We probably should have called this plan Humble Beginnings because quite literally, this plan started out with this drawing. Just me and a legal pad and no real architecture or design qualifications (unless you count my years of experience selling homes that I wished I could change).
My goal with this plan was simple...I wanted to design a home that could easily transition from the inside to the outside. The idea of an outdoor living area is so appealing to me in a Don't-Fence-Me-In kinda way. I wanted a house with a deck and a covered porch and maybe even a wrap around porch...the works as far as outdoor areas are concerned. So this is the drawing I sent off to the architects.
This is what the architects sent back to me...Humble Beginnings was well on it's way to being called You've Come A Long Way Baby.
The first floor got a pretty good reception from our first feedback session. People loved the kitchen, loved the family room and the mix of indoor/outdoor spaces. The placement of the powder room off the kitchen didn't get as warm a reception and the butler's pantry was deemed, 'awkward'.
We did get some great suggestions for improvement:
What if buyers could choose an optional study in lieu of a formal dining room? Lots of buyers think formal dining rooms just don't reflect the best use of space. What if the deck could be an optional sunroom-taking the whole indoor/outdoor theme to the next level? Love those suggestions...we're working on those now.
The second floor didn't fare so well with our panel of critics. Most buyers were looking for a jack-n-jill bath or better placement on the hall baths, especially between BR #2 & BR #3. And the Master Suite was underwhelming at best. No WOW factor. A very close friend of ours made a lovely suggestion to add a coffee porch off the Master Suite (I think that sounds awesome!)
So for our baby that had come a long way, it was clear we still had a LONG LONG WAY to go.
This one is still in the works...and we're hoping to debut the evolved version very soon. We've decided to call this one, 'The Inside-Out'. Until then, stay tuned and let us know what you think!
