The Plans
Posted by Reagan on 15 Mar 2007 at 04:05 pm | Tagged as: Construction, General
Here’s a little tour of our preliminary plans for the corn crib. First a few words about scale. When we first saw pictures of the corn crib it looked pretty small. Maybe enough to build a little guest studio. However, when you stand next to it, the size is incredible. It’s foot print is about 31′ x 26′ which is about 806 square feet. From the ground it is about 28 feet to the peak of the roof. That does NOT include the height of the cupola. We haven’t been able to get close enough to measure the cupola yet.
Remember!! You can click on the picture to view it full size!
The bottom floor will serve several purposes. The south facing side will be a greenhouse. The middle area will be an entryway and workshop area. I hate to call it a garage since we haven’t and probably won’t ever park a vehicle in there. The north third will be our mechanical and laundry area. Stairs on the east side will take you up into the main living area.
On the main living floor (which is technically the second floor) we will have my office, the living room, the kitchen, Mason’s room and a full bathroom. Again for scale, Mason’s room (before the closet is put in) will be 16 feet long by 8 feet deep.
The kitchen will have an island with an eating bar since we decided not to have an actual dining room. We will also have a very large pantry area along the north wall of the kitchen.
The living room configuration will probably change a bit as the plans do not show room for a wood stove.
We are going to try to put as many windows as possible on the west wall of the living room since we don’t plan to put any dormers in the roof.
As far as for the ceiling height on this floor, there will be an eight foot ceiling from the edge of the island all the way into Mason’s room. The office and living area will be completely open to the cupola. It probably won’t be a direct line of sight to the middle of the cupola, but you will be able to see that it is there. Plus it will be very useful for ventilation.
The third floor will have the master bedroom and bath along with seating for our home theater. We haven’t decided on access for this floor yet. We would love to have stairs, however, if we can’t get them to fit, then we’ll just have a library ladder. Our bath probably won’t be a full bath, but will at least have a shower, toilet, and sink. More than we have to ourselves now! The seating area will overlook the windows on the west wall and the living room. We will also hang a projection screen on the wall above the windows that we can roll down to watch movies.
While this floor plan doesn’t take into account a few of the things we would really like to have in our “dream home”, it is a definite step up in size for us. The things we are sacrificing in order to have such a unique home?
- A large master bath with a big bathtub.
- A completely separate office for Rich.
- A separate kitchen for canning and homebrewing.
- A guest room.
These were all things that aren’t necessary, but would eventually be nice if we decide to build a separate house.
I like your plans so far, they appear to be well thought out.
Best of luck.
Warren & Lisa
Ps, my website is being redesigned for now.
Warren
Welcome !
My wife (Joan) and I live on about 18 acres about 7 miles west of Jefferson . Have been living on a old abandoned farmstead for over 30 years . The only original building left is the barn . Much like you-we decided that there was a lot more to life and life style and decided to follow our life’s dream . Have had no regrets and I don’t think you will either .
Since 2000, I decided to start my second life career of being a full time artist . Converted a horse barn into a studio/gallery and have never looked back . We look forward to meeting you and if you need a diversion with all the work ahead of you–please give us a call and come out and visit us .
We hope your dreams become reality with less work than you envision . It is very tiring somedays and you wonder if it will all come together etc. I am fortunate enough to be able to tell you that it indeed does happen and it is worth all the effort . So keep on keeping on !
Come on over and see us Artist Hippies !
The name of my place is “Wayuga” which is Native American for “Serenity” . That kind of encapsulates the objective of my paintings and sculpture as well . Congratulations and welcome to Greene Co. !
Sincerely,
Joseph Murray
Wayuga Art Studio/Gallery
835 230th St.
Jefferson, Iowa 50129
712 652 3750
wayuga@netins.net
“Where serenity is a way of life”
Just a thought. We have had built 2 houses in the last 7 years. I believe there was an issue with having the fridge next to the stove due to the temperature extremes. You might want to ask someone more expert than I whether it makes any differences. I love your plans and envy your ability to make your dreams come true. We miss Iowa but are forced to stay in Missouri a while longer.
Thanks for the comment and advice, Susan! That is actually one inaccuracy in the plans. After I drew them up, we decided to use a range/oven combo in the island instead of a separate stovetop and double oven.
–Reagan
Hello We have a 1936 vintage barn 7 miles north of Jefferson that we fixed ourselves into a wood shop and showroom for our hardwood flooring business. We foam insulated,the only insulation to consider for this type of structure as it seals all the cracks and makes them extremely tight and quite then put in geothermal. We heat it for less than a dollar a day and cool it for much less. We put in a second floor in hay mow and it is all hardwood floors if you would ever like to see our combination for ideas of insulation or such you are welcome.Carla has been here once. We are in phone book.