First Floor Plans

[Jared]

Thanks guys for the help converting this and posting it. http://www.angelfire.com/ar3/jared/First_Floor.jpg

If it's too small let me know. If you see something that you think should be changed let me know. I like different points of view.

[glenn-k]

You can post it here by inserting it's URL in img brackets - the little picture icon when typing your message.

[Jared]

I was going to do that, but I was afraid that image posting wasn't allowed. I got flamed on one forum for doing that and the pic was deleted shortly after it was posted. "That's what yahoo is for" is what I was told. Thanks Glenn!!

[glenn-k]

No problem, Jared.  We don't restrict much here.  We don't flame here (except those of us who weld and that's usually a personal issue) and we don't allow postings that cause trouble or are very rude.

We try to behave like nice people (who knows -I may even fool a few into thinking I'm one)  and instruct, teach, help and have an occasional laugh.  Flamers - etc. are requested to leave this site and go to one that allows such  childish behavior.  We don't want new (or old) people to be intimidated by this site or people on it.  Anybody with a problem with that, please let me know.

 

[mark_chenail]

Perhaps its my puter but when I click the link for Jareds plan all I get is a blank page with the AngelFire
logo.  Is it something Im doing wrong?

[Jimmy_Cason]

Angle fire is kinda picky about images.
tiny pic.com works the best!

[trish2]

Jared:
You asked for comments on your floorplan so here are mine.

1.  Good flow between the upstairs and kitchen area.   With 4 children, the traffic up and down the stair case from kids wanting something from the frig is going to be heavy as the children get older.  Boys especially will be in the kitchen several times a day.  Your traffic flow allows that constant in and out without having to cross thru the main living area.  In my mind, this is ideal.

2. The size of the livingroom is only about 10 feet across--that seems a little narrow.  Since you have a large family (4 kids and 2 adults) it seems that this area needs to be a little larger so that the whole family can congregate easily.

3.  The 1st floor master bedroom seems a little small; it's only a little over 9 feet wide if I read your plans correctly.  In order to put a queen/king bed and dressers your plan needs to be a minimum of about 11-ish by 11-ish.    With the bed in the position shown on your plans, the person sleeping next to the wall has a difficult time exiting the bed.  Also, the walk in closet could use an extra foot in width.  I don't think you can hang clothes on both sides of the closet with the width  you have shown.  

4.  Why is the hot water heater on the first floor?  If you are going to have a basement, is there a reason that it can't be there?  

Overall, I think you've got a good first draft.  Keep us posted on the revisions.

[jraabe]

I agree with Trish's comments. The design could be improved by adding 2' to the length. I would give 2' to the LR side and 2' to the bedroom. The Kichen and Dining are fine.

I think I would also look at turning the vanity to back up against the closet wall and then pulling in that wall a foot to give more space in the entry. It seems like there is too much space devoted to circulation at the bath/bedroom/utility area. I think you will be able to find a way to consolidate that and get more storage.

Good start!

[Jared]

Jared:
You asked for comments on your floorplan so here are mine.

1.  Good flow between the upstairs and kitchen area.   With 4 children, the traffic up and down the stair case from kids wanting something from the frig is going to be heavy as the children get older.  Boys especially will be in the kitchen several times a day.  Your traffic flow allows that constant in and out without having to cross thru the main living area.  In my mind, this is ideal.

2. The size of the livingroom is only about 10 feet across--that seems a little narrow.  Since you have a large family (4 kids and 2 adults) it seems that this area needs to be a little larger so that the whole family can congregate easily.

3.  The 1st floor master bedroom seems a little small; it's only a little over 9 feet wide if I read your plans correctly.  In order to put a queen/king bed and dressers your plan needs to be a minimum of about 11-ish by 11-ish.    With the bed in the position shown on your plans, the person sleeping next to the wall has a difficult time exiting the bed.  Also, the walk in closet could use an extra foot in width.  I don't think you can hang clothes on both sides of the closet with the width  you have shown.  

4.  Why is the hot water heater on the first floor?  If you are going to have a basement, is there a reason that it can't be there?  

Overall, I think you've got a good first draft.  Keep us posted on the revisions.

I wondered about the closet myself. We're working on plans to put drawers in all the closets and under some of the beds to totally eliminate dressers. I'm looking at murphy beds to see how practical they are. We're not going to have a basement, so the water heater is on the first floor.

[trish2]

If you're looking at storage for things like socks, undies, and pj's, T-shirts, etc, Trones are really great space savers.  We bought some at Ikea.  They come in two major verisons; a small freestading unit  and those that you hang on the wall.  Their thin, only 6 inches deep, 21 inches wide and pivot open downward.  They were originally designed to store shoes, but I use three of them to store socks, undies and pjs.

