Master and kitchen Look good

Pop a basin in the loo. Minor cost for major convenience.

thank you both, any improvements to the kitchen layout? There is a handbasin outside the loo, might be a bit hard to see. House overall very close! All feedback welcome thanks

Some more thoughts

It seems out of proportion to me, five bedrooms but only one living area, the luxuries of WIR and WIP and WIL but the inconvenience of a laundry through the garage.

I would be a little concerned about the size of the living area for a 5 bedroom house

thanks siriuskey, macyjean and wendy I have also had this drawn with the laundry as per siriuskey's suggestion and can't really decide between the 2 options! Your comment about inconvenience does resonate! Both options are on the table.

I see the study/activity area outside Bedrooms 2/3/4 as a secondary living area as well as the rear patio. I did remove the hall outside bed 1 that was in the original plan, though can see the advantage in relation to privacy. Thank you for a different kitchen layout too :)

How does this sit on the section ? Are you planning on a pool or similar ?

The garage obviously opens towards the street , and the porch is the main entrance . That linen cupboard , and the 'sort of' rumpus/family area there may look a bit funny for visitors , and the hallway may get a bit dark -- it looks fairly long .

BUT those are minor -- I like Siriuskeys tweaks . A bit like macyjean and others though , the family areas aren't huge for a house this size . It looks like a reasonably big alfresco under the roofline ( if I've read the plans correctly ? ) -- at this stage ( I assume pre-construction ) if you had the space , I'd be tempted to extend the roof another 2 metres or so rearwards , and move that wall with the french doors ( dining/lounge ) another 2 metres too -- it'll make for a way nicer indoor area , make the alfreso to the full width of the house ( you could even possibly do 2/3rds under clear corrugated sheets , 1/3rd pretty open with trellis type beams or similar ) .

At the very least , I'd get a quote -- it'll never be cheaper or easier than now , it'll open up the living 'inside' , I doubt it will add more than 5% more to the overall cost , you may even want to change the large window in the Master Bedroom to a glass sliding door too , especially if you are planning a pool or spa pool ?

I hadn’t look at garage. It needs to be 6 m long internally. At the current length you will not be able to get to laundry or fit a family sedan in

unable to read the dimensions so my suggestions are based on approximate measurements

thanks for your questions pottsy999 - the street is to the west. The house will be setback 6-7 metres from boundary to garage- has to be minimum 6 metres. Hoping the entry feels open, which was why I thought use some pantry space for linen rather than filling up the hallway with linen cupboard, do you think a door on the activity room? Proposing several skylights - activity room, kitchen (+ in pantry in the current layout) to address light in those internal rooms. And I am liking the siriuskey laundry position, ( add in a skylight) especially in view of convenience (macyjean) and kates comment re access - its a bit sad on a standard plan but I'll make sure we can fit 2 cars in the garage!!

We are planning a pool in the north east corner of the block. The block is 34 metres deep, 18 metres wide and trying to preserve some backyard so reluctant to go much longer with the house. We are going to have sliding glass doors on B1, just undecided if we put them on the eastern wall opening to backyard or opening to the alfresco which might affect furniture/ BBQ placement?

On the original plan B5 was media room, reconfigured as guest room.

Many thanks :)

thanks oklouise for adding in the furniture, I like the laundry/mudroom arrangement, activity/playroom door and storage options. I hadn't thought of alternate ensuite/robe for B1, thankyou!

Re the unclear measurements there is a link to a better quality image with the first post.

Is that wall oven next to cooktop? Do you think there is too much space taken up with walkways in kitchen/ any alternate layout which could include a pantry door?

Many thanks for your thoughts

"I see the study/activity area outside Bedrooms 2/3/4 as a secondary living area"

Traffic flow and furniture arrangement, limited natural light, and noise issues for adjoining bedrooms, are challenges.

I see you're planning skylights. What is your climate? You don't seem to be utilising orientation, and skylights really need to be planned carefully to not add to the inefficiencies.

"On the original plan B5 was media room, reconfigured as guest room."

I guessed it was for another family member. Do you host guests often enough to warrant a dedicated bedroom with ensuite? A proper room with a door would be much more functional as a second living space than the oversize hallway outside the secondary bedrooms.

If you are going to have a second ensuite, used part-time, and a pool, it might be an idea to have an external door so it can serve as the pool bathroom.

What's the size of the block? I was assuming the compromises in the floorplan were due to the limitations in the size you can build.

thanks macyjean for your feedback and questions.

