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Design Dilemma
rose_giarratana

Feedback on our forever home

Rose G
7 years ago
My hubby & I have been working tirelessly on our house plans for about 2 years now & would love to get some constructive feedback & have a fresh pair of eyes go over our house plans.
The house is on a south facing block in suburban Melbourne.
The downstairs guest bedroom will ultimately be a study until it's time for our elderly parents to move in, hence the adjoining powder room.
I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thanks in advance for your feedback & thoughts.
Rose
Featured Answer
  • PRO
    Odyssey Studios
    7 years ago

    At the end of the day this is your house and it needs to reflect what you want in a home.

    The only thing from a planning point of view that I can see is the entry coming from the garage and looking straight into the powder. This could potentially have some embarrassing scenes. Maybe try tweaking the entry to that powder, apart from that it looks pretty good.

    I would suggest engaging a designer or architect to give you a bit of consultation on your plans, block of land and local council policies. A great design can often come unstuck from not doing the due diligence in this department and its well worth having a professional give you some help with this.

    Comments (29)

    • PRO
      MB Design & Drafting
      7 years ago

      How often will the upstairs balcony's be used? Good views?

      Most aren't used as often as originally intentioned and can become an unkept wasteland of leaves and spiderwebs....

      If it's not something used on a regular basis, can it and put the money saved into something better elsewhere. A Vergola roof off the family room perhaps (I presume Sth is to the street/garage end.)

      Rose G thanked MB Design & Drafting
    • girlguides
      7 years ago
      Wow it's Huge!
      Rose G thanked girlguides

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    • girlguides
      7 years ago
      Is there a loo in bed 4 ensuite?
      What size doors entering alfresco from kitchen? The opening to alfresco seems tight to me given how spacious everything else is. I'd also put sink at alfresco end I'd kitchen island So much planning isn't there!
      Rose G thanked girlguides
    • bigreader
      7 years ago
      My two cents. The ensuite two is large and services the two bedrooms but only one person can use at a time. The space would accommodate some separation.

      But it may suit you and how you plan to live.
      Rose G thanked bigreader
    • sagepassivebuildings
      7 years ago
      Which part of your house faces south? Do you mean the entry or the living area?
      Rose G thanked sagepassivebuildings
    • haephestus
      7 years ago

      The following are all non-professional comments:

      - Wow. That's huge! That's a lot of upkeep for a "forever" house (i.e. on that you plan on living in until your old age). Do you really need parking for four cars? Five bedrooms? Four bathrooms? Three living areas? Could some of those spaces be combined into a single, multi-functional space?

      - If the downstairs powder room will ultimately become someone's private bathroom, what toilet will your guests use? Your parents may not want "strangers" going into their bathroom. Although I've advocated reducing the number of rooms, you may need to think about adding a downstairs powder room for practicality. As another option, if the toilet was accessible by guests without going into the main vanity / shower area, then that could be a compromise.

      - Also, if you're planning for elderly parents, then you'll need to make sure that the doorframes, shower, toilet, etc can accommodate walking frames, etc.

      - I'd also include a BIR in the guest bedroom. It will be useful when it's used as a study and particularly useful once the room is used as a bedroom.

      - Finally, I'd consider window placement and positioning for the guest bedroom, especially if people can easily see into the room from the street. It would be a shame if your parents had to keep the curtains closed at all times for privacy. Some high ribbon windows which go around the corner may be better than the three, presumably tall and narrow windows.

      - Is there meant to be easy access from the RHS garage into the house? Or is the RHS garage intended to be turned into another living space for your parents since it appears to have a kitchenette? If so, will they access it through their bedroom? Currently it seems that the RHS garage can't be accessed other then by going outside and opening one of the two roller doors.

      - I'm not sure why there is a bit of wall jutting out into the hallway to partially divide the entry from the hallway? I'd just have the hallway open.

      - Do you need a wet bar in the meals area when it's so close to the generously sized kitchen?

      - Do you need yet another sink in the WIP?

      - The combined kitchen and living areas looks cavernous. From the plans, it almost appears to have the same area as a four car garage. I love generous, open living spaces, but I could see you ending up with a lot of "dead space" which may work for easy circulation, but could also leave your furniture looking a little lost in a room of such huge dimensions.

      - The WIR in the main bedroom appears to be huge. With that much space, it almost appears that you could have "his" and "her" WIR instead of one huge WIR.

