Don't forget to put the laundry area on the main floor,wheel chair and handicap equipped bathrooms.

I think worrying about getting up and down the steps shouldn't be an issue, make the steps wide and you can add an electric stair chair when/if you need to. But I think it would be nice to have my sewing room close to kitchen/ bath/ back door to let dogs in and out! Saves time.

Main floor! Then you have 10 minutes to do a couple of seams while the potatoes boil! The light and the views are the other persuaders for me. I have both in my kitchen/sewing area.

My sewing room is upstairs. I actually share the space with my husband. His half of the room is filled with his gun collection, horn mounts, and fly tying bench. Talk about the Odd Couple. I refer to it as the "Horny Sewing Room". The advantages (?) are, I tend to get more legitimate exercise going up and down the stairs and I too have lousy knees. Another advantage of having the room upstairs is I can abandon a project for a couple of weeks and no one is the wiser. Don't have to make the room tidy or presentable until I'm darned good and ready. Also, it gives me a one floor cushion of space, when husband and I need a little time apart with both of us being retired for two years now. It helped keep our 39 year old marriage rock solid after an extremely long winter chocked full of Cabin Fever.

I agree with Tartan. My laundry room and sewing area are downstairs and my knees are giving out on me as well as my back. I have to plan trips downstairs and have to limit them. If I could bring my sewing area to the main floor I would do it in a heart beat. I can limit my laundry to once a week but limiting my sewing time is so frustrating.

I'd go as close as possible to the laundry. That way, you can hear things stop, the ironing board is nearby, easy to wash fabric, etc. mine is on the second floor, with the laundry adjacent. If stairs were an issue, I'd get a stair lift. They aren't that pricey, and you can install it yourself.

hugs,
Charlotte

You can't beat having a bedroom downstairs for whatever purpose you choose. All my bedrooms are upstairs and it's great for leaving your mess behind for days but very inconvenient if you have to be cooking downstairs or doing other projects. When my mother was dying of cancer we had to turn our living room into a hospice room---we really missed having a downstairs bedroom. You can always put a rollaway bed or sofa bed in your sewing room for a guest.

Oh, I would definitely utilize the main floor level for your sewing studio. We bought a Victorian house and after hubby died, it took awhile but finally I decided to convert formal living area to my studio with two long folding tables and plenty of room to move around in. And, I love it. There is a large adjoining den and also a dining room to serve for meetings and entertainment. Family dinners are held at childrens places now as it is difficult for me to do them at nearly 80 yrs. I have 1500 sq feet overhead that could be finished out but don't need it. My oldest son just moved from a tri-level to be out in the country and on one level, closer to dau and SIL. He is looking forward to when they will not want to negotiate stairs.

I visited my grandmother in Kansas, when she was 75, she had stopped using the upstairs of her house. Not sure when she did it, but she shut it off and it was only used for guests. One reason was to save energy because of heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer were expensive - she moved what she needed down stairs she was 93 when she passed away. When my mom reached 72, she did the same thing - she lived in Western Washington, and lived to be 80. Even though they did have a lift installed on the stairs because my dad had heart surgery and he always wanted access to the upstairs - they had a basement my mom didn't ever go into for 8 years. My aunt has the Kansas house now and the upstairs only gets used for guests. The stairway is way too small for a lift.

So I would suggest if you do put the sewing machine upstairs - I would give it, its own heating and air conditioning units so you only run it when you are in it and put in a lift up the stairs before you need it.

I would say main floor for sewing room because of the effort of getting the long arm machine upstairs. (and for all the reasons other people mentioned)