Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 18, 2014 1:46 pm Hi Everyone, I'd love some opinions on our house plan. The first one is the original but my concern is that the space from the entry to the hallway is wasted and there's not much room for our dining table or a lounge etc. It would be used a thoroughfare or you would have to walk around whatever is there, if that makes sense. So, I was thinking and came up with the changes on the modified version. I'm just wondering what people's thoughts are and what they would do, any help would be great as this is our first build so I'm all new to this, thanks so much [url][URL=http://s1367.photobucket.com/user/Danette161/media/Samsung815_zps50ef2838.jpg.html] Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ [/url][/url] [url][URL=http://s1367.photobucket.com/user/Danette161/media/Samsung816_zps870f1992.jpg.html] Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ [/url][/url] Loving our new home, Upper Hunter NSW on 2.5 acres Re: Our House Plan 2Mar 18, 2014 3:00 pm I think that's a brilliant idea - rename it Home Theatre as that is what most people would do with a room like that nowadays - you've got a Rumpus as well ... so bags of room and no wasted space For info on our build: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=43093 Built the McLaren by Dechellis - slab down 22 Feb - handover 30 Aug 2011 - and gardens finished 9 Dec 2012!! Re: Our House Plan 3Mar 18, 2014 3:12 pm What's the "rear entry" (cue teenage boy sniggers haha)? It seems to be a pretty big awkward sized area and that's where I feel a lot of wasted space is, not necessarily the previous entry. I would have thought the previous entry was okay because you'd have a dining table in the middle of that space and just walk past the dining table, no? Build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=65085 Re: Our House Plan 4Mar 18, 2014 3:20 pm Having said that, I do like the entry door in the middle of the verandah rather than off to the side. Much more grand entrance. However I'm also concerned about the "nook" created in the living room. What would go there? Have you thought about where you'd put your TV and furniture placement? Build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=65085 Re: Our House Plan 5Mar 18, 2014 3:26 pm I do like the adjustment to the entry position. However like EmyN, I do think the 'rear entry' space is also kind of wasted and 'dead space'. A thought for that area: * Shift the kitchen layout around, so the pantry takes up some of the 'dead space' and then lessons the amount in goes toward the living. * Then in the space the pantry would make between the wall and linen entrance, create anther 'linen' or even 'store' closet area. You can never have enough storage. As to the 'nook' that the new configuration makes you could use it for where you'd put the TV and position lounge around that. Or even move the wall so it isn't so large, and increase the verandah size. Re: Our House Plan 6Mar 18, 2014 3:39 pm TiredHalo As to the 'nook' that the new configuration makes you could use it for where you'd put the TV and position lounge around that. Or even move the wall so it isn't so large, and increase the verandah size. Yes I thought about the TV but I think the nook is too deep for that and it could be quite awkward trying to arrange the lounge around it. Build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=65085 Re: Our House Plan 7Mar 18, 2014 3:54 pm EmyN Yes I thought about the TV but I think the nook is too deep for that and it could be quite awkward trying to arrange the lounge around it. Yeah hence why I also suggested moving the wall inward from verandah. But then I guess loss of space. Other alternative is to make it a storage room? (I may be big on wanting/needing storage) Re: Our House Plan 8Mar 18, 2014 4:09 pm Agree on the rear entry issue. If you are wanting a large door to the rear verandah, swap the rumpus with one of the bedrooms and place it there instead. Maybe get rid of the small front door, increase the size of the lounge, and have a large sliding door from the front verandah to the living. Re: Our House Plan 9Mar 18, 2014 4:23 pm Thanks everyone for your replies so far, love it. McLaren - that's exactly what the lounge will be, a theatre room, just a lounge, tv but not much else. EmyN - the rear entry is a sliding door. I plan to build a narrow mud room type feature with shelves, somewhere for the kids school bags, shoes, small seated area etc. Being that we're on a property too I think we will use that sliding door quite a bit, more than the entry door. With the modified plan I was thinking of putting the dining table along the wall of the lounge (theatre), the table I want (if there's any money left ) will be 2.5m long with bench seats, hoping it will look ok there. The 'nook' looks like a nice space