Plans for the Farmhouse

I would definately want a bedroom and a full bath on the first floor. I would also have extra wide doorways on the first floor, in the event you or your spouse are ever confined to a wheelchair.

Other than a broom closet and a small linen closet on the first floor, it doesn't appear you have enough storage space on the first floor.

Selena,
The term 'dress-in' is my own; the closet is wider than the normal walk-in style that is common in Aust, but not quite big enough to be called a dressing room, and I've just combined the two terms.
I'm familiar with the term cape-cod as a building style, but confused by your description of "1 1/2 story" - can you elaborate on that at all?
I'm still deciding on the type of roof I should have. The choices are wide at the moment: Gable or hip roof on top with skillions over the first floor level, Gambrel, (which is your typical barn style), Mansard, (typically French), or Cape Cod with dormers, (which would give me space for an attic).

Pheasantplucker,
There is actually a ton of storage space on the first floor, though it may not not be obvious at first glance. Scroll up to message #15 and see my reply to Liese.

I also had a friend ask me about not having a linen press, (closet), on the second floor.
As we have now, the built-in-closets of each bedroom are of sufficient size to hold several sets of sheets and pillowcases, without causing space problems. Of course, this is in part due to the fact that all off-season clothes are packed away and placed on shelving at the tops of the closets.

I was momentarily confused by some people's replies at first: In Australia, what you quite rightly call the 'first floor' is known as the 'ground floor', (which is also correct). However, the next floor up, which you call the second floor, in Aust is called the first floor, (meaning first above the ground). Can be confusing at first I know, but.....

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BIDADISNDAT: Aiming to Live a Good Life of Near Self Sufficiency on a Permaculture Based Organic Home Farm

to consider, IMO, the door areas of kitchen and hallway and to the living room there aer three doors in a small area and in directly you have lost about 40 sq feet of space to doors, and a confused hall pattern. I would probly remove the door in the kitchen to living room and add the 40" of cabinet space, and use the hall door and the door in the hall way to living room,

Could not read all the details, but the interior walls seem thick looks to be about foot thick in many locations, going to a 2x4 wall will give you a number of additional sq Footage, (since the dimensions are not given) and guessing the living room wall looks like about 16 to 18 foot long and if it was a foot thick and changed to 2x4 interior wall you would add 8 to 9 square foot of living space, in other locations, of the house I estimate another 6 to 8 foot of space around the stair well, could could end up saving about 16 square foot of additional space which is about a 4x4 foot area, granted it is not much but then it is the size of a freezer or a wash room.

another opinion, you may consider removing the walls in the laundry room and the hall way and opening that area up, looks very busy to me, and crowded, putting the bath on the opposite end of the room and combining the laundry and the sewing as a unit area, one other thing in our house we have a sink in the entry porch and if there was a toilet in the entry porch it would have saved much dirt in the house as when one needs to care for nature and you have to track across the house or laundry to get to it can cause problems, by having the half bath off of the entry area may save much dirt and give a good place to clean up before entering the house.


some of the things I see, (not that what you have is wrong but things I would change if mine).

one other small item the freezer in the "cool" room will not be very cool as the motor and compressor, will heat the room,

Well, I hope I give you some things to think about here, I've kind of been through a lot of this already:

Once you get a general idea of a floor plan down, the next step (which many would argue should be the first step) is to make it functional.

The first thing that jumps out at me (basically slaps me) is the plumbing situation. You got a toilet on either extremes of the house. Say you squeeze out a two foot log; you have to keep in mind, down in the basement, that pipe has to be angled so much as so to wash it away. Where exactly is the sewage going to exit your home? If the waist water is going to exit your home in only one location, there appears to be a whole lot of pipe bending around corners. And...you kind of got a stairway where a drainage pipe needs to run.

We were always taught, anything that needs or uses water should be aligned. Meaning, it would be beneficial to place the bathroom on the second floor over the kitchen below (which you did in one instance). Makes plumbing extremely easy. Also to avoid extremes when piping water or draining water. You have water needs on both sides of the house with some fairly complicated happenings in between them. Just a thought. When plumbing is done right, it can amount to 17% of a house's total cost. This one may be a bit more.

Electric, I don't see too much of an issue. If that central wall is directly over the central wall on the first floor, that should be great.

Ventilation. I don't see no woodstove or fire place so I assume you are using a furnace. Where are the ducts going to run and where are they going to exit in the rooms? In both bathrooms upstairs, there is a shower where I personally think a heating duct should be located.

I know anything that is going to hold any substantial amount of weight should be placed close to and preferably over loadbearing walls. Now that Spa Bath you have when filled up, is going to weight A LOT and you placed it directly over not one, but two open spaces below (a bay window and and open bar).


