House plan design question-input needed.

[indigomama]

Let's say you are going to purchase a home in a development that has not been built, yet, and you cannot make any major floor plan changes, but you can change the placement of the front door. What would you do in the following scenario:

 

House is one long rectangular open concept room, that includes the kitchen, dining area, and living area. The short end of the rectangle faces the street and one long end faces the side of the house. It is currently planned to have a glass slider door facing the street, and the actual "front door" is on the side of the house. The sliders are in the living room and it leaves the whole inside of the house exposed to the street. The side door (which is to function as the front door to guests) opens right onto where you'd put the dining table. 

 

Would you:

 

A) Leave the plan as is?

 

B) Replace the sliders with an actual front door (which makes it awkward walking right into the living room seating area), but would enable you to enclose the side area, giving you a bigger fenced yard and not have people walking into the table?

 

C) Make a wall where the slider is (giving you more wall space inside and a more designated seating area, and using the side door as the "front door", even if it's an awkward walk into the dining area?

 

I would love to hear people's thoughts. Thanks!

 

 

 

Edited for clarification.

Edited January 2, 2016 by indigomama

[Garga]

Can the front door be the short end of the rectangle facing the street, and can the slider be the door that opens to the side of the house by the DR table? Basically switch doors?

[Garga]

Or, can you wall up the area with the slider door and put a window there for light, and then put a regular door on the long side, but move it down a bit so it doesn't open at the table, but opens closer to the short end into the LR? Or is that too much of a change for the builders?

Edited January 2, 2016 by Garga

[indigomama]

Can the front door be the short end of the rectangle facing the street, and can the slider be the door that opens to the side of the house by the DR table? Basically switch doors?

 

Yes, that's option B. I'll clarify that. When I said make the sliders the front door, I meant replace the sliders with an actual front door. But the problem is that it really really limits furniture layout. You'd walk into the living room. With the only wall space on the left, and a bank of windows and the slider along the wall on the right. Does that make sense? And we need space for sectional (or two couches), a piano, a tv, and bookshelves!

[indigomama]

Or, can you wall up the area with the slider door and put a window there for light, and then put a regular door on the long side, but move it down a bit so it doesn't open at the table, but opens closer to the short end into the LR? Or is that too much of a change for the builders?

 

 

There is a window above where the sliders are and it could stay even if they were walled in (very tall ceilings). But no, you can't move where the door would be on the long side, too much change for the builder. 

[gardenmom5]

make the front door face the street.  put a large window (or french doors) by the dining room.  where is your backyard access?

[indigomama]

make the front door face the street.  put a large window (or french doors) by the dining room.  where is your backyard access?

 

That's what looks best from the outside, but it makes the inside furniture layout really awkward. The backyard is accessed by the front door (which is actually on the side!). So, we could but a a slider where the on the side (where the current front door is) and access that way. Or a gate on the front side of house. Or there is access through the master, and through a side door in the garage.

[Liz CA]

I'd switch the front door so it's facing the street and nothing is visible to the street. I think putting a glass slider facing the street is anything from awkward to unsafe. Even with curtains / shades, it would give me a fishbowl feeling. I would also see if I could get French Doors instead of a slider no matter where the slider goes.

[Laura Corin]

How close are you to the street?

[LisaKinVA]

With the door on one side of the small rectangle facing the street, here are my options for furniture layout.

 

1) have sectional "float", not on a wall You can place a table or open shelving on the long side of the sectional, behind it. This can create a visual break to separate the space, without closing it off. Or float the sectional a few feet in front of bookcases or piano.

 

2) Use open shelving to create a foyer area to the non window side of the front door. Put sectional in front of this shelving.

 

3) instead of a tv, buy a projector (NOT expensive, and can be used with any tv/gaming options). This can even hang from the ceiling, and get a screen which can drop down. You can then place the tv viewing on any wall (I had planned to hide a screen in a decorative window box that is normally used to hide curtain rods, and put the screen in front of the windows...)

 

But definitely, no slider at the front of the house. Sliders by the dining room table. If you can't put sliders there, opt for French Door, and still put front door at the street side of the house.

 

I'm sure we can figure out something for the furniture!

[marbel]

I have lived in a house that had a slider facing the street.  Don't do it!  That will look like the front door to anyone walking up.  You will end up leaving the blinds closed all the time to avoid people surprising you, coming up and looking at you through the slider. 

[Kathryn]

Switch the doors. And forget about needing walls for furniture placement.

[purplejackmama]

Forget the house in the development with all the rules and PEOPLE, build your own custom house on a couple acres. Oops. I'm still in recovery mode from a horrible HOA neighborhood.

 

Ignore me.

[Spryte]

Switch the doors. And forget about needing walls for furniture placement.

This.

[Ravin]

It sounds annoying both ways. I would want an actual back door and a street-facing front door, preferably with a small foyer.

