Custom Design floor plan thread post them here!!

bloody well done for minimising the hallways! that's the one thing i try to look for when designing, hallways do create a lot of extra square meterage and cost. the side entries always help to reduce that as well.

what are you planning on doing with the spaces either side of the bed in bed 1? i'm assuming a study type area or a chest of drawers along the front facade wall? those two areas are more spaces where you could potentially save some more sqm.

obviously it isn't completely ideal to walk through a laundry to access the bath/wc, but i can see the use of the "passageway" through it. in qld (not sure where you're from) designs we try to put our laundries with direct external access or a short distance, even if there is room for a dryer, which i see you have allowed for. i'd definitely recommend a skylight and/or exhaust fan when you get to that stage if you're going to stick with that configuration. same goes for the wc.

as you did mention, the facade is a little bland. the ensuite window is probably the best choice functionally, along with privacy wise. there's ways to break up the facade with different heights of cladding/brick combo's but that sort of thing is really up to individual preference. the feature brick would be a nice way to break it up. it looks like you'll have a bit of planting out the front too, so might be another way to break up the facade a bit. although, good practice is to ensure any plants are located min 1m from the edge of the house. watering plants that are along side the house can cause issues with the slab, so long term it's not the best option. (i realise the landscape plan might not be final, just thought i'd mention it)

i'd look at putting a couple more windows along the eastern wall, in the family area either side of the tv. perhaps some DH1506's (i'm guessing) like you have in bed 1. this way you'd be able to bring in some of the great early morning light into the kitchen, which could be a bit lacking in natural light.

either way, you've packed a pretty spacious and efficient design into 185m2. there'll always be little negatives for such small houses, but the way you've taken into account the orientation with the design, along with the general flow is very impressive.

Choosing kitchen configs can be a pain - change one little thing and something else goes out of whack (going through that myself right now....)

I'll second the "well done!" on eliminating the hallways, but noise levels in the two secondary bedrooms could be an issue with them opening directly onto the main living area (especially with the TV in there and the kitchen so close) - does that still work for you?

Also, might you want a 'mud room' entrance - when you're coming into the house wet/muddy/dirty etc. and don't want to bring it all through the main entrance and/or living areas? Traditionally in Australian designs this is done through the laundry, which obviously isn't possible with this layout - but that may be fine with your needs. Just something to consider.

Hi Dean, I've taken it upon myself to scribble all over you plan. Lol

Firstly the facade you could put a gable over the ensuite and step the roof out over the entry and create another Gable. I've drawn this in orange.

In regards to interior, I would move the front door right and change it to a 1200 wide. Making a statement. I would also remove the door to the kitchen and add a wall to the lounge room. Drawn in blue/black. This creates an entry as sometimes it confusing walking into a lounge room with doors you're not sure where to go.

Thirdly I would change the wall to bed 2 and 3 and create a nook so that the door were facing each other. Then adding a small wall to block the view of the doors adds privacy.

Lastly I would add a 0527 window to your lounge above the TV. They look great. Double hung are nearly twice as expensive as normal windows.

One question is, do you need a double garage? As you have a lot of space in the garage that might be better utilised as living space. You can always do a carport out the front.  Like  ⋅  Add a comment  ⋅  Pin to Ideaboard  ⋅  Share

Hi everyone. This is my first post but I have been eagerly reading the threads for a couple of months now.
So we just got hold of a block and have an initial plan drawn up. The lot is northeast facing, not much we can do about that so we decided on customising our floor plan.
Here are further things to note:
1. Lot is 350m2, 12.5m by 28m
2. SE VIC
3. Have 2 kids under 4 years old
4. The initial plan has the al fresco facing west. We thought it was a good idea but while currently reading various threads and Your Home's Technical manual about orientation, aspect, sustainability, etc, it suddenly seems like a bad idea. Or is it still ok given the al fresco's roof will sort of shade the kitchen areas?
5. Planning to get rid of the "entertainment" wall separating the living area from the dining area, so the northern sun can shine throughout. Extending the wall next to the entry so we could stick the TV there
6. Garage location is fixed
7. Pantry says "butlers", must be a typo since that is really a WIP
8. This is our first build, our first home. We are still in the process of researching and trying our best to make our house as efficient and comfortable as our budget will allow.

I know we still have a loooong way to go.

Your thoughts, criticisms and suggestions are highly appreciated

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A few other things just occurred to me..

You probably want a door from the laundry to the outside so that you can easily take the washing out to dry. You could even put the laundry along the back wall of the garage which is pretty practical and would save a lot of space.

Walk In Robes are really quite wasteful in terms of floor space. You might want to consider a long run of robes along the wall instead.

Also you don't need a separate WC. Maybe look at incorporating this into the main bathroom with a shower over the bath. This will greatly reduce the amount of unnecessary circulation space and provide a much more efficient floor plan.

You should aim for the most efficient floor plan with the minimum amount of circulation space, that way you can afford to build better quality and have more space outside for the kids

No worries, looking forward to seeing your changes.
Can I ask why a double storey house is unaffordable?
I worry slightly that you are making a lot of assumptions about cost and then dismissing things. Could you possibly sketch out your 'ideal' design and get a rough cost on it from a builder? That way you know for sure what you are looking at and if it is too expensive start taking things out? It is always easier to start higher and come down than to start lower and add things on, trust me!

Architect_yourself, we've been in and out several display homes the past month and have collected a fair amount of price lists and a few quotes. We've seen the prices on 2 storey homes and they cost anywhere between 20-40k higher than the budget we have for a single. And this isn't for customised floor plans yet.

But you are right, we never really asked for a specific quote because we (wrongly?) assumed it would be beyond what we can afford. I guess the time to do it is now before we regret it, right? We'll have a double storey quoted and see how it goes. Thanks for the eye-opening advise. Argh! So much to learn and do. H1 has helped me heaps.

Thats great Doreetos, glad to have helped in some small way.
Please keep us posted on your progress!

Very strange plan.
Those spaces in the centre will be dark and airless. Why not remove them and have a triangular courtyard in the middle instead?