Coastal/golf course retirement home - floor plan suggestions?
Currently in the concept design phase for our retirement home, to be located on NSW South Coast. This will be ‘forever home’ for a couple only, with, all going well, our occupancy from about 18 months time. The block is at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac located just under a kilometre from the beach, with a fairly narrow frontage to the north. We have ocean glimpses to the front, and beautiful views through the trees at the back to the adjacent golf course. The bushy block slopes down to the front, falling about 1.5m from back to front, and there is a caveat preventing us building on the rear 10 metres backing onto the golf course. During summer we’ll definitely get a brisk north-easterly sea breeze on many days.
The picture is the first draft of architectural concept. We’ve already asked that dining/kitchen/living be reconfigured to one big space, preferably with kitchen adjacent to the big deck. We really like the fact that, as we asked, the home itself is single level, and the fact that almost every room will have a view to a courtyard of some description or to the golf course. The front courtyard will be mostly shielded from the street by a screen of vertical timber battens that will be continued across the front face of the garage and the front of the house itself.
Noting that stair-free access is likely to become a need in the medium term, I’m thinking that we should be asking for, potentially, a rethink of the front half of the plan that perhaps sees a gate into the front courtyard adjacent to the garage, and a curved path/ramp that joins the deck beside the spa and outdoor shower. At the cost of some courtyard space, this would present the opportunity to add an entry alcove into the reconfigured kitchen/dining/living space (replacing the proposed entry at the front of the house), and allow a redesign of the hobbies room and study to address our primary concern - not enough storage space.
Any further comments, tips or suggestions would be welcomed…
Comments (20)
6 years ago- 6 years ago
Related Discussions
Need help with deciding to go coastal paneling (white T&G panels)
Comments (43)Hi Tina, thanks for posting, it is all looking great. Shame about the panelling, but sometimes these things happen for a reason. It is great the armoire matches the doors so well when they are all on one wall, but I don't think you need to have the bed and side tables matching, especially when they are on another wall. My issue with painting furniture, while I love it, is the maintenance. It does chip over time and becomes one more thing to paint. I don't know what the timber is in your furniture but another possible option, especially to give you the coastal vibe is to lime it. To do this successfully, you will need to sand all the existing stain off it and go back to the raw timber. The darker the original timber, the less limed look you will get so bear that in mind too. I did an old bunk bed up that had seen better days, for my grands bedroom. It was a dark red wood, but with 4 coats of stain I got the look I was after which was that driftwood/coastal look. The whole thing looks totally new again. Sorry I can't post a photo as this function no longer works for me. Have a look at the Feast Watson range of liming stains, they have some gorgeous soft colours as well, but they let the timber show through rather than having the solid painted look. It is a very easy product to use, it dries quickly - I did the 4 coats over 2 days effortlessly. The hard work is in the sanding....See MoreNeed ideas for exterior and interior colours for our coastal house
Comments (2)grey and white always look good but Google "choosing colour schemes" for all the different paint companies services for matching colour schemes...See MoreFloor Plan Advice
Comments (50)I really like that facade. Thank you so much. It is brilliant of you to take the time Siriuskey. I had reservations about our plan but through the knowledge and inspiration I have received from you Houzzers, I got some wonderfull ideas to enhance it that I can take to the draftsman and the ideas will improve it greatly. I have taken in the thoughts and ideas of posters. Some I've agreed with and others that I didn't agree with were still of great benefit because then I was able to fully assess what suited me and our family and tweek the suggestions. I am researching further and asap I have something to share, I will. Warm regards Wendy....See MoreTerrible floor plan and limited budget
Comments (18)Thanks Paul - you make some great points. We've held off on doing anything major so far BC we wanted to live in the house, see how we use the space and try to anticipate how it might change as our kids get older. It's really the ensuite needing doing that's prompted us to start seriously considering what we want. We're not 'throwaway' people so we want to spend time getting it right before we start. Siriuskey - thank you for your plan! Utilising the two bedrooms would give us a great family space. And I would LOVE a walk in linen press. We just can't understand some of the decisions the original owners made. They commissioned the design from a local firm - and the owner was actually a retired builder! Just weird stuff, like at the moment, there's nowhere in the ensuite for towel racks to go. The vanity has drawers that only pull out 15cm so nothing really fits in them. You have to make sure someone isn't opening the shower door or standing at the basin before you open the ensuite door. We have a broom cupboard in our main living area.. not to mention the family bathroom and toilet entry being right next to the couch. The living room is a thoroughfare and difficult to furnish. The dishwasher has to be turned off at the wall BC it's constantly being accidentally started as it's so easy to lean against... and you can't have the cutlery drawers open at the same time as the dishwasher (the kitchen is slightly different to the plans). Needless to say, we won't be approaching the original design firm to help us with the renovations. Sooo many design faults - too many to list!...See More- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years agoHi Albyrne, you are moving to my husbands idea of heaven. Congratulations. My first thoughts for closing existing entry and making storage are attached. With shelving around two walls. I agree, the type of environment your moving to, does not warrant a formal entry. On the outside you could make a feature wall with planting or stone wall. Obviously steps, and landing would be removed.
