We’re still holding off on taking you on a full virtual tour of our soon-to-be new home (you know, until the deal is 100% done and we actually live there). But we thought we’d give you a sense of what we’re gonna be working with thanks to this rough floor plan that we threw together with the use of floorplanner.com (it’s a free service, btw). Everything is approximate since we’re borrowing from the measurements that we took during the inspection and copied from the sales flier, but here’s what we’ve got (the washer & dryer are stacked in the small mudroom off of the carport):
*There aren’t measurements for the smaller spaces like the bathrooms or hallways, but the total square footage for this house is around 2,500 square feet
The funny thing is that if you look at our current house’s floor plan it might seem a bit familiar. We always said if we built onto our house we’d love to add a nice bedroom with a true en-suite bath (since our current casa only has one full bath in the entire house and nothing attached to a bedroom at all) and we wouldn’t mind somehow creating a larger family/living room (we’ve always longed for a casual and comfy sectional but our current house just wouldn’t accommodate one thanks to the long narrow family and living room layouts). Sherry has also always had serious island envy and lo and behold, the new house could actually support one of those as well. In other words, just talking about it gets us all geeked out and excited since it’s kind of like a combination of our current house and a few more things we’ve always wanted.
We’re just so thankful that after some pretty rigorous searching we finally found this baby. In fact it has nearly everything going for it when it comes to our parameters (great school, great location near family, a lush and lovely yard for Burger & The Bean, within our budget, etc) except that it’s admittedly a tad bigger than we had targeted.
We like living modestly, making spaces multitask, and most of all not having to clean a huge house. But at around 2,500 square feet it’s nothing too crazy, and we’re sure we can grow into it and take the entertaining brunt off of John’s poor sister (who currently has a 3,000 square foot house so the whole crew always ends up over there- and as fun as that is, we’d love to be a place where the family gathers as well). We figure a bit of extra space couldn’t hurt in that regard, since the average get-together for us is around 10-16 people (and we can currently seat just 6 people at our dining table that sits in the corner of our living room). Plus there are more DIY projects to take on. Ha.
But anyway, here’s how we envision adapting the floor plan to make the house work best for our family (we’ve highlighted the descriptions that have changed in green, but we’ll break things down a bit more below the floor plan for ya):
You’ll notice that we’re thinking about:
- converting the carport into a garage (thanks to a sweet credit the sellers gave us)
- turning the modestly sized dining room into an office, and even adding pretty french doors to separate that area
- converting the formal front living room into an entryway with a casual dining room slash library
- adding a large doorway leading into the kitchen from the new dining room/library
- making one bedroom into a playroom/future nursery for kiddo number two in a few years (we’re waiting a while), making the second one into Clara’s bedroom, and turning the third one into a guest room for family & friends since they stay with us pretty frequently (upgrade: they’ll now have their own small bathroom to use, instead of having to share one shower with all of us).
- adding an island in the kitchen and widening the doorway that leads to the former family room…
- …which will become our one and only living room- we’ve learned that three rooms with sofas in this current house (the living room, den, and sunroom) aren’t necessary for the way we live, and the formal living room just doesn’t get used. So creating a nice large casual living space with a sectional and lots of room will hopefully make our house into a place where everyone gathers, which is a huge goal of ours. And the more spacious kitchen that’s centrally located (which is soon to be open on all four sides) will definitely help create that airy, welcoming, accommodating feeling for large groups like our huge crazy family.
- creating an amazing double sided fireplace since the back of the fireplace in the kitchen can hopefully be blown out so there’s also access to it from the living room.
Update: One change we decided to make after posting this but before moving in was to use Bedroom #1 (the smallest closest bedroom) as Clara’s room and turn Bedroom #2 (the larger middle one) into a playroom/second kids bedroom. Bedroom #2 will probably end up being Clara’s big girl room and our second child will move into the nursery (Bedroom #1) in a few years when he or she exists.