for a custom made bench type seat, somewhere to read a magazine etc. The tv will be on the wall and the living will be a casual area with lounge, coffee table etc. Our view is at the front of the house hence the kitchen, living looking out that way. Tired Halo - I too think the area near the rear entry is a bit much, it was the smallest space we could have to get a sliding door in there, but I hope to get a custom built mud room type feature there (on the left wall). Like you suggested, we did consider making the kitchen bigger, pushing it out a metre or so to the left, with the pantry but my husband wanted the space to move things in and out. The 'nook' are could also be a storage are, I didn't think of that, thanks. Love all your ideas, it really helps me, especially as the plan will hopefully go into council in the next couple of weeks. Keep them coming!!! Loving our new home, Upper Hunter NSW on 2.5 acres Re: Our House Plan 10Mar 18, 2014 7:40 pm My partner made a 19 m hallway 1400 I thought I could put the area in the bedroom . What's with these men . Lol now I have a free for all hallway . We used to own a removal business and that is why he made it wider . Something about moving stuff in and out .lol Re: Our House Plan 11Mar 18, 2014 8:04 pm I find the area where the rumpus, bathroom and WC a little tight. Seems like there's too many doors in one spot. Also, I think having to go through the rumpus to get to the study is a bit weird. Our study/office is a big part of our daily life so I prefer it to be closer to the main living area. We use our rumpus as 'play area' for the little ones so, like the study, I'd want it where I could keep an eye out on the little and big kids. While I like the new placement of the front entry door, I find it less than ideal that he first thing you'd see is the doors to bedroom 2 and 3. My suggestions would be: - move the master bedroom to where rumpus and study is (I'd want a view in my master) - position the ensuite and study where the bathroom is - move main bathroom and bedroom three to where master bedroom is - make bedroom 3 the rumpus - move the pantry back to where the laundry is so that the order is pantry, kitchen, dining, living - use the rear entry (and part of the current bedroom 3) to have the laundry, mudroom/rear entry area (personally, I'd want to be able to close of the mudroom to the rest of the house so I wouldn't leave it open) Just my two cents. [sneakersss] Re: Our House Plan 12Mar 19, 2014 9:49 am I’ll start by being blunt (sorry) – Moving the entry to the ‘middle’ of the verandah is not a good move. The front façade of your home will have a nice entrance but will obviously have bathroom/toilet windows to the left. The entrance is not actually centred on the verandah nor is it a ‘pleasing’ distance from one end. By this I mean when something is not centred there are positions along the wall that just look right. Simple examples are in photograph when people talk about the ‘rule of thirds’, same principle goes for design. The hallway will be dark, how dark I’m not sure as you don’t show which way is north. Once entered, people will turn right to head for the living room and the first thing they see is the kitchen sink. This can be fixed by revising the kitchen layout but you might as well get the flow of the home sorted first. Having the entry into the main living area is a good solution. A good place to look for ideas is http://www.houzz.com/entryway Also, how the doors are positioned in the laundry doesn’t work. You may need to think about a glass slider for external access or rearrange the laundry. As sneakersss has said above, moving the bedrooms and bathrooms around should lead to more living space in the main rooms. One last thing that could be looked at is the size of rooms relative to each other. A good exercise is to draw a simple box and put the right number of rooms in the box BUT size them according to how much time you use them now and how much time you think you will use them in the future, don’t forget to include the verandah’s in the plan. This may give you cause to re-think some of the room sizes such as bedrooms, study, kitchen, etc. I apologise for raining on your plans but now is the time to explore all your options as it cost you nothing. Good luck! ----------------------------------------------- http://pab34newdigs.blogspot.com.au/ ----------------------------------------------- Re: Our House Plan 13Mar 19, 2014 11:56 am Once again, this is why I love this site, lots of different opinions and constructive ideas. Tina G - didn't necessarily want a bigger door at the back verandah, don't even like sliding doors but we will need access to out the back, moving things in and out etc. One thing we really wanted was to have the rumpus away from the main living areas. In our current house we have turned a spare bedroom