Hi Jessica, congratulations on building your new home. I really like the mid-century modern tone and the interest created with different levels and features. Is it an issue for you that the master suite is on the opposite side of the house? I know parents like a 'wing' of their own. And your children may not require nighttime 'fussing'. Consider a dark charcoal on the exterior instead of a dark sea green as charcoal is more timeless, blends in with the greenery of the landscape, and looks good with grey, white, and black. You will have to make careful dining/living furniture choices to not overcrowd the space and given the angled wall.

For example, you may wish to avoid a modular in favour of more individual pieces. This will give more flexibility for furniture arrangement and not overwhelm the space. Similarly an extendable dining table. Without seeing more of the interior I can't comment further on surfaces but it looks like a cool house.

With a small space choose furniture that has legs (so off the ground), surfaces such as glass and perspex you can see through, and also wall hung storage if you can. These tips make a space look bigger. Also the use of mirrors to reflect light and aspects of the room.

Just on the builder issue, be very very sure they are not going to charge for every tiny change. Better still, be very sure about your plans and fix them in before the build starts.

For example, clients of mine were charged $250 to NOT include mirrors in the bathroom (they were going to install their own) then ANOTHER $250 the very next day when they changed their minds and decided to go with the builder mirrors. That type of thing happened to them several times during their build. She ended up hating the builder. Good luck. Cheers, Penelope

Thanks so much for your input, I agree - I will have to be very careful with furniture choice in living area. I am worried with charcoal that the house will just look like a grey house but understand that adding colour is also a risk - I will keep in mind. Thanks also for the advice on the builder - it seems lots of people have similiar problems

love the skillion roof and raked ceilings but would be reluctant to have a solid roof over the alfresco in a cold area and asymmetrical window and fireplace position may be easier for furniture arrangement in the living area and have you considered entry from garage into pantry and what is your climate and do you have any good or bad views?

You're welcome, Jessica. Have a look at some really dark charcoals, not grey. Dark almost black charcoal looks great with greenery, wooden decking, and also a vibrant front door in orange or bright green - yes really :-) You could go wild with a bright front door and still keep the mid-century modern 'tone' Have a look at my Donna Reeves Mid-Century Modern Ideasbook on my profile. I compiled it for a client. She just moved in today, actually. Cheers, Penelope :-)

Climate is similiar to Sydney - so mid temps. I'm in bushland setting with no property, just some bush on the alfresco side of the house. The house is quite shaded by trees - this is why I'm keen to have lots of highlight windows. Ive considered entry from garage but worried my pantry space is limited and the garage is stepped down

sounds like a lovely setting and the trees and climate would encourage me to omit the roof over the alfreso and live in the house until you experience the climate year round and then add a simple partially covered pergola (with flyscreeneing?) only if absolutely necessary and i also would reconsider adding custom detailed joinery as it's very difficult to pay close attention to very aspect of a whole house build all at the same time and suggest you concentrate on a good quality basic finish for the whole house and save custom details to be done at leisure by a specialist cabinetmaker. whatever you decide it will be a gorgeous house in a great setting, best of luck to you and your family

by bulkheads do you mean to fill in the space above kitchen cabinets and wardrobes and the raised ceilings with enclosed voids covered in plasterboard?? if so, this is done by the carpenter with framing timber covered in plasterboard and then the joinery (cabinets) are installed separately..I suggest that a project home builder will be trying to get the job done as quickly as possible and may not want to be involved with extras that are not usually included in their own project homes and every little extra will cost so be very specific about all the extras and what they will cost

Can't initially see any issue with roof pitch. External design & style looks quite good.

I'd use a Vergola type of roof over the outdoor area. You could then remove clerestory roof and windows perhaps. Looks good but cleaning the window's, extra build cost's.....

I'm not a fan of internal bathrooms so at the design stage you can easily remove it.

Garage is a squeeze for 2 cars. Size wise apart from that it all is quite good.

I would avoid the angled wall as well as it make furniture layout a bit tricky.

Project builders are good were plans are stuck to and not changed. They are a bit cheaper because they get in and get it done to a tight schedule. Everything is ordered well in advance so changes cost them which is passed to you. Once the plans are in council get the internal fit out sorted asap that way there are no surprises.

We have questioned making the lounge and activity room use a divider that we can open and close - we are just not sure how much we would use it and I was thinking about putting the TV against that wall - but still probably something i should think about.

Yes that is what i meant for bulkheads. i have been advised about project builders and how they charge for extras - we will be checking everything we can possibly think of before signing, but im sure its hard to think of everything. I have done lots of research already on all the different things i may want to change/add.

We were looking at Vergola roof - will this be much more expensive?

The bathroom was difficult - hard to find a place for it, we are adding in a skylight to help. Again the angled wall was difficult but we want as much size into plan as we possibly can with development envelope (the reason is because you have to keep all your big trees).

I agree cleaning windows will not be fun but i really like the idea of lots of windows.

Thanks everyone for your input

The Vergola type of roofs used to be expensive but there a few manufacturers now doing similar so the costs are quite good, almost comparable to a standard veranda built out of colorbond, rafters, etc. Shop around and get them to quote. Probably be an extra on the builders quote anyway.

Yes, I get quite a few of these where we work around trees, environmental protection zones, etc. but keep in mind having size to a floor plan doesn't necessarily make it a good plan if its tricky to furnish.

I'd push the designer a bit more as this is the most important part bar none. We can't get things perfect but I'm sure there is an opportunity to relocate bathroom. Another consideration is bushfire, as you've got a few tree's about this may mean you're in a bushfire prone area. Not a big issue if BAL40 or lower.

Wow - yes your house is amazing - i love the open plan feel. The sloping wall and the high ceilings with the step into the living all looks really good. So many new houses are very plain and I'm keen to get something different. Thanks for sending through.

Hi Jessica. I haven't yet read through the other posts, but first off wanted to say that as long as all of your inclusions and finishes are contained in the contract, the builder must adhere to the terms. I would urge you to speak to more than one builder, though.

I have to agree it would be better to hold off on your 'extra' joinery until after the build is complete. It is very difficult to accurately identify what exactly is being charged for the extras when everything is bundled into the project builder's quote. I know it might seem easier and more time efficient to have it all done in time for the handover, but it doesn't necessarily make good business sense. I love your design and look forward to watching the progress.

siriuskey, you have such a beautiful home. Thanks for sharing it. I especially love your large brick wall in dining area.

take your time Jessica :)

Thanks girlguides & annb, yes we moved from a Federation into this house approx 10 yrs ago. Only real changes were to remove 600 wide waist height brick walls between both the fire place and column and again from the second column to the wall these were both sides of the step down into the lounge.

A Low wall with fixed glass panels and a 3 panel door with one moving were removed from both on sides of the internal courtyard. Removed the BLUE kitchen which then opened it up to the courtyard. Some carpet/tiles and timber blinds, bathrooms are still original, ensuite needs doing when we can afford it as it involves a window and asbestos, but the family is still great.

We love it along with all the bricks and timber

curious to identify an option for direct access from garage to pantry without losing too much bench and storage space but measurements would need to be confirmed

Take your time to find the right fit for your builder. Many project builders have their own plans, systems, processes and suppliers, which makes them very cost competitive. Different project builders have various arrangements with different suppliers to get discounts by buying pre-determined quantities over a year.

They are not well geared for individually designed custom homes, and may need to charge a premium for the extra administration and work required for something that is not one of their standard project homes, or requires purchasing from outside their normal suppliers. Once you start specifying items that are outside the project builder's standard suppliers you start to lose any cost advantage.

You may be surprised at how cheaply and more efficiently a small builder that does NOT work on standardised project homes can be with your individual design, and that allows you to put some time in to source the best selections at the best prices.

