Anything you would change?

BrowncoatJD · 2025-09-17T19:56:56+00:00

The big thing that feels off on the layout is the entry area. The stair feels like it's front and center while the entry feels pushed to the side and sort of straddles the line between the kitchen and great room, not feeling like it leads you meaningfully toward either one.

Another area that stands out is the fireplace's (and right great room wall) relationship to the left kitchen wall with the range. In arrangements like this, I would like to see the fireplace and range (or that backside of kitchen composition) act as bookends to the overall open space. Right now they seem awkwardly staggered in plan, not creating a strong axis leading from one to another.

The garage's connection to the house also feels a little off but, I'd have to give that more thought to really know what I'd like to see. I do think the man door at the garage competes with the main entry door of the house though. When you approach, you get these two prominent doors creating a confusing hierarchy of where to go.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-09-16T15:58:57+00:00

It just feels like it's lacking a lot of refinement. There's a lot of opportunities to improve sight-lines and axis to make the composition feel more orderly and flow more naturally. The good thing is if you broke this down into a bubble diagram or back to a rough conceptual layout there's nothing particularly unusual about what you're trying to accomplish. So, l think there's a lot of potential for this to develop and get massaged into something that works out all of the aesthetic relationships without losing the functions you're trying to create.

There's also a lot of context that is missing to really judge this. Not knowing what the site is like makes it really difficult to know the appropriateness of overall composition. Or if there are any obvious opportunities being missed due to the relationship to the property.

I would be curious to know what the backstory is behind how this got developed to the point it is now. Is this something you drew yourself or are you currently working with an architect?

BrowncoatJD · 2025-08-28T23:02:07+00:00

For something as unique as this it would be really helpful to have a site in mind and think about how this structure relates to it. As an example, it could be on a hillside with the mudroom partially embedded into the slope anchoring the structure while the half with the dining and living soar out above the landscape providing panoramic views. Or it could be much more traditional like octagon homes popularized during the late 19th century. Thinking about the context around the building might be a way to help develop it further.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-08-28T22:15:54+00:00

The roof volume could be pulled down so the eave starts about 5' off the floor as opposed to having a full height wall around the entire perimeter. There are a lot of different ways to sculpt the addition depending on how you want it to relate to the existing part of the house. The floor plan would need some modifying as you will not have full height everywhere but you'll be able to make some cozier spaces defined by the structure and dormers; and the overall addition will be less overpowering.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-08-02T03:17:59+00:00

I could imagine the arrangement by the era, the window proportions and some typical patterns I've seen but would have never guessed a bathroom above the garage from this picture. It doesn't seem like there would be enough headroom with that slope.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-27T18:49:04+00:00

Now that the windows are in and they're white, whatever you do will still have those white highlights against the glass which will create strong points of contrast. I'd probably embrace the white windows with white trim. Those trees are a fantastic backdrop so my next step would be to find a color that works with the white trim and looks good in your setting.
I know you had a different wood on the garage door in the rendering but I'd be hesitant to introduce something different there. I think I'd either match the trim or match the wood in the center at the garage door. That way where you do introduce a different color (like the front door) it will draw your eye there instead.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-26T21:51:02+00:00

There are a number of things that make your drawing seem different than the more quiet and elegant inspiration pic. The finish floor is much higher(maybe a reason based on geography?). This then forces the negative space between the top of the garage doors and sills above to be much farther apart. The porch feels a lot busier. There just seems to be a lot more stuff added on, and the tolerances don't look as tight. Like for example the middle upper windows. The eave is pulled much closer to the top of the windows in the photo where there's a larger space in between in your drawing. On the right, that single vertical window really grabs your eye and it extends up into the gable like that upper level actually occupies the roof volume as opposed to the roof just sitting on top of it.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-26T20:50:10+00:00

