Home DRAWING Design Decisions

1. What rooms do I need?
Make a list of all rooms you currently have and their approximate sizes.  Are they big enough?  Too large? Are there rooms that you need that you don't have in your existing home?  Bring your "wish list" to our first meeting.  I will try to incorporate all your needs into your new design.


2. What should my ceiling heights be?
The standard ceiling height on the first and second floors is 8'-0", although many custom homes presently being built have 9'-0" first floor ceilings, and 8'-0" second floor ceilings.  Higher-end homes occasionally have 10'-0" first floor ceiling heights on the first level.  It's up to you.  Keep in mind that with higher ceilings, taller windows are recommended.  If you intend to put transoms over your first floor windows you will need a minimum 9'-0" first floor ceiling height.
Building a cathedral ceiling in the master bedroom, for example, is an economical way of adding volume without increasing the entire second floor ceiling height.
In determining your basement ceiling height, keep in mind that it will vary depending on the method of foundation wall construction.  A typical basement wall is 12 courses high, which is 8'-0", and finishes out to 7'-9 1/2".  Clients sometimes increase the wall height to 13 courses and achieve an 8'-5 1/2" ceiling height.  If you wish to have poured concrete foundation walls instead of block, the walls are built using forms, and are either 8'-0" high or 9'-0" high.  The upgrade here is in specifying that the contractor use the 9'-0" forms, which results in a finished basement ceiling height of 8'-9 1/2".  A custom homebuilder will build taller walls for you if you desire it.


3. Do I want 2x4 or 2x6 exterior walls?
This decision, which may seem minor to you at the beginning, is a very crucial one for the designer/drafter; the earlier this decision is made the better.  Some people elect to use 2x6 wood studs in their exterior walls if they plan to install 5-1/2" fiberglass batt insulation in their outside walls, or if they particularly like deep window sills.  It is a nice look if you have the budget for it.  The majority of people, however, stay with 2x4 studs on their outside walls.


4. What kind of roof design did you have in mind?  Roof pitches?
How a house looks from the road (curb appeal) really makes or breaks the design.  Although many features play into how a house looks the roof really cinches it.  Look at other homes to get an idea of your roof pitch.  A 4/12 pitch will cost less than an 8/12, but does not have the headroom for attic space. 

5. What defines my "dream kitchen"?
I spend more time talking with my clients about the kitchen than any other part of the house, with the occasional exception of the master bath.  The kitchen is usually the social center of the house and takes careful planning.  The drawings that I create for you will show locations of the sink, dishwasher, range, and refrigerator.  I do not do detailed cabinetry layouts, because the kitchen cabinetry manufacturer will do their own plans in-house when you select cabinets from them.  However I do need to decide where all those major appliances will be installed.  The "work triangle" concept helps me do this.  It is the distance from the front of the sink, to the front of the refrigerator, to the front of the range.  Total length of the three legs of the triangle should be under 23'-0" for maximum efficiency.
Islands are a good place for family and friends to congregate while the cook prepares dinner.  We can discuss placement of a cook-top or a vegetable sink in an island.  Seating at the island is important also.  However, if you don't have room for an island, a peninsula might be a possibility.  Another feature of an efficient kitchen is a pantry cabinet - I try to fit one in whenever possible.  A walk-in pantry is even better.  Finally, consider the idea of having a computer desk somewhere in the vicinity of the kitchen/breakfast nook.  A cooking parent can supervise a child while on the Internet.


6. What about windows?
The style of windows you want is up to you.  Double-hung windows have a traditional look, while casements lend themselves to more contemporary styles.  It is best not to mix styles of windows, with the exception of installing a double casement over the kitchen sink, even if the rest of the house uses double-hungs, because it's easier to lean over a sink and crank open a casement window than it is to lift the bottom sash of a double-hung.
There are other window issues as well:

7. What finish materials shall I use on the outside of my new home?
You have your choice of several traditional finishes: brick, siding, stone, cultured stone, and EIFS ("Dryvit" is a recognized trade name).  I like to work more than one material into a design; for example, Dryvit on the majority of the house, with cultured stone to the bottom of the first floor windowsills and around the entry.  If you like the look of stone, consider cultured stone as an economical alternative.  It is helpful to me if you take pictures of the fronts of homes you've driven by and liked.
Trim (rake boards, fascias, freize boards, etc.) are usually wood, although synthetic materials are increasingly popular for their no- maintenance features.  You may wish to merely wrap your wood trim in vinyl or aluminum.  For a historically accurate look, I would specify instead that the wood trim be primed and painted, in which case you would need to paint it every few years.

Most clients select fiberglass/asphalt shingles for the roof.  You may wish to have cedar shakes, standing-seam metal, or slate instead.  Standing-seam metal is recommended for low roof pitches.  The decision to use slate should be made before the truss manufacturer begins designing the roof trusses, due to the added weight.


8. Do I need a finished basement?
You may not even want to think about the expense of finishing the basement in your new home now, but you will probably consider it in the future.  When I'm working out the structural supports in your basement I try to envision the possible future uses for the basement.  The columns are placed accordingly, so that they would either be encapsulated by future walls, or could be wrapped to look like decorative columns and not be in the way.  I can even position the columns with a future pool table in mind!  If you plan on having a fireplace somewhere on your first floor, and think you may want to finish your basement at some point in time, it's a good idea to install a flue for a future basement fireplace as well.  Roughing-in for a future bathroom in the basement is another smart investment.  Even if you never do put a bathroom in your basement, it's good for the resale value - the next owner might want to put one down there.  Also, it's much cheaper to rough in the plumbing for it before the slab is poured, than to have to break up the slab to do it later.  Clients sometimes want a bedroom in the basement.  The grade conditions of the lot will determine if this is possible, because you need to have a large enough window to escape the bedroom in the event of a fire ( per the building codes).  If your lot is flat, a special window well can be used to allow for a full-size window in the basement bedroom.


9. How do I plan for possible future modifications to my house?
If your new custom home is the place you intend to spend the rest of your life, please take future needs into consideration.  It is a good idea to situate the Master Suite on the first floor, with wider doors and more spacious walk-in closets and Master Bath, so that future handicapped accessibility won't be a problem.  It is easier to design for this now than to retrofit later.  Perhaps your design dictates that the master suite be on the second floor; in that case, the staircase should be designed as a straight run, so that a future mechanical lift could be installed at the stair.
Most clients desire a deck at some point.  We can work together in locating basement windows so that they would not interfere with the future placement of that deck.  I have had clients express an interest in a future screened porch as well, and we have positioned second floor windows above the location of the future screened porch so as not to interfere with the future porch roof.
For houses that have a separate garage module attached to the main house by a connecting "breezeway", I suggest using.  Perhaps you have always wanted a brick home, but know that your budget won't allow anything but vinyl siding for the time being.  I can specify a 4" ledge along the outside perimeter of your foundation, so that in the future you could remove the siding and use that ledge to support brick veneer.


10. What are some basic room sizes?
Room sizes for certain types of rooms will vary widely based on the caliber of home.  Here are some general guidelines: