the numbers are clear when adding the pics but they go blurry when upload. Frustrating!

Try doing it "Negative"

Is this better

looks something like this..can you please confirm/correct these dimensions

Oklouise, I have just loaded screen shots. The home is a lot bigger than you measurements.

Kylie, take photographs in sections.
First change I would make is move garage door into mudroom rather than dining, you want an airlock between garage and living spaces to minimize fumes.
I am seeing some steps but can’t read levels. We have a dropped lounge, creating taller ceiling, and it is cold as heat flows up out to rest of house. Some wall to wall carpet would have helped, but at present we are loathe to cover the lovely floorboards.
Why not a deeper island bench in kitchen? Is that a preference of yours?
Need to consider furniture plans and where TVs would go.
What size bath are you proposing in master. It seems really long. Need 800-900 width for toilet
Put a door on the bedroom wing.i would swap bed 1 with the study so that bed is off hallway.

By your measurements the bedrooms are very generous, but kitchen, living dining is compromised. Do you require three separate living areas and a study?

My suggestion is for laundry to come off the hallway. At the moment the kitchen is a thoroughfare for accessing laundry. In my opinion it should be accessed from bedrooms for ease of transfer of washing, sheets, etc. if someone is outside on northern entertainment area, they have to access living or laundry, pantry, kitchen, hallway to get to the toilet.

Thanks everyone. Hope this is a bit better. Island is definately in mind & going to be a change😊 Tought that about the laundry because it goes through the butlers pantry atm but wasnt sure how to go about the change🥴

The set down is 300mm & is the highlighted section which starts at the edge of garage & goes to the kitchen but was having it extended to end of laundry

what do you mean by the set down?

can you had write measurements of each space with arrows or just write the measurement for each width width first then length 1400 x 2000

Seriouskey youve done a great job drawing up the house😊 Sorry its been difficult to read, im still getting used to this chat thing because i only realised you could chat & upload yesterday to get others advice😊 Kate good idea to change the garage door to go off the mudroom entrance, thanks. Do you think we should put the master door in the same area or leave it to come off the living area? dreamer, the study isnt a 'must' & i wondered where to put the tv so thought to move the master door into the mudroom entrance also. This is exciting but very stressful at the same time because i cant get it perfect myself lol

its stepping up from the living area into the hall & rooms etc to increase the ceiling height into the living & entrance

have you considered keeping the floor level and raising the ceilings in the living area instead?

Bedroom doors should all come off a hallway. So yes to moving master entry

sorry oklouise,just realised you have drawn up the plan. The outside access is through the laundry, butlers pantry & kitchen, not through the powder room. The powder room & kids bathroom are entered via hallway.

Oklouise did a great job working up your plan, you beat me to it Kylie

just spoke to my hubby & hes not keen on changing the fllor & lifting the ceiling😔 Ok Louise ill write the measurements😊 i should have thought of that lol sorry

unable to clearly see all the dimensions but this is closer to your plan sizes but i wonder if you realise that by the time you add in external walls the house will be closer to 500sq m.and do you also plan for some extra sheds on the property?..so much bigger than necessary for a comfortable family home and the stepped down floor and existing doors will mean that you'll also need steps up into the master suite and the garage and across the verandah ....so much better to have a raked ceiling through the centre of the house and keep all the floors level (although the bathrooms should have a small set down to allow for grading tiled floors

For a house on a large lot, I would think about:

1. A shower in the mud room and toilet for outdoor work, a place to clean up.
2. If you are entertainers/family oriented the kitchen and pantry seems not adequate for Fridge/freezer and storage. And the kitchen area would be adequate for more than one worker behind the counter without being hemmed in
3. As it a forever home, internal steps are a problem, universal access is one level. Think about when the bones start to creak or something more, even one step is not helpful.
4. Is the house designed by an architect? Have you worked with a designer who understands your lifestyle, what are the coming phases for you in a forever home, how you will interact with the large lot, where are the breezes and views, what is the micro environment for that lot, eg temperatures, water flows and wind gusts?
5. The entry no undercover porch
6. Is this a slab building?
7. It is a big house to cool and heat, how?

Ive had to deal with kids & run around to their activities all afternoon sorry. Im waiting on the architect (we have been working with an architect) to do a few changes. I realise its a large home but that was the plan, I just hope we can get it right. The dimensions of your plans are pretty good. Ill try to get the actual dimensions drawn on & on here by tomorrow afternoon if thats ok Oklouise? The step up kind of worries me now too. Ill talk to my hubby again in the morning about that.
You are right about the front porch, i missed that one😬 There is supposed to be a porch there so ill have the architect extend the front out a bit off the media/entrance (whats a few more metres lol).
The lot is 50m wide & extends right back (northerly) overlooking paddocks & mountains. We get some nice breezes out where we are usually coming from the N-N/E. Our kids will still be living with us for atleast another 10yrs.
We will have a shed built out the back for my husbands business & a pool off the back verandah. Ducted air-con in living areas & fans in bedrooms.
Thank you all for your input, really do appreciate it.

