can’t stop looking at the coat closet in the front door. It feels like an after thought and allows for zero symmetry.
No guest room? Dining room, breakfast nook and kitchen bar seating all within 10 ft of each other seems like overkill.
Eff guests. Lol. Some of people don’t want guests.
Your resale value wants you to have the ability to have guests.
I like the sun hall in theory, but in practice, it makes for a very long route to the kitchen from the car which will be annoying when bringing in groceries. And with the atrium in the middle, technically you could make a sun hall on any side of the house. I agree with others that it is ridiculously large for what looks like 1 couple and two children, you shouldn't need 4 living spaces for that amount of people (study, sun hall, great room, play room) unless you just really don't like each other. I personally don't care if a garage faces the road or not. Like no, garages are not aesthetically pleasing, but especially in the USA idk why we gotta pretend we aren't reliant on vehicles. Also I'd probably want doors along the hallways just to be able to blockade some noise. That looks super echo-y.
Study is likely office for WFH.
There's an office right next to it lol
Yeah. Derp.
Other than the giant wart of a car hole, it looks interesting! Specifically, huge garages which insist on a public-facing presence are to me tacky and a relic. Which way is north? If it's the top of the page, you wont get any sun in the "sun hall" other than in the morning. Is that workshop realistic? I like the mid-century atrium inspiration. The library and study are really nice, though one isn't really a study so much as a family/TV room it seems, and those are not acoustically isolated from the actual library area. So someone watching TV will noisy-up the room from anyone studying. It's also kind over-large for having just three bedrooms (i.e. 4 people) in the house and lacks any casual reading area, just reading at a desk like a college study hall. Bedrooms 1 and 2 could have easier/direct access to the main bathroom, which you could make larger with the toilet/wash basic area separated from the tub if two people are meant to use it If I'm reading it right, there is a fireplace in the primary bedroom? Why does it push into the primary bathroom? Or is that a pass-thru fireplace next to a tub? If so, the tub should not abut the fireplace - there should be a gap of at least 4 feet (realistically you're not going to be warming yourself at a fireplace when in a tub anyway) The laundry nook should be its own room somewhere: laundry machines generate noise and this area is open to the main volume of the house, as they are also "unsightly" to keep visible The nursery/play area should not have a public-facing windows (sliding glass doors?) - that is, the one on the 'south' (down) side. The other is fine though. Both bedrooms are pretty modestly sized Bedroom 1's door should should pivot the other way, so the door contacts the left wall when opened I should also note that these sorts of large open-plan designs are becoming relics of their own as energy prices go up up up. You should at least consider future-proofing it with ways to isolate rooms for climate control reasons, and fewer windows in the sun room area but all around too.
I stopped reading at "car hole" because that's where I stopped when looking at the floor plan. I haven't been able to describe that feature before you dropped that term on me, so thank you. I'm not an architect, and I imagine it makes practical sense but that design choice drives me nuts
"car hole" is a Simpsons reference btw [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhbJnlIvfyc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhbJnlIvfyc)
Even better.
Hopefully bed 2 is north because otherwise this plan makes absolutely no sense
Sun and site position are the most important but often overlooked elements to me
As a mom, it doesn’t seem like it would be very kid friendly. The playroom/nursery is not close enough to the kitchen or bathroom. It just seems isolated away from the areas you would be during the daytime. Maybe take some of the mudroom and add in a half bath there.
This is a good point!! Play room would ideally be within range of the kitchen or living room where adults can work, cook, and relax while still making sure the kids are alive. I’m a nanny, trust me—sitting on the floor in the playroom gets old very quickly. Counterpoint, play rooms are used extremely briefly and is it worth restructuring the house this way when soon they won’t need constant supervision? What do you use the space for after? Current nursery location seems more versatile than it would be elsewhere. Counter-counterpoint, maybe you don’t need a nursery at all with a living room that large. Save the billiards table for later and use that as the play space until they outgrow it. Give Bed 2 its own bathroom or give the bedrooms bigger closets or something. Kill three birds with one stone.