 

Given the options, I would put French doors on the side and a front door in front.

[Bluegoat]

I think I would move the door to the front, and plan to build a proper front porch at some time in the future. 

 

You could work with the furniture layout in either room, but as someone said above, you will likely end up covering up the sliding doors if they are on the front anyway.

 

I don't understand why they design houses where front doors open directly into rooms with no entryway area, even if it is only designated by visual cues.

[StephanieZ]

I'd talk to the builder again about actually moving the door(s) to places they make sense. It really, really is not that big a deal to put a door in some other part of the wall. Good grief. (I just renovated my house, and we moved doors willy nilly, including the front door. It's really not a big deal.) Pay whatever uncharge you negotiate, but get it the way it makes sense. No point in having a lovely new house when the front entrance and some main living spaces are completely messed up with stupid door placement. Post a floor plan & I'll try to make a specific suggestion. 

[Garga]

I'd talk to the builder again about actually moving the door(s) to places they make sense. It really, really is not that big a deal to put a door in some other part of the wall. Good grief. (I just renovated my house, and we moved doors willy nilly, including the front door. It's really not a big deal.) Pay whatever uncharge you negotiate, but get it the way it makes sense. No point in having a lovely new house when the front entrance and some main living spaces are completely messed up with stupid door placement. Post a floor plan & I'll try to make a specific suggestion.

I agree with this. I'd be a squeaky wheel and try to get the placement of the door on the side changed. It's just not a difficult thing to put doors in different spots when you're buillding. It becomes a hassle after all the walls are up and painted, but before then, not a big deal.

[barnwife]

Well, we have a sliding door and a front door on the same side of a rectangular house. To get to the sliding door, you need to walk past the front door.

And yet, people do that all the time. (In their defense, it's usually when they see us in the room that has the sliding door. Basically that whole side of the house is windows.) But it still baffles me a little. Why won't you come through the room where we have space to put your stuff?

I agree that I'd talk to the builder again. 

[Bluegoat]

I'd talk to the builder again about actually moving the door(s) to places they make sense. It really, really is not that big a deal to put a door in some other part of the wall. Good grief. (I just renovated my house, and we moved doors willy nilly, including the front door. It's really not a big deal.) Pay whatever uncharge you negotiate, but get it the way it makes sense. No point in having a lovely new house when the front entrance and some main living spaces are completely messed up with stupid door placement. Post a floor plan & I'll try to make a specific suggestion. 

 

I wonder though if there is any space that would work?  It sounds like there is nothing like a foyer or hall.  It wouldn't be any better to have the door going into a kitchen or bedroom.

[Ellie]

Let's say you are going to purchase a home in a development that has not been built, yet, and you cannot make any major floor plan changes, but you can change the placement of the front door. What would you do in the following scenario:

 

House is one long rectangular open concept room, that includes the kitchen, dining area, and living area. The short end of the rectangle faces the street and one long end faces the side of the house. It is currently planned to have a glass slider door facing the street, and the actual "front door" is on the side of the house. The sliders are in the living room and it leaves the whole inside of the house exposed to the street. The side door (which is to function as the front door to guests) opens right onto where you'd put the dining table. 

 

Would you:

 

A) Leave the plan as is?

 

B) Replace the sliders with an actual front door (which makes it awkward walking right into the living room seating area), but would enable you to enclose the side area, giving you a bigger fenced yard and not have people walking into the table?

 

C) Make a wall where the slider is (giving you more wall space inside and a more designated seating area, and using the side door as the "front door", even if it's an awkward walk into the dining area?

 

I would love to hear people's thoughts. Thanks!

 

 

 

Edited for clarification.

 

I think having guests walk around the house to the "front" door is just wrong, so I would have the front door at the front of the house. Arrange furniture and whatnot so that there is an entry way of sorts when you walk in the front door.

 

I am NOT a fan of sliding doors at all. Can you do french doors instead?  Without a diagram, I cannot tell how close to the doors your dining table would be, but I'd still prefer a front door at the front of the house and a slider (or french doors) on the side.

[Sherry in OH]

Regular door and a window on the side facing the street.   Keep the regular door in the dining room.  If builder insists one door must be something else, opt for a French door in the dining room.    

[indigomama]

I really appreciate everyone's thoughts!!!

 

With being able to share too much details: we basically are just very, very, very appreciative we even have the option to own in our HCOL area, let alone a new build. We aren't in a position to ask for a lot of changes. But the slider in front is a major issue for me. I know they have replaced it in another house with a typical front door, so we are going to ask for that. The door on the side will then be blocked from view/access from the front by moving the fence line up, so I'm not overly concerned what type of door they'd put there. 

 

I will worry about furniture arrangement later, I suppose. But, to me it will still feel a little awkward to walk right into the living room with a straight view of dining and kitchen areas, but I will make it work.

