Summary to date

Dan, of Bespoke Architects, has been very patient, and sent through various 3D versions of the house, most recently with the stair translated north to increase the volume under the stairs for the telly.

Given we will shortly be moving into the construction tender phase, I did a room-by-room analysis/commentary of the design so far on Sunday. I'm reproducing it here, as there's a reasonable chance I may need to refer back to it, and for completeness. All comments are based on the BIMx version dated 20130829.

Lounge room

The under-stair area works a lot better.I'll sketch shelving for this soonish. Can the area be made any bigger/higher/the stair underslope any slimmer? The baluster works, but I think we should also have a handrail (lightweight, metal is fine).

The bookshelves running around the walls - the top one needs to sit just under the picture rail, and stop at the stair. 

Note also that the line of the old stair is still in the hallway - just a bit of tidying up. If moving the stairs a further six inches towards the back would mean that the underside of the stairs aren't visible in the hallway (and would give a little more room under the stairs), then that would be brilliant.

The hallway that runs across the house will lose some of it's natural light. Is there any way of putting a skylight of some sort in front of the linen press? This might be a reason to have the stair impact on the hallway - a box could both conceal the last part of the stair and bring in a skylight in from just behind the stair (and not affect the computer room).

Kitchen

The cavity for the fridge needs to be at least 1900 high, but I'd be comfortable with making it 2000 (standard door height). This would be consistent with the pantry doors, also 2000 high (not to picture rail height). I consider the pantry door to be more of a door than a cupboard door.

Above the fridge there should be cupboards, both below and above the picture rail, and above the wall cupboards, there should also be cupboards to make use of the bulkhead, if feasible. The cupboards above the picture rail would have panels the same colour as that part of the wall. The cornice would run around the top, to bind them all together and give clearance for the cupboard doors.

The wall cupboards should stop around 200 short of the range hood, to reflect the spacing to the window, or three door widths or similar. FWIW, I'll mainly have cookbooks here. I'm tossing up having an extra cavity next to the microwave, so that it forms a uniform block - the extra space would have chopping boards, and tea bags/coffee etc, to go above the kettle, with the teacups in the top drawer below the microwave.

The sink drainer should be to the left, over the dishwasher. The cabinet size is 700mm. You haven't put the raised bench top (with sides) onto the raised bench section. Let me know if you need some more photos of examples.

Post script: Also, I want a dedicated hot water service for the kitchen. A 25 or 50 litre electric hot water cylinder under the floor which services only the kitchen sink. Gives fast hot water to the sink, where you often only need a little bit; can keep the main HWS at a safer temp for showers/baths/occasional warm wash in the laundry.

We had one in Colac, using an otherwise unusable corner, and it was brilliant. This time it can go under the house, accessible from the side.

Main bathroom

Nice work on the vanity! I'd like to put a tall cupboard over the ducted heating return. Alternatively, as the space is tight on that side, it might be worth moving the return to the other side, behind the toilet, which would sit in front of a false wall/cupboard above the toilet.

Ensuite

You have the door for the shower on the wrong face - it should open towards the vanity unit per my sketch (unless you have a strong reason for having it where it is). The mixer will be separate and just inside the shower. I'm not sure on the dual shower head - I think we're quite happy with just a regular hose-and-rail one. I'd also like a privacy wall/shower shelf between the loo and the stall. The glass above the wall would be flush with the toilet side, providing a shelf at 1500 in the shower. The wall need only be 100 deep. Is it remotely feasible/practical to have the mixer on the privacy wall?? That way you don't have to lean all the way into the shower to turn it on/off.

Master bedroom

As with the kitchen, I'd like to have access to the bulkhead above the wardrobe - cupboard doors, with discreet handles, finished to match the wall colour would keep it low key. I'm not yet sure which way to go for the drawers in Justin's section - whether they'd be accessible directly, or whether they could only be reached after opening the wardrobe door. The latter would probably be easier, and would provide a consistent front, the former would be more practical. Let me know when you need layouts for the wardrobes.

Stairs

The stairs and timber balustrade looks good. I trust that the west facing window will be triple glazed, and/or have reflective coating on it. And possibly some sort of blind.

Boys' bedrooms

These work well. Will the windows above their beds also be openable (awning style if fine, if that' what's required?). I think the wardrobe doors might have to be sliding unless the bed is to be permanently against the wall (which is likely). The doors in both rooms should be hinged on the east side of the door. That way, with the door ajar, the hall light etc won't shine onto their beds.

Upstairs bathroom

Nice job with the privacy wall. On reviewing, I don't think I want the shelf/niche on the loo side (and I bet that was the hardest part of it!). However, like the ensuite, I want the wall to form the lower part of the shower screen, and the top to act as a shelf. This might actually be at 1500, not 1200. The glass for the west face of the shower will sit on top of the privacy wall. Oh, and again, just a regular hose-and-rail shower head, with the mixer separate and reachable from just leaning in through the cracked open door. Is it remotely practical to have this plumbed to inside the privacy wall???

Guest bedroom

I think my only concern with this room is that the window is openable, and that the door hinges on the north edge (again so the ajar door doesn't throw light onto the bed (either in it's current position or rotated 90 degrees with the head to the north of the room.

Roof

Given the difficulty of finding tiles to match, we are very happy to switch to a tin roof. I suspect this will be cheaper, easier, and quicker.

I think that's it. If there's any other items I haven't commented on, let me know. The more I can envisage what it will look like, the more eager I am for it to be done already.