My Plans - any suggestions before I submit

liamolaighin

Hey these are my floor plans at the moment. Happy enough I think but I'd like any suggestions with layout of living room/dining/sun lounge and kitchen. Is it too open or not open enough.

Open to any suggestions really with regards the layout. House is south facing. Thinking geothermal and stoves

Also am I wasting space in Master bedroom? Think wardrobe should be bigger personally as this is where I will be storing pretty much everything. Is it a good ideas to be able to go from wardrobe straight to ensuite in master...

Ideas or pics of master bedroom and walk in's would be great.

gman2k

A helpful hint, save your plans in another format than docx, such as pdf, as not everybody is running the latest version of MS office...

PureBred

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3657CE88-7CFA-457A-9AEC-F4F827F20CAC&displaylang=en

There is a link to a docx viewer.

liamolaighin

Hope everyone can open these.

rok

Nice plans, I like the layout and the access to the living room/dining/sun lounge from the kitchen, think it will "flow" well. Still have option to close off Living room with your double doors when you want.

I prefer having 2 seperate doors from wardrobe and ensuite into master, as you have in your plans at the moment... instead of walking through the walk in wardrobe to get to ensuite.

Would you consider having an open void/double height above your front door entrance? ... as you do not need that part of the landing for access to Bedroom1.

liamolaighin

rok wrote: »

Nice plans, I like the layout and the access to the living room/dining/sun lounge from the kitchen, think it will "flow" well. Still have option to close off Living room with your double doors when you want.

I prefer having 2 seperate doors from wardrobe and ensuite into master, as you have in your plans at the moment... instead of walking through the walk in wardrobe to get to ensuite.

Would you consider having an open void/double height above your front door entrance? ... as you do not need that part of the landing for access to Bedroom1.

Well spotted! Ya actually had that in earlier edition and changed it to make more use of the space. Kinda torn between both but thought it might be nice to be able to walk out to that big window. Also thought about using that space as part of master bedroom for second walk in. Greedy or what!

sydthebeat

personally:

1. I would push the utility, wc and study wall back about 500mm and give this to the sitting room. The utility and wc are very large when compared to the modesty of the sitting room.

2. change the door swings from teh hall to living and sitting rooms to open against outside walls so you "open" the room on entering instead of closing it off. Also, opn the door from kitch to utity into the utility. Change door swings of master bed, bed 2 and bed 3 so they close off the room.

3. i assume its dormer to the rear of bed 2 and bathroom. teh cavity wall there is misleading., it cant happen.

4. an "all glazed" sun lounge will require extensive steelwork to support roof. Consider introducing some structural blockwork

5. do you not require a widoe in the rear of the kitchen to overlook a garden etc?? is teh window to the right really required...?

Technophobe

Possibly open a door from the Utility into the toilet...?? That way, if someone comes in from outside/backyard/garden barbecue etc etc to go for a jimmy riddle, they dont have to walk thru' the hall.....?? as it stands, they must pass thru 4 doors to get there...just a thought

seclachi

Technophobe wrote: »

Possibly open a door from the Utility into the toilet...?? That way, if someone comes in from outside/backyard/garden barbecue etc etc to go for a jimmy riddle, they dont have to walk thru' the hall.....?? as it stands, they must pass thru 4 doors to get there...just a thought

+1 that, if the house is in the country and you get your hands dirty you`ll have to trek all the way around to the toliet. If you have kids they will storm through the house in there wellies.

Personally I would question the need for two ensuites, if it could be added into bedroom 1 and made a communal toliet it might be more useful. Depends on the number of mopey teenagers you`ll have I guess.

Looks good though, best of luck with it

Wolfhound14

Personally I would open up the living room and make it part of the kitchen/dining room.
i.e. removing wall on the left when you enter dining.
Without doing that, there is little difference between living room and sitting room.

The Firplace/stove could be open on both sides, it would look great in that room

That is all personal taste though. I really like the design

mickdw

sydthebeat wrote: »

3. i assume its dormer to the rear of bed 2 and bathroom. teh cavity wall there is misleading., it cant happen.

I assumed that this area is going to be a full 2 storey section. carried off some structural beams at first floor ceiling level. If so, dont forget the cavity trays or there will be a very wet ceiling under the line of thefirst floor rear wall

onq

liamolaighin wrote: »

Hope everyone can open these.