Of course we won’t do any major work (knocking down walls, building an island, fully gutting and renovating the bathrooms, blowing out that fireplace, etc) before we live there a little while and we’re sure it all makes sense for the way we actually end up using the house. We’ve never subscribed to the knock-down-walls-and-refinish-everything-before-moving-in way of life since we never would have come up with the close-off-a-door-to-gain-a-bedroom-and-a-whole-wall-of-cabinetry-in-the-kitchen plan that dawned on us only after living in our house for about six months. But we will jump right in with things like painting the walls, kitchen cabinets, trim, and doors along with switching out light fixtures, other hardware, and beginning to slowly but steadily furnish the place in a casual, affordable, and kid-friendly way. It’s honestly all I think about these days. I have about 500 tear sheets, notes, and other inspiration piles surrounding me at all times. Is it mid-December yet?
I love the idea of switching the formal living to a dining room! I don’t think it’s weird at all to walk into a dining room space and it can be done very nicely (I think one of the Southern Living Idea Houses had that). I think people might think it’s weird just because you don’t see it very often but I hate wasted space and formal living rooms don’t make sense. Great job y’all! Can’t wait to see what you do with the place over the next few years!
The new house is going to reinvigorate your blog–not that you were short on ideas, but I am excited to see all of this transpire as you skills have obviously strengthened over the years.
I don’t think it would be weird to walk into a dining room at all–heck, I’d much prefer it over walking into a formal living room that gets no use. I envision a big round table. It could even function as your “landing strip” when you are not entertaining (I imagine with a baby you’ll be eating in that great kitchen a lot).
Since gardening is more my bag, I look forward to seeing your outdoor space too.
I’m so excited for you to move in and start working on it. How do you feel about needing stackable washer/dryer? I have one now and I hate it.
Hey Rebecca,
John’s sister has stacked units and doesn’t mind it too much so we’re hoping we’ll get used to them. If that’s the worst thing we have to deal with, we figure we love the new house enough to deal with it. Plus John does 99% of the laundry, so it’s his problem. Haha.
xo,
s
Can’t wait to see what you do with the new place!
I can’t wait to see the transformation! When I saw the first floor plan I tried to guess what you would do with each room! You threw me with the office – but that looks like the perfect place for it!
Do I spy a walk-in closet in the master bedroom?? Now that’s an upgrade! I started following your blog about a year ago, when you had already finished most of the major work in your current house. I’m so excited to watch your new home come together in real time.
Yes! So excited about that.
xo,
s
Thanks for the floorplanner.com link. Great resource!
Love the floor plan! Can’t wait to see the pictures of the house:)
Your new place has tons of potential! I’m already jealous of your plans to make a two way fire place between the kitchen and living room…how great will that be when you’re entertaining?! I think this was already mentioned but I’m sure your readers would love to see pics of the place before you move anything in!
I am hugely skeptical of the walking straight into the dining room plan, but I have no doubt that your YHL spin on it will make me change my mind. Certainly the formal living room concept is just a non-starter for the way most of us live now, so some sort of alternative makes sense.
I think that kitchen fireplaces are incredible. Nothing beats it for coziness, and it just makes sense…it’s the hearth! So excited to see how that develops.
I like the idea of a dining room/libraryish space where you going to put it. I can just picture your all with guests out having before- and after-dinner drinks and conversations out on the porch.
I think you’ll have a new layout for us after you live in it for a while, just a hunch. The dining room as you enter from the front is the most odd thing.
what’s that little pocket behind the stove area?
Hey Keri,
That’s a little mud room with a stacked washer and dryer located right off of the carport/future garage.
xo,
s
Ooooo… I so share your excitement! (I just closed on THE ONE last week!)
QUICK QUESTION- Why did you decide to make Clara’s room the one w/out the bathroom? Because you are expecting a second? Won’t you’re guests who are not spending the night (i.e.- just coming over for dinner) have to wade through bath toys, plastic soap dishes, and a colorful shower curtain since the kids’ bath seems to be the main bath of the house?
I ask because I have to make the same decision… Thanks!
Nik- We’ve definitely considered making that change down the line! John loves big open showers with lots of space.