into the boys rumpus and it's right next to the lounge room, soooo noisy. Melsie68 - that's one massive hallway, yep blokes and moving stuff in and out. I do understand though, the house we are in now we had dramas getting stuff in, hopefully with a sliding door, also looking at a bifold in the 'nook' area in the family room and a 1200mm front door that will get everything in,lol. Sneakersss - I know the Rumpus/Study area is a bit weird, it wasn't our first choice. We initially had the study next to the rear entry and the rumpus was the whole space including study. It would have been a great room for our boys, especially when they've got friends over. We got the quote from our builder and the house was over budget, hence the change and then that changed the living areas size. The study is just for me, wanted a quiet space (won't be overly quiet with a 14 and 8yr old boy next door) but we had nowhere else to put it if I wanted a study. We also initially had the bedroom at the front of the house but changed it to the back as it would have been the ensuite that was at the very front, not our bedroom. I know it's a less than ideal place for the front door but can't really find any other way it will work. The one thing I wanted was a proper entry, our current house has a sliding door (yuk). Thanks for all your suggestions, I sat last night after I read your post with my plans, pencil in hand and some fresh ideas, I appreciate the time you took to have a look at it. PAB 42 - I know the house doesn't look balanced and it does bother me. The very first plan we did had the front verandah in line with the left wall of the pantry, so each side of the house was even. Then, we got the quote and were over budget. This meant that the study had to move from beside the rear entry and the whole front of the house was made smaller. We had to swing the island bench around too, bit disappointing really but we didn't have a choice. We've decided to put skylights in the hallway and through some of the house to let light in so hoping that helps. Looking at the laundry, I think I need to tweek it too. You haven't rained on my plan, you've given a different point of view and some helpful suggestions. That's what this site is all about and I appreciate it. Have a whole day free today so sitting with my plans, all your ideas and see what I come up with, wish me luck Loving our new home, Upper Hunter NSW on 2.5 acres Re: Our House Plan 14Mar 19, 2014 3:39 pm I didn't even think about my hallway being dark . Mmm well I'll just have to turn lights on . But maybe with it being so dark kids might not think it is a playing room . Skylights would been a good idea. I wonder if you can get them done later . At the moment because the house is big I have to have 2 of those air conditioner air vents in hallway plus my down lights then some sort of hanging lights . So maybe to much going on . But there is always lights to turn on . My hints to you change what you won't and won'ts in your budget . Their are great ideas on here . But once you are happy with it go with it and try not to second guess yourself. Coz trust me it will do your head in Re: Our House Plan 15Mar 19, 2014 8:18 pm I hear you Melsie68, we've been working on this house plan since September. We were going with a particular company but the final quote was way over budget so then we decided to go with a local builder, he's been great so far. In December my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer in and he had surgery in January, just got the all clear a couple of weeks ago. So, it's been an emotional roller coaster with obviously the house being put aside while we dealt with his illness. All back on track now and we just want the plans into council ASAP and maybe we can be in the house by Christmas. Thanks for your thoughts and advice, it means a lot. Loving our new home, Upper Hunter NSW on 2.5 acres Re: Our House Plan 16Mar 19, 2014 10:04 pm When you hear stories about what you are going through . You do sit back and think there are more important things in life for example having an argument with your partner about the house your building . I think it is stressful to build ( well it has been for me ) my builder has been really good . But I guess having so many kids and dealing with everyday things aswell is hard . But nothing as hard as going through a illness with your partner . of course there are legal avenues. You've already mentioned it. Sue them. I find it odd that lawyers wouldnt be willing to take on the case, given CCT evidence and… 1 14616 That drawing’s in the old units. The sewer tie is 1.44m deep and 4.5m offset from left boundary however the levels were taken ages ago so the surface level will have… 1 3543 i thought the flipped plan initially but bec i want narrow pathway from entry to dining (dont like bend), also cannot fit the… 7 12817 |