16 x 20 layout question

[dad-of-4-in-tn]

I am building a 16 x 20 two story cabin. I have the shell and the stairs built The stairs are 3' wide and run along a 20' wall with 4' landing at top and bottom. I am looking for suggestions as to the best way to layout the rooms to max the space. I would like a kitchen, living room/dining room, bedroom and bath. If you could squeeze in to bedrooms that would be great. BTW the water heater and other utility things are going under ther house. Thanks in advance for your help

Steven Gilbreath

[Amanda_931]

Since I like the idea of 1 ¹/₂ stories it took a minute.  It's two stories, Amanda, there's room to stand up at the top of the stairs!

probably got room enough for  a teensy bathroom under the stairs--something with a drain and a basin under a hand shower and maybe a curb at the tall end for a shower, toilet at the other.

If you can be into bed rooms, with maybe cabinets around the top of the wall, might be able to squeeze two of those at one end of the main room.  

I've seen pictures of scandinavian cabins with built in bed rooms, one on top of the other, with shutters--two high, like bunk beds, could get in 4 that way.  And a bigger room with desks bookcases, maybe a closet or were those at the end of each bed--and so on.   Frank Lloyd Wright did something like that in the house he designed in Florence for a family with four boys.  It might work fine if you also had a sleeping porch for the summer.

[dorothyinak]

Here's a rough draft of our cabin layout.  We only have a half width second story, so you could probably improvize the upstaris to fit more than just a bed!

Staris are not to scale...other parts of this are not what the final plan is....just wanted to pass on an idea, since we have the stairs in the same place....

http://tinypic.com/view/?pic=e9t6rd

-DinAK

[jraabe]

The length of that stair will probably be a Min. of 10' plus 3' of landing at the front. I just did a single run stair like that for a house with 12" thick floors and a 9' main level ceiling height and the stair hole was 13' long.

[dad-of-4-in-tn]

I like the idea of the bed rooms but I don't think the wife would go for it.

The stairs are 12' long 143 inches to be exact. the first floor is 8' high and 8" floors. We made the with 8" rise and 11" tread.

I have almost finished my layout will post when I'm done.

[jraabe]

Dad:

That stair should work. The old rule of thumb on stairs is that rise + run = 17.5". You might find that an extra riser with a shorter tread might be more to your liking (and easier for oldsters  ).

Try an Approx. 7.5" rise w/ 10" run and see if it still doesn't fit the hole.

[dad-of-4-in-tn]

That sounds good but the stairs are in place. I'm having trouble laying out the rooms of the house now.

[dad-of-4-in-tn]

well, heres my layout so far any suggestions to help improve it?

First floor


Second Floor


there are some pics of the actual house here
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/steven_gilbreath/album?.dir=f34d&.src=ph