Nikki- We though it made the most sense fir our guests to get their own small bathroom since it’s a shower and not a tub (so our babies won’t use it, they’ll use the hall bath with the full tub). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Awesome. Any plans to close off the bathroom and knock out that wall between the tub and sink? Then the closet entrance would be in the bathroom and it might feel bigger in there…can you say SPA aahhhh?
Oh my goodness, I am so extremely over-the-top excited for you. I feel the same way you do about having an older, needs-some-love house…right down to the moving part! I will probably break out a dorky-type excited dance of my own when you guys finally do move. (I hope you aren’t offended by that – no harm meant! :)
If you ever need some ideas for landscaping, including suggestions for low-maintenance native plants, let me know! I have tons of ideas – and have used some of them in my own garden areas. (I would have used all the ideas, but seem to have run out of land :) I am an ardent supporter of using them in home landscapes, particularly to create “edible landscapes.” From your postings, I know that you are pretty eco-conscious – it may be an idea that appeals to you. Just a thought.
Thanks for sharing the whole process for us and with us! The community that has been created by this blog is truly fabulous.
Suggestion:
It would be helpful to have a smaller side-by-side of before & after photos at the end of the posts. This would reduce a ton of scrolling up and down to see what changed between the two pictures. Thanks.
I am looking forward to continuing reading your blog and seeing what you do with the new space. I don’t know about having the entrance to your home being the dining room though.
Just my personal experience here but…. if you can make a way for your washer/dryer to not have to stack do it! I have a stackable and oh my goodness I HATE it. part of it is because I am short (5 foot nothing) and I always burn my arms if I don’t let the dry cool before pulling the clothes out and the other part is that there is no good way to get the clothes out of the dryer. I always end up dropping half of them on the floor and that makes me crazy. (My former rule was if it falls on the floor it was dirty. Now I would rewash everything a thousand times if I kept that rule!)
I am really excited to see what you are going to do in your new house! And I am also curious as to whether or not you will change the décor of Clara’s nursery since it is so new.
The floor plans are great! And I will be interested to see if your plans change after you move in and live with the house for a while versus what they are now.
I hope you plan to do a post about how you decide what furniture you plan to keep (and what will get replaced) and how things might end up in totally different spaces than they are right now. Especially with the smaller things like rugs, side tables, decor items etc!
Hi guys,
Congrats on the house. We have thought of doing a master addition similar to this one (we have a similar layout) however, I was worried about the space in the “U”. Do you remember what is in this space? Lawn, garden? By doing an addition there we would avoid having to move the sewer lines that come out the back of our house.
Sorry if someone already touched in this. Good luck!!!
Hey Nancy,
It’s just kind of an alleyway with nothing in it but we have visions of creating a little garden back there- maybe an edible one! It needs work but we’re sure it’ll be really charming in the end!
xo,
s
I hate when people feel the need to weigh in on every decision you guys make (oh, so you know I’m just about to do that…) but I know you guys try to be environmentally friendly and keep things green for Clara. Garages, especially former carport garages, tend to pollute the air in your home. You might want to do a little research before you commit.
I love your new house! It’s very similar to what my husband and I are looking for. The master bath layout? My grandparents had it in their room and in the room I shared with my cousin in the summer. It was actually really nice to be able to use the vanity while she was in the bathroom. Maybe some rice paper doors or something to block the space off slightly?
***Sorry this turned out to be so long!!!***
Sherry- This has nothing to do with the floor plan, although it looks great and very cozy! I love the open, easy flow of the living room, kitchen and dining room. Anyways, I was reading The Pioneer Woman and she is going to be on ‘Throwdown with Bobby Flay’ tonight. She was giving us a “little taste” of the episode and she has the same feelings you did about your top choice when you were on The Nate Berkus Show. She was mad at herself for wearing an empire waist top! I thought that you would like to know you aren’t alone :) You looked great, so no worries. Thanks for the blog… I am glad to see that I am not the only nerd out there! Many thanks and have a great day.
The Pioneer Womans blog post:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/hilarity/
Tear down that wall! I mean, the one between the garage and kitchen. You could either incorporate the washer and dryer into the kitchen (front loaders can go under the counter, of course) or put them in the basement (under a closet with laundry chute?). Maybe the laundry room is bigger than it looks, but it sure looks like a lot of wasted space.
