Can anyone help me with ideas... for a new house

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amother

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 6:46 pm

I'm currently building a house bh. 2 floors 1700 sf each. we're almost done with the floor plans and its very basic. I feel like the house has no warmth and each room is a square. Does anyone have good ideas of how I can add some warmth to the architectural design? TIA

Rubies

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 6:51 pm

Add warmth with the interior

amother

Springgreen

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 7:06 pm

Arched doorways
Built in shelves
Window seats
Exposed brick
Fireplace

amother

Slateblue

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 7:08 pm

Arched doorways
Sunken room (ex- family room down two steps from the rest of the floor)
Breakfast nook that had its own section (not just a table in the kitchen but it’s own space)
Don’t know what it’s called but like a reading nook, or a window bench (always wanted one!)
Large windows and lots of them

Eta— didn’t see the post above me since it was posted while I was writing. So many same ideas Smile

amother

Bergamot

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 7:22 pm

Not sure what you mean when you say no warmth. I'm doing a large addition to my home right now and working with an architect and when I look at plans I don't see warmth either. The warmth comes from decorating. But if you think the layout is boxy or uninspired, talk to the architect about it and let her/him make suggestions. Personally I like an open floor plan so when I hear you saying it looks like a bunch of squares my first thought is to remove walls.

Amarante

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 7:26 pm

The warmth comes from the finishes and the decorating touches.

Most homes don't have "warmth" when they are absolutely bare and you haven't even built it.

What is your style - are you adding crown molding? Beautiful baseboards? Lovely wood floors? Beautiful tile in the kitchen and bathrooms?

amother

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 7:34 pm

Thanks for your ideas. I'm going to bring it up with my architect and see what he says to these suggestions. Keep them coming

rmbg

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 7:37 pm

Just be aware that all the above suggestions will add to the cost. Anything that’s not a box costs more.
Re: sunken rooms- I would strongly discourage this. Just creates more opportunities for falls, tripping etc

Not_in_my_town

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 7:44 pm

Paint. An accent wall in each room with matching touches around the room makes a world of difference.

Rubber Ducky

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 7:44 pm

Alcoves, reading nooks, window seats, tray or barrel ceilings, variety of ceiling heights, bay windows, arched windows, extra-wide landing on staircase, fireplace...

Disagree about sunken rooms because they tend to be tripping hazards and can be dangerous for the elderly.

Architectural details: Wide casing on doorways, wainscoting, coffered ceiling...

amother

Stoneblue

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 8:44 pm

Just wanted u point out warmth is outdated. Lol

amotheranon

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 8:49 pm

French doors inside

Tortoise

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 8:58 pm

Ceiling details add a lot. For example, a crisscross beam pattern (not sure what it's officially called), or tray ceiling...

Rubber Ducky

Wed, Sep 21 2022, 9:00 pm

Tortoise wrote:

Ceiling details add a lot. For example, a crisscross beam pattern (not sure what it's officially called), or tray ceiling...

That's a coffered ceiling.

Amarante

Thu, Sep 22 2022, 6:39 am

If you are in the planning stages. now is the time to consult with a designer so that you can get the best result both aesthetically and functionally.

A good designer/decorator at this stage can help you plan the spaces to reflect how you want to live - making sure that everything flows together well. Also helping you space plan in terms of furniture.

You should look at pictures of homes that you like and see what features there are that you are responding positively to.

As others have posted, everything costs money and so you probably need to make decisions in terms of priority as to what you want to do but a good designer can help you in terms of providing you with costs and helping you achieve as much as possible within a budget.

ETA - I didn't "build" a home but I did a complete gut remodel and it is very stressful even if things go well because of all of the decisions one has to make. Yes it is wonderful to design every little thing but with that process it also means that you have to make decisions about stuff that you never even thought about. There are the obvious decisions like the style of your cabinets - the tile for your backsplash but then think about every little bit of configuration in your kitchen like how high each drawer would be and do you want your knife storage by stove or by sink - and what STYLE of sink and where is best place for drain (rear and to the side FWIW Smile

) and then stuff you never imagined you would have to think about like how high the shower head or exact placement of the knobs and pulls.

If you are relying on a contractor to make these decisions don't - they aren't going to be making the best decisions. Best is to start a great relationship with a designer now to how you with the process.

Also it is never too early to start looking at pictures and collecting the ones you like AND also visiting places like tile stores to look at tiles - or just visit tile websites like Ann Sachs or Encore to see what the most beautiful tiles look like - even if you can't afford Ann Sachs you can still get ideas of what you like and replicate the look on a budget.