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Expert
Posts: 1543
  
Location: MI | Rodeomom3, I love Houzz! I got a ton of ideas from there when we were building.
Our house is different, I know it's not for everyone, but it works awesome for us. It's very straightforward, 3 bedrooms (or 2 beds, 1 office) on the main level with 2 full baths, the walkout basement is unfinished, but we will eventually have 1 full bath, 2 more bedrooms, a great room area, the laundry room (finished) and a workshop space for my husband (also our 'dog room'). It is around 1560 sq ft on the main.
We built with passive solar in mind, as I just thought it was smart, based on our property, to use the suns energy to heat/cool. We have in floor radiant heat on the main and in the basement, and it is powered by a wood boiler (or propane). We have polished concrete floors (love!) and a big mud room (double love!!). Our kitchen, living room, and mud room occupy a 24'x30' rectangle, I love that we are all together and that the house is so open. We have a lot of cabinets in the kitchen 'rectangle' :). We also have an indoor wood stove in the great room area, we both like the ambience of the fire.
Hmmm....oh, and it is barrier free. We think we'll be here for a while, and we've talked about fostering special needs kids. In my occupation I see a lot of people wheelchair bound and I didn't want my house to be someplace I couldn't invite people over to, and also, if something was to happen to us or a member of our family, we will be able to handle it. :)
My husband was big on a double shower head, so that's why we have that. My step father in law built all of our countertops. Our house is a mixture of farm and industrial. Here's a picture of the exterior. I have more, just don't want to bore anyone! I could blab about house building for a while, lol.
Edited by Ridenrun4745 2013-11-21 12:23 PM
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 Popped
Posts: 20421
 
Location: LuluLand~along I64 Indiana | i am not a fan of my gas log fireplace and wish we had put in a real log anywhere in our floor plan. with all the covered decks we have nowhere to go up with a chimney in our floor plan now.
i wish we had put radiant floor heating in the basement floor. this can be done yet after the fact but i sure wish it was already there.
i am super happy with our floor plan and wouldnt change anything about it. open living/dining/kitchen area. Vaulted living room celing has a wood cover. it looks really nice.
i have a huge bathroom and put in a corner tub to take up some extra space.... hate it. would rather have a full length soaker tub or a huge closet there instead.
fyi.... the garage can never be big enough.... figure in opening doors to your vehicle, and stuff stacked up all along the walls. i hate banging car doors.... grr
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Popped
Posts: 20421
Location: LuluLand~along I64 Indiana | thomas paine - 2013-11-21 9:18 AM here's the stock plan of the house we "were" going to build. made a bunch of modifications, took out the angle in the house, made living room larger and more open to the kitchen, made mud room larger, second laundry room (a must if you have a number of kids ) and so on. then the appraisal came back $80k less than the cost to build. We knew what the house was going to cost, but were being fed incorrect info from the banks. Have put everything on hold as we can either come home 7 days a week to a "nice" house or have enought disposal income to do what we want on the weekends (horses ) keep that in mind as you go through your process of drawing out your plans. http://www.garrellassociates.com/featured/amicalola-cottage-rustic-...
i so would love to build and live in this floor plan....  |
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4557
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | I have rented 2 different houses. One was log outer (love) huge living room with full window to the east and full window to the west so the sun came in on rising and setting with a full rock fireplace and bedrooms on the end with sliding doors and mud room at the entrance. Warm in winter cool in summer Loved that house. the other was a log house front country porch fireplace with attached brick oven. all wood flooring bedrooms upstairs. Love wood floors fireplaces open floor plans and large windows . My current house has several large windows, wood flooring open floor plan. I just wish the bedrooms were at one end of the house, but it is peachy. We've re did the walls and put in new cabinets , all new windows next will be doors and back bedrooms. It's just peachy. |
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Regular
Posts: 57
Location: Wishing I was riding | The house that we just moved out of I absolutely loved. It had 6 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, it had enough bedrooms for each of us kids before the baby was born, and plenty of storage space. Most of the rooms had more window than walls, which I loved. My room had he best view, it overlooked 40 Rollin acres of pasture and the barn. We had a large kitchen and seperate dining room, and a huge living room. We had a seperate mud room that we kept the doors closed in. It was about the size of a bedroom and held all our barn clothes and shoes, plus the washer and dryer. If I was going to build, I'd make a house similar, but add more closet space for the bedrooms and bigger bathrooms. And I would have a finished basement. The house was over a hundred years old, but was completely remodeled. and it had all hard would flooring, which was nice, but got really cold during the winter in Wisconsin. My dream house is a huge Victorian over looking a field full of horses :) |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Kaycee - 2013-11-21 11:55 AM rodeomom3 - 2013-11-21 6:13 AM We are meeing with an architect next week. I like to see out so lots of windows, lots of closets, big back deck for entertaining with another fireplace, grill. This is what I have drawn up for him: 3/3, open floor plan, one living/dining area, floor to ceiling windows across the back wall, windows instead of upper cabinets in kitchen. I tis just down to my husnband and me, I want what will be hte guest bathroom tohave freestanding bath tub and furniture. I want a mud room seperate from my laundry room, office for my husband and a weight room you can access from the master bath and the hall way. BIG maters closet with built ins. I have also hired a kitchen designer and a friend of mine who is an interior designer to be sure we get his house right as hopefully it will be our last. These pictures are from a website houzz.com. Going to copy the living room pretty verbatim and tweak the bathroom just a little.
