Judith Sutton ABR CRS IDS PMN ASP IAHSP SRES GREEN
Judy@JudithSutton.com 908 803-0472
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Smart Living: Why Floorplans Matter
Principles of good architecture always outlast fads
Thinking about building?
Does every home need a great room? Do buyers need, or even want, a dining room? Or a living room, for that matter. How important is the kitchen to you? Does it matter whether the ceiling is 9 feet high, 8 feet high, or 11 feet high?
While in our data-hungry age values tend to be calculated on a price-per-square-foot basis, how those square feet are deployed is actually just as important as how many there are. Sometimes smaller homes and apartments can be enormously cozy and inviting and just as interesting as the larger gracious homes we may have given up.
So what makes some layouts work so much better than others? Here are a few ideas.
Take for instance the foyer. Homes without a sense of entry tend not to feel welcoming. Apartments with low 8-foot ceilings create a cramped feeling even if the rooms lay out to a decent size. Many buyers continue to feel drawn to older homes (or new homes in which the architects have learned from older homes) because they so often lend a feeling of spaciousness even in small spaces by offering an entry foyer.
Where space often is wasted in the homes of today is in duplicating room functions. If you have a great room off the kitchen, will you ever actually use the living room? If you park in or next to the garage, then walk into the kitchen, how often will family members use the front entrance?
What about curb appeal where the façade of the home offers passers-by a view only of a front door and a double garage door. Ideally, the garage belongs at the back or side of the house, leaving the architecture of the front façade to create an invitating approach.
Inside, an entry foyer should welcome new arrivals into the home. In the best layouts, rooms radiate off the foyer in a way that provides both reassurance and mystery. You finds yourself drawn in, both engaged by the public rooms which are visible, and simultaneously intrigued by the hallways or doorways leading to rooms that are not easly seen.
I have read several articles recently about how separate rooms are making a comeback. People apparently no longer want their living room, dining area, and kitchen all to be combined into one large open space. They want to be able to hide their dirty pots and pans when friends come for dinner. Open space sometimes reduces the sense of privacy.
Finally, do we need an enormous bathroom? I understand the appeal of two sinks, a stall shower, and a water closet, but does the master bathroom need to be quite so spacious? Certainly lovely, but it can increase the square footage of the floorplan.
Styles and tastes evolve. What seemed user-friendly in 1960 may seem dated or unattractive today. Fundamental principles of good architecture always outlast fads. Smart room proportions, often based on the Golden Mean or 2/3 ratio, have resonated with home dwellers since Roman times. Similarly, a layout that both beckons the visitor in while providing tantalizing glimpses of other, not fully visible spaces, will always possess appeal. Designing the right plan for you is a treasure. Finding the right professionals to carry out your dreams and remain thoughtful and practical is key. Please feel free to call me about referrals from my LITTLE BLUE BOOK. I would b happy to help.
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