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10/02/10 – Los Angeles – Large Single Family >2500 sqft
February 10th, 2010  |  76 Comments

10/02/10 – Los Angeles – Large Single Family (PDF)
10/02/10 – Los Angeles – Large Single Family (JPG)
10/02/10 – Los Angeles – Large Single Family (Demo)
10/02/10 – Los Angeles – Large Single Family (Full Symbol Library)

Part 2 – Completed Design ( video )

  • BradW

    John,

    In evaluating large homes, supersize makes it is easy to be critical. Big kitchens, grand living rooms, large master suites, multi-car garages are part of the large home market. Whether people need that space is another question entirely. It is important to keep context and proportion in mind when assessing any house and, in particular, large houses.

    I will say that with the luxury of all that space there is really no excuse to get it wrong.

  • Mid America Mom

    Hi guys! Later today I will tackle this. Thank you for easing the restrictions. I admit that I like when the entry and garage share an entrance.. but it has to be done well. Two questions. We can move the garage door but what about the wall extension from the garage toward the stair? It feels quite narrow getting into the present kitchen.

    Matthew I wrote the following as needing to go back in- one living space, dining space, kitchen, study/office, 1/2 bath, and laundry. I find it funny that the remaining spaces would in theory get bigger and maybe oversized.

  • MollyK

    [img]shdp511rev1a.jpg[/img]

    This exercise really wears me out. By the time it’s finished I’m too tired to make comments about the design. One note is the position of the double frig. It is part of a built-in cabinet that acts as a wall. I’ve seen the design in many modern kitchens,especially ones with limited space.
    I’m not totally happy with the outcome. Living looks small and mudroom looks big. I view the area near a garage as functional space, i.e., the mudroom layout. I’ve hand-drawn 4 designs and guess what…mudroom in the same place and other areas feel tight. This is a curse.
    I’m going to force myself to submit another plan with a different laundry location.

  • Matthew North

    Hi M.A.M.

    I was told that I was too militant in my restrictions on the design work last week! This week feel free to change what you like – except the perimeter wall, stairs and garage, but the wall extension from the garage to the stair is open to removal. Welcome to the world of large footprints – you are correct that the trick is to make effective use of the spaces, but supersized rooms are a real potential problem with a floor plan this big. Brad W’s comment is a good one – part of the goal if this exercise is to have everyone feel the difference in the design work of a mid sized home versus a larger home.

  • Matthew North

    ….the last sentence of my last comment should read “to have everyone feel the difference in the design work of a larger home versus a mid sized home.” I’m a little backwards today!

  • Matthew North

    Molly K – In your plan I would move the fridge from the center of the kitchen to the left of the cook top and keep the island open – I actually like the open idea of the kitchen in your new location. I’m going to work on your mudroom design for a moment and see what I can come up with.

  • Rita H.

    Comment: Moderately Fast.

    Project Name: LivingSmart Homes @ Canyon Hills – Plan 7

    Size: 2664 sq ft

    Project Address: 34162 Hillside Dr, Menifee, CA

    Project URL: http://www.pardeehomes.com/canyon-hills/livingsmart-homes-at-ch/floorplans/plan-7/

    Slow Home Test Score: 11

  • Rita H.

    Comment: Moderately Fast, borderline Fast.

    Project Name: O Bel Sole! – Rimini (Plan A)

    Size: 2800 sq ft

    Project Address: 2500-2656 E Ave K, Lancaster, CA

    Project URL: http://www.archenergy.com/obelsole/plans/Plan-A-floor-plans.pdf

    Slow Home Test Score: 8

  • Rita H.

    Comment: Fast. Lots of awkward things wrong with it. I think the part that I dislike the most is the where the dining tables are – either you take a long trip toward the master bedroom to eat facing the sideyard, or you walk through the living room (don’t spill!), through the giant sliding doors, to eat in the leftover space that you plunked your nook table.

