Before walking through what would end up being our fourth home, we had only seen the paper floor plan. Our builder had most of their models built and for sale so you could walk through them while you “shopped” homes. Before our third home went on the market, we knew the Sullivan floor plan was being built and were anxious to see it in real life since – on paper – it looked pretty perfect.
Craig and I had discussed the floor plan changes we’d ideally like to make. Most were in the kitchen. A couple had to do with reversing or removing closets. Plus, we knew we’d want extra driveway and patio poured.
Because our third home sold so incredibly fast, we had inquired about the Sullivan in process and were delighted to be able to take over its build. At the time, the home was bricked and drywalled, which meant that a couple of the floor plan modifications we had initially envisioned were no longer possible. And, obviously, no 3rd car garage. But for the most part, we were able to personalize our home to best fit our needs. Our builder was great about them, too! No extra charges for the floor plan changes or the extra work and materials needed as a result.
Here are a few of the changes we made:
Family Room/Kitchen Wall
With a giant walkable opening connecting the kitchen to the family room, plus the large square opening at the kitchen sink, we asked to enclose a second, smaller, arched walkway between the kitchen and family room. It would have been pretty close to where the yellow chair is in this photo.
As a result of closing up that wall, we feel we have more usable space and more furniture arrangement options in the family room. Plus, we scored more counter top space and cabinets in the kitchen! The area where our coffee grinder and coffee maker are was where the original arched walkway was located.
Kitchen Island
Because this kitchen didn’t have any real counter top seating area, we created one with the island. All we wanted was space for 2 stools so the girls could be sitting in the kitchen with me, if they so desired. What we did was shorten the total length of the island by a foot (it was originally 6 feet long, I think), and then shrink the base cabinet from there. We left a counter top overhang of 12 inches on each side of the base cabinet. Perfect for 2 saddle-style stools to be pushed underneath when not in use.
Hallway Closet/Future Drop Station
When you enter the house from the garage, you enter into a hallway. To the right, you can head into the kitchen or formal dining room. To the left, you head towards the laundry room, downstairs bath and guest room. Per plan, there was a closet in this hallway, just next to the laundry room. We have wanted a drop station for many years, and felt the closet in that space made the hallway feel very tight. So, we had them remove it completely. Craig is planning to build a bench and hooks (sometimes they are called “lockers”) in this space for all of us to “drop” our coats, shoes and backpacks when entering the house.
Speaking of Craig build projects, we also have a pretty awesome built-in idea for one of the windowed walls in the girls’ upstairs playroom. But, like with any grand plans in life, we are taking things one step at a time.