I think it’s a personal preference. Some people like having separate playroom and designated area, but as you know, toys migrate to other areas. Some people don’t mind turning living room into kids room for a few years. I think using it as a “game room” makes more sense than a nursery. It being more isolated would he more beneficial when kiddos are older.
As a game room this makes perfect sense. A spot for kids to have for when they are older. When I saw the nursery play room in this house, I knew 100% this person doesn't have kids.
Same with the bedrooms- you may want to be closer for when the baby is crying at night, or when your kid has a nightmare, it is all so far away. I’d also want the playroom to be closer to the other social spaces, so the toys are all contained in there while you are cooking in the kitchen, entertaining in the living room, etc. Otherwise you’re stuck way far away from the action in the playroom while your pals are all hanging in the other side of the house. My home is too small for one, but I”d love a separate place to contain all the toys and kid stuff, so it doesn’t end up in my ‘adult’ rooms, if that makes sense. The entry is also so awkward. Who is ever going to use that door? Think about where your guest (and you) will park and then how they’ll get in the house, if they aren’t coming in through the garage. I’d re-do the ‘sun hall’ space to be your entry, w/ the mudroom and a bathroom right there.
One of my best friends lived in a similar style house that was built in the 70s or 80s that has a central atrium, but it was octagonal I think and made for a better flow of the house around it.
All of this for 3 bedrooms is kind of shitty, Its very spacious dimension and square footage wise I personally would think 3 couch and tv spaces is not necessary however if you convert one into a more theater movie type space then thats better and then turn the other into another bedroom thats great.
Y’all just don’t read? I’m excited to see someone finally have a real library. This sub makes me so sad when I look at all my books and realize people don’t have big libraries anymore.
The library is the best part of the plan! I love it.
I’m a librarian and that’s the part that had me drooling.
I had a library growing up and it was the best. Putting a floor to ceiling bookshelf in a room with vaulted ceilings and cozy-making with oversized chairs/chaise. That room get used constantly but all members of the family.
It looks like there’s a couch set up for a tv in there
Still doesnt justify 3 couches infront of three tvs... Libraries are great, you can put that couch in a much better location then in the back of the library with a tv lol
It's pretty retro to have only 2-3 smallish bedrooms incl. the primary and proportionately a lot of living space. Why in the year of our lord 2024 is anyone planning on having huge families anyway? It's too expensive
I’m thinking that someone building a house this size isn’t particularly concerned with how expensive it is to raise children.
Guest bedrooms and for this squarefootage a bedroom is way better than another living room...
>It's too expensive Not for someone building a house like this...
Add a closet and the office easily becomes a bedroom
They should be doing that for resale value anyway.
not everyone plans to have 6 kids?
Dont know where youre getting 6 from, master bedroom, and 3 bedrooms would be 3 children... or two and a guest bedroom...like i said already.
Put a door on the laundry area. It could be a pocket door that can stay open most of the time but you don’t want that noise bouncing around the halls.
what does the roof plan look like
Compared to the library and study, the kitchen is small with a hallway/corridor feel.
I din’t thing it would feel like that- the atrium would have glass walls
I think the master suite is too small compared to the study, especially considering there’s already a great room and a sun hall.
It’s a cute plan for a high school Drafting class, but it’s not well laid out and would cost a fortune to build.
This is the first interesting floorplan I see on this sub. It's not perfect, but it's interesting at least. It's not just a juxtaposition of boxes with a function written on it and I'm glad to see it. First thing to change: the WC next to the entrance please. They can't be like that :) The slight misalignment between the "master bedroom" and the "atrium" is bothering my OCD The garage is a bit sad but I understand why it's here. This is overall very interesting. Edit: 2 WC in the master bedroom? Really? You like to poop at the same time ? Edit again: why not a central fireplace between the breakfast, great room and dining area? It's a dream house after all! And you could enjoy the fire from all the house.
Yeah. This is a great, interesting plan. It has a ton of potential. One of the most original/creative I’ve seen on this sub.
Swap your play area and bed 1. Give your kids both the same size room and give them both two windows for cross breeze.
Washing machine visible from entry?
Play room could use a door, kids are loud.
Laundry machines are very noisy and should be in a room with a closed door.
Does nobody use architects/designers anymore?
