Main House Floor Plans

[Tim Haley]

I created this Discussion Forum for the Main House Floor Plans

You can see the drawings on this link -->>> Download Current Drawings and Reports Here (PDFs)

Per your email (responses in ITALICS below) 

• Want to open up the top floor kitchen/great room area.  
• Per our meeting at your house - thought the dining as a formal space was more appropriate to walk into from the entry stair with the corner family room and kitchen near the garage for the reasons we discussed.  I could have done more things with glass multi-sliders but decided not to in order to save $ so you can possibly do the ADU in the future with its own 3 car garage (I also designed this and included it in the link above)
• Want to create a large master with large walk in closet and luxurious bathroom for 2 (like a master should have) 
• The master turned out really well - I could have expanded it more but choose to save $ again - but it still works really well.   Note that this sets up a lower level that needs to be roughly the same size.  Right now I am showing a 2nd Master for special guests below but this lower level space can be purposed for other types of rooms instead of a 2nd Master - but for resale you'll get the most bang for your buck with a 2nd master since they are popular these days.
• Want to maintain 2 other guest rooms on main floor. 
• Done - so right now the house has 4 dedicated bedrooms but you can purpose any of them for another purpose like a Yoga room.
• The 11ft to 14ft we can go out on the side is on the bedroom side of the house.
• I ended up maximizing our potential expansion since it made the most sense to get the spaces to work with furniture / fixtures / etc.... but it can be reduced if needed.   Note that 2 of the 3 pine trees will need to be removed (see site plan) - the ones closest to the addition.
• Want to create a decent size laundry room on main floor. 
• Done - good size laundry room with a folding / ironing - island in the middle - note that there is a door doing to the outside patio - if this doesn't work for height reason or any other reason it can remain a window as it is now (existing in the bedroom)
• Do not know if building up is an option?
• No because of height limits
• Would love for home to have a better curb appeal.  I think we are the small guy on the street. 
• I always look for ways to cosmetically upgrade a house but I didn't really see that the house needed much - it actually looks nice as is.  It makes more sense to spend any budget that would go to this on the ADU itself (its more valuable) then maybe as a last phase make some cosmetic upgrades (but again don't think it really needs it).
• Would love for living space to be closer to the land (dirt/plants) / I don't see how to do this. 
• Well if you build the lower level as shown the 2nd Master would be closer to grade as would the ADU.
• Current plan was to build out to the bedroom side of house.  Also this would allow for some space on bottom floor where thought was to put a small yoga / exercise room.
• You could use the 2nd Master as a Media Room / Yoga Room - but as it is designed it is a 2nd Master since it would be more valuable to the broader market - however - again - you can repurpose this same design for a different function as needed.... or we can repurpose the design to more appropriately fit your specific needs.  This is only the first pass at the design.
• Play up views best we can
• I kept a lot of the windows (since we need to keep much of the sheer walls) but we can make them go all the way to the floor + we have the new sliders in the family room.
• Very nice brick area in front of house
• See comment above on cosmetic upgrades
• Like everything connected & making sense / Flow is important
• Agreed - and note I did a special ADU design that flows from one end of the small space to the other so if you rent it or repurpose it - then the bedrooms can open up to the main space (note all it takes is drapes to provide privacy from one space to the other in addition to the sliders that will go into the pockets on the ADU)
• Have very large and heavy gold buddha panels, this may go down into yoga room? 
• Sure + see comment above on repurposing the 2nd Master (or you can use one of the rooms on the main floor as a Yoga room as well.
• Property is fairly large below the house / hillside which we will discuss. 
• The ADU and its 3 car garage works really well below.   We have to verify the exact size but in Contra Costa County (and per state law) you can build up to a 1,200 s.f. ADU with a 800 s.f. garage - and this is what we have) - we'll verify this when the City of Concord Planners go back to work. 
• Interested in solar.  Downstairs has heating electric floors.
• Sounds good - I have some good sub-contractors for this as well that can give you other prices - besides the subs that your general contractor may use. 
• So far the work done around here has been done by us. Built out  bar area/ built out library area, built the deck, but we are now getting way beyond our skill set.
• Great - the more you can do yourselves the more $ you'll save!

