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Post a good floorplan!

What do you guys think of this layout? Assume that the living room will be set up as one area, instead of two tiny sitting areas and that the kitchen will be built with full-size appliances.

Any further modifications you would make? Positives? Negatives?
RC4_F1.jpg
 
What do you guys think of this layout? Assume that the living room will be set up as one area, instead of two tiny sitting areas and that the kitchen will be built with full-size appliances.

Any further modifications you would make? Positives? Negatives?View attachment 235986

Just off the top of my head, in no particular order, and definitely not of equal concern when considering a layout:

Pros:
Big rooms! 2/3 bedrooms are large, the living space is spacious. Even the bathrooms are big.
Lots of closet space
A proper laundry room

Cons:
The kitchen is tiny. Considering the space beside the stove is probably a dishwasher, is there any cupboard space left?
Some hallway waste of space.
No doors to both the walk-in closets?
Support column in the middle of the living room
 
A couple of floor plans from Westlake Encore. One seemed good on paper and turned out to be great in reality. One seemed good on paper, but turned out to be not so great in reality.

View attachment 233448



First, the 800 sq.ft. 2 bed 2 bath unit.

You can find the PDI photos in my post here. This is the one that looks decent on paper but isn't quite as nice in real life. It's not a bad layout to live in and I'll leave its pros for you to figure out. But I will give you the cons that might not be very apparent from the floor plan:
- Bedrooms are tiny. Once a queen size bed is in, it's hard to walk around it. And forget about fitting in any other piece of furniture. Bedside tables is all you get in either of the bedrooms.
- Foyer and the hallway to the kitchen/living space feels narrow, crammed and is simply a waste of space.
- The walk-in closet feels more crammed than the one in the smaller 600 sq.ft. unit.
- In general, lack of storage space
- Kitchen is pretty much nonfunctional. Between all the appliances taking up most of the kitchen, there is almost no cupboard/pantry space left
- The living room is crammed. Due to lack of solid walls, the furniture layout is forced upon you. There is no physical space for any additional storage besides a TV stand and maybe something small above the TV.
- A corner unit with a major SE exposure and a less major SW exposure. Can be a scorcher on bright summer days.
- HVAC is right next to the bedroom (a concern for light sleepers)


Now onto the 600 sq.ft. 1 bed + den 1 bath unit.
In my personal humble opinion, this layout is one of the best ways to optimize the limited space you have. Here are the pros I see in it:

- The foyer/den room is very spacious
- The foyer/den area is kind of separated from the living/kitchen area so when you come into the apartment, your'e not immediately everywhere at once. Yet it doesn't create any wasted space with hallways.
- The bedroom, while it doesn't seem too much bigger than the 800 sq.ft. master bedroom, it is big enough here to be able to fit a dresser and still walk comfortably around a queen size bed.
View attachment 233471

- Kitchen/living room area feels a lot more spacious than the 2-bed layout. View attachment 233473

- Kitchen can be psychologically separated from the living room by putting a bar/island between the two. This solution does not destroy the open concept and spaciousness the area offers.
- The kitchen is fully functional, lots of pantry/cupboard space
View attachment 233470

- The balcony is not too big nor is it too small.
View attachment 233472

- The den is spacious enough for it to be converted to a small child's bedroom. So for a tiny 600 sq.ft. apartment, this layout actually offers a livable option for a young family. Here's an example:
View attachment 233469

- Only one side of the unit has window walls; SW exposure. Plenty of light but it's rarely too bright/hot in the unit as the result.
- The walk-in closet feels more spacious than the 2 bedroom unit
- Lots of solid walls
- HVAC is away from bedroom/living room areas


As the result, I personally think that the 600 sq.ft. unit is actually much more livable than the 800 sq.ft. unit. If you're willing to sacrifice the 2nd bathroom and the 2nd bedroom privacy, you get a 1.5 bedroom unit where you don't feel crammed all the time and where you have solid walls around which you can put your furniture in any way you'd like.
The 1+ den floor plan is very efficient with no hallways and the entrance opening directly into the den
L shaped kitchen offering counter space
Im a huge cook so its very important
 