A friend of mine has two boys in a small 8x8 bedroom and she uses the wall mounted versions.  She mounts them about a foot off the floor, thus allowing the kids to have the floor space to play with their toys.  

The Trones come is lots of colors; I have battleship grey ones and white ones; my friend has LifeSaver colors of Lime Green and Orange for the kids.

[Amanda_931]

Looks like a good idea.  I have bags for undies and socks in the little cabinet above my bed. But this may not be forever.

This picture tells you how Trones work (of the first two I saw, one was solidly closed, the other featureless black):

http://ikea.com.sg/products/product_display.asp?id=228

The feng shui guys like bed rooms (not to be confused with master suites or even bedrooms) up to a point.  But they do believe that a couple should be able to get in and out of bed without climbing over the other. that would mean at least 18"-3 ft on three sides, plus a place to empty pockets, leave today's clothes, pick up night clothes or a robe, and if you are very organized, set out tomorrow's.

I'm thinking I want ventilated shelves in the closet for most everything (and ventilation for the whole closet as well).  Trones, though, may give you the most space for the least intrusion.  Might work with that closet?  hanging space on one side, something like the trones on the other?

[Bart_Cubbins]

A few thoughts...

If you don't have other plans for the space under the stairs, consider putting the water heater there.

Having the couch pushed right up against the window seems awkward, but so does pulling it out past the first step. I think it might work better if you made the lower flight a step or two longer. If you decide to lengthen the living room a couple feet, then swapping the chair and couch might work even better.

You might also consider moving the living room windows closer to the corner to make it easier to enjoy the views.

[Jared Drake]

I'm not real keen on those Trones. I think I want everything under the bed and in the closet. We've got our closet right up next to the window right now and it's not bad at all. Someday I hope to get a sectional that'll replace our couch and little chair. I don't want the stairs to be any longer because I think it'll take up too much space in the house. The windows I like because we really don't have anything to view out at the farm. Plus, that thing in the corner is an entertainment center and the only thing outside that corner is a gate and woods. One thing I don't understand is why the hot water heater shouldn't be near the bathtub? Nobody seems to be in favor of it being in the bathroom. I'm not sure if the plans show the bi-fold door that covers the heater.

[Guest]

Put the water heater outside in an insulated shack built against the bathtub wall (Home Depot and others sell the metal shacks for hot water heaters, but they're ugly).  Then you never have to worry about leaks (access is from outside; vent goes straight up so don't have a hole in the floor/ceiling/second story/roof either).  

Alternatively, get a space saving water heater which heats only the water when used--on demand water heaters.  

[Guest]

1.  Setting aside the issue of enlarging the rooms a bit, "corridor space" eats up a lot of the floor plan--from front door into house, alongside bathroom, between kitchen/dining room and living room, access to master bedroom and closet.  

2.  Not clear where all the access points are (front door, back door?, living room/dining room has french/sliding doors out?)

3.  Move stairs to left a bit, and flip stairs/front entrance (so when enter house, stairs are to left, living room and main living area are to right.

4.  Opposite the new stairs location, put the bathroom (occupies about the same space as stairs).  

5.  Utilize space under stairs as closet/storage for front entrance closet (and reverse side for master bedroom closet).  

6.  If expand house longways, you could squeeze two bedrooms beyond the stairs and bathroom (or just have a single master bedroom which has 3 exterior walls).  

7.  Combine kitchen and dining room (so you're using walking space as sitting area space as well).   Set up kitchen as a long L, with length running along long wall (more storage/prep area).   Table would be placed lengthwise (parallel to length of house) in middle of L shaped area, so can be used as part of kitchen prep area.  

8.  When done, you'd have the spaces lined up as follows:


Bedroom    Bathroom     Kitchen           Kitchen

                                                 D/R Table    

Bedroom    Stairs         Door            Living Room

[Amanda_931]

With dining room table under "kitchen" or over "living room" I'd guess.  

ASCII art is so much fun!

I previewed and it went  back to the way our guest had it--with the  bathroom right next to the bathroom, which I can't imagine anyone wanting, even though an otherwise perfect place might have that arrangement.

(I once lived in a place where you walked into the front door, looked through another doorway straight into the shower, had to walk through the bathroom to get to the kitchen.)

The best I can say is try to ignore the dotted line!

Best I can do!



Bedroom    Bathroom     Kitchen      Kitchen
 
...........................................D/R Table      
 
Bedroom    Stairs       Door  L-i-v-i-n-g Room