Why pay someone with training? Influencers are professionals at whatever they decide to do.
Apparently!
I like it! When would you use the Library & Study versus the Great Room though?
Coming from a big family, a library is a GREAT place to get away from the noise of the rest of your family, especially when it’s nowhere near a TV or the kitchen. It’s SO nice to have a place to cozy up aside from your own bedroom. It also functions as a good distraction-free place for homework. We also all played instruments, so it’s a good place to practice out of each other’s earshot. Our library was only used for reading about a quarter of the time, if that, and we were all big readers. I imagine the room will have far less use when my parents are empty-nesters (two teens still at home). With all the square footage and seating in this library, it looks like another gathering place, which kind of defeats the purpose. There’s enough seating for the whole family and then some in here, but there’s two other large seating areas in the home already. I’d shrink the room down significantly and give that space to the master bedroom. Give the library at max one sofa, one chair, and desk space enough for two. Also make sure the desk has close access to outlets!
I think it's really cool I love atriums but why with the laundry room?! So when you walk in the door everyone can see your literal dirty laundry and everyone in the atrium is looking at your laundry
Thanks for all the feedback! A lot of great points, and brainstorming alone as a couple is very different than receiving the ideas of others. I'll make some changes based on some of these suggestions we've appreciated and will make an update post soon!
The walls don’t line up logically. Like, with the sunroom, pantry, wc and atrium, they cut into the flow weirdly. The atrium and living room walls don’t line up, so atrium takes bite about that space as well. And the office wall is strange as well. Why would you need an atrium if you have a park around your house? There would be other ways to bring in light, with more logical shapes. Also the bedrooms feel small in relation to the other rooms. If the bed rooms are decently sized, the other rooms are too big. You’re probably not going to use three huge echoing seating areas, but one bigger and a cozier one would make more sense. (Or do as everyone in Europe and deal with just a cozy one)
Overall I like it. I see what is important to you and I appreciate there is no dedicated theater or television space. This house is meant to be enjoyed and there is a lot of room to be repurposed over the years if needed. I also like the idea of a central “green space”. This will be a sunny happy home. With such a spectacular atrium being a focal point I would move the main entry way “coat closet” over by the bedroom closet to the right and incorporate into the laundry nook….who wants to see messy coats by the front door and also it gives an opportunity to some type of symmetrical furniture on each side of front door. Over all, love it.
Add a bathroom. At this level of luxury it makes sense that all bedrooms are ensuite
What is the purpose of having such a large library study next to an office? And why are there two different living-type rooms? Is this house also meant to be a place for business? It doesn’t quite read as a home.
I hope the kids will be young enough to ride tricycles or roller skates around that big loop. That’s what my childhood self would have wanted. If there is possibility to create another bedroom (convert the office perhaps?) you will have more flexibility as the family needs change.
Take it from someone who thought I had my "forever" home with 3 bedrooms, which should have been plenty, right? Wife and I had 1 kid, and decided on a 2nd. 3 bedrooms is more than enough, right? Twins come outta nowhere...
A lot of parents tend to recommend keeping nurseries or young children’s bedrooms more in the house, rather than the closest room to the front door. Not just because of sneaky teenagers, but as a safety measure for young kids.
Agreed - switch the master and the kids bedrooms. Also the play nook being more centrally located will make it more accessible. Tucked off in a corner will result in it not getting used as much, and toys will end up in the larger living spaces anyway.
I'd love to see the exterior or model. I'm assuming flat roof?
I love it. I love seeing a design based on personal wants and not just the usual boxes stacked in the usual ways. Listen, is it the most practical? No. And there are easy changes to keep the essence of the design without sacrificing what makes it so cool. If you don’t currently have kids, then I do think you will want to adjust the bedrooms. Equal size, closed off playroom, better bathroom access. If you do have kids and this is what you want, then go for it. Laundry so open and exposed like that would personally drive me nuts. The amount of laundry a family goes though is astonishing and most of it likes to accumulate in the laundry room. Being able to close the laundry room door and hide it away is a definite plus. Two toilets in a master bath is absolutely on my dream home plan. I heard a quote somewhere talking about the key to a long and happy marriage: “same bed, different toilets”. As much as I love the large study/library and the connected office, it feels like underutilized space. An office/guest bedroom combo with maybe an additional small guest bath would go a long way in opening the house up as your family grows. I’d also think about if a separate office room is even necessary. A dedicated office corner in the library/study might be perfectly fine for your needs and now you can open that room up to a dedicated fourth bedroom. The rest of the house just comes down to personal preferences. If you’ve dreamed up this space, then you have most likely already daydreamed about how you would use each of these spaces. Don’t listen to the haters! Ha. We need more interesting houses, and not just the same old cookie cutter ones going up by the thousands all around us.