I'm in love with these two rooms. They look soo cozy. I love the warmth of beiges, browns and wood. These pics look like a beautiful kitchen and bath up in the mountains.
Aren't they gorgeous? As soon as I saw them I said that's it, don't need to look any more. |
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Expert
Posts: 1414
| We're converting a barn into our house. We had the building but wanted to add nooks and crannies to make it look more homey. Hands down the best thing I ever did was buy a software program for home designing. I can't even begin to tell you how much that helped us for the exterior and interior. You can view it as 2D or 3D so you can do a virtual walk through of the house, easily move walls, swap carpet for tile, etc. The possibilities are almost endless and it gets really addicting! LOL
I worked on it for about a year and fine tuned it to exactly what we wanted. After we picked our builder we gave our prints to the architect and he drew them to make them official for the building permit.
I had a very specific vision of what I wanted our house to look like and wanted the challenge of designing it ourselves. I'm soooo glad we did. |
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 Special Somebody
Posts: 3951
Location: Finally horseback again.... | Kaycee - 2013-11-21 11:20 AM We are in the process of finishing up on our new house and it looks like we should start moving in in mid January so I won't know just yet what I love and what I hate about this house but I will totally agree with Canchasr1 that if you live in a tornado prone area invest in a storm/safe room. Ours is just big enough to get me, my husband,two weiner dogs and Doberman in but when a tornado is barreling down on you it's not going to matter how comfy you are just safe. 
It is looking great !!!! |
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | We will move into our new construction home around Christmas... we downsized and built a home at our farm. House is about 1800 total square feet heated / cooled. Husband retired this past March. We have a split plan.... big room in the middle of the house with cathedral ceiling (beaded cypress wood)..... with a gas log fireplace.... large kitchen island with Viking gas cook top in the island..... so husband (who loves to cook) can face everyone and visit / talk with everyone while he cooks ( ). It's been really fun to build. I would never hesitate to build another -- contractor has been wonderful and the stress level has been very low - I have enjoyed working on the interior and exterior design, etc., working with the contractor and all the subs, etc..... husband cooked hamburgers for everyone this past Monday. We have built a "farm house" with a "Mission / Shaker" interior style. No carpet. There will be no drapery / curtains..... the trim is very farm house... base boards are the old style.... six-inch width. Subdued "natural" colors. (We also added a storm cellar!!)
Edited by Delta Cowgirl 2013-11-21 5:52 PM
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 John Deere Green
Posts: 12272
Location: ~Kansas~ | Our Modular is about ready for us to move in... things we changed made pantry and mud room bigger
Things we added a recessed area above fireplace for tv ,cabinets to unused space under bar area, more lights in kitchen area
I LOVE IT and it fits us perfect only thing I am wishing now is we went with a 4 bed instead of 3 we dont have kids yet but that extra room would come in nice in the future I am sure.
Good luck to you and wish you the best !
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | We bought a older fixer upper that was built in the 1940's. While I love the character it has, I don't love all the work it still needs...... |
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 Texas Tenderheart
Posts: 6715
Location: Red Raiderland | Canchasr1 - 2013-11-21 4:29 PM Kaycee - 2013-11-21 11:20 AM We are in the process of finishing up on our new house and it looks like we should start moving in in mid January so I won't know just yet what I love and what I hate about this house but I will totally agree with Canchasr1 that if you live in a tornado prone area invest in a storm/safe room. Ours is just big enough to get me, my husband,two weiner dogs and Doberman in but when a tornado is barreling down on you it's not going to matter how comfy you are just safe.
Thanks girl! Yall have got to come over when we get moved in or even before then. Heck, you know where it is! |
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Texas Tenderheart
Posts: 6715
Location: Red Raiderland | Delta Cowgirl - 2013-11-21 5:50 PM We will move into our new construction home around Christmas... we downsized and built a home at our farm. House is about 1800 total square feet heated / cooled. Husband retired this past March. We have a split plan.... big room in the middle of the house with cathedral ceiling (beaded cypress wood)..... with a gas log fireplace.... large kitchen island with Viking gas cook top in the island..... so husband (who loves to cook) can face everyone and visit / talk with everyone while he cooks (). It's been really fun to build. I would never hesitate to build another -- contractor has been wonderful and the stress level has been very low - I have enjoyed working on the interior and exterior design, etc., working with the contractor and all the subs, etc..... husband cooked hamburgers for everyone this past Monday. We have built a "farm house" with a "Mission / Shaker" interior style. No carpet. There will be no drapery / curtains..... the trim is very farm house... base boards are the old style.... six-inch width. Subdued "natural" colors. (We also added a storm cellar!!)