    Project Name: Villas of Mirada – Villa Santa Rosa

    Size: 2950 sq ft

    Project Address: 10 Santa Rosa Mountain Lane, Rancho Mirage, CA

    Project URL: http://www.villasofmirada.com/#/floorplans/villasantarosa/

    Slow Home Test Score: 4

  • Alejandro

    Comment: Back entry doesn’t work, front entry needs a closet. The study is too close and open to the great room to be functional. The garage dominates the front facade and hides the front door. Bad walkscore (5/100). For orientation, I thought that the overall proportion of the house looks to aim all of the rooms toward natural light, away from sideyards, and if the lot was carefully selected, it would be a very bright and yet not sweltering interior.

    Project Name: Hartsbrook @ Parkview Meadows – residence 2

    Size: 3376 sq. ft.

    Project Address: 6861 Wild Lupine Rd Corona, CA 92880

    Project URL: http://www.lennar.com/New-Homes/California/Riverside-County/Hartsbrook-At-Parkview-Meadows/Residence-2

    Slow Home Test Score: 14

  • Matilde

    Comment:

    Project Name: Heirloom @ River Village – Residence 1

    Size: 3396 sq ft

    Project Address: 22540 Breakwater Way, Santa Clarita, CA

    Project URL: http://www.lennar.com/New-Homes/California/Los-Angeles/Heirloom-At-River-Village/Residence-1

    Slow Home Test Score: 5

  • orangeopolis

    Comment: Walkscore: 0/100
    Excessive front entry, back entry tight + shares space with laundry. I thought that the back functions better as a laundry than as an entry, so I gave the point to laundry. Questionable clearance in garage.

    Project Name: Highland Estates – Saint Lucia

    Size: 3552 sq ft

    Project Address: 7684 Newman St, Highland, CA

    Project URL: http://www.tollbrothers.com/models/santa_lucia_1535_/floorplans/santa_luciaca.pdf

    Slow Home Test Score: 3

  • orangeopolis

    Comment: Walkscore: 2/100
    Okay, the last one irritated me, but this one takes the cake. Unbelievable that this even exists. 4000 sq ft and only 3 bedrooms?!? My childhood home was only 950 sq ft and we had 3 bedrooms! One of them is titled “princess suite” – with all of those fussy jogs in the wall, the title is appropriate. The amount of wasted circulation space is atrocious – look at the entry sequence, and then look at the second floor stair landing area! The master bedroom and ensuite is probably 950 sq ft – the most ridiculous layout in the bathroom, and yet a toilet room the size of an airplane’s! Parking is a mess too. Look at how it’s all pushed to the side, creating a sea of paving for half of the site, and then how silly actually driving and parking your car in that single garage. Just awful. Oh, and the ‘library’ near the front entry and driveway (nice ‘n quiet right?) gets a closet, but the front entry (the one near the door) doesn’t? It just makes no sense.
    In all, I think that the designer just gave up. Just because you have 4000 sq ft to work with doesn’t mean that you get to just slop in the rooms without creating efficiency. Then again, all of the inefficiencies in this house are probably a political act: to instill in the minds of your guests that efficiency is for the lower class, and that excess is the hallmark of success!

    Project Name: Highland Estates – Santa Cruz

    Size: 3948 sq ft

    Project Address: 7690 Kent St, Highland, CA

    Project URL: http://www.tollbrothers.com/models/santa_cruz_1536_/floorplans/santa_cruzca.pdf

    Slow Home Test Score: 2

  • orangeopolis

    Comment: Just for good measure, I also have these 2 from Toll Brothers’ other community, Heritage. “Enjoy”!

    Project Name: Heritage @ Vista Del Verde – Fortunato

    Size: 3302 sq ft

    Project Address: 33.906402,-117.818052

    Project URL: http://www.tollbrothers.com/models/fortunato_9228_/floorplans/fortunato_vdv.pdf

    Slow Home Test Score: 5

  • orangeopolis

    Comment:

    Project Name: http://www.tollbrothers.com/models/adriano_9226_/floorplans/adrianoca.pdf

    Size: 2740 sq ft

    Project Address: 33.905285,-117.820081

    Project URL: http://www.tollbrothers.com/models/santa_lucia_1535_/floorplans/santa_luciaca.pdf

    Slow Home Test Score: 5

  • Eunice

    Comment:

    Project Name: La Casella – Plan 3

    Size: 2643 sq ft

    Project Address: Roycroft, Irvine, CA

    Project URL: http://www.lennar.com/New-Homes/California/Orange-County/La-Casella/Plan-3