I agree with Rok that you could do something more dramatic with the double height hall space.
You don't need the landing over the front door so you could have a fantastic WoW factor double height hall.
At the moment you're coming out from under a landing that serves no purpose, briefly looking up and then going straight into a room.

Bedroom 1 and 2 are big enough to have small en-suite /shower rooms - useful as the kids grow older and their social diary takes over Dad's evening driving habits and they all want the bathroom at the same time.

The usual naming convention is Master Bedroom, Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3, Bedroom 4.
The Master is Bedroom 1 and doing it as shown above means when you've hit the highest bedroom number name this equals the number of bedrooms instead of being one less like your drawing - it avoids a lot of confusion for planners, inspectors and you.

You have 15 stairs risers - see if you can squeeze in another one and give yourself min. 9ft - 2700mm - ceiling heights.
Yes its a bit more to build and possibly to heat, but nothing adds to the "feel" of a house quite like high ceilings.

Think about the Sun Room - does it need three sides glazed - would two do?
I dislike sitting with my back to glass - I'd prefer one decent view window orientated towards the view.

I know it looks too suburban for some, but a front porch can be the most useful of spaces for stuff that will clutter your hall, plus it will control air changs much better, like a kind of airlock.

I know this makes it relatively open plan but there's a huge temptation to open up the living room into the kitchen and sun lounge, which with a high ceiling would give an amazing sensation of space.

And unless you absolutely needed such a huge utility and separate study [as opposed to computer corner] I'd be temtped to slim it down and run it into the sitting room to give a second large space in the house.

Between the living/lounge/kitchen, the sitting/study and the double height hall the house would really blow you away.

FWIW

ONQ.

JuniorB

Looks good Liam, well done.

One observation ... is there some regulation or other that you need to have a wheelchair accessible bedroom on the ground floor?

Not a huge fan of having both a living & sitting room myself.
Maybe convert sitting room into a den/playroom if you have young kids. Would be similar as is now but with no fireplace. Could be your accessible bedroom also.

When you get to building maybe put a laundry chute from the upstairs bathroom to the utility below?

Hotpress doesn't look overly big ... maybe have some sort of storage room downstairs?

Is this a 2 storey or a storey and half? If 1 1/2 then the bath in main upstairs bathroom might not have the head height required to go where it is. We had to add a few ft to our house to put the bath where the boss wanted !!

Assume you have looked at other options for the kitchen/utility and this one best suits you. My boss has a lot of issues with people coming into the house through the utility as she'll have to keep it clean the whole time etc. And in the country the 'back' door is the main door of use. If you push your kitchen out a bit then you may be able to have the 'back' door straight into the kitchen and leave more room in utility for units / ironing board etc.

Have a look at a skylight/velux in the utility as well for some more light.

We got our kitchen design done before we submitted for planning and had to change it around a bit to fit all that the boss wanted. Not sure if you've done that but now is the time to add a few foot here or there.

Best of luck anyway...

liamolaighin

Its actually a 2 storey house with hipped roof and I've included the elevations here also so people have a better idea of what the house will be like. I am restricted a bit by once off rural housing guidelines thus the simple exterior. Forest to the rear so therefore no window to rear of kitchen. Also feel an open plan incorporating living room would be enormous. Be interested to hear peoples ideas.

Am considering putting some blockwork in sunroom now. Think it will look better...

Have considered the laundry chute and will certainly consider making sitting room larger to the detriment of study and bathroom and utility. Feel that utility is a very useful space though...

Defo thinking of going with full height hall now and higher ceilings. They were always in my thinking.

Feedback is great.

onq

Looking interesting Liam.

I always prefer traditional two storey houses like this one to bungalows for some reason.

You wouldn't consider building the garage onto the side of the house to balance the elevation would you?

The front elevation is strong enough without it, but it might add to the "look" and you could convert it later if required.

If you are considering walling in the sun lounge don't end up with a blank wall to the front - include some form of window to "lighten" it.

ONQ.

sinnerboy

+1 re ONQ garage post . Insulate it same as the house and locate your boiler , water storage tanks and pumps, central vacuum unit and HRV unit here .