      - I presume that the window above the sink in the ensuite in the main bedroom will be above the mirror (i.e. that there will be a mirror above the sinks, not just a window).

      - I don't know why Beds 2, 3 and 4 all have BOTH a WIR and a BIR. Is that really necessary?

      - Is the ensuite for Bed 4 meant to have a toilet?

      - The WIR in Bed 4 will need to have good ventilation to deal with any potential humidity created by the close proximity of the ensuite.

      - Depending upon the future occupants of Beds 2 and 3, will that shared bathroom be practical? Unless they're really comfortable with each other, if one person is using the bathroom (whether vanity, toilet or shower), the other person will just have to wait. I'd be inclined to revamp that entire area to try and create a three-way bathroom with a double vanity, separate toilet and separate shower (or wet room).

      - Is a balcony off the leisure room necessary? It looks really narrow. Due to planning regulations, we had to have a balcony off our master bedroom (or some other form of overhang) and we never use it (although the sliding doors leading to the balcony are a nice source of light).

      - I would make the window for the stairs as big as possible (albeit frosted if needed for privacy) to get as much natural light into the upstairs hallway as possible. Currently, it is very closed off and looks quite narrow with numerous doors opening off the hallway. Skylights may also help.

      Good luck!

      Rose G thanked haephestus
    • Miranda S
      7 years ago

      I would be really interested to know how big your family is. Do you expect to actually need all of those rooms? Would you be hiring a cleaner?

      I get that this is extravagant and generous. And that's cool, if that's what you want to do, and you've got the money to do it. If you're pushing your limits to afford this forever home though, I think I'd rework it a little to cut some of the fluff.

      Rose G thanked Miranda S
    • Vy
      7 years ago
      last modified: 7 years ago

      If it's facing South your back yard will be dark!!! your living area will be dark also.

      I'd be incline to move your garage to one side ie West and use your Northerly light for your living space ie lounge..living..kitchen

      Then behind your garage (West) I'd pop your alfresco there to shelter your living area from the West afternoon sun.

      Then plan from there.

      ie your laundry can then go on the south/west side etc.

      Anything that doesn't need light can go South/West ie BIRs storage leaving North and East for light needed areas.

      You need to orientate the house right before you can go ahead with planning

      Rose G thanked Vy
    • Rose G
      Original Author
      7 years ago

      Thanks everyone for your great feedback. It certainly is a lot to think about. Now to answer some questions... the front of the house is facing south, therefore the back kitchen/ family & upstairs leisure rooms will get most of the sunlight during the day. Its the front part of the home that will mainly miss it.

      The kids bedrooms don't have BIR & WIR's only WIR. The rectangles in the bedrooms are provisions for a desk area for the kids.

      Ensuite 4 will have a toilet it just wasn't drawn in (as these are the electrical plans I've shown). I totally agree with the ventilation issue in that room. This will be on the 'to do' list. My question to you all is where would you place the toilet in ensuite 4.. .next to the vanity or against the opposite wall to the vanity?

      The ensuite between bed 2&3 is testing us at the moment. It went from being an ensuite without a toilet, where the toilet was in a seperate room on its own with a vanity to now having a toilet included. Any thoughts?



    • Vy
      7 years ago
      last modified: 7 years ago

      Got you, thanks for the info.

      Ensuite between 2 and 3 can be easily fixed .

      Swap your WIR and your ensuite around .That way your ensuite can be split into separate toilet and shower and both rooms entered from the hallway.

      Your Bed 4 have no WC only shower..? so you would need a WC to service that room too.

      Unless you flip Bed 1 WC out to open from hallway to service 1 and 2 then 3 and 4 can use the other WC

      Rose G thanked Vy
    • Daisy Marie
      7 years ago
      1. Look at what you need now, need in the future, can manage in the future and then what you want..

      2. Carbon footprint.. A ginormous house means more lights, more power points and higher costs no matter how green the building..

      3. Grouping the wet rooms on one side of the house saves a bomb on plumbing as a kitchen and laundry can back to back and a main bathroom can b2b to an ensuite.. the bonus of having a main bathroom and ensuite over the laundry is laundry chutes can be used rather than lugging wet towels downstairs..

      4. OP kitchens can be problematic and kitchen smells can get into the furniture.. Also, small children love kitchens..

      5. Cavity sliders on the bathrooms are really good (you have them!! YAY!!) because bathrooms are dangerous and it's an awful thought that someone could die because they fell behind an inward swinging door..

