I think the 2 story foyer and especially 2 story family room get a bad rap because of poorly built homes. A lot of the mcmansion or quickly put up homes often didn't have proper hvac vent placement, calculations etc... One of my friends live in ashburn and they have the 2 story family room and have heating/cooling issues because the builder did 1 zone with an air handler upstairs. I also have heard of builders trying to put 1 zone for the entire home with only 1 air handler.

I can't imagine an 8000+ sf home not having a two story foyer and great room. Its what makes it look grand. I actually like it. When I go to my parents house, I feel claustrophobic. It is too closed in.

I'm dying at "bumgholes"!

Anyway, two story foyers are out of date.

Anonymous wrote:Two story foyers and two story great rooms are not out of style. It's a space constraint for new homes built closer in. New homes that are 4000 sf and larger will have a two story foyer, and homes larger than 5000sf will have both.

Not true at all. Both are largely out of fashion in larger homes.

We have all three: 10' first floor, open foyer, and a 2-story great room. The 2-story great room was very difficult to decorate, to find furniture with the same sense of scale that does not look out of place. But the 2 story height allowed us to put in some pretty nice architectural designs, and a nice big chandelier. Along with 9' 2nd floor ceiling height, and the typical 1' floor joists, it's just about 20' high in the great room. Our home is fairly new so it has not been a problem to heat it.

Many people want to be different for the sake of being different. Just get what you like and enjoy. I know I wanted 10' ceiling, so I got it. I know I would enjoy a 2-story great room, so I got it. Don't mind the haters.

Best auto-correct typo ever

Hate the two story great rooms and foyers. So difficult to heat and decorate - it really messes with the house HVAC system. It's almost a requirement to have a dual (or even tri-) zone system.

I prefer 10 feet ceilings on entire first floor rather than two story family room

2 story family rooms have been out of style for close to 10 years. 1 still see 2 story foyers.

Anonymous wrote:I don't see many newer Craftsman-style homes with "no walls at all" and the stairs in the middle. At least not in our neighborhood, where the new homes are usually at least $1.8 million. What areas are you describing? Ashburn?

Bethesda. Maybe a small study and dining room and then one big kitchen and great room with the stairs with windows on one side of the house.

I have both a 2 story family room and a lawyer foyer. I agree with a PP that said they're hard to decorate and heat. I will never buy a home like this again. During winter I have a fan on the upstairs breezeway (which is probably 20 degrees warmer than downstairs) and the ceiling fan running full speed on backwards to pull the cooler air up plus a space heater as backup. It's the only way to maintain any warmth downstairs.

Also we have to keep all of the doors upstairs closed at all times because the heat rising from downstairs messes with the upstairs thermostat (located in the master right next to the door) whether the heat or AC is on resulting in the AC running all day or the bedrooms freezing because it's just warm enough next to the panel it doesn't kick on.

Never. Again.

Anonymous wrote:Two story foyers and two story great rooms are not out of style. It's a space constraint for new homes built closer in. New homes that are 4000 sf and larger will have a two story foyer, and homes larger than 5000sf will have both.

I hope you are right because I want to sell my house that has both in a few years. I never heard the phrase lawyer foyer... Perfect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry that should have been *bungaloes

Best. Typo. Ever.

haha. bungholes.

btw it's supposed to be bungalows not bungaloes

Same thing they are small .

Two story foyers and two story great rooms are not out of style. It's a space constraint for new homes built closer in. New homes that are 4000 sf and larger will have a two story foyer, and homes larger than 5000sf will have both.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or are they still desirable? Lots of the new McCraftsman houses just seem to have a main floor with no walls at all and the stairs going up in the middle. Same with bungholes. Are lawyer flyers and two-story "great rooms" out of fashion?

Yes, they basically went out with the 90s.

Time to update the White House.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry that should have been *bungaloes

Best. Typo. Ever.

OMG. LOVE this. Thank you autocorrect! Thank you OP!

Lol. Apparently I have the sense of humor of an 8 year old boy.

Forevermore on DCUM, they shall be bungholes to me.