The occupants of B2/3/4 would be using the study/activity area. Using skylights to address the limited light.

The street is on the western side, the block is 18 metres wide, 34 metres deep the size of the block is just over 600 square metres.

The size of the house is limited by block coverage and budget and a desire to preserve some backyard space.

The climate is S.E. QLD, having a guest room as otherwise they are sleeping in a living space and we're all a bit over that!

The pool is in the north east corner of the yard, there is an external door on the guest bedroom, not sure if its convenient for pool users

many thanks for your feedback

using the more accurate original dimensions my suggestion include a simpler roof shape and multi purpose use for the guest bathroom with access through the bigger laundry and includes mudroom storage for swim wear towels hats coats shoes etc and there's the small study to create a division between master bedroom and dining area ,,,rearranging the kids' bedrooms allows for equal sized bedrooms with more space for the kitchen and playroom and a small handbasin inside the pwdr room wall retains more storage in bed 4 ..there is enough space to add a pantry door but, as it would probably never be closed, i've allowed for more shared circulation space between counters with a place for kettle toaster and microwave plus more out of site pantry storage with space for an extra fridge.. the original alcove near bed 5 is now included in the kitchen and there's a set down space and generous storage in the hallway and, in a hotter climate i would include louvre windows all round as well as shade screening the east and west windows and alfresco and omit the sliding door from guest room and master bedroom

How exciting for you building this house. Myself in the past, I’ve built three houses, each one different from the other and a balancing act of keeping within budget. Therefore it’s really imperative to get the layout correct and to use every inch of the house with no wastage. Of course we all live differently, but I too do have concerns about the number of the bedrooms in comparison to the main living room, even with the alfresco room. Do you require five bedrooms? How often do your guests come and stay? Is it often enough to be at the expense of what could be a larger living area that will be utilised by you 24/7. Is there some way that you could utilise a Murphy bed in the identified second living area by the bedrooms for guests. There is a huge range of Murphy bed designs now days that fit perfectly within modern homes. They aren’t so clumsy as they have been in the past. That way you could utilise the 5th bedroom as a media room or extended dining/living room or even position the kitchen into that space. I just wonder about the kitchen sink placement too. I know it’s nice having a beautiful stand-alone uncluttered kitchen island, but looking at a wall while cooking and cleaning rather than your alfresco living may be a design “I wish we had done that conundrum”. If the house is designed right, I always believe there should be no requirement for skylights etc. I do recommend you take your time and really think through how you will be living in your house with the existing kitchen, living, dining and 5th bedroom layout. I wish you all the success with your build and a long happy life there.

Thankyou to oklouise and bronne, sorry for delay in replying to your feedback, I'll try to address those points.

oklouise

I really like the guest bathroom laundry set up created and will adopt that.

Master bedroom I like that division created via the study concept.

I prefer the walk behind robe in B1 with access to ensuite (might have to make the house slightly longer to accomodate that.)

The change to the kids bedrooms via levelling up the front wall of bedrooms 2 and 3 is an ongoing 'discussion' I have been having with the building company as they want the setback ( for street appeal- which won't be appreciated behind a front fence) and I don't!

I like the bigger, equal sized bedrooms. I like the small handbasin in the powder room, originally I had thought to keep out of the toilet but not necessary now that the laundry has more convenient access along with the guest bathroom.

I like that you have pulled the entry forward to create a more open foyer.

Looks good for the kitchen, I'll probably have to forego the extra fridge, make the pantry slightly narrower via narrow shelving on long wall so that the island enroaches less into dining.

Or forego the walk in pantry entirely

I like the set down and storage areas. And garage size ok for 2 cars?

I love the very important consideration for louvres and shade screening.

Thankyou for your feedback and plan

bronne

I appreciate these thought provoking comments

The house is a standard plan which I am tweaking to suit however there is only so much we can do. We did have a different plan originally but it was too long for the block, this new plan is somewhat of a compromise from that but it will do!

We could put a Murphy bed in Bed 5, currently it will be a bedroom.

We are unable to move the kitchen...too much deviation from standard plan.

We'll put a few skylights in to brighten our day.

Thankyou for your lovely wishes and feedback

Any other feedback, keep it coming!

