Natwerk Designs

Where on a housing floor plan do you think is the best place for the bedrooms and bathrooms?

I eventually want to build our own house so I'm trying to decide where and how I want to put what room and exactly what I want. Well... here's a few things... the whole house needs to be one floor because I was in a car accident in 2004 that I'm told I'm lucky I didn't die. Often I'm in quite a bit of pain. Climbing stairs now is hard but I can do it. By the time I'm 60, I really don't think I can climb stairs for any reason. We don't intend on having children and if we do, it won't be more than one. I've already designed what I want for the master bedroom, walk in closet, and bathroom. But I'd like to put a smaller bedroom (big enough for one queen bed and at least one bedside table and a dresser), and a normal regular bathroom (combination tub/shower, toilet, and small vanity with a small linen closet) in the house as well with the bathroom able to be accessed by anyone that comes in the house. I don't want them tiny rooms but not large either like ours will be. The family room, and kitchen I want to be an open floor plan (without the extra floor thats nothing but ceiling and glass). We don't do alot of entertaining, and barely use the kitchen for anything other than cooking a quick meal, so I was thinking of skipping the dining room entirely and simply having a peninsula or island that we eat at or only a very small table off in a nook or something. Usually we eat in the living room watching tv anyway. Our bedroom and bathroom are more important to us than any other part of the house, but I need to decide where to put the other bathroom, and the second bedroom. I want the bedrooms to be as quiet as possible, but also understand the bathrooms need to be private. If I can avoid making an interior bathroom for the second bathroom that would be though not absolutely necessary since we won't be using it in the morning anyway. What do you think? Keep in mind that these aren't exact sizes of these rooms, and can be easily moved. I've included graphics below. If you don't think they work, let me know. I'm completely willing to change them. The first is a basic graphic to give an idea of what things look like. I'm already done the basic design of the bathroom and its alot more complicated that this little graphic but its basically right. http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx174/moiraesfate/basic.jpg?t=1284753334 This is the one with the second bath but without the second bedroom since I don't know where to put it. http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx174/moiraesfate/possible1.jpg?t=1284753397 The last one is with the second bedroom added in a possible location. http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx174/moiraesfate/possible2.jpg?t=1284753466 If any of them don't look right, please let me know. Let me know what you think anyway. This is proving harder than I thought and there's no alot of info on the net about this stuff. Oh and to add... I do have a laundry room worked in there near on the other side of the walk in closet, I just didn't include it in the drawing. I'm also trying to decide where to put the utility room but I'm thinking on the other side of the kitchen would work so we can get at the heater, the water heater, and the ac unit. I'm also debating an installed vacuum but haven't decided yet. I'm asking because I want opinions. If I don't like them, I can dismiss them but other people may think of things that I didn't. Thats the whole point of this site, isn't it? I've been looking at building because I think most architects must be on drugs now or something with bedrooms leading right off the living room or kitchen, or these insanely high ceilings that no one with a brain would want to clean and the like. In the master bath, I actually have made a walk in shower. Meaning, there is no bump as all. There are these really interesting drains you can place along the wall so that they're almost invisible to take the water. And I've added things like bars to help me stand without a problem when I get older. And a seat in the shower too. I hate to say it, but I may end up wheelchair bound when I get older. Right now is ok, I don't even need a cane, but that might change as I get older. The doc says I'm going to have horrific arthritis. We haven't decided on a location for the house yet, thats why I'm doing basic design for myself now, and we can change it as things change before we finally settle on what we want and get an architect to make final plans. I'm just making basic drawings and designs now. Buying and building it are probably 10 years away. We need to save the money for a partial payment first. Oh yes, I prefer a gently sloping ramp to steps. Steps are hard on my bad leg. I always have to hold on to the railing with a good grip and even use my arm to help lift myself slightly if I'm in a particular lot of pain that day. Some days I feel no pain at all, other days are agony. I have a metal plate near my knee and a rod that runs from my knee to my ankle. I've been told the bone is weak and it scares the living daylights out of me the idea that I might fall down because I think I might be hospitalized (dog knocked me down the stairs at an in-laws recently. Glad I didn't fall on my bad leg. As it was I got pretty banged up and I'm still hurting because of it). Oh, and one of the prohibitive reasons why I want a second bedroom and second bath is that I live in a different country from my family. I badly want them to visit but the cost is so hard on them that they can't afford it. Since I work in hotels, I know that a good portion of any trip (besides the plane tickets) is the cost of the hotel room. I'd like my family to be able to stay with me and my husband when they visit rather than being forced to go to a hotel. It would mean they can come visit more often by cutting a good $1000 or more off the cost of their trip.

Public Comments

1. If you ask 100 people, you are going to get 100 different answers...dont' believe me? Simply drive through any neighborhood in America and notices the numerous differences from house to house. Why do you care what a bunch of strangers think about your house designs? Build a house that suits your needs and go on with life. Figure out what works for you, doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
2. I think your best bet would be to go to Lowe's or Home Depot or a book store and get yourself a book of house plans. What kind of lot will you be building on? If it has a view you will certainly want to take advantage of that. Do you want the morning sun shining in your bedroom windows? Will you want to hide from the hot western sun (put the garage on that side to shield the home). It will be a lot easier for you to tweak a plan that has the features you want. I personally wouldn't bother with a dinning room again, but would have a very inviting eating area. Looking at house plans I always picture what I could do with that dining room until I'm ready to sell the home to someone who may want one. As for your mobility issues - consider showers that have a slight bump so a wheel chair can be rolled in. Wider halls, double door on the master, very open bathroom area. Wheelchair ramps built in to the porch design so it looks pleasing. I am not saying you will be in a wheelchair, but I know I prefer a ramp to steps. I thought I had done a good job planning for aging parents by having wider halls and a wider shower stall - but stepping over that 4" lip became a problem, as did door knobs and faucet controls. Should have put leaver type handles on everything. In your search line type in "handy capped home plans". Try this site: http://www.coolhouseplans.com/wheelchair_house_plans_home/index.html
3. Taking look at first link, why not just put a second bedroom 'above' the kitchen and to the 'left' of the master bathroom? That way you avoid adding second bath and they still are next to bathroom?
4. A very good way to design the new home is to have all the plumbing from the kitchen and bathrooms close to each other and then close to the water heater, this way greatly saving plumbing and water heating costs. Two ways you can design the bedroom layouts...master suite on one end of the house and 2nd bedroom on the other end w/ kithchn and other living areas in the center. Or all bedrooms on one end and all living areas on the other 1/2 of the home. I suggest you take a look at a few home building sites and view the hundreds of different floor plans to get an idea of the many options. http://www.eplans.com/cottage_house-plans/HWEPL72365.hwx#floorplan http://www.eplans.com/country_house-plans/HWEPL72764.hwx#floorplan http://www.eplans.com/craftsman_house-plans/HWEPL72413.hwx#floorplan http://www.eplans.com/country_house-plans/HWEPL70404.hwx#floorplan Take your time designing the home and listen to the builder and architect when they make suggestions. I am in real estate and have seen too many homes where the homeowner kept makingchanges to the original house plan until the floor became a total mess. Don't let that happen to you.