Our editor goes through the pros and cons of this contemporary take on the country house plan.

One of the biggest perks of purchasing a custom house plan is that you get to create a space that is unique and personal to your family and lifestyle. Today’s home building trends include homes with basements or terrace level spaces that can be customized into anything from fitness rooms to offices to wine cellars or bars.

A pioneer and inventor of the K-Brick, precursor to the concrete block, Keichline broke down barriers in the fields of architecture as well as home building and construction.

The first woman to study architecture at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Julia Morgan’s crowning achievement is Hearst Castle. However, it is by no means her only significant contribution to architecture and building. From rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake to elevating the stature of Arts & Crafts house design, Morgan was a true visionary and leader.

How much do people really know about Thomas Jefferson? Of course we all know he was the third U.S. President, influential Founding Father and principal author of the Declaration of Independence. But did you know he was one of America’s first and finest architects and landscape artists?

No other house style can be more innately American than the farmhouse. If beauty in its simplicity defines the ranch house, then classic American ingenuity and creativity epitomize the farmhouse.

Perhaps the most difficult architectural design to define and describe – because it is an amalgam of several styles – try a mix of Colonial, Colonial Revival, Cape Cod, Ranch, Tudor, and Victorian – the traditional house plan is never boring or dull. Traditional homes display a casual, relaxed, homey, and friendly feel that is pure American.

In 2014, home designs will reflect changing American lifestyles. The Plan Collection highlights what its surveys suggest will be the hot trends in house plans and home remodeling for 2014.

So you’re ready to go retro and shop around for a home that brings back memories of the old neighborhood. If the ‘60s and ‘70s are your style, hop on the nostalgia train and take a closer look at split-level or multi-level house plans.

Have you fallen in love with a coastal estate like Copper Beech Farm, a penthouse at New York’s Pierre Hotel, a compound in Beverly Hills, or even a sprawling mega ranch in Wyoming – but doesn’t quite fit in your budget? With a little imagination and creativity, you can work with these house plans to get your dream home started – just in time for Christmas!