Kids, pool and another ten years bring in some further things to think about. Coming up from the pool straight into a bathroom wet area, not dripping through living areas. Therefore their bathroom needs to be accessible from the verandah. An outdoor shower could work. Room to put and do their stuff, eg study, hobbies, away from. TV and family life, especially when in higher grades or at post secondary. The rumpus could be, but at the moment it is the pathway to the bathroom. It is cheaper in the long term to run ac through the whole house, especially is having solar. Depends on your climate. Soundproofing! If you have kids ( boy+ girls) I suggest the bathroom layout needs to be three seperate rooms. Toilet, Shower room and bath room with double vanities seperate again.No fights. By the look you have the room to do something more suited to family needs in that area

another variation including some of kbodmans ideas

OkLouise, thank you for using some of my suggestions. I would be just twigging the family bathroom with people coming up from the pool to use the toilet, shower etc., from experience a wet path through the house is not good.

I would like to know how many in family, ages of kids, family life style, entertaining choices. Just reading through, a big lot, overlooking bush, forever home home. - the house needs to cater for that lifestyle. Where is it, does it rain a lot ie that it get muddy, if so is the mud room big enough for coats, wellies and wet gear? A lot of thinking of how the family lives, and will live through the next 5 decades. I picture a family of five and animals in their late 30s early 40s on the verge of nesting into their forever home?

added an outside loo but i'm also wondering about driveway and garage doors and sheeter for external doors and parking areas and location of the shed and access for customers for husband.s business and set backs and sewerage, water and power..so much to consider!

I am not an architect or professional designer but lecturer in training these professionals. My area was how people interact with design. I would be mightily upset if my graduates did not take the time to understand the ‘needs’ to suit the lifestyle of clients, and reflect these in design.

I really do appreciate you guys opinions & advice, its very helpful so, THANK YOU😊
I do like your advice & am discussing it in depth with my husband so if i disappear its because thats what im doing or im at work. ive managed to talk my husband out of the step down area & making it all level & extending the ceiling height in those areas, i just have a bit more to discuss with him to try & see the logic in the changes & how it would suit us a lot better.
There is 5 of us living in the house, hubby 50, me 37, 12yo & 10yo girls & a 8yo boy. We do also have my husbands other 3 kids who visit us regularly who are 18, 21, 25. My hubby has a handyman business so rarely has customers come by. We live on mid north coast NSW, Aus, beautiful country side😊
Oklouise would you still like me to send the written dimensions? This is the 2nd architect we've gone to because the 1st wasnt very helpful with suggestions & looks like we arent doing much better with the 2nd because im getting more helpful advice from you guys.
Im about to go to work so ill check in later on my break.
Thanks heaps😊

Just out of Port Macquarie, NSW.

Have you tried an architect listed on Houzz in your region?

i'd be worried that your architect is not giving you any advice so i'm wondering if they are a qualified architect or a draftperson who is making a very basic plan out of what you think you might like without offering any ideas...my concern about the size (cost) and the sunken floor have such a huge impact that they should have discussed that with you immediately and, knowing that there will be three older children staying regularly, they should have made space for them so that the younger kids don't get squeezed out when everyone visits at once...i wanted the dimensions to make a copy of your original plan because we have to assume that an on site architect has already taken into account minimum setbacks, your family needs, you preferred style of home, climate, orientation, maximum size and budget etc but that may not be true so perhaps we should make any extra suggestions based on approximate original size so that you can have some ideas for comparison and maybe you should keep shopping for a better architect...when HOUZZERS can quickly make so many suggestions for improvement a good professional with all the necessary info should be able to make something fabulous out of this opportunity ...itm can you explain how you will use the covered outdoor areas and what size shed does you husband want and post a site plan showing the driveway, direction of views and any slope, the length of all the boundaries and the building envelope and do you need septic tanks and if needed, what size water tanks, is there any fire rating and what is the distance to closest bushland...info that the architect should already have asked

You are just up the road from me Kylie, it has the most beautiful mild climate not to mention beaches and mountains. My thoughts on your house, I hate having the dining table tucked away in the back of the room when it should be next to the view. There are those that say never enter from the rear of the kitchen NEVER was the comment but I find it works beautifully. I know the bathroom and laundry are on the Nth Facing side but it does work for me needing access to bathroom facilities for the Pool. The Study is open to the entrance with double bifold doors, furniture correctly arranged with sofa positioned as per the plan when these doors are open and anyone visits when the front door is opened you will have a feeling of openness and not feel closed in, Cheers

Sorry it has cut off at the kids end, wil have to reduce the plan size and re post laster

I like where siriuskey has put the kitchen. But don’t like walking from mudroom through pantry into house. Nor do I like the garage being forward of house. I would move the pantry to behind his kitchen shifting laundry into its spot. Also swap dining and living, putting the fixed pane of slider opposite front door for better Feng Shui. (No direct path from front to back door so money doesn’t fly through, so I’m told). Shift the west wing, garage, mud and master, back. Moving the master north of the living creates some westerly shade to alfresco. I am also wondering if you need another bedroom for guests or will the older children sleep on a pull out sofa or Murphy bed in study?. I am assuming the girls won’t share a room.