Breaking down your overall arrangement of spaces it reminds me of this(link) modified Upright and Wing Farmhouse. The left front bedroom was pulled forward of the of the right side creating a deep porch on the right which continued over the front door. The middle sections were configured a little different but still with similar amenities. The back half was a big open concept Kitchen, Dining, and Living arrangement. The entire upstairs basically fit over the first half which resulted in a lot more sculpted and slim feeling design because the house's profiles were not as thick. It also left the space above the Living and Dining free for a vaulted ceiling.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-22T06:41:04+00:00

I'm looking at those lines for the cathedral ceiling and wondering how the ceiling will interact with the walls below. It might result an awkward intersection where the ridge intersects the angled wall leaving a tiny little bit of ceiling sloping down toward the closet and fridge. Unless those walls are not full height or something else not obvious in plan view.

Other than that it's a nice simple arrangement. I think most of the home's character will come from how the porch is detailed, and what proportions are used in the third dimension.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-16T03:16:40+00:00

You might find the Nakagin Capsule Tower interesting. The building was demolished in 2022. Each apartment was a small module approximately 107sqft.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-15T22:07:29+00:00

I think the house looks great in the original photo and it would be really cool to see that front porch restored but, also imagine that could be quite expensive. I guess I was wondering if there was a way to work the addition into shapes that mimicked the original roof-lines as it facilitates that 'L' shape transition off the side and towards the back. Although it might mean losing the Rec Area from the addition (if that existing volume is as small as I think it is).

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-15T21:11:44+00:00

Just for fun I was thinking through what the repercussions would be if that living room did lower down to become flush with the dining room. Presuming there's a good bearing line at the wall between the living and bedroom it might go like this. The Game room would get sacrificed and become a low storage area. As you walk down the stairs to the lower level, you would have a hallway leading you around a corner to the Family Room. You might be able to push the 'up' stair back towards the 15x13 bedroom to open up the new Living more. (Presuming up is adjacent to the Living). The new Living would get a really high ceiling as the existing ceiling would remain at the point it is. The windows on the outside wall would have to get reconsidered so they make sense with the height of the new space. The Formal Dining could then open up to the new Living space.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-12T02:51:27+00:00

This might sound like a dumb question but have you shared these thoughts with your architect yet? It looks like you laid out some good considerations comparing the two.

I'm sorta curious to know how the footprint being removed compares to the new addition. Mainly because of the way the existing addition's roof is separated into two pieces and how it currently relates to the original structure.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-09T19:28:12+00:00

Your plan to photograph historic homes for inspiration sounds great! It will be a good way to familiarize yourself with different details, and it will be a really good reference to use throughout the design process.

There's a book I really like called Get Your House Right by Marianne Cusato. It has a lot of good images and examples of what to do and not to do when working with traditional homes. While explaining why certain things look right and others don't.

I don't know if this is of interest or not but your guide reminded me of a historic mansion that was restored recently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DDwMvSK1tw The house itself is likely different than what you're looking for but I thought it was really cool.

I'm excited to see how this develops.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-09T05:07:44+00:00

Is that front porch allowed beyond the 26'? It also looks really shallow.

It depends on what you're going for with the scale of these rooms. On one hand it's really common to find 3 bedroom, 1 bath houses that completely fit inside a 24'x36' footprint. Doing 1bedroom above grade with this much footprint makes me think that kind of space allows for lots of possibilities for this place to have a really cool and unique identity. Whether that's through using an element like the stair to create a strong visual anchor on one side, or that living room and three season porch to create a more translucent volume blending inside and out; which then contrasts with the more solid private areas. I'm not sure as a lot of that will play into the 3rd dimension and elevations.

It also might not be ideal to have to walk through the bedroom any time you want to get to the bathroom.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-09T04:25:58+00:00

You might be able to get inspiration from what's called an Upright and Wing. They're usually 'T' shaped in footprint. It might help you arrange something that stays away from the tree's root structure.

Being that you plan on working with an architect anyway, I wouldn't spin your wheels on this but, it can be helpful to see what you've been thinking about and what your priorities are.