PICTURES???? You gotta have some pictures. |
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10D Crack Champion
| cow pie - 2013-11-21 12:44 PMI have rented 2 different houses. One was log outer (love) huge living room with full window to the east and full window to the west so the sun came in on rising and setting with a full rock fireplace and bedrooms on the end with sliding doors and mud room at the entrance. Warm in winter cool in summer Loved that house. the other was a log house front country porch fireplace with attached brick oven. all wood flooring bedrooms upstairs. Love wood floors fireplaces open floor plans and large windows . My current house has several large windows, wood flooring open floor plan. I just wish the bedrooms were at one end of the house, but it is peachy. We've re did the walls and put in new cabinets , all new windows next will be doors and back bedrooms. It's just peachy. Â If a person is building in say Oklahoma....or a place where it gets miserably hot in the summer.... I would not recommend lots of windows facing the west. The afternoon & evening sun in or on a west window will make the home blazing hot & cost more to keep it cool. It would require black out curtains/shades to help keep it cool.....no enjoying the west windows at all in the summer. The windows will be hot to the touch inside & outside.....an option would be tinted windows to help. I just wouldn't recommend many west windows in a hot place......unless you have a big covered porch helping to shade that side of the house. Even the east side with lots of windows can get the house pretty hot on a summer morning.
Edited by sodapop 2013-11-23 3:20 AM
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Kaycee - 2013-11-22 6:53 PM
Delta Cowgirl - 2013-11-21 5:50 PM We will move into our new construction home around Christmas... we downsized and built a home at our farm. House is about 1800 total square feet heated / cooled.  Husband retired this past March. We have a split plan.... big room in the middle of the house with cathedral ceiling (beaded cypress wood)..... with a gas log fireplace.... large kitchen island with Viking gas cook top in the island..... so husband (who loves to cook) can face everyone and visit / talk with everyone while he cooks ().  It's been really fun to build. I would never hesitate to build another -- contractor has been wonderful and the stress level has been very low - I have enjoyed working on the interior and exterior design, etc., working with the contractor and all the subs, etc.....  husband cooked hamburgers for everyone this past Monday. We have built a "farm house" with a "Mission / Shaker" interior style. No carpet. There will be no drapery / curtains..... the trim is very farm house... base boards are the old style.... six-inch width. Subdued "natural" colors.  (We also added a storm cellar!!)
 She's got lots of pics on FB. I've really enjoyed watching her build happen--they did lots of cool details. |
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I keep my change in my pockets
Posts: 2985
Location: MN | Love, love our in floor heating, will never have anything else! This is well worth the money.
Washer and dryer on the main floor. Ours in the basement and as someone said old age not have to do stairs.
Make sure all you bedroom and bathroom doors are at least 36" wide for moving in furniture plus also think if you have to be using a wheelchair due to accident. Some are going wider plus make sure hallways are wide enough.
Metal roof will last longer then shingles.
Remember the foundation and the roof are the back bone of the house and scrimp on money there. If either of these are weak so is your whole house.
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 MEOW!
Posts: 4477
Location: High heels in the air... | I love my little house..it was built in 1902 so it was an expensive remodel...still not done!!! The negative is the smaller windows...I like light...the positive is the original wood ceilings and walls...I did spray foam in the roof this year and my electric bill is half of what it was plus I get an energy tax break...something to think about...I want new countertops and have to finish the master bath but I love my home... |
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 Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | Kaycee - 2013-11-21 10:20 AM We are in the process of finishing up on our new house and it looks like we should start moving in in mid January so I won't know just yet what I love and what I hate about this house but I will totally agree with Canchasr1 that if you live in a tornado prone area invest in a storm/safe room. Ours is just big enough to get me, my husband,two weiner dogs and Doberman in but when a tornado is barreling down on you it's not going to matter how comfy you are just safe.
Your house is looking so good. Glad things are working so good now. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Kaycee - 2013-11-22 6:52 PM Canchasr1 - 2013-11-21 4:29 PM Kaycee - 2013-11-21 11:20 AM We are in the process of finishing up on our new house and it looks like we should start moving in in mid January so I won't know just yet what I love and what I hate about this house but I will totally agree with Canchasr1 that if you live in a tornado prone area invest in a storm/safe room. Ours is just big enough to get me, my husband,two weiner dogs and Doberman in but when a tornado is barreling down on you it's not going to matter how comfy you are just safe.
Beautiful home! |
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 California Cowgirl
Posts: 14973
Location: California | My thermostat is on the first floor of my 2 story home so it will run the heat until the bottom floor gets to the set temperature , leaving the 2nd story very very hot.
Someone decided to put the A/C & heater vents in a position where when you have the bedroom doors open , they are behind the door , thus blocking the air flow.
There are no cieling lights in the bedrooms , all my bedrooms needed floor lamps which doesn't dispense the light the same as overhead lights.
I also have the garage going straight into the kitchen , I would have preffered the laundry room to be your first entry point. |
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