    Slow Home Test Score: 6

  • Anonymous

    Comment:

    Project Name: Chase Collection

    Size: 2888 sq. ft

    Project Address:

    Project URL: http://newhomes.move.com/homedetail/market-24/specid-785602

    Slow Home Test Score: 14

  • Anonymous

    Comment:

    Project Name: Renaissance Summit at Porter Ranch

    Size: 5465 sq. ft

    Project Address:

    Project URL: http://newhomes.move.com/homedetail/market-24/planid-751709

    Slow Home Test Score: 10

  • Anonymous

    Comment:

    Project Name: Brookville At River Village Santa Clarita, CA

    Size: 4br 2.5ba 3gr 2 story, 3060 sq.ft.

    Project Address: Santa Clarita, CA 91350

    Project URL: http://newhomes.move.com/homedetail/market-24/planid-537032

    Slow Home Test Score: 7

  • MollyK

    [img]shdp511rev2.jpg[/img]

    I moved out of my comfort zone by NOT putting a mudroom at the garage. I’m o.k. with it–actually feels kinda good. AND I admit I added a window in the dining room. I couldn’t help myself…why not have a window on the South wall if you can?! Yes, I messed around with all the windows/doors but I only ADDED that one.
    The rectangles at the end of the counters in the kitchen represent cabinets/shelving options either for kitchen function or facing into the dining space for art display.

  • jim baer

    [img]wwwth100210.jpg[/img]

    how ’bout dis?

  • MollyK

    Matthew North
    Yeah, I was trying something different but I believe the frig. placement would be best your way. I was concerned about cabinet space but I guess undercabinet storage in the island is fine. Check out the 2nd floorplan.

  • Mid America Mom

    [img]lalargesingle2.jpg[/img]

    Ok. We will see if I play with this some more later.
    The Den is in the front. You will notice I have a closet and full bath. I thought this would be a nice future bedroom for inlaw and so I tried to make the clearances ADA compliant or able to be so with min. reno (like the doors are standard but I thought to give at least 48 inches for a larger door). I put a half bath off the entry with a slider. The laundry room, with a slider, has room for a dryer and washer and the other side has a folding counter. The living is tucked on the back with a see through fireplace and NO access to outdoors. It is the dining room where there is access off the back and near the kitchen. The kitchen takes advantage of the East window that I envisioned being able to be opened and have dishes or whatever pass through. It is not a mistake that I made the 3 footwide peninsula run into the South wall (you can do this by moving the lower cabs closer and having a deeper counter). Doing so brought our triangle to more comfort and I thought it made a nice line. The pantry is next to the refrigerator. As for the peninsula I was thinking of maybe allowing seating toward the dining room versus with back to it. We could always make this a floating counter with tuck under stools too. What do you folks think? Had fun but wow this is alot of footage.

  • Matthew North

    [img]desprojlrgsfhrenomatthew.jpg[/img]

    Molly K – I worked on your first plan a bit – it was fun! What do you think? I feel its a little tight between the island and the stairs, but I like where I put the powder room and how the mud room and laundry room is arranged.

  • Matthew North

    Molly K – I am happy that you have moved out of your “comfort zone” for the second plan! I think the dining space that is oriented to the back yard has a lot of potential to be great. The scale of that room is really nice.

  • Matthew North

    Jim – thanks for posting the plan. Is your intention to have the room facing the front be a bedroom?

  • Matthew North

    M.A.M. – thanks for your scheme! You have a chosen a great location for the powder room – I also like the idea of adding the ensuite so the study has the flexibility of also being a bedroom or in-law suite. Your circulation is well worked out in the dining space how the sliding door sets up a zone of movement outside of where the table is placed. I wonder if there would still be a way to combine the garage entry and the laundry space?

  • Mid America Mom

    Oops forgot to tell you folks in my plan 1 there is a built in seat in the shower.

    Matthew I can try to make that mud room a back entry. I will feel compelled to furnish or put built ins in that front entry! I estimate the width of the space tucked behind the garage is about 12. From experience I seriously dislike a kitchen with 3 foot floorspace between counters as 2 people cannot work in that and for appliance clearances. We will see what comes!