Also I would

straigthen out the left hand side wall - ie make the kitchen 600 wider and simplify the plan shape

remove the kitchen window RHS and locate instead to face the rear garden

lose the fire and chimney between Living / Dining and open them up to each other

Square off the master WIW ( more usable space ) use a curved shower tray and partition instead to Bed 3 ES

Remove the rear facing window to Bed 3 so you can fit a decent extent of Wardrobes . Remove the side window to Bed 1 for the same reason . Possibly same to Master Bed - the move the en suite door over - and more scope for fitted furniture along this side wall

MikeKenn

liam, if the house is south facing can you mirror the house to avail of the sunlight in the morning and throughout the day, at the moment you have the sunroom on the west elevation therefore only getting the last of the evening sun. if you are not able to do this i would at least put in another window in the gable of the sitting room, just put a sink in the utility to overcome the issue of having to walk through the house in order to wash dirty hands from the garden.
best of luck with it all otherwise

liamolaighin

Not allowed the garage joined to side of house as it made house too long for planner.

Also not allowed extend kitchen wall out to gable as it makes house too wide according to planner!! Id love to sqare off the kitchen dining area alright, maybe its worth taking a chance with the planners...

Do ye think the master walk-in is big enough comfortably for 2 peoples things??? 6 sq metres approx...

have kitchen kinda planned out already and dont think theres any point in window to rear as theres just a bit of a forest back there. More light and views the other 2 directions

Prob will put window in east facing sitting room or maybe a tri-folding door...

Might try and make hot-press bigger now alright, does look a bit small

Not gone on double sided stoves standing in centre of an open plan room. I still think it would be a huge plan to have completely open even with higher ceilings but if anyone has a pic/link to something similar i'd love to get an idea what it would liik like...

ellejay

Hi Liam

Speaking as a female, opinions on plans are as follows:

Think I'd definietely put a window in the back wall of your kitchen.
Then change one the windows to be your backdoor, whichever side you'll be parking.
Don't think it's a good idea to have your backdoor coming in through the Utility Room. Utilities are usually bedlam.

Or, where the door opens in the Utility room, can you make a corridor there?
leave windows where they are in kitchen, close off door from utility to Kitchen, then you'll only have one door from hall going into kitchen.
From new corridor have door opening into WC on left.
-need WC as close to backdoor as poss imo.
Then have Utility where Study is, and add leftover space to your Sitting Room. But I like a big utility Room.

Upstairs, I'd put a double sink in the master ensuite and make it bigger, smaller walkin wardrobe.
Bedroom number 1, can you access this from landing instead?
Then have a shared shower room/ensuite between b'rooms 1 and 2.


"have kitchen kinda planned out already and dont think theres any point in window to rear as theres just a bit of a forest back there. More light and views the other 2 directions" - think it would look very unusual to walk into a kitchen area and see a wall facing you, even if view is of a forest, think window would be good.



Best of Luck.

Technophobe

Hi Liam

Agree with ellejay about possibility of shared bathroom...I have this and think it works very welll..I have a main bathroom downstairs though for visitors, so no need for a bathroom (except en-suites) upstairs....

Would disagree with reducing size of WIW....I have (what I thought) was a relatively large one (WIW I mean ) but when you factor in the space required for a hanging rail and then clothes hanging off it either side, it soon eats into it........I am already wishing I had a bigger one (stop the sniggering at the back)...

Hope this helps...

ninjaBob

I would recommend you consider adjusting your arch, the size of the top fanlight will drastically reduce the type of designs you can have in it.

I notice you have a sunray, which is perfectly fine but a little decoration there really makes the door stand out as a massive feature. If you want I can take photos of how my door turned out (exact same layout as your proposed door). I also have a few websites which would give you ideas (pm me and I'll give you the link)

If I had known at the design stages I would certainly have allowed more for my arch and gotten the door exactly as I wanted.

onq

+ 1 Sinnerboy's post and also consider insulating your attic to follow the line of the roof at this point.

Hearing a lot of stories here and on askaboutmoney.com about attics experiencing moisture and in extreme cases frost in them.

Associated with worries about the services and tanks freezing I think you should plan for this at an early stage.

The problem with insulation at 1st floor ceiling level in attics is that the services can become covered over leading to problems.

