Full Disclosure - part 2

Because I wanted straight, vertical exterior walls, the second floor replicates the square footage of the main floor--whether needed or not.  I wanted a master, an upstairs laundry, and two guest rooms, en suite.  All rooms are spacious.  But there was still unused floor space.  We tried to fit in a third guest room,  but it would have been too small relative to the others.  I didn't want another family room--how many places can I spend my time?  So, I have a spacious upstairs central hall.  My solution is to distract the eye with beautiful floors and my oversized Japanese woodblock prints, that will add richness to the space.

The guest rooms will have sloped ceilings due to the roofline.  Having had this situation before, I think of it as adding character and charm.  The larger bedroom will have an eastern view, a queen bed and a loveseat at the northern window.  The small balcony from the adjoining bath has been removed for economy.  The bedroom with the western view of forest, will have twins and a built-in window seat (twin bed size) at the northern window.  This bathroom will have a tub and shower.  Fortunately, there's room for each bath to have a separate toilet room, which is a nice privacy feature.  The laundry room is simple and adequate.

The master suite is generous.  There's a large deck (over the sunroom below) looking East, a gas fireplace, a walk-in closet with a pocket door to the laundry room (so handy!), and a bathroom with a tub and some built-in cabinets.

You may question the wisdom of an upstairs master bedroom--at any age--and mine in particular.  This was one of the first questions many people asked me.  The practicality and ease of a main floor master is not lost on me.  But, my primary reason for insisting on an upstairs master, is that I feel safer sleeping above ground level.  Secondly, I don't spend time in my bedroom aside from the beginning and end of the day.  Also, I don't worry about stairs becoming too much for me--as long as I continue to do them every day.  And finally, if for some reason I physically can't do stairs at some point, I can either put in an elevator (replacing my front powder room) or I can move into the cottage I'm building on the property (more on that in the future).