  • jim baer

    matthew

    no. i was figuring on a study, per the program REQUIREMENTS …. i just figure that additional closets can’t hurt. though clutter does expand to fill the space provided…..

    anyhow…here is version 2. i am struggling a little with the “extra” space. hey…i work in brooklyn…things are usually the smallest you can get away with! :-)

  • jim baer

    [img]wwwth10021002.jpg[/img]

    oops! the plan did not attach …. my bad…;-)

  • Matthew North

    Jim – thanks for the clarification – extra storage is always a good idea. Thanks for sticking to the program! I really like your second plan furniture arrangement – there is a lot of room to move around and I think is is better than the double living room seating area you had before.

    Speaking of Brooklyn, I was talking to a friend of mine last night who said that there is a real hip street in Brooklyn that has a whole bunch of really cool restaurants and bars all concentrated together – but he couldn’t remember the name of it. Do you know? I want to look it up.

  • Margo

    [img]margolabighome.jpg[/img]

    I really enjoyed this one!

  • J Cameron

    451 homes analyzed and not one slow home!?

  • Terri

    [img]1_la2500.jpg[/img]

    Sorry for the messy hand-drawn plan.
    I decided to keep the mudroom entry at the side, but I switched the window and door on that north wall to allow for better positioning. I figure the garage door should be for groceries only, though I did allow a closet right across from it (originally I thought a bank of cupboards for pantry use–now it’s split).

    The study has a closet for storage and a glass door for openness. A glass pocket door separates the mudroom/laundry/powder room area from the main. There are two sets of closets here.

    The woodwork separating dining and living has a gas fp on the living side. I’ve got a sliding glass door in the living area, plus french doors next to dining/kitchen for access to a back patio.

  • Terri

    What can I say? I didn’t cheat–honest! I just looked at John’s solution for this floorplan and see how he put the elements in the same “zones” as I did. Thankfully we didn’t do the exact same thing. His laundry room door allows for the washtub, whereas I was trying to pair up the powder room and laundry doors and ended up with no space for the washtub. I like the wider dining room window as well.

  • Tim Jones

    [img]feb10timjones3.jpg[/img][img]feb10timjones4.jpg[/img][img]1_feb10timjones4.jpg[/img][img]2_feb10timjones4.jpg[/img]

    It just shouldn’t be this hard to make a decent space with this much floor space, but the garage front and location of the stairs really made this hard for me.

    I wanted the front space to be able to be a study, or a guest room depending on the needs of the family. This meant I put a full bath in instead of a powder room.

    I didn’t see as much of a need for storage by the side entry since this is a garage front house. It seems like the only time the side entry would be used would be going into and out of the yard, not on and off the property.

    The living space is quite large so I made two seating areas. Chaises take up a lot of space and can’t be used in all homes, so I took the luxury here of putting two in next to a bookcase for a reading/relaxing zone.

    From the dining room you do not want to see into the bathroom, so I put in a partition with a credenza in front of it for storing the bar ware and liquor.

  • Tim Jones

    Huh. Only meant to attach that last one. Ignore the first three.

  • jim baer

    matthew

    there are more than one such areas. two near me are 5th ave (yes there is one in brooklyn also) and court street. the neighborhood called williamsburg also has a hipster scene with bars and restaurants.

  • Matthew North

    J Cameron – A Slow Home is one which scores between 18 and 20 on the Slow Home Test. To date, the group has found 56 homes in the Los Angeles area that have scored between 18 and 20. Scroll down on the list below the map and you can see the plans that have scored in this range.

  • Matthew North

    Terri – I like your hand sketches – your scheme is great – what do you think of a built in desk in the study along the north wall?

  • Matthew North

    Jim Baer – thanks for the info! I keep hearing great things about Brooklyn and I really want to check it out.

  • Anonymous

    There are no houses on that list that score above 10, from what I can see and all the flags on the map are either orange or red!

  • Matthew North

    Some of our viewers have had this problem with the settings on the map before….let me talk to our webmaster and I will get back to you. Believe me, there are lots of green and yellow flags!

  • BradW

    [img]sdp1.jpeg[/img]

    I started with Matthew’s design and changed everything! :) The result devotes quite a bit of space to entry and utility. In the kitchen, only the wall with the fridge has full height cabinetry. The wall where the sink is located has no upper cabinets to keep the space open.