      6. Would your elderly parents want to live in the main house?? Linking a small dwelling to the main house so they can have privacy might be worth a thought?? Also advice on how to design a safe and practical bathroom for the elderly would be invaluable..

      7. A mud room with storage for bags, coats, shoes etc is a good thing in a damp climate and gives you a chance to keep stuff in one place..

      8. A staircase is a great opportunity to make a statement.. There are some fabulous sculptural staircases on here but the important things are safety and lighting..

      My two cents
    • girlguides
      7 years ago
      I'd put loo btw shwr n vanity in bed 4 and leave bed2/3 ensuite as is
    • Carole
      7 years ago

      In addition to all the points above, I would query placement of a bath between beds 2 & 3 it may be better in the master ensuite depending on who will use it the most, likely you. Very young children may use it for a few years, then it can become an expensive luxury that is rarely used. This could give you space for separate ensuites for each room rather than shared. For your parents it would be important to have a separate bedroom and sitting area with their own tea/coffee making facilities so that they can have some personal spaces and feel independent while still supported by the rest of the family. Being able to retire to a private sitting area and make a cup of tea, read or watch tv without disturbing anyone during the night should be carefully considered. Definitely need a separate powder room downstairs and not use parents bathroom.

    • Sarah Reade
      7 years ago

      I agree with an earlier writer about the garages.

      I think that the street appeal of your home is important and having double garage, front door, one lot of windows, then more double garage is not very appealing and somewhat duplex like.

      You will look at the home from the road and be faced with 4 big garage doors in proportion to not much house - on the lower level anyway. Is there anyway you could swap garage 1 and the sitting area around to create a drive through situation for the garage and to increase appeal to the front of the home? OR Would it look neater to have a triple garage allowing your guest room windows along the bed head wall - even if they are high ones or windows either side of the bed to improve light? Or maybe just a carport would do for garage one.

      Maybe an architect could help you integrate future accomodation/garaging for your extended family in a slightly more aesthetically pleasing way. lucky you getting to iron out these problems on paper before building.

      I live in a 20 year old home that needs a major floor plan overhaul! Not so easy to fix!

      Rose G thanked Sarah Reade
    • wedgelee
      7 years ago

      I think the biggest thing really is to make sure that your main living areas are orientated to take into account summer and winter weather extremes. Will you have north facing sunny areas protected from the chilly westerly winds in winter? Will you have shaded areas for summer and enough cross ventilation to allow cooling breezes to come through the house? I see so many lovely homes that have all the bells and whistles but they would be horrible to live in because they just aren't comfortable for much of the year without the use of expensive air conditioning. I agree with Sarah about the garages too, the guest room will feel very hemmed in - okay if it's rarely used, not so good if you want your parents to use it long term. Good luck and enjoy your home building adventure and please keep us updated!

      Rose G thanked wedgelee
    • PRO
      GoLights
      7 years ago

      From a lighting perspective the lighting doesn't look bad :) Perhaps downlights on top of the vanity areas in the bathroom - usually they align with the sink hole.

      You also haven't put any lighting in the staircase - are you looking at doing a pendant here or some downlights, of course step lights also!

      If you need some more help with your lighting or would like to send me blank plans would love to take a look for you!

      Everything else looks great - this will be an amazing home Good luck with your building journey :)

      Rose G thanked GoLights
    • hanayuki
      7 years ago

      One thing that no one has mentioned is the space under the stairs. Might I suggest that you swap the linen cupboards from the powder room wall to the stair wall and make a nice walk-in linen/storage cupboard under the stairs accessible from the laundry.

      Rose G thanked hanayuki
    • Carmen Q
      7 years ago
      last modified: 7 years ago

      Great looking house. It just takes forever to work these things out.

      I would suggested reworking your upstairs bathrooms. The shared ensuite 2 & 3 and separate ensuite 4 could become a spacious three way bathroom with a separate toilet & sink, double vanity and bath shower. Works well for our four kids. Functionally more users at the same time, much lower cost and better use of space. It is also acoustically better, cavity sliders let a lot of noise through. You will have two areas to store toilet paper and towels rather than three upstairs bathrooms to restock (and clean). Access issues are better, less walking in on each other and no second doors to lock.

      I assume your kids are older and you are not looking to resell any time soon. However perhaps there will be little kids visiting or living there one day and having a bathroom with a bath off a hallway rather than through a bedroom makes the night time routine safer and simpler. Two sisters happily sharing an ensuite may in a decade turn into five grandkids you are putting through the bath!