Is that going to be the actual place of the garage?! First off, there should be a door in the kitchen either leading outside or into the garage. Why? Makes hauling groceries in a whole lot easier. After a marathon of walking to actually get into the house, you have to pass through several room to even get to the kitchen itself, OMG! lol

Spa bath, two sinks, this is a master bathroom...so why is it on the other side of the house from the master bedroom?!

Ideally, toilets shouldn't be placed in corners, with windows on both sides no less. This gets cold in the winter and no one likes a cold seat. And although large windows in bathrooms seem like a good idea, you have to be honest with yourself and figure you're going to cover most of it up anyways (in the typical situation).

Personally, I think two showers, or two bathrooms for a three bedroom house is enough.

I think there should only be one main entrance. Double doors make a big statement that "this is the front" and to have two sets side by side, is over kill. May come off as being a double/shared house and actually cheapen the appearance.

Outside doors economically open inward. This is so if someone knocks, when you open the door, you don't wack them. Also so the wind doesn't catch it. Keep in mind also, if there is no central stud, double doors are less secure, loose more heat, etc. Ideally, there should only be one door on any given side of the house unless the house is huge. When people come to visit, which door do they knock on?

I don't know if there is enough room between the stairs going down into the basement and the ceiling above it(bottom of fridge).

No dryer? Or is this an over under deal? Where your sinks are located in your laundry room should be where the folding area should be. Looks like the folding area is clear across from the washer/dryer. Is there a reason for two sinks? I'd move the left one right up against the washer and get rid of the right one. Ideally there would be a sink on one side and folding area on the other side of the machines.

My own personal opinion here but I think a stairway and how it is displayed and showcased can really make a house. Yours is kind of hidden in the gloomy hallway. The stairway is the essence of many first appearances so should be viewable from the front door or living room.

I don't know how big those windows are in your garage but generally, garages are kind of private. I'd make the windows just large enough for ample lighting. You don't want people to clearly see whether you are home or not from the road a quarter mile away.

Welp, that's all I have.

OK, my 2 cents - the front entrance has No closet. In my house, it is a necessary evil because shoes, coats, clutter can cause a real mess. I would Rework the laundry room & the broom closet to make room for a coat closet. **I also would Not have guests go thru my laundryroom to get to the washroom - it means that before company comes, you have to tidy your laundry room. You could switch the bathroom around, to allow an entrance from the hallway. It would give you privacy & the laundry room could be accessed thru it's own doorway.
**The plumbing on separate ends of the house,means alot of $ in running plumbing, etc. I would prefer to have the pipes grouped together, both downstairs & directly above. You will loose water pressure by having the water go long distances. Also pipes running thru such long areas can rattle, which makes for a noisy house.
**I personally don't like to waste alot of space from doors opening - you have 2 doorways from your hallway which can cause a bit of a traffic jam, Both of the hallway doors could be ones which slide inside the wall < Invisible doors? > You could always eliminate the hallway altogether.
**As far as fabric storage....being a quilter myself, I would like to have my material ALL together. I don't want to go thru 1 cupboard, then have to walk to another room to search some more < we can Never find the right fabric until we have searched the Entire stash - doncha know? >
**OK, Finally the Last thing, bedrooms # 2 & 3......if you swith the closets to the adjoining wall which divides the rooms, you can have it house Both closets. This saves space, & construction is easier I have found. Half the wall would be closet #2, the other 1/2 would be facing room #3. The Best thing about doing it this way is the Privacy it gives to each bedroom.You won't hear the other person cough, or pass air < sorry, had to be said >
**Now for the Good things, I really like the open concept. The livingroom & diningroom will be a nice place to sit & look outside. The kitchen overlooking the dinigroom is also veri nice. The stools would allow people to sit & chat while the cook created the masterpiece.
**I hope I haven't tore apart your disign too much. We have lived in & renovated 14 homes so far, as well as our rental properties. The way I design is good for US, but might not fit your lifestyle. Looks like it's going to be a nice place to live - Good Luck on your new home.

From the front of the house, you have no idea there is even an upstairs. The 2 bedrooms and a bath are in a dormer (hip dormer is the best way to describe it) and there is an attic that some day we may finish (skylights would be cool).