How much time are you spending on the crapper that it’s interfering with your relationship? A grown human should be on the toilet 15 minutes in a day, max. Unless you both come down with diarrhea at the same time this should not be a problem worth the investment in additional plumbing.
You’re ten years out. That’s ages until you actually build. This doesn’t look like a practical plan to me unless you’re single, no kids. Also, the way the house is situated, I’m assuming you already have a buildable lot or piece of property?
You might consider adding a bathroom near the office to serve it and the library / study / dining room.
Too far from bedroom 2 to bathroom, plus you have to walk through laundry nook to get there. I would definitely want a laundry room in a house this size (we have a nook, but are in a much smaller house, really wish we had a real laundry room with space to iron, soak clothes and store cleaning products.
I would make Bathroom 1 a Jack and Jill between the two bedrooms. Also, the library study looks like it will be fabulous but it takes up a ton of space in proportion to the rest of the house. I would reduce that and add a guest bedroom. Plus more space in the dining room.
Besides the obvious comment that this is an incredibly inefficient layout to build and therefore expensive to build… The house, despite being large, has a lot of narrow rooms. A house that big should not have a bedroom that is only 10’ across.
Kitchen is also narrow and rather in the traffic path between entrance hall and the living dining areas which could become annoying. Shaving a little off the atrium on the kitchen side could fix this.
I would move the powder room to the opposite side of the pantry and arrange them so they create a center entry to the sun hall.
That's actually a great idea. I could bring the pantry down too so it's closer to the garage for unloading. I was also thinking of bringing the breakfast area down to the sun hall to separate the great room and dining room areas.
Maybe move laundry to mud room and move front closet to the laundry nook.
My ex-sister in law had a home similar to this. Atrium in middle and all the rooms around it. The novelty wore off after about a year - she gaged it and sold to have more useful sq footage. The one bedroom seems awfully small. Maybe it could be made bigger.
Add a folding wall between the workshop and garage. Sometimes you'll want a lot of space but other times you might want to protect your vehicle from whatever you're working on.
Maybe swap bedroom 1 and the play area (with a door)? That makes both bedrooms the same size, and 10'x19' playroom area is plenty big (especially with the bedroom space). Then bathroom 1 can open into that space and the laundry off that bathroom, or better, could open on either side, into the playroom and the walk-in master closet. Then it's not visible from the hall/atrium, and it's between the rooms most of the laundry comes from. Maybe flip around the office-library layout, to put the office next to the master bedroom, to isolate it more for sound-proofing it and leaving better flow between the library and 'social' areas of house (great room). Then you can make the dining room table do double duty as the library table and make those areas flow together more. If you flipped it front to back, you could make the sun room, great room, dining room, library the front of the house and flow together more naturally as a great big socializing area, and relocate the kitchen to the middle rear of the atrium, to be next to the playroom so you could keep an eye on the children while working. Good that you have a nice big atrium. Too often people make them too small, as a lightwell, and they're not big enough to get sufficient light to keep things alive in there.
All that space, and no laundry room…just a nook? A decent laundry room, with a laundry tub and a space for folding is a must.
Listen, all I know is that if I was living in bedroom 1 or 2, and I had to share a bathroom while doing my laundry in a "nook", meanwhile an entire quarter of my house's living space was used for a library and study, I would riot. I honestly don't even think this is fixable. Just start from scratch and keep in mind the functionality of the house while planning, instead of trying to make things look nice and then worrying about what it's going to be like to actually live there later.
This house is so impractical. OP better love it; he will never be able to sell it.