  • Matthew North

    J Cameron – there is a bug with Explorer that sometimes does not allow the green and yellow flags to show up. We are trying to sort through this. They show up in other browsers like Firefox etc.

  • Sarah W

    [img]williamsweek4converted.jpg[/img]

    Here is my first attempt – I am still resolving the laundry area (it’s quite open right now, and I don’t think I like it). I have bookcases on the brain this week for some reason, so I added two here. I also feel like I need to utilize more space somehow, as there are many open/wide areas.

    -Sarah W

  • MollyK

    [img]shdp511rev3a.jpg[/img]

    Tried an entirely different approach. Kitchen setup did not have much storage so I put in a long pantry–holds everything from food to plates. Thought the study deserved a fireplace and a leather couch. Thought the folding glass wall leading outdoors would add some elegance to the dining area. The living area was small so I added extra seating in the corner beside the kitchen.
    I’m calling it a day.

  • Matt KB

    [img]2_labighomefilelayout2.jpg[/img]

    here is my rework

  • MollyK

    Matthew North,
    Well, at first it didn’t look like my plan…but my eyes are pretty tired tonight. At further glance, things got clearer. Yes, the mudroom dilemma is fixed…I like it! Your study looks like a students dormroom but that’s o.k…very functional.
    My only question comes from your re-design of the kitchen island. During past exercises I got the impression that the dining table shouldn’t look into the kitchen work area. That’s why my plan has an “L”…to block the view from the dining table. I guess nothing’s written in stone. I’ve had several plans in mind but the dining table always looked into the kitchen. Well, since you did it I’m gonna do it too. Thanks for the great feedback.

  • Mid America Mom

    [img]lalargesingle4.jpg[/img]

    Yikes. Told you Matthew I wanted to put something in that front entry and here we are! Well here is a closet and then yes a 45 that has two angles built in shelves for display (nice wood that matches the kitchen cabs). What to do with such a wide entry door and long hall…

    Hope this is closer to what you were going for. Next I am going off the reservation for fun!

  • Lacey

    Comment:

    Project Name: Three Oaks – Trailpoint

    Size: 4000+

    Project Address: Walnut, CA

    Project URL: http://www.newhomesource.com/homedetail/market-24/planid-719759

    Slow Home Test Score: 16

  • Lacey

    Comment:

    Project Name: Renaissance Summit at Porter Ranch

    Size: 5465

    Project Address: Porter Ranch, CA 91326

    Project URL: http://www.newhomesource.com/homedetail/market-24/planid-751709

    Slow Home Test Score: 17

  • Lacey

    Comment:

    Project Name: Three Oaks – Windcroft

    Size: 3977

    Project Address: 1338 Acorn Place (Homesite 121) Walnut, CA 91789

    Project URL: http://www.newhomesource.com/homedetail/market-24/specid-790640

    Slow Home Test Score: 15

  • Lacey

    Comment:

    Project Name: Playa Vista – The Dorian

    Size: 2865

    Project Address: 6241 Crescent Park West, #304 Los Angeles, CA 90094

    Project URL: http://www.newhomesource.com/homedetail/market-24/specid-790631

    Slow Home Test Score: 16

  • Lacey

    Comment:

    Project Name: Chase Collection

    Size: 2888

    Project Address: 8518 Browns Creek Lane Reseda, CA 91335

    Project URL: http://newhomes.move.com/homedetail/market-24/specid-785602

    Slow Home Test Score: 16

  • Mid America Mom

    [img]lalargesingle5.jpg[/img]

    Guess a quick rework with furniture in the hall worked for the mudroom entry after all.

  • Lacey

    Comment:

    Project Name: The Magnolia

    Size: 3372

    Project Address: Los Angeles, CA

    Project URL: http://www.acadiana-design.com/ACAD/0609.php

    Slow Home Test Score: 8

  • Frank

    [img]lasinglefamilylarge.jpg[/img]

    Here is a quick pencil layout. A little rough but hopefully it comes across with the general layout.

  • Wayne

    [img]1_redesignedlabighousefloorplan.jpg[/img]

    Here is my redesigned of the LA house.

