1400 sqft Bungalow, Wisconsin

After reading the article about Slow Home in the Globe and Mail today, the rest of my morning has been spent viewing past seminars regarding What’s Wrong With This House. I would like to congratulate you, John, on articulating so succinctly the many problems in home plans today. I feel smarter already! On that note, I have a pet peeve with laundry facilities in most new homes. There is often no storage and a lack of counter space available. I suppose the hamper could be perched on the loo…I prefer laundry facilities by the bedrooms.

That fireplace makes the LR very problematic. If the garage were stopped at the wide part with a new wall, and the kitchen/garage wall removed, the kitchen could be moved into what is now the narrow part of the garage. That would allow for a different placement for the fireplace, and a coherent but larger single dining area. It might even be possible to add a pocket or barn door to the kitchen area so that the option to close it off and change the feel of the living space is available.

Nam,
Good comment about the master closet. Many people do not like having to pass through the bathroom to get to their clothes. Interestingly, in our practice we have found that about 30% of our clients do like this idea because they can close one door in the morning and everything is right there. My personal preference would be to reverse things and walk through the dressing room before going into the bathroom. I think it better contains the humidity and such.

Hello and thank you for this wonderful website! My number one problem with this house is the location of the master bedroom walk-in closet. It makes no sense to have to walk through the bathroom to get to your clothes!!

I, too, decided to visit this site after reading the article in the Globe & Mail this morning. It’s a wonderful site.

I think what this house lacks most is a study. I like to have a separate space to read or watch TV or study that is separate from the main living space and the bedrooms.

There is likely ample room in the basement, but if the basement windows aren’t large, I often find such spaces are dark and dim.

Along with another visitor, I was taken aback by the size of the garage. I would also be tempted to construct a wall between the wide and narrow parts of the existing garage, and add a study, or sunroom.

It’s nice to have a bright space for reading/studying that is private, quiet, and has a door that can be closed.

My highest priority in this house would be the relocation of the corner fireplace to the side wall and a redesign of the island into a rectangular shape with space on either side of the sink. At a minimum, a siding glass door in the living space should be used to give access to the backyard. I would also look for opportunities to add venting skylights to capture additional afternoon light. Of course, the garage and basement represent future opportunities for development.

Hello John, Read about your website in today’s Globe and Mail and have been fascinated to listen to some of your tutorials. Great stuff! So much to think about when looking at a home.

What I don’t like about the “great room” concept in newer homes, and the Wisconsin bungalow, is that so many of them end up trying to be both a space for entertaining guests and the TV /entertainment room. Even the large TV “armoires” (which at least hide the screen from view) are space-suckers. The central “common room” of a house ends up feeling cluttered and it is hard to create a restive atmosphere. I am a big fan of having a separate TV room.

I also fully agree with the comment on lack of laundry space. Using drying racks is a great way to avoid the energy of the dryer, but where would you put a drying rack during the Wisconsin winter? The garage I guess! At lesat in the summer you could put your clothes outside to dry. And speaking of outside, I’d love to know if there is a patio or deck for enjoying the outside, and that nice morning sun with the morning paper.

Great site, and I will certainly be visiting again!

I’m another new visitor from the G&M article this a.m.

Being an old car nut I think the garage is great! It also allows for storage for garden tools, etc. depending on how large the property is (ride on mower?).
I agree with the laundry room problems, but I think the single most important issue is the kitchen.
It looks suitable for a condo but not for a home this size, especially with the increased interest in home cooking (i.e. slow food).
Far too little counter space, much wasted space, and way too much exposure to all visitors. I would want more control over what visitors see.
So I would want the kitchen blocked from view until visitors go farther into the house and include a breakfast bar closer to the bay windows end. The bay window area would be for dining.
I would relocate the fireplace to maybe half way up the bedroom wall to give some space between the fireplace and the glass.

Cheers.

I was thinking the same thing as Brad Waters further comments. Moving the back hall closets to provide more wall space for the kitchen could be a real plus. It would also take the thoroughfare out of the kitchen space.

That aside my biggest concern is the lack of afternoon light. Once we pass noon there is no light at all until the evening sun meets the master bedroom on the northwest side.

I have read that each room should have two sources of natural light. If that is the case then this house is in big trouble. As well both of the bathrooms on the west side have no natural light at all.

Another Globe and Mail reader signs in. I think the large garage has great potential for a workshop. There is even a window in the back part.