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Just post a reply below for your comments on the Plans and the ADU - Thanks

[Tim Haley]

Hi Jill - See email I just sent

[Jill Guintu]

Tim,

When would be the right time for a soils report?  Builders keep asking if we have one.   Do we need a soils report or elevations survey to submit plans to the city?

Thanks

[Jill Guintu]

Hello Tim!

We have been evaluating the kitchen plan and the refrigerator area.  We think we want to do the following.

There is about 28 inches from the support wall to the edge of the stairs (toward the great room).  Understanding that you need about 4 inches for a wall we want to put a 24" freezer in that spot.  Then on the inside of the support post / wall we will put a 30" refrigerator.  We understand that we may be creating some dead cabinet space in the back corner.  Working with cabinet guy to solve the dead space as best we can. 

Steve Ferro (our cabinet guy) did some renderings and it looks like it will work out ok. 

Thanks! 

[Jill Guintu]

Hi TIm

• The small but important detail.  We currently have a small magnetic dog door in corner of the breakfast nook.  It goes out to the dining area which has been secured so small dogs can't escape: Potty is underneath the garbage deck.  Thinking we will need to put this to the right of the fireplace (towards the kitchen).  It is currently fit between 2 / 16 on center studs.  Not big but will probably cut into the length of the nana on that side.
• We are also still thinking about the nana's in the master & office.  Noted that you took them out.  More ideas are always better than less.
• Maybe we can talk again later this week?

[Tim Haley]

Hi,

Per our last phone meeting the following was modified and posted as a new A2.1

• Reduced Refr/Freezer in favor of an under counter freezer
• Still have to show extra Freezer in Laundry
• Moved Kitchen wall adjacent to the stair back
• Changed Family Room window from Nanadoors to Windows
• Added back in 45 degree wall in Dining but swapped slider for a full height window
• Swapped Nanadoor in Master for Window - this shouldn't be full height so you can have a credenza in front of it
• Reduced Retreat
• Added do Master Bath and it is similar to your sketch but didn't like the pony wall with adjacent toilet so let me know what you think of this layout?  I also added a linen or cabinet to the Master Bath
• Removed the door to the front patio in Laundry and kept existing window
• Added French Door to Bedroom 3
• Modified Lower Level Basement to back to existing
• Swapped out Nanadoor in Office for large window

Let me know what you guys think?

[Tim Haley]

Hi Jill,

• Sounds good with the height of the NanaDoors
• I assumed that the main floor is higher than the outside brick atrium by 18" so I added a stoop and stair which should match the brick when it is built.  If it is the opposite and the floor level is lower than the Brick Atrium then it won't work and have to go back to a window
• Sounds good - pushed it out by 2ft per our last phone meeting.  This allowed for a island in the expanded master closet
• I also added fireplace to Master we can also add shelves or something else as needed
• Removed that closet (so you only have the walk-in but it is good size)
• Added a Pocket Sliding NanaDoor to the Master and Dining instead of the windows
• ^^ Same for the Office on the lower level
• Kept the existing door out of the existing library per your request in the phone meeting
• Per our Phone meeting we will submit the Lower Level so it is recorded with a 2nd Master Bedroom as drawn but you can build it without the walls or plumbing fixtures and use it as needed like a Yoga Room
  
  Jill Guintu said:

Hi Tim!

Some data points for you.

Big windows in the great room, looks like could go about 9' tall, maybe 10' tall with the nanadoors

Front of the house to brick atrium: I believe there is a difference in floor height  from the inside of the house to the brick outside floor of around 18 inches

Think we need to push out the extra 2' in the rear for the additional closet space

[Jill Guintu]

Hi Tim!

Some data points for you.

Big windows in the great room, looks like could go about 9' tall, maybe 10' tall with the nanadoors

Front of the house to brick atrium: I believe there is a difference in floor height  from the inside of the house to the brick outside floor of around 18 inches

Think we need to push out the extra 2' in the rear for the additional closet space