- 6 years agoMy other thought was to make two long shelve units, ceiling height, running between each room, you could have each end open, or closed with a sliding barn type door.
PRO6 years agoSuch a great opportunity for a project!
We've done these before, and like everything it should always be all about connection to the site and celebrating the lifestyle that comes along with this location.
Here is a (larger) residence we developed for a similar golf estate context, with restrictions on setbacks and an odd shaped allotment:
13th Beach Golf Links Residence · More Info
And the floor plan, although the plunge pool/landscaping changed a bit:
The thing is on yours, it feels like it's missing opportunities and could (should!) be better..
You're on the right track with your instincts about the entry, and the living kitchen dining, as well as the front.......
The issues I see are about distinguishing of the private and secondary spaces. Eg You shouldn't be walking past a bathroom or laundry to get into the main space, or approaching a kitchen from behind.
Do you entertain / have friends over? The BBQ is so clunky - on to a wall that BACKS onto the beautiful view (!!!???!!)
The approach into the kitchen/dining is particularly poor, and it like there are aspects of the house that don't capitalise on the best outlooks to the golf course, like the kitchen & master bedroom. This outlook needs to be maximised and if the master is to outlook more privately, then fine, but the view needs to be given to something better than the walk in robe.....
The kitchen/dining should be "speaking" to the view, not tuning it's back on it like it is
Without picking it completely apart I'd suggest considering perhaps a bunch of broadform concepts that are rough, but quickly look at options of how to configure the spaces in different ways, before then honing in on fine detail. you need to get the main "skeleton" in regards to zoning and connection to place/outlooks and north light properly sorted first.
With such a fantastic small scale brief and amazing context there is really no excuse not to have this close to perfect from a design point of view, and to do this the design needs to be more responsive and tuned in to connection to the context and outlooks and simultaneously managing/distinguishing the main living from the private spaces.
this is the type of house that should "embrace' and "open up" to the outlook/environment, with expansive southern glazing aspects and views from the entry through, interesting little internal pockets, and perfectly balanced and discretely managed private zones considering the scale
I'd be thinking about the value factor in that if this ever needs to be sold then the hobbies and study can function as a true 2nd or 3rd bedroom and so the bathroom needs to be managed accordingly.
It's kind of on the right track, but my feeling is that whilst it "ticks the boxes" with the spaces on paper, it's needs rethinking in terms of the overall and the key will be in sorting the flow and zoning with sensitive consideration and prioritisation given to the specific outlooks from every single aspect internally
As you say , this is your "forever" home, and so it deserves to be exactly that, which at the moment, conceptually, it's falling well short of.
Apologies if it's bit harsh/firm, comments well intended & hope considered helpful :)
Best of luck PD :)
- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
some ideas to consider..having the double garage set back on the block would have less impact on the frontage, allow more storage and workshop space, includes rear access for the buggy and off street parking can be useful in a cul de sac... having the spa off the master bedroom could be interesting and include an outdoor shower and beach access through the east courtyard, there's a new covered front entry, extra storage, rearranged kitchen and option for a more generous laundry and, as much as i love the look of the angled walls they don't make the ensuite or study more spacious or easier to furnish and access along the east side of the house for access to the ensuite for the toilet could be useful instead of walking through the house from the backyard
with the slope towards the front do you plan for a concrete slab with steps at the front and walking out the back at ground level or piers needing steps back and front?albyrne thanked oklouise 
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoLove that garage, it is a lot like ours, I was playing with the same idea for this build earlier today. with a different floor plan for the rest of the house, Love the look of the coloured floor plan you can just visualize people living in it. Our architect designed house floor plan showing garage. and totally agree that those sharply angled walls are a waste of usable space.Our living areas over look water but the same applies to overlooking a golf course
- 6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
This is the very rough sketch I was playing with , working the garage similar to our house, we are at the end of a cul de sac with a very small street frontage very similar to yours.
I have moved the laundry and replaced it with a large window with with a bench seat to let light into the house and gallery, When entering the house you will have a view through to the golf course, You won't see the kitchen.
albyrne thanked siriuskey - 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
- 6 years ago
Thanks again to all.
Last week's meeting to thrash out some ideas led to this revised rough sketch...
This gives us:-- more coats storage near the front door for visitors
-- good size linen storage adjacent to laundry
-- a 'drop zone' adjacent to kitchen (near the door into bedroom)
-- 1800mm high wall between ensuite shower and toilet, to eliminate overspray (and provide location for future grab rail)
-- possible bathtub in a great location, although I think we'll go without it, and have an internal rockery/fernery at the southern edge of the the ensuite shower recess in lieu, combined with skylight overhead (I love the fantasy of feeling like I'm showering 'outdoors')
-- revised kitchen/dining/living arrangement that still gives room for BIG island bench
-- possible ramp access, although still need to figure out best configuration/location
-- move electric golf cart to standalone 'shelter shed' located to rear, to allow more usable space in garage
- last year
- last year
- last year
MB Design & Drafting