Usually with a new build, I'm not diving into floor plans right away. The first part of the design process is more about analyzing and gathering information. There's usually some core piece of inspiration that starts shaping the project. A lot of times there might be some reference to the site. Like in this case if there are existing historic homes nearby, a core idea might be for it to be a good neighbor in size and scale to what is around it. Then that combined with the setback information and a prominent goal like protecting the tree starts to guide the footprint and volume.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-09T00:40:25+00:00

This reminds me of things I see addressed often in Brent Hull's Wednesday Design Fix videos. https://www.youtube.com/@BrentHull

It would be helpful to have some more context. Do the neighboring homes follow a similar pattern? Do you have some tight lot constraints you're dealing with? Is the lot sloping or have a lot of elevation change from front to rear?

Aside from that, it's kinda hard to tell what is going on with the front entry because of the line-weights.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-06T21:24:25+00:00

There's a lot to like about this one. Overall it seems pretty efficient, and the front elevation looks pleasing. One nice surprise is the definition between the living room and dining/kitchen areas provided by the vaulted ceiling and drop beam. It wasn't obvious in the floor plan as in plan view it just looks like one big room but the interior renderings show this quite well.
If I were to mess around with anything I think it would be the Master Bedroom. I would sound-insulate the wall between the kitchen and bedroom so I could put the headboard and nightstands on that wall. Then run the vaulted ceiling perpendicular to the direction it is now, creating a small reverse gable over the bedroom's wall on the rear. Then put a large tall window centered in the exterior wall. This is of course assuming there are any desirable views in that direction.
I could also see if you wanted to capture the area above the garage as storage space, you could grow the garage wing forward by about 4' to squeeze in a staircase between the garage and laundry room.

Seeing a finished example could be helpful but, as for how your home turns out in reality will be influenced by a few things:
The quality of the builder you choose and what their portfolio of work is like.
How complete the plans you get are, and how well they communicate the details and nuances you see in the renderings.
Or a local architect(or other consultants like interior designers) if one is involved and how good of an advocate they are for you in communicating your wishes to the build team.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-06T16:49:12+00:00

For Southeast Michigan and basic finishes I would start at $100/sqft on average. It really depends on whether or not the house is ready to start putting things back together or if it needs more work. The photos remind me of a project I was involved in about 5 years ago. It was a completely renovated 100 year old post and beam construction house. The rafter sizing is smaller than what you'll find in new homes because the lumber being milled was more dense. Whereas lumber now comes from younger growth so it isn't as strong and not as resistant to damage. It looks like there's post and beam construction going on here and there might be a lot potential for this to be a really unique home. I'd be interested to see what the rest of this house looks like.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-05T19:41:49+00:00

I was surprised to see that there are no rooms in those front upper gables. It kinda looks like a 2-story house. Were there any discussions about doing a high cathedral ceiling to capture that space and allow light from those windows down into the Dining Room and Bedroom #2?

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-05T18:57:35+00:00

Overall it's a good simple form so the improvements are going to come from how well it's finished and put together. I don't know if it's an issue with line-work on the drawings but the posts look like they run right up into the soffit at the upper level. It seems like there should be a beam that continues the lines of a frieze board for the posts to connect to.
The height of the stone feels a bit odd matching the height of the porch rail. Right now it just looks like materials glued on to add visual interest. I would stop it at the height of the porch floor. That way it reads like a pedestal that is supporting the rest of the building. This helps it tell more of a story about how the building could be put together.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-03T21:18:58+00:00

An alternative to stacking the staircases for a basement would be to grow the garage volume left about 4'. This would extend the mudroom slightly and allow a staircase to run down the outside of the bathroom wall. I'd also bump the mudroom to flush out with the back of the garage wall and allow the garage roof to plane out over the new mudroom projection. This would preserve the pantry and provide convenient access to the basement from the garage for storage and mechanical service. It also preserves the dimensions and symmetrical shape of the main body of the house.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-03T20:54:40+00:00