I’m sure you’re sooooooooooo tired of suggestions, but I can’t help myself! As far as the entry/dining issue, 22×13 is massive for a dining room! If you added a small floor to ceiling wall next to the door to separate the dining room from the entry, it would feel much less like walking straight into the dining room and more like having a real entry. We had a house where our dining room was at the front, but there was about a 2 foot wall separating it from the entry. It didn’t seem weird at all.
You are so cute. The “it’s honestly all I think about these days” made me smile. :) I’m so excited for you guys. All of your projected ideas are awesome. Have a great day!!
I know that I’m late to the party but I just found your blog yesterday and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. It’s so organized and easy to use. The ideas and links are fantastic. Although I’m in a rental and my improvements options are limited I’m still getting plenty of great ideas. Thank you!
This just came through my Google reader and I immediately thought of Sherry. Hope it helps as you decorate the new house!
http://www.copycatchic.com/2010/11/williams-sonoma-home-ceramic-animal.html
As your children grow and particularly if you stay in this house through their teen years….I can’t even tell you how much you will appreciate your master bedroom being separated a bit from the other bedrooms. Score!
I love all your ideas!! Can’t wait to see pictures, so I’m sending good closing vibes your way for the next few weeks. :o)
I’m particularly excited to see how you close in the garage and how you handle the window in the office-to-be. We have a room with that exact same issue (window into the current carport/possible future garage) and I can’t wait to see the YHL solution!
In response to a question about having the children’s rooms next to each other–I have my 2 1/2 year old and my 8 month old in adjacent rooms, so I got them each a noise machine from Homedics. When one screams, the other can’t hear a thing!
LOVE LOVE love your new floor plan. I think you’re making ALL the right choices so far with your ideas. My friends are also considering opening up the back of their fireplace since their living and dining rooms are basically one huge room right now with the fireplace and chimney in the middle thanks to the removal of some walls. I personally don’t see anything awkward about entering straight into your dining area and would be making the same choice you are about where to put the dining and living rooms and office. My parents have a set of double french doors going from dining area to formal living room and then a single one between the entryway and dining area and I love being able to see from one end of the house to the other.
Also loving your idea for the dining room with a big round table and upholstered chairs and softness with curtains. You can’t go wrong! Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Love how you are changing up the layout/functions of your rooms. We are struggling with something similar in the house we just bought. It’s got a front formal living room (which we’ve had before and never used), dining room, sunroom, and a family room with a fireplace. I can see us spending most of our time in the family room. I’m thinking of turning the front formal living room into a library. Lots of bookshelves and comfy furniture to curl up on with a good book.
OMG! I am SOOOO excited for you!!!!! Is it December 15th or 16th or whatever it is already?!?! I have to admit that when I bought my house a year and a half ago I would have NEVER considered a brick rancher. However, now that I’ve lived with a 2K sqft house on two levels, I really can see the advantages of living on one level. This house is AMAZING! I can’t wait to see it and what you guys end up doing with it!! GOOD LUCK! CONGRATULATIONS!! SO EXCITED FOR YOU!
Love the floorplan! I don’t think walking into the dining room is weird at all. My grandparents’ house opened into a formal dining room openly attached to the kitchen and I always found it quite charming. And I agree on the decision to ditch a formal living room. The house I grew up in had one and I could count the number of times I sat in there on one hand before the ‘rents put a TV in there.
This funny clip (at about 1:00 into it) proves that most people(including Paris Hilton) don’t use their formal living spaces either!
This is so very exciting!! I can tell you guys are completely smitten with the new place, obsessing over floor plans!
I am intrigued by the sink in the master bedroom. Are you going to make it into a swanky “dressing table”? It also looks like a great home to grow and spread out.
Love it and good luck! Can’t wait to see the pictures.
Hey Ananda,
Yes, that’s at least the short term plan. Can’t wait!
xo,
s
How exciting!!! I’m glad its you making all those decisions because I know I couldn’t do it. Clara is going to be so far away from you at night!! Whenever we looked at homes I always vetoed the split wing, I need my babies close.
