Want to help design a house that might get built?

[BRUTUS]

My parents are probably going to build a house and I was helping them figure out what they want. They can broadly list what they want in a house overall, but were having a hard time nailing anything down. I suggested they focus on just a part of it and see if they come up with anything. So, I've got a pretty specific list of things they'd want in the Master Suite portion.

This is the part where everyone says, "Well why don't you do it yourself?" I have been, and I'm just not inspired. I cannot come up with a suitable design, much less one that looks good and is stylish.

If anyone wants a go at it, they can post their takes on it in this thread as a WIP as they go and revise it. If my parents like what someone comes up with, they just might have it built per your design. That would be a pretty nifty, right?

There's a good chance no one's interested in this, so I'm not going to bother posting the design guidelines for the Master Suite unless someone wanted to give it a go. To give you a general idea though, the broad goal would be something that looks as nice as an upscale suite in a hotel (think Venitian or Bellagio...those kinds of hotels....affordable class)

Let me know if you're interested, then I'll post more specifics.

[Chris B]

as soon as you post the details we will know wether we are inspired ;)

[BRUTUS]

This is a list of things they would like to have. I've elaborated a bit on some to explain where they're coming from, and what things you can play around with.

They'd like a master suite with a large bedroom with a seating area included. Off the bedroom, would be access to the closet(s) and the bathroom, and possibly a den (if you want to have a go at the den, incorporating it into the plans, I'll list a few details below).

For the style of the house, I think they lean towards a sort of a clean traditional styling that borders on formal. Nothing too contemporary, nothing too plain, but nothing too frilly or elaborate, etc. Just elegant in general.

BEDROOM

Double door entry
Vaulted or tray ceiling (soffet lighting perhaps)
Tall ceilings throughout (9 feet or taller)
Large doors (at least 7 feet by 3 feet)
Carpeting (hardwood and rugs could work)
Good lighting (this is built in lighting of course)
Several furniture arrangements (they'd like to have choices on how to arrange the bed and other furniture. But I'm sure if they saw a layout they like, they wouldn't mind only having one way to place the bed)
Seating area (to read or watch TV. At least two chairs and a table)
TV viewable from bed and seating area (this may be tricky if you're accounting for more than one way to arrange the furniture. You can take some leeway here)
Balcony (or a patio if on the first floor. Could be French doors, or one door. Should be large enough for a couple chairs and a table)
Large windows (I imagine the bedroom would be on the corner of the house. But depending on the layout, the windows could be on one or more walls. They don't need to be full-length windows or anything, just keep them in mind)
Built in shelves (the room may get to a point where the walls are already too cluttered, so this may not fit)
Door(s) to the den (perhaps pocket door(s) instead of regular door)
Door(s) to the walk-in closet (or dressing area…will elaborate below*)
Door(s) to bathroom (or dressing area…will elaborate below*)
Many power outlets
Light switch near bed
Ceiling fan (if applicable)
Built in speakers (for music)

It would help to design the room along with the furniture in it. So they will have a king-sized bed with two end tables on either side with lamps. The seating area would have two comfortable chairs and a table. The table could even be one that you can pull the chairs up to, or just a small one to set things on. Whatever works best. The rest of the room can have whatever…a place for the television, put photographs on, etc.

They'd prefer not to just have a box for a room. So having niches and more than four walls would be nice.

You can finish the room off with wood trim, paint, wallpaper, drapes, paintings, flowers, etc. to show what the room would look like with everything there.


CLOSET

Large walk-in closet for two
Carpeting (or not)
Shelving and drawers (for hanging clothes, shoes, folded stuff, underwear, socks, etc. linen…bedding, you know)
Storage (this could even be niche off part of the closet, or just plenty of shelving, with some floor space for boxes and suitcases and the like. Not a lot of storage, but enough for the stuff they would rather keep handy instead of in a basement or something)
Full-length mirror
Changing area with seating (see below*)


BATHROOM

Tile floors
Jacuzzi tub (with ledge built around to sit on)
Large tiled shower (no step, for wheelchair access. Fairly large, and with a built-in seat)
One sink (don't need two, but could be convinced)
Toilet not enclosed (they don't like the little room with the toilet some bathrooms have. It could still be in a niche with wall on either side. That would be nice if they ever need support handrails put in)
Built-in cabinets (towels, toiletries, hamper, etc.)
Large windows (it's a bathroom so privacy is still important)
Vent fan and heater
Wheelchair access under sink (not necessary, but could be convenient in future)
Possibly access to changing room/closet (see below*)

*With the double entry doors, balcony, den, bathroom, closet, etc. the walls could get pretty cluttered. Some designs have one door from the bedroom that leads to both the closet and the bathroom. Potentially this could include the den too. Another idea would be to have doors or a niche set into a wall with a dressing area with mirrors, and either side of the niche would have a door to the closet and the bathroom. You could lock the doors to this niche and have the bathroom/closet area private for getting ready and changing, etc. I'm just saying, you can try different ways of arranging these things.


DEN

I'll briefly list some things, as they don't have as firm of a vision for this room, but if you want to incorporate it into the layout, then you might want some guidelines.

Decent sized (doesn't need to be very large)
Door to main house (So you won't have to go through bedroom to get to it)
Built-in shelving and cabinets (for books and papers…it would be their office)
Desk for computer
Possibly a writing desk
Could have wood paneling
Carpeting (or wood floors)
Large windows
Seating area (a couch or chairs with an end table or coffee table)


That's about it. This is a lot to incorporate into a design, and seeing as how I wrote all that out, probably no one is interested in giving it a shot. But seriously, they could build it if they like it. To have your own design be built would be pretty cool. Have a go at it!

[Commodore-SirJohn]

Wish I wasn't so busy at the moment, else I'd give it a try. While it's been over 15 years since I took architectural drafting in high school, I think I remember most of it...

[General Phoenix]

I might even take a crack at it myself... :)

[BRUTUS]

I'd like to see what you could come up with!

[Sean Kennedy]

darn, I'm a bit busy at the moment but I have a cool idea that I was working on way back in high school. Basically, It's a home built on a hexagonal theme rather than a square theme. The details you've given would fit nicely into the plans. :)

When do you need ideas submitted?

[BRUTUS]

There's no set date, but it'd be cool to get some ideas going in the next couple weeks.

I don't know if a hexagonal home would be what they're looking for. They're into more traditional styles of homes.