FLOOR PLANS: WHEN YOU’RE NOT HAPPY WITH THE ARCHITECT’S PLAN
This past week I started working with property investors who are in the process of building a paired home (duplex). When I was approached to look a the floor plans by the investors, there was a bit of urgency as the framers were going to be starting. The question the investors posed to me was.
Do you think we should stick with the current layout of the kitchen or not? To me it seems small and I’m trying to figure out whether we should extend it or not.
Floor Plans: My First Reaction
When I first saw the plan I quickly looked at the square footage for this particular floor. There is 919 square feet on this level. The reason I looked at the square footage was that there was one thing in particular that stood out for me: 2 eating areas…for 919 square feet! Who needs 2 eating areas. To me, this was wasting great space. In most homes I’m working in, we are taking out the dining room to create a larger kitchen and common eating area.
Floor Plans: Option 1
I got to work right away as I knew decisions needed to be made about the windows. The first option I presented as a conceptual design included:
- A much larger, extended kitchen.
- Instead of the 2 small windows that were one the original plan that were located under the cabinets, one window for the sink.
- A cooktop and island hood fan.
- A much larger island.
Here’s a glimpse to this design:
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©www.gityyc.com
©www.gityyc.com
Floor Plans: Option 2
Not everyone loves an island hood fan so this second option was what I presented that included:
- A much larger, extended kitchen.
- The cook top and hood fan located on the outer wall.
- The sink and dishwasher in the island.
Here’s a glimpse to this design:
©www.gityyc.com
©www.gityyc.com
©www.gityyc.com
Floor Plans: Your Options
These 2 conceptual designs were quickly put together. As you may notice, there isn’t any lighting in this plan and there really isn’t a lot of detail with the entire plan. I kept the kitchen cabinets white as I was under the time-crunch to get this done. These plans were strictly created to show the concept of one eating area and a much larger kitchen. I also included furniture pieces so that the investors can get an idea of the entire floor. All of the specific details will come!When it comes to building I believe this stage, using floor plans, is so important to get it right. The function HAS to be priority and utilizing your space to the fullest is also extremely key.I’m looking forward to helping out these property investors with their floor plans as well as picking out everything for these two units. As we have a meeting scheduled for this coming week, I’ll be keeping you updated throughout this project! I hope you’ll stay tuned.
Building a new home and don’t like what you see? Do you feel you need a second opinion on the function of our space? Contact me today to discuss how I can help you out!