BTW Jess, just make sure you triple check all plans and elevations...see if u can find the mistake :)

It doesn't help that I don't really know this whole design and construction process very well, starting to understand more now. We have already paid a small deposit with our project builder. We are worried that if we go with a small builder we wouldn't know enough about the process to check the progression of the design and build. Our project builder promotes themselves as able to do custom builds but i do know the price will hike up. The elevations are just a preliminary drawing (just something the salesperson did) - it is going to draftsperson next week, I can't find the mistake - hopefully they will be on top of it.

Hi Jessica, please don't feel pressured into using someone when you still have doubts. It's a highly competitive market and there are very good small builders out there. If anyone tries to guilt, pressure or rush you then you are not going to have a good relationship with them or a good build experience. You will regret a rushed decision. Good luck :-)

the draftsman should pickup the mistake, and the builder too..there are 3 windows in the front elevation of Bed 1, but only 2 on the plan.

Hi again, Jessica. I'm not sure anyone completely understands or is adequately prepared for the construction process unless they are in the industry. The way to learn is to jump in; you will learn as you go along. Ask your builder questions when you don't understand something or need clarification, and monitor the build because mistakes can and do happen (they are usually minor and easily rectified when caught in time). We have built four times, the last two were custom and we caught mistakes in each one of those at various stages of the build.

In my experience, builders generally prefer the clients not to access the site without their permission; this point is usually stipulated in the contract. The time to address access (with the builder) is when the contract is ready for you to read and sign. Anyone who is building a house is going to access the site to monitor the progress, but it's better to do so when tradesmen are not working, for everyone's safety, and because then you can take your time.

Be sure to read the contract through thoroughly, check that the specifications and inclusions are correct, and resolve any queries before signing. And check that the completion date is specified and it is to your satisfaction. Completion date should never be left open-ended.

I'm sure everyone's experiences are different, but this is a good opportunity to learn and what you learn will help prepare you for any future builds.

consider electric windows openers for clerestory windows (added by window maker and installed by the electrician cost about $400) much easier than climbing a ladder and can be regularly opened and shut to exhaust hot air and ventilate the whole house and, with your good sized activity room and alfresco, stacking doors to the dining room and open kitchen i think the living area will be a comfortable size but consider the tv and fire on the angled wall with low storage and asymmetrically sized and positioned windows to make the best of the available space ..

and, consider stealing space from the end of the wiw for either a study nook or low coat cupboard (chest height?) with open shelves above (to add interest to hallway)

btw your plan is already a great design that suits the site as described and avoiding too many complex add ons should keep it more affordable and the builder happy...make a bigger copy of the plan and try some scale sized furniture to see what works for you (my suggested furniture includes lounges under 2m long and eg the two modular storage cabinets are 120cm long x 38cm or 74cm tall and 40 cms deep IKEA BESTA and the living room windows can be sized to suit the height of the cabinets instead of being full height )

Hi Jessica, You do have a lot to think about, as you are looking at building a project home would you mind letting us know which project company and the name of the floor plan you are thinking of , cheers

i believe the angled wall is required by the building development envelope being restricted by trees and the shape of the block

Hi Jessica, I'am attaching the floor plan of our house, the black zig zag lines show what wasn't included in the plan plus the low walls on both sides of the sunken lounge. Our fire place is on the short angled wall, I feel that the very sharp angle where your living room walls meet is unnecessary and awkward and perhaps you could consider something like we have, cheers

Thanks everyone for your input - ive been trying to work out how to place the furniture in the living area and you have really maximised the space and it looks great. I am worried about putting a TV on the angled wall - I dont want it to look wrong. I was keen to put the fireplace on the wall though and the storage. We are actually having a 6 stacker door out to the alfresco and i havent decided on the windows on the angled wall yet - but good idea to keep in mind the height with the storage

So the side alfresco looks onto the bushland area and at the back of the house we have another property which has its alfresco right behind us. We thought it is a bit more private if we have ours on the side and also it will be north east instead of east.

We are looking at building with G J Gardner - its a franchise company. The plan did start with Wide Bay 199 but we have changed it significantly - it really doesnt look anything like it.

Thanks for sending through your floor plan, i did discuss doing something similiar with builder - he did think i should use as much space as possible but you are right , there is probably not much we can do with that corner