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Big and extravagant homes might be beautiful to admire from afar, but how many homeowners really want the mortgage payment that comes with it plus spend their nights and weekends maintaining them – or incur huge expenses to have others do so for them? Below I explore some of the advantages and comforts offered by a smaller home floor plan as well as my “Top 5 Tips” to enhance your smaller space design.
What’s so fascinating about a colonial style house? With its roots in the 1700s, the “Colonial” exudes the warmth, charm and tradition of early American life. Perhaps the most popular and timeless architectural style in the country, the “Colonial” is the result of the imagination and culture of various European settlers. So, symbolically, it is a depiction of the once-and-future-diversity of America.
What started as a rest house in British India became the rage in the U.S. in the early 1900s. The bungalow style defined Americans’ desire for simple house plans that were affordable and cozy. At the bungalow’s height, when manufacturing was at a boom and cities were flourishing, young families wanted a permanent home, close to town yet away from the sights, sounds, and smells of the business districts. Today, as more young Americans are drawn to putting down roots near an urban environment, the bungalow style house has experienced a reawakening among Generation X and Y.
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.
Who would have thought that the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair would catapult the Prairie Style into prominence? High expectations for fresh, new designs were dashed when European forms dominated. Change was inevitable once a group of architects led by Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright seized the moment and introduced the Prairie Style.
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.
The kitchen is the heart of the home. So, when choosing a floor plan, the kitchen and surrounding space deserve your time and attention. What could you do to make the kitchen your dream kitchen? We explore today’s most popular kitchen design styles and kitchen floor plan layout ideas -- and how to make them work with your house plan.
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.
When some think of a “Southern” home, the first images that come to mind are the grand plantation style homes from Gone with the Wind, The Help and movies in between where Southern or plantation homes took center stage. Yet true Southern homes are so much more than just those stately facades. A Southern style house plan captures the spirit of Southern living in its elegance combined with comfort, warm interior design and floor plans, attractive exteriors and keenly designed landscapes that embrace the surroundings.
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!