I have 10ft ceilings because I have a heritage house. All the doors and windows are standard height (2100mm) in my home. It doesn't make any difference honestly.

If you have a really tall family, otherwise no.

My house is 9ft with 7 ft windows and doors

What will the new roof profile be

You could make the entrance door a tall wide pivoting door and both the rear wall window and door full height, or add highlight windows above both to achieve extra height. This would depend on aspect and outlook

I would also make the opening from passageway to family full height

@siriuskey

Does that help?

I would go big front door with that modern facade, what is the rear profile please

@siriuskey

There are some changes to this, that window on the back elevation C is a servery window so will be dropped down, and there will be another window next to the narrow one (where kitchen sink is) on elevation D (which is in the dining)

What is the aspect what's intend for out door space, and what state are you in

What height (tall ) are the suggested new windows .

Why that small window in the dining, why not match it to the door, don't think about needing to put a side board there,, works and looks so much better to have a floor window or door from both inside and externaly

@siriuskey

This is where I was going to add another window, and will be removing the window to the family wall.

So would you suggest just increasing the height of exterior doors and keep windows and internal doors at 2100 not 2400?

I am in Vic the outdoor space will be 3700 to the fence with maybe a pergola above where the servery window is

I have 2700 ceiling throughout my home. I have 2340 internal and external doors throughout my home. They are in proportion and look wonderful, and I do receive comments on how good they look.

but if your budget will not stretch, then I agree with Siriusky, increase height of front door, and rear sliding doors. The space between family and hallway may have to stay, for fire reasons, but if you can increase that height as well, that would be good.

i would also be looking at what type of door you are installing, not necessarily the height.

ensure they are solid core doors. This will give good soundproofing for all rooms, since they all come off the hallway.

but my preference would be 2700 ceiling with 2340/2400 solid core, with profile doors.

The difference in door types.

honeycomb or solid core doors.

recommend solid core doors.

Why move that window which I think would be looking at the fence? depending on the Aspect ie: N S E or W at the rear. I would be making larger openings 2400 isn't very big 3 x 1m glass stacker's opening to the rear garden, alfresco. BBQ would be better plus a 2 x 1m stacker instead of the window. By going wider you don't need to go taller, so keep everything at the same level as the original windows and doors.except enlarge the front door to what I suggested or just a 900 door instead of 820.

What is the UN outside the WC, this could become another vanity, with a lovely mirror above it, this would be great for guests and kids having two vanities.

Looks like the front door is max width, @ 820, without having to redo the front profile.

definitely increase height of front door to 2340. With glass inserts, to let light into your hallway.

@siriuskey The kitchen/dining is N, backyard E, living S.

The UN is just the font, its another small linen cupboard.

@dreamer are your windows the same height as your doors also?

That small space would make a lovely floating vanity with a round mirror above, taking the pressure off the vanity in the bath room.

My CAD program works with 900 for external doors, internal 820 and 750 plus trim 70 is a good allowance for new builds.

I agree with the north facing window to allow winter sun, is it a narrow space to the boundary from that, but as an extra window. Would there be enough space to turn it into a simple boxed out window seat to read a book and enjoy the sun

Keeping all doors and windows at standard height 2100 will save you money

Hi newbie t, no the bedroom windows are 2100mm but I have made all my curtains at a 2400 drop. See attached picture.

my sliding stacker doors in living areas are 2400, and I have curtains drop from cornices.

in your post you have said that the windows will be raised to 2400 at no charge. That is excellent, however, the window treatments may put you over budget. Because of the non standard drop in fabric etc.

From bedroom door

Sorry, I don't have any advice about the costs of raising your ceiling height.

But I'll offer some other advice.

So it looks like you have a western frontage. Meaning the top of the image is north. As the sun moves across the northern sky, this is where your daylighting & winter warmth come from.

So I'd add a northern window to the meals area. Reducing the size of the southern window in the family room, it will only lose heat in winter. Same goes with the eastern windows, don't go overboard with their size. They'll gain heat in summer, but not much in winter (the sun is never directly east in winter, rising in the NE).

You might want to consider low-e glass door the E, S & W windows. Particularly the W window in the study, which could get hot on summer afternoons. I probably wouldn't glaze the front door, to protect you from the afternoon summer sun. I think the hallway will get enough northern light from the attached study.

Build as close as possible to the southern boundary. Being as far away from your northern neighbour as possible will help to limit overshadowing.

Looks like you'll have a nice large north facing area for solar PV, which is very important nowadays.

The simple, mainly rectangular shape of the home's footprint leads to a simple roof. Increasing the area available for solar panels, & decreasing installation costs.

Looking good.

Thanks @Kate and @dreamer for the visual references - they are very helpful and help me get my head around it better!!

Thanks @siriuskey for your advice and your ideas, that might be a great idea with the vanity if I can fit it into my quote. I also thought about boxing that window out in the dining, I was probably going to do this to the front window. I think it might eat into the dining too much so I was planning to wait til it was built and then see how much space I have with a table there and then if there is room maybe put a bench seat across there.

@ddarroch Thanks so much for the response, its super helpful and I appreciate your ideas being a newbie I really listen to this forum and have found lots of useful advice here. Its a narrow block so I have a smaller sideway on the S side and the N side is larger, 1500 from the fence.

do you know what the set back from the house to the boundary is, so I can try a window seat for you , this would work in with window 11 at the front of the house,. I recently designed a family bathroom with the powder room and extra vanity set up for a client, they loved it..

Newbie, in my photos you will notice the deep cornice. I would spend money there rather than internal doors and windows. Big front door though sounds great. But it is all a personal preference.

@siriuskey The setback from the road is 4000 and from the side fence is 1500, I currently have a window seat at W11 in my draft plan, it will be boxed out and just have some storage under the bench. I have a view to the hills so I thought that might be a good idea to place it there although I understand it will get hot in summer as its W facing. My study is long so I though that might bring something interesting to it.

I also thought about putting it on the N dining wall instead something like the photos, but the kitchen is already small so thought it would eat too much into it and it'd look better to just have a big window there, plus if I am having a servery window to the alfresco/pergola on the E wall there's too much going on if people wanted to bring a stool and sit internally on the opposite side.

I can always put a small bench like the second photo in after handover once I'm actually in the space and see how the room feels.

Do you have a copy of the original plan, before the changes you have made,

the first photo you posted with the window seat boxed out with a window to replace the wall would allow Northern light plus make the space bigger. You mention that the house is 1500 to the boundary at the moment but what setback does council allow

This wasn't your question, but looking at a possible boxed out window in the open plan kitchen dining living it shows just how limited you space is. The following 3D overview shows a boxed out window seat.

I have run the kitchen along the same wall as the new window,

The Island is 2m x 900 with 1m between the wall base cabinets and the island and 1m between the Island and the wall where your plan shows cabinets.

If you have/had cabinets along the other wall as shown on your floor plan they will be 600 deep this would make the island 1400 x 900 which is small.

Has your kitchen been renovated and were you considering that, if not. Looking at the overall size of your open plan area I would be considering 1 or 2 large stacker doors to open up to the rear alfresco, that's what I would do but you need to choose what will work for you

PS I think that the boxed out window at the front of the house is a lovely idea but possibly not right when it faces West.

@siriuskey I think the closest you can go from the boundary would be 1000, but not sure I can make any structural wall changes at this stage (or there may be a fee with that).

It will be a new build. The island is small its 1590 x 800 (600 cabinet 200 overhang)

I think these might give you some more info. The 600 tower next to the dishwasher was where I was thinking of putting microwave, coffee/kettle

@siriuskey a little different but was kind of using this as direction for the space

Love your photos, I do think that their space is bigger. Your laundry is also bigger than is needed where space is tight. do you have other dimensions that you can add as some are missing so it makes it harder to work with.

Are you locked into this floorplan, council side set backs are quite often around 900

@siriuskey Sorry I thought I copied the whole plan here is the dimensions for the other side. I think I am fairly locked in as I have signed my HIA but am waiting on redrafting of the plan to include some edits I have put in. So I think its just approving those and signing a variation.

I think they usually charge up to $1000 to make structural changes, minor ones maybe fine (like maybe making the laundry smaller, but I could ask and see - it also might change the square footage of the house which then increase price a little.

@siriuskey The only reason I had laundry bigger was that I'd like to put a little space for the dog in some custom cabinetry (the linen and broom are currently removed from the plan in there). But it isn't essential if the space would be better utilised into the kitchen

@siriuskey What were you suggesting with your ideas?

I will have a look at it to see what might work. Your little dog house is very cute, why is he confined to the laundry

She's usually is in all day with us and sleeps outside. Might have a doggy door in the laundry to outside so she can come in and out and sleep inside if she wants (as I won't have a sheltered area until I build some kind of pergola). I was thinking of doing doggy door to the garage but I'd have to always lock the dog door as she'd run out if the garage goes up.

I guess it's too late to consider something similar to this, with the house opening up to the North and East and avoiding the dog leg passageway