  • Wayne

    [img]2_redesignedlabighousefloorplan.jpg[/img]

    Here is my redesigned floor plan.

  • Wayne

    [img]3_redesignedlabighousefloorplan.jpg[/img][img]4_redesignedlabighousefloorplan.jpg[/img]

    Hopefully this works this time.

  • BradW

    Frank – nice design

  • Paul C

    [img]lasfover2500.jpg[/img]

    This plan would be ideal for big chunky furniture or furniture that presents best with a little extra space around it. Toning down the southern exposure would be addressed on the exterior. The two distinct “zones” of this main floor make it possible for the “front area” to be a quiet zone while the rear could be a little more lively.

    BTW, I love all the hand drawn designs, fantastic!

  • Terri

    Matthew,
    A built-in desk would use the study space in my plan more efficiently. I guess I’m one of those people who likes to change things up fairly regularly, so I’m a little leery of built-ins.

    Lots of others aren’t so timid, I see–so interesting to see!

  • Terri

    I switched to Firefox so that I could see those yellow and green flags; however, I still don’t see the Lofts at Hollywood and Vine that I had tested in week one…

  • Mid America Mom

    [img]lalargesingle6.jpg[/img]

    This is one that I decided to add other spaces from requirements.

    Here we have a front living room with half wall separation from the entry. The kitchen is in the middle of the plan and uses the two north windows. The island handles the stove and I picture a nice hood- maybe even a glass one I saw while looking for LA homes. The dining space is spacious with seating for 8 and a buffet. From here you slide the clear glass door and step into the sunroom/covered porch. Near the kitchen is a half bath. There is more… from the garage you enter a short back hallway. Here is a closet and the entry to the laundry room. You enter the Den/ guest room through a frosted glass door. The room has a nice sized closet. The bath takes advantage of natural light with a frosted glass window. A bonus feature is a private terrace.

  • Corey

    [img]labighomefilemodel.jpg[/img]

    My reworking of the week.

  • Mid America Mom

    [img]lalargesingle7.jpg[/img]

    Variation! changed the living with the dining. The Den/bath/ laundry area is reworked.

    I look forward to seeing John’s plan.

  • dominique

    [img]dominiquelosangeles2500sqftdesign.jpg[/img][img]1_dominiquelosangeles2500sqftdesign.jpg[/img]

    It feels difficult to design larger floor plans with out knowing who is living in the house. For example I was wanting to know if the home was for some one who entertains, or reads a lot, so that I could tailor the extra space to meet an inhabitants needs…

  • dominique

    [img]2_dominiquelosangeles2500sqftdesign.jpg[/img]

    here we go…

  • Jodi J

    [img]week4desprojtostudents1.jpg[/img]

    a few quick notes:
    - niche to the right of dining room coudl be for a display cabinet, liqour cabinet, etc
    - great room built-in to accomodate fireplace, tv and bookshelf

  • Lacey

    [img]lafloorplanrevisionweek5.jpg[/img]

    here’s my revision, finally got it to upload.
    Thanks!

  • Frances Grant-Feriancek

    Hi all,

    Sorry for the lateness of this reply but I just wanted to point out Franck’s plan…It is very similar to the one I tried to complete and lost twice last night.

    My starting point was to move the side entry from the north to the south side to the plan therefore taking advantage of the larger side yard. I had wanted to inclued the laundry and the powder room in this area, so I had no art gallery space. Loved that idea Frank! Like Frank I had moved the garage entry to this side mud room area with an outside door. This would enable you to have access to a clothes line in keeping with green living.

    Thanks for posting the plan Frank. I will plan a longer lunch break next week.

  • Terri

    M.A.M.
    I like your latest plan with the dining at the front. The two living areas with some separation between them is also great for families with older kids, I think, where a separate “media” room is wanted.
    I think you deserve an award for trying so hard this week!

  • Mid America Mom

    Thank You Terri!

  • Vickie

    [img]labighome1layout11.jpg[/img][img]labighome2layout21.jpg[/img]

    Hello Matthew and John – I am totally aware that you have already looked at the floorplans for the large LA homes, but here is mine nonetheless. There are two options which are quite similar. I had some difficulty dealing with the entrance and to the right of the staircase. There seems to be wasted space between the kitchen and the entry. AHhhhH!

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