I agree on those posts complaining about the garage. This one is way too big and oddly got even more windows space than the bedrooms. Adding some natural light and ventilation to the bathrooms would be a plus and just by straightening the layout of those walls, the bedrooms would get bigger and better to use.

Another G & M reader new to your thought provoking website.

I think the kitchen area is sorely lacking. I would make the island L shaped, extending toward the window from the present sink and then over to the garage wall between the fridge and window. The window side of the island could have 2 or 3 (bar)stools eliminating the need for the kitchen nook table. Result would be more counter work area and cupboards, and a more inviting space in which to work and create.

Excellent website!

As a home designer I find that not many people,designers and purchasers alike,take some of the things you’ve mentioned into account. Simple things like furniture placement and lighting are very important.

A couple things about this plan that stick out to me would be the location and maybe even the necessity of a powder room in a small bungalow, perhaps the main w.r. could double for this purpose and the powder room could be a dedicated laundry space. Also, the configuration of the stair limits the use of the area at the top of the stair. I think the stair could be reconfigured to be accesed from the main hallway instead. One other thing that I’ve noticed is the layout of the Ensuite/Wic in the MB. These could probably be placed side by side so they could be accessed seperately instead of having to go through the ensuite.

One last thing I wanted to mention was regarding people’s idea of replacing the tandem garage area with a study or other living space. While I agree that the oversized garage is ridiculous, replacing it with living space would make this house larger than the 1400 sq.ft. it is indicated as being. This would be non-starter for many people for who sq.ft. equals cost.

Although I am partial to the idea of making the kitchen more efficient, given that I view it as the heart of the home, the issue that most concerns me is the lack of light throughout the majority of the house during the afternoon and evening. Although it might give you a nice mood boost while drinking your morning coffee in the breakfast nook, the lack of natural light is going to be an instant downer when you come home after work or some other activity. Considering how many people need help destressing and stabilising their mood as it is, I would think that the natural light would be a huge factor.

What a great idea this is. Love the website.

I wonder if the master bedroom and second bedroom were switched if that would help for road noise likely happening on the front side of the house.

I like the nook in the back of the garage for a workshop or storage space. You might even be able to put your two cars in the garage. This house is most likely suitable for a working couple.

Angled fireplace and dreadful kitchen would put me off most. There needs to be a nook for watching television–a Will and Grace tv nook. There also needs to be a study or closet configuration that cleverly hides when there are guests.

All in all, I think I’d rather live in a condo with building amenities rather than this small house.

Since my daughter and I traded in our car for pedometers when we moved to Victoria from Calgary five years ago, we would use what others are calling a garage as a really big cold storage area, with the back section being used for garden tools and our croquet set. I don’t see the corner fireplace as a problem, as a couch could face the back window, with more seating perpendicular, in an L-configuration. Without fail I would be going bump in the night, with a dining room table placed adjacent to stairs and a hallway entrance. And, like me, my clothes are not fond of humidity, so I would want to reconfigure the master bath and closet.

My apologies for double entry.

Wow, you’ve probably never had so many hits. Love the site. Does an 1400 sq ft house REALLY need three bathrooms? One and a spare seem plenty to me.

Interesting website John. I am in love with the southwest exposure. I feel it’s best to have this exposure for the living room and not for the bedroom. The sun would heat up the bedroom and become a conscern for a good sleep.

Thank you, John, for this opportunity to discuss ideas about sustainable, nurturing design. My family is in the process of moving from a large character home in a somewhat walkable neighbourhood of Wpg to a smaller, mid-century home in a very walkable neighbourhood of Victoria, BC.

I think the most challenging aspect of this home is the lack of later day light. It’s all about the light, and the view/access to nature, isn’t it?

Interestingly enough–for me!–is that our new home in Victoria faces a similiar challenge. One of my ideas is to create an outdoor courtyard/sitting area near the front door to enjoy the light in the evenings.

I, too, am a Globe & Mail convert.

Thank you.

My big hang-up is sun angles. If they are in Wisconsin they could benefit from solar gain if they could reposition the home so that the large windows face south. A 4 foot overhang would prevent excess solar gain in summer. The additional light would change the whole atmosphere of the home.

It has been quite a day. Thanks to Lisa Rochon and the Globe and Mail for the great article and for sending so many people our way. There have been a lot of good comments about this exercise. I found it very difficult to not jump into the conversation (as you will see there was one time I just couldn’t resist).