Thoughts on these two floorplans from Minto's 123 Portland project? I'm a big fan of both, particularly the 925. My thoughts on each:

800 (2 bed 2 bath) -- Southeast Corner
Pros:

- I personally like the second bathroom located away from the living/dining area;
- SE facing corner master bedroom unit will be filled with natural light in the mornings;
- living/dining area seems deep;
- placement of W/D closet is far enough from both bedrooms to not be a nuisance noise-wise;
- ensuite has windows;
- decently sized WIC for both bedrooms
Cons:
- SE corner master bedroom windows and corner wall may interfere with furniture placement (i.e. doesn't seem to be a logical spot to put a dresser that wouldn't block a window);
- depending on dimensions of the foyer, might be some wasted space (i.e. not large enough for a bench);
- living room wall adjacent to the balcony door looks like it will interfere with the full range of motion of the juliette balcony door;
- due to the balcony door, there doesn't seem to be a nicely centered place for a TV;

925 (3 bed 2 bath) Southwest Corner
Pros:

- each bedroom has a large window;
- two bedrooms have juliette balconies;
- little wasted foyer space, which flows nicely into the large living/dining area;
- living/dining looks like it will be bright and filled with natural light throughout the day;
- second bathroom located away from living/dining area (a personal preference);
- W/D closet located away from all except 1 bedroom;
- fan of the flow-through WIC to master ensuite;
- lots of closet space in the master bedroom;
- bedroom 2 has a little nook next to the juliette balcony that looks perfect for a dresser
- wall space between the two living/dining room windows would be perfect for a bar cart;

Cons:
- not sure why bedroom 3 doesn't have a juliette balcony;
- for a 3 bedroom unit, I would prefer a larger island, though the optional wine fridge may resolve this;
- depending on the foyer dimensions, there may or may not be a spot for a bench;

1584558900789.png

1584559776387.png
 
Thoughts on these two floorplans from Minto's 123 Portland project? I'm a big fan of both, particularly the 925. My thoughts on each:

800 (2 bed 2 bath) -- Southeast Corner
Pros:

- I personally like the second bathroom located away from the living/dining area;
- SE facing corner master bedroom unit will be filled with natural light in the mornings;
- living/dining area seems deep;
- placement of W/D closet is far enough from both bedrooms to not be a nuisance noise-wise;
- ensuite has windows;
- decently sized WIC for both bedrooms
Cons:
- SE corner master bedroom windows and corner wall may interfere with furniture placement (i.e. doesn't seem to be a logical spot to put a dresser that wouldn't block a window);
- depending on dimensions of the foyer, might be some wasted space (i.e. not large enough for a bench);
- living room wall adjacent to the balcony door looks like it will interfere with the full range of motion of the juliette balcony door;
- due to the balcony door, there doesn't seem to be a nicely centered place for a TV;

925 (3 bed 2 bath) Southwest Corner
Pros:

- each bedroom has a large window;
- two bedrooms have juliette balconies;
- little wasted foyer space, which flows nicely into the large living/dining area;
- living/dining looks like it will be bright and filled with natural light throughout the day;
- second bathroom located away from living/dining area (a personal preference);
- W/D closet located away from all except 1 bedroom;
- fan of the flow-through WIC to master ensuite;
- lots of closet space in the master bedroom;
- bedroom 2 has a little nook next to the juliette balcony that looks perfect for a dresser
- wall space between the two living/dining room windows would be perfect for a bar cart;

Cons:
- not sure why bedroom 3 doesn't have a juliette balcony;
- for a 3 bedroom unit, I would prefer a larger island, though the optional wine fridge may resolve this;
- depending on the foyer dimensions, there may or may not be a spot for a bench;

View attachment 236911
View attachment 236921
I don't love the 800sq ft 2 BR:
- The living/kitchen/dining area is small. It doesn't even have enough room for a dining table
- Most corner units would place the living room in the corner because that's where you will be spending the most of your non sleeping time in.
So it makes sense to have the living room exposed to the 2 window walls/views rather than the bedroom
- Alot of wasted space in the foyer and hallways
- The second BR is too small IMO. It barely fits a queen with no room for movement
 