Neat services installations with the attic warmly insulated following the line of the roof would be the business.

Just leave the requried 50mm air gap above the insulation per TGD F and the necessary vents at eaves and ridge.

http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/BuildingStandards/FileDownLoad,1647,en.pdf
Dia.6, P.11 refers

You could also upsize your 1st floor ceiling joists now to allow for later flooring out of the attic for a minimal cost.

ONQ.

JuniorB

Getting some great feedback here Liam ....

Another query to throw out there ... is there a requirement in the building regs that you must have a wheelchair accessible toliet downstairs?

sydthebeat

JuniorB wrote: »

Getting some great feedback here Liam ....

Another query to throw out there ... is there a requirement in the building regs that you must have a wheelchair accessible toliet downstairs?

yes there is, which he has....

also one reception room should be accessible, which is also included.

someone queried above about about a wheelchair accessible bedroom on GF, this is no required.

onq

JuniorB wrote: »

Getting some great feedback here Liam ....

Another query to throw out there ... is there a requirement in the building regs that you must have a wheelchair accessible toliet downstairs?

TGD Part M:

http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/BuildingStandards/FileDownLoad,1655,en.pdf

ONQ

bb12

i'd agree about trying to mirror the plans in some way..your kitchen area is facing north with only a little sunlight coming from the east, you're gonna miss out on all the afternoon sun and it might end up quite dull inside.

also your master bedroom will be very dark on the west side of the house...would it not be better to position it to the east and catch the morning sunlight?

archtech

I would agree with onq about the insulation following the roof line, particularly after the recent cold spell.( also gives you the option of putting down lighter in the ceiling without creating a potential fire risk due to overheating.

I would also be opening recommending the double height entrance hall and taking out the landing above the front door. 9 foot ceilings to the ground floor would add to the rooms too, if it can be achieved. good that you are going that way and would stand to the house if you have to sell it in the future.

I wouldn't be making the utility any smaller, as you will find some of it will be taken up by control panels etc. I would also make provision for a vertical duct to carry services (Heat recovery ducting etc)

As already stated one window (suitably sized) to bedroom 3 would work better for furniture and even give you better options for the bed. ( I would remove the side window to bedroom 1 also)

I would also square up the wall to the walk-in, as you effectively have only 1 wall for storage otherwise.

I would keep the second ensuite/ possible add a third or at least consider making provision for same... think of kids and guests.

I would leave the kitchen windows as they are, or balance them up in terms of size as I think that back wall would be suited to a nice cooker hood.... or even something like a aga cooker.... might be no harm to look a some kitchen designs/layouts.

there's been loads of good suggestions here by others hopefully would will taken them as positive rather than negative.

mr_edge_to_you

I'd be a fan of the window looking out the back of the house.

You mentioned there as well about a tri-folding door. Make sure that the open here is wide enough. When doing this you want the individual doors to be as near full size as possible to maximise light in the room. If you put in a tri-folding door in an opening designed for a double you lose glass as you need extra timber/pcv frame. This is the one regret I have in relation to our build!

Best of luck with it Liam!

gerry28

Hi Liam,

Very nice plans.

I noticed upstairs you have a bedroom (no.3) where you open the door and enter facing a wall (to the ensuite).

I had this in the house i built but my wall was much closer, i was basically opening a door and facing directly into the ensuite wall (with just enough space to open the door). I hated it and ended up taking the ensuite down and moving it to the other side of the room.

Yours isn't as severe as mine was but just have a good think about how you could soften its impact on entering the room.

liamolaighin

thats a very good idea about the ensuite cheers. actually noticed it earlier today myself.

what do people mean about mirroring the house???

Loads of you seem to be picking up on the location of bathroom downstairs but I cant see any other way of arranging the rooms. Want utility near kitchen for recycling etc...

Might change around upstairs to see if I can maximise size of walkin wardrobe to master. I think it will be too small as it is. Ill be the one living there for ever more so think it makes sence to make that room as practical as possible long term

liamolaighin

Here is what I had planned for my kitchen so people can see how the windows work with the room. There will hopefully be a curved island also which isnt shown very well in these plans. Lots of things are going to be changed it's just a first draft to see what it would look like...