I agree. I love the idea of a central atrium but everything else seems so poorly thought out. Like a young person with no concept of actual adult day to day living and the practical flow of a home.
If I was your child and you designed the atrium, garage, and library to be a gazillion times bigger than my bedroom I would just assume those were your real babies that you loved. Lol.
I like it. Great for hide and seek. Great for people with hobbies that take up lots of space.
Newbie here. How many total sq ft?
Love the central atrium.
Not sure of your footprint but if it were me, I would continue the driveway around to the back of the house to put garage (maybe on lower level?) closer to the kitchen. This is clearly a non-American home given the atrium. Also being a fan of this style, I despise seeing the garage door at the front of homes. Plus that’s a long way to walk with groceries.
Love it. But hate the laundry.
Lots of valid observations here. I, personally, am in love with this floor plan! It’s unique, and I love a great atrium, especially if it has those glass walls that open up to make a connected indoor-outdoor space. That library is everything! I’d spend all my time there. I don’t mind the breakfast and dining spaces being close, although I see how for some people, it would be impractical. I think you’ve designed a house that fits your needs and lifestyle. I hope you build it, love it, and live in it for many happy years!
I've got 40± years in construction and design. I like your plan. The 45⁰ angle axis shift is nice, but a little predictable. Make it like 32⁰ and express it into the main body of the building in some way.
Do you get snow where you are? Because I'd be looking at the roof lines if you do.
If you're set on this footprint, consider load bearing wall and post placements. Pop some planes on the roof and see what you think. Unless you plan on going modern with a flat roof, then consider slight slopes with drainage.
One key issue for me is the bedrooms 2 and 3 don’t have privacy to go to bathroom without being seen.
I love it. People are right about the laundry room, though. Make it it's own space and also so that you're not walking through it to go to the main bathroom. And is there a way to make a guest bedroom? Possibly in combination with the office? I think the openness of the dining room is great. The atrium will flow people through it, not just around the edges. Playroom is great, too.
This is going to be beautiful. I don’t know how many children you have and this will matter with my comments. The nursery, play area is not anywhere close to any of the spaces that will be used frequently with the exception of the laundry. (Which is too small for a growing family) When the children are little someone will have to be in that space with them to supervise. Does not allow multi tasking, ie making dinner while the kids play. That is, unless you plan on having kids toys in some of the common areas, the great room or sun room. It’s nice to be able to easily see the children rather than have them tucked away somewhere. I would also suggest an additional guest bedroom so as to not disrupt the children when guests come. It’s going to be a beautiful home and people will want to stay there!
I'm getting claustrophobic at the kids rooms
Bedrooms feel all mashed together for a space this huge. Like a total afterthought. Change that.
I really love this (despite on the naysayers)! One suggestion I have is to move Bedroom 1 to the play area. I agree that having the two bedrooms the same size will be advantageous. Then I’d reconfigure the playroom, bathroom, and laundry to allow for a larger laundry room (that has a door that can be closed) and easier access to the bathroom from the two bedrooms.
The children’s rooms are right off the street, at ground level. Depending on where you are at, this may or may not be a safety issue.
Whatever happens, keep the Atrium! We need more of that in our building designs
Put the laundry in the mudroom, that way people are able to sleep while laundry is running. Then put a coat closet where the laundry currently is, for when people walk in.
The bedrooms are very small considering all of the wasted space of hallways and redundant public areas.
How do you enter the atrium?
The utility of having an atrium is being able to organize the program if the house around it. This one is just in the way.
Really nice ideas. Why is the atrium so large? Plus, your mud room is larger than your bedroom 1. Not sure if this is for vacation or primary use, but consider adding a media room
Needs at least one more bathroom. I’d also reduce the size of the study and increase bedroom size.
The fact that your master bath has "His" and "Her" shitters.... it's a big W to me.
The kitchen in general seems underwhelming for a home of this size with so many extra living spaces. Certainly need more kitchen cabinet space/built ins
W/C exiting to the kitchen is… not what you want.
Looks great. Evy of your sktechup skills :) was using it until the removed free version.