Garage length. Family sedan 4.9m long. Add 1/2 m clearance each end to squeeze around and 6m is standard length. If you want to be able to walk through garage to washing line I would make in 6.4+ in length . Then there is storage needs. 5.5 wide is ok for door opening and assumes a straight entry into garage.
Mid size car 4.6m long, Ute up to 5.4m long.
Hope this helps

Energy efficiency as well as light should be kept in mind so get advice about choosing the right skylights.

I wonder if opening skylights would be useful in your climate to work as a solar chimney?

Late addition. Not being in favour of the kids having a play room at front of the house because of the chaos this can cause, also kids love to be near the action, kitchen family pool etc. The following has the living at the front for parents visitors, grandparents. There's still access to the kids, but I now have the kids wing opening off the Family, this will also give access to the bathroom for guests and pool. I have changed the 5th bedroom and laundry, because of the size of your garage the door will need to open into the laundry.

(Higher quality link here)

Sorry about the attached plan its not super clear.

We have done a lot of pondering over the christmas break and re looking at all the suggestions.

Would like to incorporate last OKL suggestion of making B5 ensuite accessible through laundry.

Washing machine, sink backing onto garage and have seat +narrow bench+storage on opposite side of the laundry.

Incorporating siriuskey's most recent plan of the living room at front door being a more separate room. Possibly having a sliding wall/large sliding door on the living room on the foyer side.

Bringing in OKL's more compact foyer and storage

At last discussion with the builder we 'might' be able to move the kitchen to NE corner and put dining space where kitchen was. I like this idea as I prefer the kitchen on an outside wall. I think that means no WIP but I'm OK with that

Probably can't move that bathroom as per siriuskey's plan but still making access through to the back of house from the B2/3/4 area, coming out in new dining space, which also negates part of the hall

Aiming to get B2/3/4 close in size to each other and as large as we can manage.

Builder has said we can add approx 0.3 m in width through the bedrooms/kitchen side.

Unlikely to be able to level up B3 and B4 at the front, but can probably bring B2 wall out to level of toilet, should I just try to have that whole northern wall straight?

Fridge/pantry and wall oven/microwave against B2 wall? Essentially U shape kitchen with island. Sink facing backyard in short leg of the U.

Any thoughts on improving kitchen layout?

Liking pottsy's suggestion of extending the back of the house, I think we could squeeze out a metre more. This could give us a little more room in B1, and make the living area and alfresco a little more spacious

Like the WIR behind the bed in B1, the 'bed head' wall 2.9 metres minimum.

Appreciate any feedback at all, its all been very thought provoking and helpful, thank you!

(Higher quality here)

Thank you! OKL for redrawing the plan.

You've added some clever tweaks that I love, saving space in guest bathroom and adding the bench in the garage, window in the separate lounge/media and the improved kids bathroom/powder room, plus the storage areas you've drawn.

I hadn't thought of the kitchen island facing that way, it looks like it will work well for the kitchen, just getting my head around how it works with the rest of the room.

I've added the original plan, this one is the standard plan. I think moving the ensuite B1 won't be OK'd, but I will check.

I think the higher value change for me is the kitchen to the NE corner. And quite liking the move of the lounge to the old kitchen site. I guess if I can only get one wet area move through the kitchen move would be the one I'll go for!

I like the WIR behind the bedhead and walking through there to ensuite but sorry to lose the study...

Thankyou

How’s your budget. If you are moving external walls out and substantially changing internal walls plumbing electrical a new house would most likely be cheaper.

I think this is a new build

Yes new build trying to do as standard plan with a few changes.

OKL's most recent plan is very close to what I hope will be approved

Any other feedback please do so.

Thanks to all the input from many people it has shaped the floor plan and been really helpful

Hi reaching out for kitchen or B1/ensuite/WIR layout suggestions?

OKL's plan on featured answer is looking beautiful, would hope to add a wall oven and move away from corner pantry. In B1 probably can't move the ensuite to behind bed head, original plan has ensuite between media/B5 and B1

Any other feedback or options appreciated

there are stacked wall ovens near the stove and the pantry space is not a tall corner cabinet it had bifold or you could have no doors with 1500 storage along both walls for tall and/or base and wall cabinets

if i have understood the dimensions correctly having wiw behind the bed reduces the amount of wiw storage and standing room and doesn't allow enough space for a bed and bedside tables with doorways on both sides ...using your original plans would makes the bedroom cramped, the ens would need to be bigger than necessary to allow enough space for the separate toilet and doorway between wiw and ens and then loses the small study

Sorry its been a while. I'm close to taking the final sketch back to builder and want to 'get it right'

If we added a 0.5- 1m to the length of the house would that be any benefit to kitchen layout or possible then to have walkthrough robe in B1 behind the bedhead?