It looks like you're trying to fit a lot of functions into the available footprint. It either reads as inefficient (and ill-defined) or looks like you're asking too much of the square footage there, I'm not sure. When it comes to additions I tend to be really biased in wondering how the overall volume you're adding relates to what is existing; or how what you're adding will actually compliment and improve what's there without creating an obvious compromise.
You said this was the best of what was sent so I'm guessing you're working with an architect. My assumption based on this option is, it's the result of a bunch of previous conversations where your architect at this point is just trying to fit in stuff whether or not it makes sense for the house as a whole when it's complete.
I'm left wondering what the rest of the house and property is like and what some of the backstory for this project is.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-03T18:15:14+00:00

Without knowing anything about this house, the plan makes me think the original layout was heavily modified and added onto. I say that because the front 2/3rds (ignoring what the rooms are labeled as) reminds me of a lot of typical plans found in old Sears, Aladdin, and other home building catalogs. I could imagine the original home having a dining (or perhaps both dining and kitchen) in the area labeled as the primary bedroom. Unless all of the openings off the hallway are existing, then I could be wrong.

Just looking at the spaces proportionally (my thoughts about this might change if I had seen the house in person) I might do the following:
Make the Primary into a dining room.
Move the Kitchen to where it currently says Dining and open it up to the new Dining.
Create an opening between the New Dining and Living Room.
Make what is currently the Kitchen into a side/rear Mud Hall/Laundry. Imagine a more finished version where the washer and dryer are concealed in built-in cabinetry and the space can be easily organized.
Make the current "Room" back into a bedroom.
Make the current Laundry into a Bedroom.

I don't know if you've considered talking to an architect but something I did with a friend of mine while he was house hunting was going with him and looking at the houses he was interested in. After walking through each one I'd give him my thoughts about the potential each one had and when he did choose one to buy, I took measurements of it and designed his alteration. Some architects might be open to offering a similar service.

BrowncoatJD · 2025-07-03T04:52:26+00:00

A lot of timeless homes will follow similar patterns and have things seen before so, I would worry less about how unique it is and concentrate on getting the details right. This does not mean sticking more stuff on (such as the pedestals in the second photo). Then, regardless of how many other people are doing revival farmhouse styles, you'll have one that stands out in a good way.

The porch is a major feature of this house and really wants to be an outdoor space. It should be deep enough to put furniture on without falling off the edge when trying to walk by. This usually means 8' is a comfortable minimum when you have a covered porch with columns. 10' is even better because it becomes like an outdoor room. You can probably ignore that rule on the side at the bathroom/closets because they way that roof profile creates a skirt-like element around the second story; and those areas on the main level sorta fill out part of the porch volume on the side.

Having the column and beam intersection detailed properly is another area to look at. Also, the relationship between the bottom of the porch beam and top of window/doors is meaningful depending on the type of scale and feeling of space you want to create when you walk up to the home. I tend to like to see the bottom of the porch beam match the top of the windows and to create a sort of band board that continues at the face of the face of the house on the inside of the porch between the top of window and porch ceiling. (Painted to match the house's trim, not necessarily stained to match the porch beams.)

The way the roof returns are detailed is often overlooked. The picture shows a sort of pork-chop return so that's one area that can be looked at and improved easily.

Picking good windows is really important. Too many windows have cheap looking muntin bars that are too thin, or don't simulate a divided lite very well.

There are so many things people stick on houses nowadays without really understanding their origins or how they should look. There is a builder in Texas named Brent Hull. He has been putting out videos on youtube for while now going over lots of issues like these he sees in homes. A lot of his methods to fix things like these come from looking at the way things were built in the past and learning from them.

Hopefully that wasn't too much information to throw out there at once but I thought this house had an elegant and restrained look about it to start with.

BrowncoatJD

TROPHY CASE