we've got the new houseplans

Two weeks ago Eric sent through a revised set of house plans. They're wonderful and we're feeling like we're almost there now, in terms of the concept.

Here's an overview showing how the new house relates to the old house and gardens:


This is what the house looks like in terms of Elevations. One of my favourite things about this design is that it looks so different from each side. It makes me want to explore. I also love the sharp angles and the way they're mixed, but still in essence simple clean lines just as in old-fashioned homes. Yet there's some complexity too - e.g., the sunburst motif Dave loved from the houses in Tallinn has made it in! Click on any of them to bring up a bigger view.



We don't have the tower room from our wishlist - but when I saw these plans I realised we don't need one. Eric's encapsulated the spirit of the tower within other parts - the bedroom balcony, the bath in the bay window, etc. Even the romance of having somewhere secluded is captured - just via a sideways library extension rather than up.

After a fortnight of living with them there's only one thing so far that we'd like to tweak in terms of this outside appearance. We like but don't love the shape of the balcony railings. We think instead it would be better if it were rectangular and protruding out a little more, supported on stilts, to form a kind of canopy at ground level.

Here's the ground floor plan, click to see it bigger:


We adore the library and lounge especially. We also love the way there's a lot of verandah & porch space (shaded in red), but it's all in different parts so each can have a different feel. I think my favourite feature, after the library, is how both the kitchen and lounge open onto the same little front verandah, which will have wonderful views. We also like how the laundry is next to the library - means there's plumbing in place if anyone ever had to convert the library to a bedroom, so you could put in an ensuite.

We're still trying to come to grips with the big area at the foot of the stairs. Eric wasn't sure what to call it - I don't like lobby as makes me think of bland hotel foyers; so instead I'm trying to think of it as being a "living hall" like at Standen. The more I think about it, the more it seems as if it could be very versatile - somewhere you could have clear for parties, movie screening, playing games. A place you could play around with the decor by season - and especially perfect for a giant Christmas tree. It could even double as a dining room for when we want to have more formal dinners. I envisage the small hallway at the entrance as really being a place to pass through and hang up hats & coats, etc, and then this "living hall" space as being where you'd pause and feel you'd properly got inside.

Given this potential use as a dining room, there's only one thing we'd like to change in this ground floor layout, and that is to somehow make it so that the entrance to the downstairs toilet doesn't open directly off the open area.
But, I'm worried that in attempting to change this it'll ruin the feel of the other parts which we love - so this is something we could easily let pass, in fact it's so minor a quibble we were debating whether to even mention it! After all, it's only going to be very occasional we use the space as a dining room, and we could always just send guests to the upstairs bathroom instead. Any ideas anyone?

Moving on to the upstairs, this is what the top floor looks like (click to make it bigger):


We love the master bedroom. I don't think I'd actually have two armchairs as sketched, but I like there being plenty of space so as to make it an option. We also love the area at the top of the stairs, especially the symmetry of the bookshelves.

But, there are some things we don't like and definitely need to change. The first is the bathroom. We don't like the toilet being in the bathroom - we much preferred the previous version where it was in a separate area just next door. Also, we want there to be a space for an armchair near the bath, which has also been lost. (I saw this in a magazine years ago and ever since have longed for one... you take a nice squishy armchair, put the cushions in waterproof bags and then fit soft terry-towelling covers. So, no need to worry about it getting wet and it's a comfortable place to sit and chat with whoever's in the bath - which is usually Dave!)

In the spare room / study we don't like the position of the bed - because it looks too much like one! We preferred the previous version which had it tucked under the eaves as a kind of built-in almost, so that it could masquerade as a big comfy sofa with lots of cushions. Also, now that we have the library downstairs, this room will become more of a study & office. This is where the computer and all it's 'glorious attachments' will live; where we'll file away all our paperwork. The library can then just be dedicated to books.

Here's a snippet from the previous version showing the upstairs toilet and alcove bed, to show you what I mean. (As with all the photos, click to enlarge):


Overall though, we love it! I imagine walking through and it just feels right. There's enough outdoor spaces for those hot Australian summers, but also enough indoor space too for the very cold Amherst winters. I'm sure there'll be more tweaks as we go along, but we're almost there.

A big test is coming next week - Dave is back in Australia for a few weeks, and he's going to peg this design out on-site. So, he can really get a sense of the spaces and views. I can't wait to see the pictures.