Sorry kate having lived in Asia for some years , Non of us converted to Buddhism or followed Feng Shui, each his own though. The sliders aren't shown opening the right way all of the time as the program selects and I don't know how to change it, have only just recently been able to swing the stackers., so things can be changed to suit, it's al about getting the floor plan lay out at the moment then down to details, no point spending time in the finer details to not have a floorplan accepted.

This kitchen/Pantry Laundry by a Sydney Designer that I personally love but Kylie may not

Tailored Interior · More Info

So true

Just a thought Kate, old tale to keep the good luck and money you place a Jade plant at the front and rear doors, must do both doors or else it will escape. cheers

Kylie, after reading your explanation of your family, that will live in the home. I agree with bedrooms being the size they are. This will enable you to put maybe, two king single beds into each bedroom. This would then provide bedding accommodation for any combination of children and ages. Double sofa beds in games, media or study for when the older children bring their partners to stay as well.

Oklouise plan of Friday morning 421sqm, in my opinion, is a good plan. Good to have spaces which are multifunctional according to needs when required.

I’m left wondering which country this is for, as its hard to consider if you’ve got the passive solar design right otherwise, making the difference between a comfortable home or a box that needs constant heating and cooling.

Most building codes won’t let you have a step right at a door threshold.

Maybe have a think about do you need so many rooms. How do you and your family really live (you only inhabit one space at a time) cause you may be creating break out spaces that are rarely used. Your home will function better with generous spaces rather than lots of spaces.

We found it silly in our last home, that we had this amazing great room with 3.6m high ceilings, but sat in a media room at night. Our new home we switched it, living in the great room all the time, and then just a smaller multi purpose room for reading, music, study, or when we can’t agree on what TV show to watch.

I would consider another ensuite in the study (second Master bedroom) which can be used by older children/parents family visits or just for dealing with house visits from possible customers. So many options but it's down to you and what you want. I could also suggest an Architect that does a lot of work on the Mid North coast based in New Castle if you are interested, I love their work

Because your living areas face north,and if you have a full covered alfresco area, the northern sun may not get into those living areas. May I suggest a gabled alfresco, so the sun can warm up your rooms in winter. Just to add to Information, I have come across this plan, it is a smaller but similar version of your proposed plan. This is 318 Sqm. It incorporates the raked ceiling which extends into the outside area. Just more options to consider....

I forgot to post this showing the front of the house, it needs the porch added to the front door

I will look into showing the rear that should include opening louvered pergola to control light and weather for all seasons

Only item or problem i have found living in Australia. I have only lived in areas where it is humid and always found major problem having the master en suite and walking in robe together. I mean walking through the robe to enter the en suite always seems to destroy or cause mould in the robe. I would always keep the robe and en suite separate from each other.

Really like the plan, Dreamer posted. My additions would be adding another bedroom, and therefore extra space to the games room and the family bathroom allowing enough space to separate out a shower room, a bath room and double basin vanity so more than one person can use at the same time, I would also extend the mud room to incorporate a shower and toilet, for yard use. It looks more a family workable house.

Ive had a really busy 4 days & have been totally warn out, sorry for the lack of communication. We are changing the plan to have the roofline open up at the back like the latest pic posted by dreamer, but to also open up at the front for a patio entrance. Doing things this way gives us the high/raked ceilings in the kitchen/living/dining rather than stepping the whole area down.
As for the design of the ensuite, kids bathroom, laundry, pantry, spare toilet & mudroom..... We've had a chat about it & have made a few changes. We have spoken with the 'architect' & he is drawing it up with the changes that we are happy with😊
Thank you all so much for you opinions & help, its been very much appreciated & has helped us get to a point that we are very happy with the design now, couldnt have done it without you guys💚💙
When the shed gets built we will have a granny flat setup in one end of it for the older kids or visitors so that will work out for us now too.

I am staggered that you have engaged an architect who obviously has not designed according to you needs and desires... or didn't you give him a comprehensive brief? Then you go out to the design world for advice (without a complete brief again). With the amount of land you have available, there are great possibilities to provide you with an amazing house quite different to the ordinary one you have shown us. Very happy to talk to you one on one when I can explain what we have to offer you that will beat anything else offered!! No kidding! And it will cost you less!

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Hi Kylie,

if I may say, the problem that you are facing is not the design of your wet areas but rather the planning of your house. The design does not make the most of the opportunities that you have for solar passive design, cross ventilation, and outlook. If you are building on a bush block in Port, then it should feel like a bush block in Port. You should be able to feel the breeze flowing through, while sitting in the sun, while having a cuppa and watching and listening to the magpies. Have a look at Shaun Lockyer architects Greenhouse project, anything by Peter Stutchbury, Daylesford Longhouse by Partners Hill, anything by Herbst architects, or Keiron Gait architects to give you some inspiration on how light and air filed your house could be. I'll be up in Port in a few weeks for another project too if you'd like to chat.

Cheers

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