As I review the comments at the end of the day to give you my Top 3 List of What’s Wrong With This House my overriding thoughts are not with the too big garage, the too many bathrooms, the odd master closet, the unworkable laundry room, or the lack of daylight in the living room. Instead I am struck by the day as a whole and the thoughtfulness of the comments. They have come from right across Canada, mostly from people who have not visited the site before and are not professional designers. I am impressed by your keen interest and the breadth of your observations.

I think this points to the potential for real change in the housing industry. Every choice we make, no matter how small, is a design decision. When we choose (by purchasing) a house that has been thoughtlessly designed we reinforce a particular kind of future. When we say enough is enough and begin to make better, more informed choices we reinforce a different kind of future. All of us need to take responsibility for the design of this better, brighter, and greener future. My sense from today is that many people are ready, and perhaps even eager, to start that process.

BTW,

3. The over-scaled awkwardly shaped “great” room that is not going to get enough light.

2. The too small kitchen and laundry room. Why is the layout of these two workhouses of the home so careless?

1.The ridiculous garage and all that it implies from a climate change point of view.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the exercise. I hope you will come back for next week’s set of projects.

I’m quite excited to have found this site (thanks, G&M!) I spent much of my professional life writing about homes and interior design for a variety of shelter magazines, and as a result, saw some stupendously stupid examples of how NOT to design a home, as well as many very thoughtful, sensitive homes. Most of the latter were, alas, well out of reach of the average homeowner, but they usually did at least illustrate some prinicples of design that just about anyone can adopt.

In this week’s example, I see much of the worst of contemporary development housing. The too-big garage implies the sacrifice of light and air (and, undoubtedly, much useable outdoor space)for the sake of a dormant automobile. The awful kitchen layout might accommodate the usual appliances, but not the cook — where, for instance, is there any space for storing pots and pans? staple groceries? keeping a pot of herbs on a window sill?

I’ll be following this site with much interest. Thank you for this initiative. It’s long overdue.

I am very fortunate in that my husband and I are both serious cooks (he much more than me)and he designed our kitchen when he built his house 20 years ago. It is, in my opinion, a model of what a good, functional kitchen should be. Two people can work in it together without getting in each other’s way. The island is a joy to work at – lots of storage, a heavy-duty pot rack above, a washing up station at one end, and, crowning touch – stainless steel countertop that can take any kind of abuse.

In my freelance writing days, I wrote about far too many kitchens that photographed beautifully, usually with high-end, often professional-quality appliances, but nobody ever did any cooking in them (except perhaps the caterers, once or twice a year).

John – Based on the amount of responses – I’d say it was breakthrough kind of day, so to speak! Congratulations!

As a follow up to what you and others have already said, I can’t overlook the supersized garage. It speaks volumes about our ‘standard’ living habits and what many have been duped to believe as ‘normal’. I agree it is most definitely, the worst thing about this house. I don’t care how many hybrid vehichles you can fit in this ‘Super Big Gulp’ of garages. This ‘feature’ sends the wrong message and the consequence is the economic mess we find ourselves in for the present and future.

Sandra,

With regards to your question about buying a shell and then finishing the interior – I think that in a new home situation this would be quite difficult to manage because of structural, mechanical, AND mortgage financing issues. However, this is a very feasible way to approach the purchase of an existing house.

In fact, the slow home approach to buying real estate is very similar to what you are describing. Buy a house (as a shell) that is the right size, the right orientation, and in the right location and then tailor it to fit the way you want to live.

Another viewer, Elizabeth, and I discussed something similar, in Sunday’s comment section. Let me know what you think about our conversation.

I also plan to explore this issue in more detail in a new section of the site that is currently in development.

It was serendipity to find the article in the G&M. Thank you! Our family moved to our present brand new house from a wonderful old home and garden that we had renovated over a period of 14 years. The move from one city to another with a family was stressful. We bought a house that was “done”. It seemed wonderful. It has been almost 2 years; two weeks ago we made the decision to sell. The reasons are exactly the ones pointed out by John on this site. The house is well built,with beautiful views but it doesn’t work for our needs; the laundry room off the garage with no room for drying racks or an ironing board. a huge kitchen with too much distance between appliances, areas of space with no function…I could go on. We are planning to sell and plan a functional house on a smaller scale. This site is an inspiration to our plans. Thank you John. The comments from your readers are a bonus as well!