Thoughts on these two floorplans from Minto's 123 Portland project? I'm a big fan of both, particularly the 925. My thoughts on each:

800 (2 bed 2 bath) -- Southeast Corner
Pros:

- the second bathroom located near the foyer; does not open directly into the living/dining area
- SE facing corner master bedroom unit will be filled with natural light
- placement of W/D closet is far enough from both bedrooms to not be a nuisance noise-wise;
- ensuite has window
- plenty of closet storage for both bedrooms

Cons:
- juliette balconies (compared to awning or casement windows that swing outward) take up interior space & can limit flexibility with furniture arrangement
- living/dining area quite small (11'0" x 14'0") and multiple circulation paths within it (balcony, juliette balcony, master bedroom, kitchen) limit flexibility with furniture arrangement and restricts dining to the island as there's no space for a table
- too much wasted space (& $$$) for foyer/gallery (over 100 sq ft ) which makes the suite equivalent to an efficient 700 sq ft unit
- bedroom 2 is small and may not fit more than full/double bed with side tables. or single bed with 1 dresser and desk


925 (3 bed 2 bath) Southwest Corner
Pros:

- all bedrooms have large window
- little wasted foyer space, which flows nicely into the living/dining area
- S-facing living/dining will be bright and filled with natural light throughout the day
- second bathroom located near the foyer; does not open directly into the living/dining area
- W/D closet located away from all except 1 bedroom
- lots of closet space (2) in the master bedroom
- bedroom 2 has a little nook next to the juliette balcony that would work for built-in desk and double dressers next to it against master bedroom closet wall

Cons:
- juliette balconies (compared to awning or casement windows that swing outward) take up interior space & can limit flexibility with furniture arrangement
-/small closet for bedroom 2
- a larger island would impede traffic flow and limit the type of furniture (eg sofa) one could use.
Note the sectional is approx. 6' x 6' and right against the window and bedroom wall.
The island looks to be approx 6' long so it should be wide enough to fit 3 barstools
I recommend a wall (7'6" wide floor-to-ceiling) of shallow (12") cabinets, or wall of shallow (12") cabinets and bench (15" deep) of drawers along bedroom wall for extra storage for kitchen/living/etc.
 
I think people in this thread will enjoy this twitter thread

those plans may look ridiculous, but the rooms are nicely sized so you can fit real sized furniture AND a dining table.
Toronto developers would fit two bedrooms and two baths in a unit of that size with rooms that can only fit the bare essentials when it comes to furniture -- some bedrooms could hardly fit a queen bed.
 
those plans may look ridiculous, but the rooms are nicely sized so you can fit real sized furniture AND a dining table.
Toronto developers would fit two bedrooms and two baths in a unit of that size with rooms that can only fit the bare essentials when it comes to furniture -- some bedrooms could hardly fit a queen bed.

IMO the last of the good floorplans was mid-2000s when every unit in a building was nicely sized with 100+SF bedrooms with exterior windows that could fit a queen bed and dressers, actual kitchen with sufficient storage/countertop (vs 1-wall integrated with LR/DR), at least 200 SF LR/DR.
 
Just took a chance and bought this condo, but concerned about making the floorplan work for our family of 3 (2 adults + 9-year old). I know there's a lot of design insight on this forum.

Details and photos here:

What are the pluses and minuses of this floorplan? Wasted space? The living room looks quite small but the bedrooms are decent sizes. Will need to put a slender dining table with bench along wall. Second bath is only half, and far from 2nd bedroom. No outside area. View will be partially blocked in a few years. Some custom shelving and built-in pantry would help I think. It was nicely staged when we saw it, but we will need to accommodate more stuff (we will have a 5x7 locker).
73499258-1.jpg
 
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What do you guys think of this layout? Assume that the living room will be set up as one area, instead of two tiny sitting areas and that the kitchen will be built with full-size appliances.

Any further modifications you would make? Positives? Negatives?View attachment 235986
Who needs three bathtubs? Replace two of them with shower stalls and smaller sinks to reduce the square foot dedicated to bathrooms.
 
1652482043187.png



Best floor plan I have seen in a while. I'm looking to upsize and an older building seems to be the best way to go.
 

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