Love following your blog and especially the exciting new house. Like all of your ideas but have one to throw in. It looks like the carport is one-car and I would seriously recommend the garage you build be a two-car. I know you may not need it now but down the line it’ll be really useful. I have three kids that have lots of sporting equipment to accommodate in our garage.
It looks awesome!! I think its a fantastic find!! I did have one suggestion. How about bedroom 3 for Clara so that she has her own private bath, which she will want once she’s older? Your guests can always use the bath next to her bathroom…it would still be their own, which they would not be sharing with you all.
Since the hall bath has a tub (which Clara and future kids will use) while the guest bedroom has a standing shower (which is a lot more adult friendly), it just made sense to us. But there are probably lots of ways to do it depending on your fam and your needs!
xo,
s
Oooh, I’m so envious of that floorplan! And I’m especially envious of your master bedroom w/ ensuite and walk-in closet *swoons* My biggest regret w/ our current house is that we didn’t go for an extra bedroom and bathroom. At the time, it was just me, the hubby, our two boys and two cats. Now, 8 years later, we’ve added a 4 yr. old princess to the mix and those extra rooms would come in VERY handy! We make our c. 1940’s 3 bed, 1 bath (yes, ONE!!!) work, but I definitely see the lack of an extra bathroom becoming a HUGE issue once the princess enters her teen years…YIKES!!!
I can’t wait to see the future reveals and what you do with the place when you finally get your hands on it!
I’m so excited for you guys! Everyday, I look forward to seeing what’s new in your world.
I have a question about ranch houses in general. Does it feel weird to sleep on the first floor with the windows open on warm nights?
Not to us since we have a pretty sweet alarm system (and another one going into the new house). It’s gonna be like Fort Knox. Haha. We want it to be welcoming, but not to bad guys!
xo,
s
Awesome! Love all the ideas, and I’m sure people are throwing more at you with each comment. So what the heck, here’s my 2 cents.
Having lived in a master bedroom with the sink open to the room…I’d wall it off. It got to be visual clutter. Plus it always sucks when one person has to get up earlier than the other. Or go to bed later. The light, the running water, etc. etc. Putting a doorway between the wc and the closet would be pretty simple and save you a lot of frustration at 5 am. Or 11 pm. And I’d bet by the plans you could probably do a pocket door and save some space.
LOVE. Lovelovelovelovelove. Love!!!
jbhat
I tried to not add suggestions…..but the u-shaped space outside your master bedroom…..think future hot tub for you and John. ;)
Love the potential new floorplan. Ever since I read “The Not-so-big House,” I made it a point to look for an open floorplan. People always gather around the kitchen and rarely in the formal living room. Definitely makes sense to have a house reflect how you live.
geez louise… how do you contain yourself. I always have boatloads of skecthes and ideas jotted down on paper and spend f-o-r-e-v-e-r trying to figure out what to actually go with. I am so excited for you!! I already have file jackets full of ideas for our next house and I have no clue when we’ll even be starting that search. Can’t wait to see the things you guys come up with. :)
Syreena
http://mommy-me.squarespace.com
I can not wait to see what you do to your new house! I hope you get lots of ideas from the folks commenting (who I’m sure only have your best interest at heart) – congrats again on the new adventure!
Ooh…I love obsessing over floor plans. Looks like lots of great projects ahead!
Very exciting! I think it’s a very sensible plan (especially the waiting-before-knocking-down-walls part), and I know you guys will not only make everything look great, you’ll make sure it works for your family. I look forward to following the transformation.
Thank you, I love me some floorplans!! Is it weird that I immediately started assigning uses & adding furniture to rooms in YOUR house when I saw the top floor plan? Yours is a little different than what I immediately thought of, but great and creative. I was thinking office where you have the nursery, playroom where you have the dining room, but I’m also into the double sided fireplace and knocking down of the walls and having an enclosed garage.
But the great thing about your house is that there’s so much room to grow into and the rooms could easily be rearraged for different purposes through the years due to the flexible layout. Y’all definitely scored the jackpot and I’m so psyched to see all the remodeling!