3 Bedroom Two-Storey House Plans: Floor Plan Layouts & FAQs
Start Planning Your 3-bedroom Two-Storey Home
Embarking on your home-buying or building journey can feel overwhelming. With a huge array of design and layout options, costs and lifestyles to consider, getting started can be a confronting task. Thankfully, you have an expert on your side.
Our team at Residential Attitudes knows everything there is to know about the construction and design of two-storey homes. With over 50 two-storey house plans in our home design repertoire, we have seen every type of layout and worked with every kind of Perth family from multigenerational to empty-nesters, helping them discover their ideal forever home.
If you’re stuck on how to proceed with your three-bedroom two storey house, take a read through our comprehensive guide below where we discuss your home layout options and answer some of the most asked two-storey home design questions for three-bedroom houses.
Common Layouts for Three-Bedroom, Two-Storey House Designs
Traditional living
Traditional two-storey, three-bedroom house plans place communal areas on the ground floor and private areas such as bedrooms on the upper floor. This creates a welcoming ground floor for guests with easy access to the main areas for hosting. In modern two-storey home plans these areas often utilise open-plan living with large windows to create spacious, light entryways and common areas.
This design is perfect for those who want their home to feel welcoming and open to guests while retaining their privacy on the second storey.
Split level
Sloping blocks can result in some extra challenges but they have unique benefits as well. Split-level designs are ideal for challenging terrain such as hillside homes and sloping blocks. These home designs work with the natural contours of the land, staggering floor levels to optimise flow and capitalise on all that the block has to offer.
Depending on the design of your split-level home, this can offer unique opportunities for zoning such as a downstairs office that is private from the rest of the home or a downstairs “kids’ area” including a small living room and bedroom.
If your land has a slope speak with one of our New Homes Consultants to make the most of your site.
Loft-style living
If you love high ceilings then loft-style living might be the three-bedroom, two-storey home plan for you. In this layout, the second storey of the home is smaller than the first, allowing the ceilings of the ground floor to stretch upward inside an elegant mezzanine space.
This floorplan also allows for some interesting design choices such as including windows from the second-storey rooms to look out on across the ground floor, to evoke a feeling of openness throughout the home.
Reverse living
In contrast to the traditional living floorplan, reverse living has common areas on the second storey with one or multiple bedrooms on the ground floor. Some of the benefits of reverse living include:
- Living room views – by placing your common living areas on the second storey you can take advantage of beautiful views. A popular choice among homeowners in coastal, mountainous, or scenic locations, reverse living can make the most of your surrounding scenery.
- Easy bedroom access – placing bedrooms downstairs can be a great advantage in terms of access.
The upstairs master bedroom retreat
As zoning considerations have become increasingly front-of-mind for designers, so too has the master bedroom. Usually situated on the upper floor, the master-bedroom retreat can consist solely of a master bedroom and ensuite or it can extend itself to include:
- A private lounge room
- Large balcony and outdoor seating area
- A walk-in wardrobe
- An upstairs office space
Common Three-Bedroom Two-Storey Home Design Questions
Should the master suite be on the ground or first floor?
There’s no right or wrong answer to which floor the master bedroom should be on, as both have their unique advantages, but we can help you understand the advantages of each to find the fit that’s best for your lifestyle.
Benefits of a ground-floor master suite
- Aging in place – easy accessibility means that this room remains easy to access in old age and in the event of injury.
- Quick access – if you find yourself running in and out of the bedroom a lot, then having it near a ground-floor living room or kitchen could save you some trouble.
- It’s cooler – the second floor of a two-storey home can heat up quickly and in the event of forgetting to turn on the aircon, this can result in heated upstairs bedrooms.
Benefits of a second-floor master suite
A second-floor master suite is a popular option for three-bedroom two-storey homes as it allows for an upstairs retreat. Some of the benefits here include:
- Privacy – as the first floor often contains the busy kitchen, dining and living spaces, placing the master bedroom on the second floor can provide some much-needed peace and quiet.
- Balcony access – a second-storey bedroom means you can connect your master suite to a private balcony for enhanced luxury.
- Better views – enjoy overlooking the streets, greenery or ocean every morning.
Is it better if all the bedrooms are on the same floor?
Having bedrooms on the same floor allows one floor of your three-bedroom two storey house to be focused entirely on common spaces. This can increase the openness of your two-storey house plan to visitors and equally provide much-needed privacy to all three bedrooms.
This is a great option if you host often, as noise will be confined downstairs while the upstairs rooms allow for an escape that benefits all members of the household. For those with children, you can still utilise effective zoning with all three bedrooms upstairs even if that includes one master suite and two children’s rooms, but you won’t have the same level of privacy you might be able to gain from separating these bedrooms across floors.
How many bathrooms do I need?
Two bathrooms are ideal for two-storey homes with three bedrooms. This ensures you have both an upstairs and downstairs bathroom, or if you like, a main bathroom and an ensuite bathroom for the master bedroom.
While you could opt to have three bathrooms such as one main bathroom, a guest bathroom and a master ensuite, you may find this takes up too much space in the home for little added value.
How can the layout ensure privacy if the third bedroom is used as a guest room?
If you’re interested in using one of your bedrooms as a guest room, you can use effective zoning to separate this area from the rest of the home, providing adequate privacy. Some strategies you might use include:
- Placing the third bedroom on a separate floor
- Arranging the home to have two bedrooms at one end of the house and the guest bedroom at the other, separated by a common area such as a living room
- Providing a private guest entrance to the room
- Adding additional spaces to the guest room such as an ensuite, sitting area or reading nook, balcony (if applicable) and built-in storage
- Using sound-insulating materials in walls and flooring around the guest room
Start Building your Three-Bedroom, Two-Storey House
Our expert designers and builders have seen almost every kind of two-storey, three-bedroom house plan and layout. Of our 69 two-storey house plans available to browse through, 18 of these are specifically for three-bedroom homes. With floorplans varying from the traditional to the master-bedroom retreat, and catering towards a wide range of personalities and lifestyles, we’re confident in our ability to find you a two-storey home that is perfectly suited to your unique attitude.
Looking for a two-storey home that’s uniquely your own? Talk to our team today.