      If you think your parents will move in for sure (or adult children stay), I would put the money into a separate powder room downstairs. That way there will be more privacy between generations and no issues with Nonna's modified toilet chair embarrassing someone's new girlfriend.

      Try to furnish your plans (you may have done this) it helps a lot with powerpoint positioning.

      Good luck

    • Eva Munemo
      7 years ago

      How about having the stove on the island bench-top? This would mean that you can engage with family and friends more while preparing meals.

    • PRO
      TMA Integrated Design
      7 years ago

      Haephestus raises nearly every issue I would have commented on plus more. My immediate thoughts start in the kitchen as the number one spot. The deisgn here is OK but I feel the hotplate as the only break on a 5.5 metre long wall is going to look lost. You have the opportunity of putting the sink on the back wall as well as the h/plate, creating a clear island bench - perfect for food prep and breakfast bar/entertaining space.


      I personally would increase the width of the pantry at the expense of losing 300-400mm off the length of the kitchen.

      In other areas, your main powder room should not be the same space as your guest bathroom. You have enough room to make a wc and powder vanity area that is separate from the Guest bed ensuite.

      I equally question the shared bathroom upstairs. Two way bathrooms can be more hassle than helpful. If you are going to have a shared bathroom, you need the toilet to be outside of that room or you need an extra upstairs WC and powder vanity.

      Bed 4 ensuite is missing a toilet but will be difficult to fit in and still access the shower. The extra door between the WIR and the ensuite doesn't make sense to me and you should lose it.

      Also, beware of where some of you windows have been placed. Unless you have 3 metre plus ceiling heights in the upper storey, the window over the ensuite 1 vanity and the window in the bed 1 WIR will be problems for you.

      Good luck and maybe look for a dedicated cabinet designer to help show you the issues with your house design. We offer an interstate service over Skype if you want professional help.

      Tony

    • Brian Whatley
      7 years ago

      Hi there


      I love drawing up plans in 3D for people to help them visualise their design. If you haven't got a 3D model as part of your drawings, I'd be happy to draw it up for you if you want, no charge. Its a hobby, my day job is a draftsperson, so let me know

    • rwalton5
      7 years ago

      I'm guessing the formal sitting room would become a living room for your elderly parents when they move into guest bedroom (for times when they want to separate themselves from big family open plan space). I'd get advice on designing it, along with the guest room and its adjoining bathroom, to be suitable for older people. And I agree with others, include another powder room on ground floor. It need not be a 'posh' one. Might be one suited for kids and young workers rushing in and out, so more like a mud room for sports gear, coats and shoes, combined with toilet and hand washing facilities.

    • ruth3566
      7 years ago
      I love the flow between kitchen, dining and al fresco, especially the corner window/door. As for upstairs there seem to be two entries to the L-shaped WIR and bathroom, and no toilet. I would imagine one entry is sufficient and a toilet would be an advantage. The bed 2/3 shared bathroom would stress me out with two doors and there are no toilets upstairs for use by guests in the event the downstairs ones are in use. I'd rather that bed 2/3 bathroom have a single entry off the hall than double from each bedroom. Looks like a massive project, you'll surely have many happy times with all your friends and family enjoyi g the space together.
    • toddangclark
      7 years ago
      I would highly recommend engaging with an energy efficiency expert to get advice on orientation and simole ways to improve thermal performance.

      Like many of the comments have noted it is a large house. With energy prices on the rise you can save money now by designing the house correctly.

      All the best with your build.
    • Carmen Q
      7 years ago

      Why don't you put the toilet in ensuite 4 under the window, and place the shower on the other end. Then close off access to the WIR. Will solve ventilation problem. Move the door so when it is left open it is centred on the vanity, not the shower or toilet.

    • Deanna Gomizelj
      7 years ago
      If you don't have it already, have you thought of putting in a laundry Shute. There are many bedrooms upstairs and you might find it helpful.
    • K s
      7 years ago
      last modified: 7 years ago

      I would put direct access from garage to house.

    • Monia
      6 years ago

      Hi there. Sorry I didn't read all the preceding comments so apologies if I am repeating something already said. But I agree with Ks - garage 2 has direct access but ?not garage 1? What about extending garage 1 just a meter or so to line up with the laundry. That way you can enter the house from garage 1 via the laundry. Just a thought : )

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