[marbel]

I really appreciate everyone's thoughts!!!

 

With being able to share too much details: we basically are just very, very, very appreciative we even have the option to own in our HCOL area, let alone a new build. We aren't in a position to ask for a lot of changes. But the slider in front is a major issue for me. I know they have replaced it in another house with a typical front door, so we are going to ask for that. The door on the side will then be blocked from view/access from the front by moving the fence line up, so I'm not overly concerned what type of door they'd put there. 

 

I will worry about furniture arrangement later, I suppose. But, to me it will still feel a little awkward to walk right into the living room with a straight view of dining and kitchen areas, but I will make it work.

 

My house is like this.  The door opens directly into the living room and the view is straight to my kitchen sink.  It helps motivate me to keep the sink area as neat as possible.  

 

Recently I was talking to someone who's been in my house several time and commented on how much I hated that.  She said "oh, I never noticed!" and we walked to the front door so she could see. She said she was always looking at the person who let her in, then around the living room because usually there were other people there. I don't think she was faking it to make me feel better.   I think it's something that bothers me because I live here. 

 

And, you know, we deal with it.

 

[indigomama]

My house is like this.  The door opens directly into the living room and the view is straight to my kitchen sink.  It helps motivate me to keep the sink area as neat as possible.  

 

Recently I was talking to someone who's been in my house several time and commented on how much I hated that.  She said "oh, I never noticed!" and we walked to the front door so she could see. She said she was always looking at the person who let her in, then around the living room because usually there were other people there. I don't think she was faking it to make me feel better.   I think it's something that bothers me because I live here. 

 

And, you know, we deal with it.

 

 

That's so great that she sees the people first. And, I bet it will bother me more than it will bother my visitors :)

[Chris in VA]

Our family home in FL had a front door that opened into the livingroom. The builders made a teeny little entry by changing about 8 feet of flooring to make the entry (maybe 2X4, I'm guessing) and made "walls" of open brickwork on either side of the "entry." It was enough to make it seem like you weren't coming right into the room. The dining room was to the left and the LR was to the right, so there was a bit of a feeling of an entry, but in reality there wasn't.

 

I'd put the front door in the front of the home, like you are planning.

[J-rap]

I'd switch doors as others have said.  What would even lead a guest to a front door on the side?  They would walk up from the street, and then take a little path to the side of the house where the front door is?  That seems really strange to me!

 

So yes, I'd put a real front door on the short end facing the street.  Maybe once inside the house, you can have a couch and end table immediately when you walk in, with the couch facing away from the entry area and running perpendicular to the wall the front door is on.   It will make for a little entry area, with the front door/entry on one side (of the couch) and part of the living room (where the couch is actually facing) on the other side.  Then you can have your living room like and L.  It's hard to explain in writing.  :)

 

[Bluegoat]

I really appreciate everyone's thoughts!!!

 

With being able to share too much details: we basically are just very, very, very appreciative we even have the option to own in our HCOL area, let alone a new build. We aren't in a position to ask for a lot of changes. But the slider in front is a major issue for me. I know they have replaced it in another house with a typical front door, so we are going to ask for that. The door on the side will then be blocked from view/access from the front by moving the fence line up, so I'm not overly concerned what type of door they'd put there. 

 

I will worry about furniture arrangement later, I suppose. But, to me it will still feel a little awkward to walk right into the living room with a straight view of dining and kitchen areas, but I will make it work.

 

There are some pretty simple things you can do to make a kind of psychological entryway.  One is different flooring or a rug right around the door.  If you do some online searching there are many ideas - it's a common problem.

[Ellie]

 

 

 But, to me it will still feel a little awkward to walk right into the living room with a straight view of dining and kitchen areas, but I will make it work.

 

I have almost always lived where we walked right into the living room, and often with a view of dining and kitchen areas (or at least dining room).

[indigomama]

There are some pretty simple things you can do to make a kind of psychological entryway.  One is different flooring or a rug right around the door.  If you do some online searching there are many ideas - it's a common problem.

 

 

I've been goggling "shotgun houses", because that's kind of what it will be like. There are some good ideas out there. And it will motivate me to keep the kitchen clean!

[indigomama]

I'd switch doors as others have said.  What would even lead a guest to a front door on the side?  They would walk up from the street, and then take a little path to the side of the house where the front door is?  That seems really strange to me!

 

 

Yes, when you pull into the driveway/garage on the left side, there is a little path in front of the sliders to the right side of the house where the "front door" is, on the plans.

[fairfarmhand]

As for the sliding glass doors, I'd put up a lattice work screen or something landscapey patio ish to sort of shield that, if possible, from others. If it looks like a covered outdoor"private living area" I'd venture to say that many people will end up walking to the correct door.