But …why is the color called gray? At least to my eyes, it looks decidedly brown?
It had better have grey tones or I’m going to be painting another vanity 
I’m leaning very heavily to removing powder room out of main floor design and letting the hall bath serve as the bathroom for guests. It is convenient to guests that are in the main living/dining area, but not very convenient for people who are hanging out in the kitchen. Either way, they have to go out through dining room and into hallway, whether for powder room or hall bath.
The decision on where to start the 2nd floor is very critical. I am meeting with an architect on Tuesday afternoon (soonest I could get a consulation). The key decision on where the 2nd story should start is based on foundation and support wall issues.
We have to pour a new foundation stem wall for the added new garage area - no problem. The foundation stem wall in the existing garage area will not support a 2nd story, so we have to pour new stem walls and ‘underpin’ existing foundation. That is OK on the sides of existing garage, but it becomes an issue for the back wall. If you look closely at the main floor revision 3, you can see the garages laid out on top of photo where they align under neath the house.
Note that the current main stem wall at back of old garage runs about 3 ft into kitchen area. That is not making sense to me right now because there is not a shear wall/support wall coming up through kitchen. Ideally… we would start 2nd floor at this location (about 3 ft into kitchen) because we can beef up foundation inside the old garage right at that wall. Then we could have shear/support. But that would have the new 2nd story South exterior wall starting 1/3 into kitchen. Might eliminate kitchen vaulting, but this is something I need to talk to architect about.
Next issue for architect is whether we can open up completely between dining/foyer and living room. I might need to keep a post in that area in order to protect the lovely separate coved ceilings in foyer and dining room. Also, I need to have his opinion on whether it is going to look weird to go from high vaulted living room, low coved ceilings in dining area and then high vaulted in kitchen.
We are bumping out western side of 2nd story 2 ft wider than main floor. Want to make sure that is OK with architecture of house. Currently the width of that back wing is 22’ and I really want to make it 24’.
And, going to ask for advice on how to break up giant 3 story ‘box’ on alley side of house. Maybe Juliet wrought iron balcony idea will be enough.
I see your point about the powder room and the hall bath being so close it doesn’t seem necessary, but in my case I would want it. I have 3 boys and a powder room was essential in my house, because their bathroom always quickly became… well… icky. So it was nice to always have a clean bathroom for guests.
Quick question on the garage. Is that a 4 car “tandem” garage?
I really, really like a powder room, rather than having to use a hall bath with people’s stuff in it. I think it definitely makes a house plan more upscale. I would love to have a butler’s pantry. My sister has had a couple of places with them, and they are just great if you entertain. Your flip house isn’t big enough, though.
I’m glad you’re getting rid of the powder room. If I was a guest having dinner, I wouldn’t want to use a powder room that was right there on the same wall as the dining room and having it in the kitchen is awkward too. The hall bath looks to only be about 10-12 feet away anyway.
They will have 2 bedrooms together in one wing, one upstairs with the fabulous view, and one behind the hall bath. Chances are the one behind the hall bath will become a guest room unless they have a large family.
This hall bath isn’t the jack and Jill, is it?
No. You have to go way back to the original plan and see that the hall bath is to the left of the entry as you come in. The kitchen wing is to the right.
ETA - sorry, that’s wrong. They are both to the right as you come in the main entry but you’d make a hairpin turn to the right to get to the hall bath, go straight-ish for the kitchen, and go left for the living room.
Oh, I didn’t realize you were losing a bedroom in that wing (somehow missed that, seems obvious now). So, the bedroom left in that wing would probably be used as a guest room then. In that case, the powder room does seem pretty unnecessary.
Maybe there is a way to rearrange that bathroom to have part of it a toilet/sink and then partition off the shower is some nice way? So that when you want it to be a powder room, only have to clear out the toilet/sink area to make it look nice. Not necessary, but might be nice.
It is a difficult decision. Is my target market a regular size family that will probably use the large bedroom off by itself in the bedroom wing as a guest bedroom? Or is this house going to be full with kids and that will be a kid bathroom that will always be messy??
Every single new construction home has a powder room. Will my value diminish without a powder room? Is the powder room more valuable than a walk in pantry??
Dilemna
I think that bedroom will likely be used as an office/ guest room and that the hall bathroom will do just fine as a powder room.
I think you are ok ditching the powder room. It may be true that new construction has powder rooms, but I don’t think there’s a lot of new construction with great views going on in the specific area your home is. Your house is not new construction and I don’t think people will be evaluating it that way, it’s a re-constructed home, amazingly done, to meet the needs of todays homeowners but you aren’t starting from a blank slate. You have a footprint and a sq. footage max you are working with. Those new construction homes are monsters for sq. feet. Personally, I would easily sacrifice a powder room for an extra closet or even just a more open feel. 1 less bathroom to clean!
Your buyers are looking for location, views, living space, # of bedrooms. Probably in that order. Don’t over think it.
Just a longtime lurker’s humble opinion. You do great work, and it will come out well no matter what you decide!
Or it could be a teenager, or a nanny, or a grandmother. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like there’s any way to “en suite” the full bath. If you and your agent believe houses of your size and price range need a powder room, then you might be stuck with a lot of bathrooms! Re the pantry, I think having pantry space is the most important, and whether it’s in cupboards or its own room is less important.
I’m going to throw something out there- Is there a really good reason to keep the fireplace in the LR, vrs eliminating it [ we are dealing with higher temps each year due to global warming after all]and opening up the wall with big windows? . If it is gone it could open up some fantastic views [ I think?] that would draw the eye away from the monster next door.
just a thought.
Up here on the peninsula some cities are no longer allowing working fireplaces in new construction, because of the pollution they generate. Every little but hurts.
We have a powder room. I would keep it. Using peoples bathrooms as a guest feels like I’m invading their privacy. Plus it’s a pain to keep the regular bathroom up to guest standards. While I am in a much lower housing bracket. I would not buy a house without one.
There really isn’t much view straight out the fireplace wall. It looks across canyon to houses.
Right now the issue is I don’t really have enough room for everything. I can only have Three of the following four wish items
Powder Room
Laundry Room
Walk in Pantry
Craft Room/office
I think the last 3 are the most important and will be used the most by who ever actually lives in the house. Its not like it is a 4000 sq ft house.
It simply isnt big enough to have a the luxury of a “powder bath” on that floor.
And regarding the question of going from a hi to low to-hi ceiling- we have that arrangement in our home, though the hi is the LR which flows into the low DR/ KIT, which flows into the adjacent hi ceiling family room.
It s a open floor plan and having lots of tall ceilings makes the rooms seem even bigger than they are.
I vote for
Powder Room
Laundry room
Craft room /office.
I would ditch the craft room. To me, that is NOT essential. I absolutely would insist on a laundry room, and a pantry…especially since it’s impossible to store everything in the kitchen cabinets.
I would also want the powder room…I would rather have that than an 8x8 or 6x8 “room” which is the size of my walk in closet.