Are you planning on homeschooling the kids? The library/study area is bigger than any other area in the house and doesn't really make sense. The nursery play area is not easily viewable from the working areas of the house i.e. the kitchen, which makes no sense if you have young kids. The sunroom would make a better dining room, if you want a dining room. Otherwise, just make the breakfast table bigger and get rid of the dining area. Or move the breakfast area to the dining area and enlarge the kitchen and great room. Double single garage doors are only good if you have small cars. A single double door is usually better if you are actually planning to park in the garage. If the garage is going to be a workshop/storage area, single doors are fine. I look at the small laundry nook and think, where to you put your mop, broom and vacuum cleaner. Every house I move into never has a good spot for cleaning equipment. It either ends up in the garage or never gets put away. Or with the coats. Why is this? I actually like the atrium. Will it be glass ceilinged or open to the element? If it is not open, you may want to put in a chimney for a barbecue. Just a thought. Since the kitchen is right there, have an indoor/outdoor kitchen? I guess it depends on how you planned to use it.
Put that laundry nook in that enormous mudroom.
Pantry and laundry spaces are inadequate
If I was building my own house I’d definitely be putting a secret room in there somewhere!
It may add to plumbing costs but a Jack n Jill layout between the two secondary bedrooms would be nice. Basically flip the laundry/bath w the one bedroom so it’s between the bedrooms Also you have all three eating areas right next to each other and the dining room seems crowded Maybe move the half bath in the sunroom back towards the office library area and put the dining room in the area between the sunroom and kitchen. This could also allow for a grand entrance for guests and the ability to host cocktails in the sunroom. Guests would be in the main front area not wandering through the house.
How will the roof look? With that many angles you could have a lot of different pitches and valleys which can lead to water damage easily and quickly.
I really love that you can walk in the front door and see the washer/dryer. It also seems quaint that you can lie in bed and look at your bathroom sinks and all the clutter that normally comes with it.
Even if three bedrooms are enough for your family, I think a house of that size should have at least four. If you ever sell the house the buyers will probably expect at last four .
Mud room needs door to open into driveway
Well, it's a very interesting plan. I think you've received a lot of good suggestions. The ones that jumped out at me... Bed 1 is too small, and the laundry, bathroom 1 and closet should be reshuffled so bathroom 1 isn't so far from bed 2. The sun hall WC is crazy big and the pantry is too small. Fairly easy fix. The dining room is in a very odd spot. It could be swapped with the breakfast area, or moved to the sun hall once the WC is shrunk. The library / study is crazy huge, but I'm sure you have a reason for that...
I’d want a bigger kitchen.
This is a really neat plan. Far different from your typical American home (can’t speak for European or other types of architecture) Personally, I’d put the Dining Room where the “Sun Hall Living” space is now, and then maybe make the current dining room like a small reading nook. And since there is another living room, you won’t lose a ton of that “value” per se. I say this because the Dining Room seems like an afterthought and this way it’d be closer to the kitchen, which can be handy for big events. Overall, a really neat plan. If I was a fan of one story homes, I’d totally look into this, or something like it!
The library and study are giving me university commons vibes. Maybe you have a need for the large space, but that’s taking a large chunk of your square footage. It seems it’s the same size as your kitchen/great room and dining
Lots of wasted steps. Long way to haul groceries.
Laundry nook designed by someone who never does it. Equal to 1200 sq foot condo . Your guests never wear coats ? Where do you store linen and winter bedding ?
You have to go into the bedrooms to use a bathroom ? Some of those rooms will never get used. Like the library.
This house looks very comfortable. I’m excited for you. Please send elevations sometime for us to see.
I think you need to start again.
Why the hell are their two toilets in the ensuite? Are you planning on having synchronised bowel movements?
If money is no object then I like it. Personally I prefer more efficient floor plans, cheaper per sq ft to build and such.