And if no requirement for separate toilet in ensuite B1 could the study perhaps be reinstated?

...so far the problems haven't been in the length of the house but in the width and that can't be changed but we can always try something different but i need to understand what you don't like about the last whole house plan posted 13 days ago and what you want to keep

Its been a while !

I have been reflecting on all the fantastic feedback and knowledge to steer me towards a solution that I don't think of as a poor compromise but instead a positive choice and a positive outcome.

This plan is a mix of standard plan and OKL's most recent redraw.

Thank you all I'm sure you will see components of many of your suggestions.

Having gone back to the builder the kitchen pretty much has to stay where it is drawn in the standard plan, adding a nice big skylight. Hopefully enough space on back wall for wall oven, cooktop and set down space, kettle, fridge and pantry access.I've made my peace with having the sink in the island!

Family/living room northeast corner ...enough space? Ignore my pencilled in couches.

Needing to keep a decent depth to the outdoor area and the backyard.

Similarly ensuite B1 to stay where it was on standard plan, prefer attached layout where toilet and shower are behind the double or single vanity, but don't have the space for this...

Also prefer the wardrobe in B1 to have access both sides of the bed.

Please comment on any other glaring omissions and clunky elements to layout.

Thankyou!

Higher quality floor plan here.

Are you still having skylights? What type?

Hi I don't know what type of skylight yet, so far looking to put in the kitchen and laundry

That dining space is wide. You could run kitchen other way.

As I tried to explain before, skylights are not about only style and light. Put some thought into choosing suitably functioning ones now and you won't be wondering how to fix later.

Or would something like this work?

thanks macyjean I will do more research into skylights particularly around opening/efficiency :)

thanks Kate the kitchen on the original plan faced towards the original Media room (now guest) as you have drawn in your first plan, I like your second one orientation towards the backyard.

*That 2nd sink with your question mark is my attempt at a 'bar' opening towards front lounge. With your second plan I like how the change in the hall direction allows for extra kitchen wall space.

What are your thoughts on deleting the hall altogether, I think it increases functionality of the lounge to have a hallway (in either position) or is it just doubling up for little benefit. Hope I'm making sense, thank you for your time and input!

I'm sorry but just asking, did you understand the functionality I was talking about? I hope it hasn't been diluted to a simple choice of 'do I want an opening skylight or non-opening skylight'.

I think you need access between the back of the house to the bedrooms somewhere other than just thought the front lounge. So a hall in the middle somewhere. There is no right answer . The central hall gave a link to laundry and garage to bedrooms. It prioritises kitchen space but reduces access from rear living to front bedrooms. A young family might like your dual hall plan and older family might like the privacy afforded by the cross hall.

macyjean It is a great consideration - skylight functioning as a solar chimney I need to learn more!

Kate you have summarised the hall situation thankyou, I agree re needing an access.

Any thoughts on the dual hall plan in my most recently posted plan, I think the back wall is wide enough if I have 600 wall oven, cooktop, 900 to 1000 space for fridge, 600 door into pantry and keeping hallway access beside B4 as minimum width??

thankyou

Fi, have you allowed for door frames in your calcs. 600 is tight. What width is allowed for the hall? I will note the cross hall location provides similar access to the bedrooms as would stairs to the rooms if they were on an upper floor. But doesn’t have your bar, although that could be in your store area

Get a kitchen designer to dray your plan up accurately to see how it fits

That was just a question I posed in general. The idea goes back a long way in hot climates and things like that are starting to be relearned and valued again. Maybe not by volume builders though, they only seem to keep up with what is superficially trendy.

I think tv shows have made skylights popular and they never discuss them apart from praising 'how much light it brings in'. I'm not saying they can't be useful, but 6 or 8 across the ceiling and the company sponsors the tv show is not demonstrating their best use just flaunting them. What you want is to make them work well for your situation. I don't think you've posted a roof plan?

The main point was skylights are glazing, with the added complication of being on top, so how that affects heat and cold and what sort of skylight you install to best control those for your climate is an important consideration.

Another thing is if you are thinking of having solar panels the presence of skylights on the roof limits that. Not that solar panels are where you should be starting with making your house efficient. That's another thing I think tv shows have promoted, stick a solar panel on any design and it's 'efficient'. The basic design and construction can and should be efficient.