What do you think of this layout? Anything you would change/add?

[myhousebuild]

We are looking to build our home and I like this plan, just looking for other insights. Thank you.

Oh and access reading room from the hallway, plus maybe a pocket door between the kitchen and hallway too.

I think I would swap the tv and utility rooms so you go straight from the kitchen to the utility, not out into the hallway.
I would also have the door to the reading room/ dhs office straight off the hallways opposite the front door so you don't need to disturb people watching tv in the family room. Currently you need to walk in front of the tv to access the door.
Do you need 4 bedrooms? If not, I would do what you mentioned and make the two rooms into one and have a really nice sized master suite with a good size shower.
I also would want a guest toilet near the front door so visitors don't need to go near the bedrooms. Maybe the clock room and storage room could all be one with a toilet and basin in there.

@longtompot thank you. I can see why people would want to do that now but that's not the way I work. For me it's a laundry room not an extension of the kitchen.

@Soontobe60 I couldn't get rid of the pantry it's one of my favourite parts 🤣

Where do you come in with muddy boots or wet dog? Surely utility should open to the outside directly?

I quite like it and actually makes sense i my mind why the laundry would be there. My main issue with it would be the lack of a toilet for guests/ visitors.

@Embracelife muddy boots would probably be commonplace so another door into the utility/laundry might be an option, but we would have a garage with an outdoor tap etc.

No dogs as I'm a cat person

I think you need the equivalent of a downstairs loo.

One of my friends has a really nifty solution that would work in your utility room.

Loo/ Wash hand basin. Partition beyond them with pocket door which slides back to reveal washing machine/ tumble dryer/ work top / cupboard/ utility sink.

@Newnamefor2021 yes I can see what you mean but I'm just hesitant on designing a house around guests needs when I probably will only have guests 3-4 times a year and most people that stay I am close with so I'm sure using the main bathroom wouldn't be an issue. Thank you.

Thanks for all suggestions. Some food for thought. 👍

My suggestion?

Post on a site that is more focussed on YOUR country rather than the UK

Because this may well fit perfectly and be familiar in your country

Here… well, let’s just say it’s unusual

@Toanewstart22 well we're in Ireland so as I said that's not WORLDS apart. Or maybe it is more than I thought. But thank you.

[quote myhousebuild]@Newnamefor2021 yes I can see what you mean but I'm just hesitant on designing a house around guests needs when I probably will only have guests 3-4 times a year and most people that stay I am close with so I'm sure using the main bathroom wouldn't be an issue. Thank you. [/quote]
Your kids are still pretty young though, one they start having friends over you might feel differently about that.

It's not just family and friends I am thinking of, it's any tradespeople you have at the house. I wouldn't want them going near the bedrooms.

Very exciting to be able to design from scratch!

When you come into your home through the front door, you are met with utility room, storage, and a blank wall. It doesn’t feel naturally welcoming.

Where is the garden? Will there be a big door / French window / bifold from your big reception space to the garden? I would want this.

Are you OK with all the front aspect windows being kitchen / bedroom / TV ?

Where will your outside bins be? What areas of the house will you carry rubbish through to access them?

I would put a good shower in the family bathroom in addition to the bath. Once they are teens they need to be in and out of showers quickly.

Do you like to linger in a bath? In which case everyone else will be traipsing to your en suite while you are in there.

I would make it so that you have the option to close off the main reception from the kitchen diner: sliding or folding doors or whatever.

Is there a sky light? The windows look small.

@longtompot my dh is very hands hand we don't tend to get tradesmen in but I can see what you mean.

@FawnFrenchieMum I totally get that, teenage boys and girls all using the bathroom. I'm thinking the en suite is more mind though and the main bathroom as the dc bathroom. Might work?

I'd switch the TV room and utility round, then turn the window on the west wall into a door.
I'd move the reading room door so it comes off the hall, not the open plan.
I'd turn bed 2 into bed one, with the (rectangular, no funny points) ensuite running down the external wall.
I'd find a way to put a toilet in the living areas.

Depending on the exact room sizes, I'd be inclined to consider making bed 1, bed 2 and reading room wider by taking one of the seating areas out, and making the open plan more L shaped than square.

so, I would change the room use round.

The TV room is th eobvious place for the utility and if the garden allows, I would add a door to the outside.

The room by the front door (current utility) is the best place for the home office/study/reading room. Home offices work best when not off the main living area.

I'd make the kids zone/playroom/TV room where the current reading room is.

Add guest loo.
Think about how the house connects to the garden. Do you have muddy kids/dog? Then definitely need a back door into utility.

And make sure utility has a sink and somewhere to hang clothes.

@StrifeOfBath

Very exciting to be able to design from scratch!

It is we are very excited!!

I envision putting a nice piece of art on that wall and having a nice hall table with a lamp etc when you enter.

The garden is all around really as it's in the middle of an acre lot. The big living area will have a dual aspect to the wooded part of the garden and the driveway and yes I really want it to be all glass with a slider bifold if door so I will change that.

The road facing end will actually be the side of the house iyswim

The bins will be out by the garage. I will carry it out to their through the entrance area door. I recycle and wash my rubbish so it won't be smelly.

I intend on putting in a shower and bath in both the main bathroom and ensuite (what you see is just the generic plan. It hasn't been personalised yet.

I will definitely linger in the bath! My room and ensuite will not be available to the dc 🤣

The windows are not set in stone as such as I said I will personalise that and get full length windows

I agree about having a loo away from the bedrooms for visitors to use.

To me its just far too open plan, I cannot live with hearing all the kitchen noise in my main living area.

I love the idea of a reading room, that on my fantasy home list.

I don't think the layout is that alien really. I agree with those who say swap utility and tv room/office and add a back door. I like the reading room idea, think it definitely needs to be well sound proofed and am on the fence about the door to it being moved but think on balance this would be a good idea and give you a much more usable room in the future.

I also agree with the comments about the en suite and making a walk in wardrobe and better en suite. I would definitely put a door in to separate living and bedroom quarters and might even be tempted to put another pocket door on the other side of the hall to separate the hall and the living/kitchen area - so there were two doors that could be closed to provide some sound proofing, even if there is the expectation that the pocket door would be open most of the time.

On the one hand you say you don't want to design a house around guests that you'd have only 3-4 times a year, on the other you want the tv room so the kids have somewhere to go other than bedrooms when you have guests round so I guess maybe just consider what the reality of visitors is likely to be.

@tentative3 I hear ya. Ah I think I just want the dc to have their own little tv room so that we can chill out in separate spaces that are not bedrooms I suppose.

Yeah I understand. I think you've got the bones of that in having an office and a reading room, whatever the exact layout, and the rooms can change as needs change over time.

@tentative3 thanks, that's exactly it, I want a space where we can all be together but yet be able to separate out when we nervous without having to resort to bedrooms.

I understand the appeal of a pantry but the one in the design obstructs the flow into the living area and reduces the feeling of spaciousness around the island and within the living area. For a cleaner feel, you could make the pantry a wall of long cabinets with doors that open together, then install glass double doors to the entrance of the open plan space. You will have loads of storage in the utility and within the island. Also use the same design of glass door to the entrance of hallway to the bedroom area so the doors mirror each other.

Utility rooms generally work better with an outside door but if you will use it mainly for laundry, it's better where it is so you don't have to trawl through the living area with dirty clothes.

I second the PP who said to think about what your house looks like from the outside. Unless you will have good fencing/hedges, the view from the street will be private bedrooms and a laundry room.