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Farminghandyman, NorthernWoods and Poultryprincess,

Looks like I'm going to have my work cut out answering your comments, (all of which are appreciated by the way). I guess what most of it comes down to is what a person is used to and comfortable with, and their usual, or preferred, lifestyle.
O.K. From the top:

The three doors mentioned are arranged in the manner shown for a large degree of flexibility: The kitchen can be closed off completely, and allow access to the hallway; The hallway can be closed off and the kitchen can be accessed from the dining area. (This is good for winter when we have cold southerlies, as the entry/hallway acts somewhat as an airlock)

The interior walls are thick, with that 12" centreline wall between the living area and the entry area being both a load bearing wall and a thermal mass for temperature stabilisation. Remember, this is a mud-brick building. Did think of having no wall between the entry/hall and the laundry, but we want that space closeable, (so's we can hide any mess. LOL)

Sink & toilet at the entry is pretty well covered: If you scroll up to post #7 you will see what I mean. This is probably easier to understand if you consider that the house proper begins where the plan shows 'Arch Over'. (Up to that point, shoes may be worn, especially if the gardener wants to use the toilet or whoever is doing the laundry needs to go in and out several times - otherwise, shoes are not permitted in the house.)

Regarding the freezer: the motor and the associated radiator, (not the cooling coils of course), are to be located beneath the building. See post #15 above. Consideration is also being given to the idea of doing the same with the 'fridge. (Sure helps a lot when you have friends in the refrigeration business!)

Plumbing: Yes, I admit that it can be expensive, especially if you're going to have all of your pipework buried within walls or otherwise hidden from view, however we have worked out a system that will overcome the problems we have thought of so far. Some of the cost has been allayed by the fact that I have already scrounged most of the fittings. Already have the laundry tubs, kitchen sinks, vanity sinks, shower fittings, taps, toilet bowls and cisterns, and a heap of piping of all sizes. (The things that people discard as being broken but easily fixed, supposedly out of fashion, etc., etc. never ceases to amaze me.) Water supply comes from a very large storage tank, the greywater will be treated for re-use, and the blackwater will also have its own system. There are no electicity, town water or sewerage services available where I intend to build....thank heavens. LOL

Because of its passive solar design, the materials being used, and our location, there is no real need for a central heating system or the associated ducting. And yes, there is no dryer in the laundry. Just the old traditional 'Hills Hoist' in the yard and, for rainy days, a retractable line set under the verandah, behind the cool room.

A good point about the weight of the spa bath, however a couple of RSJs will be able to support that.

Carrying groceries all that way is a problem? I've seen that comment a couple of times. C'mon, just how unfit are you guys? LOL. O.K. Jokes aside, if I did find that a problem, I'd probably get a little trolley.

The ensuite has a shower only, because that's all Chi and I use. The same with the daughters. The spa bath is a for the occasional splash of luxury. One vanity in the ensuite, because Chi and I have learned to take turns or share, unlike the daughters - which is why there are two in the main bathroom.

There's no 'formal' front door, as it were - there is just 'the door'. (See post #15.) The double French doors on the other side of the house, (double glazed), are more for access to the verandah, which being covered is an extension of the living area, and for air flow. (No air-conditioner either. LOL) As the verandah is covered, its quite OK to have these doors opening outwards.

I plan to excavate a little under the kitchen to provide for a cellar, and thought of having a trap door and ladder down to it. Because there is a reasonable sized walk-in pantry adjacent to the kitchen for everyday use, I wouldn't be going up and down each day to the cellar.

Two sinks in the laundry: Yes - this area also happens to be my brewery. There are two wooden covers that fit over the tubs, turning the entire length into a long bench if required.

From the outside, most people visiting would realise that it's a two story house, so we don't really feel the need for a showy staircase. And far from being gloomy, a large window above the landing, plus light provided by solar tubes* to the stairwell and entry area, will make it pretty bright. Solar tubes* will also provide light for the laundy, pantry, and upstairs bathroom, ensuite and dress-in closet. *Solar tubes, which have been used in Aust for many years, are now available in the US, according to Mother Earth News Magazine. (Probably have been for quite some time I bet.)

The Garage/Workshop is actually more like a studio that can be used for craft work, so needs plenty of light. Hence all the windows.

Fabric/materials storage. At present, sewing only occupies a very small ammount of time, and to brag a little, Chi is so well organised with everything she does I doubt she'd have any problems with getting it all together. Honestly.

The built-in closets in the two bedrooms are each 9' long. To position them as you suggest would give each room only 6' of closet space each. I have daughters! The thickness of the walls, combined with the insulation, should abate the sound of passing air. LOL

Guys, I'm really enjoying all these comments: Many of them have made me have a good rethink about some aspects of my design, but all are truly appreciated.
Thanks.

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BIDADISNDAT: Aiming to Live a Good Life of Near Self Sufficiency on a Permaculture Based Organic Home Farm