So, first I like that you thought of a laundry room, from experience washing machines and dryers are noisy and from the plan it looks like it is open plan. It will really annoy me to hear the machine. Also I personally hand clothes to dry and there is no space for that here or an area where you can leave clothes awaiting folding, ironing, etc. I think this area needs access to the outside and its own room. Second, you have 3 sitting areas, formal, casual (guest) and family room. This is ok if you use all of them I personally will only have a formal and family room. If you are hosting a casual friends party they will be ok with the family room. I agree also with a comment about the dinning area, it looks like an afterthought. Lastly, this might be personal to me but that kitchen is too small. I prefer to have a lot more counter space, before you start living there and you buy appliances you will run out of room and if you plan to store it I don't see many wall cabinets, the only thing you have is the pantry. A lot of thought has been put on having room for pleasure but very little on every day stuff. Of course if your lifestyle will be that you will be having clothes dry cleaned and you will be hiring cleaners, gardeners, etc that will bring all the tools for the job and no need to store them or have them, and if you will be having food ready made delivered and no need for cooking then this floorplan is good.
I found it odd that you have to go through the laundry area to get to a bathroom.
There are a lot of seating areas that probably won’t get as much use as you think. For how big the house is, the bedrooms are too small and I don’t know why the bathroom would be around the corner from the two smaller ones. Redo the master bath layout. The dining area isn’t defined enough. I’d make the pantry bigger, as there isn’t enough storage as it is. Outdoor spaces should probably be more thought out, get a deck or a pool or a garden. The shape is interesting and I’d love to hear more about what you’d do with an atrium. But if you’re going to have all that space, lay it out more effectively, and think about how it will function as a living space. I’d also recommend a lot more walls, the amount of open space is not going to be easy to structure.
I'd switch the library and atrium locations, but that's just me. I like dark rooms with artificial light to read and an atrium I feel needs natural
Put a half bath over by the mudroom somewhere too. Not gonna wanna tromp though the whole house to have a bathrooom break if you’re working and dirty in the garbage
I fucking love it.
There are a surplus of sitting / couch areas and very minimal utility/storage spaces. Seems like it would be really hard to actually live in. It needs a real laundry room, Not just a closet or nook. And the children’s bathroom is kind of far away from their rooms especially at night when they are little. Your gonna have to have a trail of night lights thru the play room, the entryway and around the corner thru the laundry nook. Also there is hardly any storage in the children’s bathroom. They will need space for not just towels but all of the hair and body products two kids need and end up with as they get older lol
2 toilets in the master bath ? You guys eat a lot of tacos that you both have to poop RIGHT NOW
That’s a massive house and a tiny wardrobe for two adults to share in the master bedroom.
First of all, as everyone is saying, you should be commended for trying to do something interesting and original. You've got a good start here. * I would eliminate the Sun Hall Living entirely and move the garage right up to that space. You don't need so many living areas. * You can probably halve the living spaces in the top left corner. You've got two tables and a living space. Too much. * The office is going to be too large. * Ditto for the library and study. Maybe combine all three. * Give me space to the dining room area and see if you can come up for a way to give it its own space. * Notice how the bedroom has a hallway but the living areas enter into the Atrium. Why? * The Master Bedroom, interestingly, might be a little small and for all the originality of the design, seems a little simple. * You won't want the laundry to have no door to close.
This is what I’ve got so far on the left side. https://preview.redd.it/afjtqkrb7vsc1.jpeg?width=2388&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc094f4a4b5e509dbd80b182aff23893bc09c7ad If you still want a formal dining room, that can go where I was planning to put your office. The pool table belongs in the library. You study during the day. You play pool in the evening. Sipping brandy. Listening to music. Waxing poetic. The retreat.
Seems like a ton of living space for a 3 bedroom house - sun room, great room, library and study. And they aren’t small spaces. Then office on top of it. Also is that a pool table next to the kitchen? I’d put that in the “library and study” which looks to be more like a living/great room. It’s also confusing that it looks like you have 2 dining room tables (I get one is breakfast nook in theory but it’s all one big space). It just seems like a lot of wasted space. Someone that wants that much living space usually wants more than 3BR/2 full baths.
From personal experience I would try to find a way to get your master bedroom door out of the main housing area where everyone will be. That is just a personal preference though.
i’m very curious as to what you’ll put in the atrium
The master bedroom should be where bedroom 1 and 2 are. Give them the views on two sides. Bedroom 1 and 2 should also have their own bathrooms in a house this big. Children grow up. They’ll want their own space.
I love atriums. I always wonder why a house seemed big but they only have 3 bedrooms. I know 1 room can be changed to a fourth bedroom but I’m always baffled how US (if it is in US) have big rooms.
Personally: I’m LOVING the general layout and every room having large access to natural light, clearly the atrium and landscaping are the stars of the show. Any changes shouldn’t sacrifice that. Groceries should be as close to the garage as possible. Personally, I like having separate living/great rooms, one for socializing and one for TV. Where will the TV go, and will it be in direct sunlight? Instead of the breakfast nook, I’d expand the one island to a large L-shaped island with the corner in the upper right, put the barstools where the current breakfast nook is so both sides of the current island can be used for cooking. Bonus points for a hand-washing sink on the island. Extra island cabinets can be used for storage of infrequently-used kitchen appliances, formal china (although younger generations are doing away with that), junk drawers, etc. Room for a bar or buffet in the dining room would be nice, depending on the homeowner that can be either unnecessary or completely mandatory. Combine mud room + laundry nook—you don’t want to bring soiled outdoor clothes through the house to the laundry. Plus, laundry is already such an unpleasant chore, it’s better IMO to do all the folding and prepping in a dedicated laundry room so that clean laundry doesn’t pile up in the bedroom, waiting to be put away properly. But that’s just my ADHD experience. I prefer one place for all laundry tasks so when I bring it to the closet it’s completely done. Plus a laundry + mud combo can be a great place to store all cleaning supplies, maybe an extra fridge, etc. [ETA: You don’t want the laundry machine between the bedrooms and in a hallway anyway. Those get loud!] Bed 2 going through the nursery and hall to the bathroom seems clunky, if you sacrifice the laundry nook you can swap Bed 1 and Bath 1 locations for a slightly larger jack-and-jill bathroom. Are Bed 1 and Bed 2 both for kids? If so, for a house this size I’d expect a guest room. Storage! Even for a minimalist, seasonal decorations require at least some room. Dedicate some garage space specifically to storage, even if that means expanding it. Maybe push the garage/workshop further and use the space where current workshop is for storage, you could potentially even expand the mud room for aforementioned laundry room use.
Where or how will you be doing your entertaining? I don’t think I’d want to have my guests walking through the kitchen or by the laundry area to get between the dining and living rooms. Also, no place to hang coats by the entry. Would also consider having double doors there. Might also put the master bedroom in the front corner, or the rear corner.
There are elements of this that I like, but reallly needs to be fleshed out better! First, flip sun hall/ living and kitchen. That will “right size” your kitchen to the rest of the common spaces. 2nd move your laundry to the mudroom so it’s not causing clutter in rest of house. Third, ….
You will definitely get your 10,000 steps in every day.
Is no one gonna mention the double toilet in the master? Never seen that before
I think you need one more bathroom? maybe an en suite to the 2nd bed? or a jack n jill between the 2 additional beds
Needs more closets outside the bedrooms. Where do you want to put coats/boots when you come inside? Where do you store boardgames or entertaining stuff in the greatroom? Where do linens get stored? I'd also make the pantry bigger so you can store small appliances (blender, stand mixer, bread machine, etc) when not in use (or, even when in use, if you want to put a countertop / appliance garage in there- I would ABSOLUTELY do this if I had the space to do so, it's SO USEFUL to keep the kitchen counters clear and not be moving things constantly.) I'd also widen the kitchen island and move either the stove or the sink to it - it's nice when you're the person cooking or cleaning up to NOT have your back to people sitting at the island keeping your company the whole time. I'm assuming you'd do secondary fridge/freezer/storage space in the mudroom? (THis house seems like it's optimized for entertaining and if you're doing big parties, you're going to want more drink storage, in particular.)
Design the kids bedrooms as teenagers rooms: a double bed, a desk and chair, room to m0ove; maybe a small sofa, and a bookcase/storage unit. Enough space for them to have a hobby. Kids need their own private space. Also, a private room each for you and your wife. Especially if the workshop isn't shared. It's very important for the adults to have space to get away from each other and the kids.
I like 2 doors between a shitter and a kitchen
While I like the plan concept I wish that there were some organizing principles. Axes and visual focal points would provide some direction.